2010 Adopted Comprehensiv PlanTown of Wappinger, New York
Adopted
September 27, 2010
RECEOyf m
OM2 0 2010
TOWN OF WAPPINGER
TOWN CLERK
Town of Wappinger, New York
This Comprehensive Plan was adopted by the Town Board on September 27, 2010
Town Board
Christopher Colsey, Supervisor
William Beale Ismay Czarniecki
Vincent Bettina Joseph Paoloni
Planning Board
Victor Fanuele, Chair
Angela Bettina
William Kickham
Marsha Leed
Francis Malafronte
Constance Smith
Robert Valdati
Comprehensive Plan Committee
Phil DiNonno, Chair
Raymond Belding
Barbara Cogan
Beth Coleman
Chris Colsey
Doug Cotton
Scott Davis
Joseph Ennesser
Victor Fanuele
Guy Gagne
Chris Iverson
William Kickham
Ron Lafko
Al Lehigh
Scott LeRoy
Maureen McCarthy
Matthew McMahon
Wayne Nussbickel
Regina Pace
Joseph Paoloni
Richard Peters
Paul Pilon
Chan Prasad
Ken Quandt
Russell Robins
Ed Rose
Albert Roberts, Esq., Town Attorney
Robert Gray, PE, Town Engineer
David Stolman, AICP, PP, Town Planner
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Page
I.
INTRODUCTION
1
Regional Perspective
2
Inventory and Analysis
2
Issues and Opportunities
3
Goals and Objectives
7
Survey
12
Public Meetings
13
Implementation
13
II.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES
15
Issues and Opportunities
16
Environmental Conditions
17
Goal
18
Objectives and Recommendations
18
III.
POPULATION AND HOUSING
24
Issues and Opportunities
24
Demographic Changes
25
Housing Trends
26
Goal
31
Objectives
31
Recommendations
33
IV.
ECONOMIC BASE
39
Issues and Opportunities
39
Local Economic Trends
40
Goal
45
Objectives
45
V.
COMMUNITY APPEARANCE AND CHARACTER
48
Goal
48
Objectives
48
Issues and Opportunities
49
Existing Conditions and Recommendations
49
VI.
TRANSPORTATION
57
Goal
57
Objectives
57
Issues and Opportunities
58
Transportation Conditions and Recommendations
58
Town of Wappinzer Comprehensive Plan i
Table of Contents
VII. WATER SUPPLY AND SEWAGE TREATMENT
Issues and Opportunities
Water Systems: Existing Conditions
Sewage Treatment Systems: Existing Conditions
Coordinating Water and Sewer Service with Land Use Planning
Goal
Objectives
VIII. RECREATION AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES
Recreation
Goal
Objectives
Emergency and Protection Services
Solid Waste
Goal
Objectives
Town Government Facilities
Education
Library
IX. LAND USE
Issues and Opportunities
Goal
Objectives
Land Use Plan
Recommendations
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan
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71
74
75
75
77
77
80
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Introduction
4
Introduction
Regional Perspective
The Town of Wappinger is located in the Hudson River Valley 55 miles north of New
York City in the southwest quadrant of Dutchess County. The area has experienced rapid
population growth over the last four decades, with approximately 100,000 additional
residents in the County since 1960. Most of the development associated with this
population increase has occurred in the southwest portion of the County, in the Towns of
Fishkill, East Fishkill, Wappinger and Poughkeepsie, and in the Cities of Beacon and
Poughkeepsie. This growth has been possible because the structure of the regional
economy shifted from agriculture and small mills in the nineteenth and early twentieth
centuries to an integrated metropolitan economy with industries and large employers,
such as I.B.M., located throughout the suburban periphery, where land costs were lower
and transportation more convenient.
This Plan acknowledges the comprehensive plans of the Towns of Fishkill, East Fishkill,
LaGrange and Poughkeepsie; the Village of Wappingers Falls; the City of Beacon; and
the regional plans of Dutchess County and the Regional Plan Association for the New
York Metropolitan Area. As in this Plan, a review of the plans of neighboring
municipalities finds that these communities are working towards accommodating the
demand for housing and other forms of development within a framework that seeks to
preserve the qualities that make these communities attractive: convenient transportation,
natural beauty, and community character. These plans generally seek to focus new
development in existing developed areas, encourage clustered development that protects
open space, and higher aesthetic standards for commercial development.
In particular, the Town of Wappinger seeks to work closely with the Village of
Wappingers Falls to improve the function and appearance of the Route 9 corridor. The
Town also anticipates working with neighboring municipalities for the purposes of
developing greenway corridors along the Hudson River, Wappinger Creek, and Sprout
Creek, protecting water quality near surface waters and aquifers, and meeting water
supply and sewage treatment needs through inter -municipal cooperation.
Inventory and Analysis
This Plan is based both on technical studies and the input of residents, committee
members, and Town officials. As a foundation for the planning effort, the consultants,
Frederick P. Clark Associates, studied the Town's position regarding its regional
position, land use, demographics, housing, environmental resources, transportation, and
other community services and facilities. These studies explored both the spatial and the
temporal components of these aspects of the Town. The results of this research are
presented in full in a report entitled Inventory and Analysis, which shall function as a
companion document to this Plan. The sections titled "Existing Conditions" within each
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 2
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Introduction
chapter in this Plan are generally excerpts and summaries of the findings in the Inventory
and Analysis.
Issues and Opportunities
Environmental Resources
1. Scattered land development throughout the Town has fragmented habitat. If
effective regulatory action is taken, open space corridors can be preserved along
the Hudson River, Wappinger Creek and Sprout Creek.
2. Opportunities exist to improve the protection of ridgelines, steep slopes, streams
and wetlands through land use regulations and permitting procedures in the Town.
3. Relatively impermeable soils covering much of the Town often result in septic
unsuitability, less rainwater percolating into the ground, and more wetlands. Ten
percent of septic systems are failing or marginal, and these pollute surface water
and groundwater.
4. There is a relative mismatch between the capacity of the land to absorb waste
water and the allowable density of dwelling units in the northeastern part of the
Town.
5. Roadway and parking lot design standards, such as street width, width of right-of-
ways, cul-de-sac turn-arounds, roadside drainage, and parking ratios all have an
impact on the amount of impervious surface in the Town. For instance,
unnecessarily wide street widths contribute to the creation of impervious surfaces
in neighborhood subdivisions, which reduces water quality.
6. Poorly managed earthwork and excavation sites pollute surface water with silt and
sediment. DEC Phase II stormwater regulations are in the process of
implementation in the Town. There is a need for strict enforcement of regulations.
7. Road salt and water softener salts are sources of water pollution in the Town.
Careful attention to the methods and materials used for de-icing roads and
encouraging the use of widely available improved technologies for water softening
and purification can substantially reduce the water quality impacts associated with
these uses of salt.
8. The Town is home to a number of threatened and endangered species, including
the Blanding's Turtle, and plants such as Blazing Star, Rattlebox and Violet Wood
Sorrel.
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 3
Introduction
9. The Town is a member of the Hudson River Valley Greenway Compact, which
encourages inter -municipal cooperation and policies consistent with Greenway
principles, including natural and cultural resource protection, public access, and
environmental education. Membership gives the Town enhanced access to grants
that help implement Greenway principles.
Population and Housing
1. Housing costs have increased at a rate far greater than incomes.
2. There is a growing mismatch between the trend of smaller household sizes and the
large three -or -more bedroom homes that have been built and will be built under
current zoning.
Economic Base
1. The economic base of the Town is relatively small compared with the number of
employed persons residing in the Town and the number of homes in the Town.
2. This uneven distribution of jobs and housing results in secondary impacts of long
,. commuting times for employed residents and a higher proportion of property taxes
paid by the residential sector.
3. The high cost of housing in the Town has become a limiting factor on existing
local businesses and on potential new businesses.
4. Commercial, industrial, and office land uses currently comprise approximately
500 acres of land in the Town Approximately 400 developable acres are zoned for
these uses and are currently undeveloped. Also, several existing commercial
properties offer opportunities for reuse and/or additional development.
5. There is a strong consensus in the Town that any future development of
commercial land uses should be well designed to fit in with the sites and should
preserve and promote positive neighborhood/district features, so that community
character is protected and enhanced. The Route 9 Corridor in particular is a high
priority, and is discussed further in the following chapter on Community
Appearance and Character.
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Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 4
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Introduction
i`` Community Appearance and Character
1. The existing pattern of development in the Town is primarily one of fragmented
low-density housing developments and strip commercial development along Route
9.
2. Other than the Village of Wappingers Falls, which regulates itself and its lands
separately from the Town, Wappinger does not have a town center.
3. The Old Route 9 area from Old Hopewell Road through Middlebush / Myers
lr. Corners Road to U.S. Route 9, and the Hughsonville, Chelsea, New Hackensack,
Swartoutville and Myers Corners Hamlets are existing centers of activity that can
be enhanced and redesigned to promote community character in the Town.
4. Farm fields and forested lands, which provide natural resources and a rural or
semi -rural character to the Town, are threatened by the continued development of
housing, commercial, and institutional sites in the Town. Fields and forests also
x help define the edges and shape the identities of settled areas.
5. The Wheeler Hill Historic District is the only protected historic feature in the
Town. Other important historic resources may be lost or degraded without
regulatory protection.
6. Billboards on Route 9D are inappropriate for the area, and detract from the
appearance of the roadway.
Transportation
1. There is a high level of traffic congestion on Route 9 during peak hours, especially
between Meyers Corners Road and New Hackensack Road.
2. Service roads designed to alleviate traffic congestion in this area have been
planned since 1974, but have not been implemented, due to the difficulty of
acquiring control of certain properties, physical constraints, fiscal constraints, and
the additional requirement of coordination between the Town and the Village of
Wappingers Falls, plus State and County authorities. The 2004 Survey shows that
there is public support for the condemnation of land to build new roads to improve
traffic within the Town.
3. The 2004 Survey shows that 84 percent of Town residents support using local tax
dollars to fund roadway improvements to improve traffic flow (with 13 percent
neutral and only 3 percent opposed). When residents were asked to identify the
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 5
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Introduction
single -most important investment the Town should make, this was the highest-
ranking item.
4. Traffic congestion on Route 9 and Route 9D induces drivers to seek alternate
routes, resulting in higher levels of traffic and higher speeds than are appropriate
on local roads.
5. Moderate but increasing levels of congestion occur during peak hours on Myers
Corners Road by Ketcham High School, at the intersection of Old Hopewell Road
with Route 9D, at the intersections of the major east -west collector roads (New
Hackensack, Meyers Corners and Old Hopewell Roads) with Route 9 (particularly
westbound in the morning peak hours) and with All Angels Hill Road (County
Route 94).
6. Use of public transit has increased, but opportunities for travel by pedestrian,
bicycle, and public transit modes are limited and not fully integrated.
Water Supply and Sewage Treatment
1. Water availability within the Town is constrained by a bedrock aquifer that is
diminishing in volume, and limited access to the sub -surface sand and gravel
aquifers associated with Sprout Creek and Wappinger Creek. Town wells have
the capacity to meet existing and future development within existing water
districts, but future service to additional districts would be limited to roughly 400
additional homes One-quarter of all residents that participated in the 2003 Water
and Sewer Survey reported some kind of supply problem regarding their
individual wells. The Town will need to access alternative water supplies in order
to meet future demands outside of existing service areas.
2. Nearly two-thirds of the Town have soils that provide severe limitations to septic
suitability, and most of the remainder provide moderate limitations. One in ten
households participating in the 2003 Water and Sewer Survey reported failing or
marginal septic systems, and most had systems that had been replaced at least
once.
Land Use
1. This land use plan includes changes designed to improve the function and
appearance , of existing community centers, including the Hamlets of Chelsea,
Hughsonsville, New Hackensack, Swartoutville and Myers Corners, and the
proposed Old Route 9 District.
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 6
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Introduction
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2. Currently, there is a mismatch between the capacity of the land to absorb waste
water and the allowable density of dwelling units in the northern part of the Town.
The Town can correct this mismatch by rezoning lands not currently within a
sewer district to lower densities, and by rezoning lands outside of areas planned
for sewer service to even lower densities.
e
3. Other areas recommended for a change to low-density residential are an area south
of McFarland Road and east of Route 9, and an area on Route 9D south of
Ketchamtown Road.
4. Other areas to be changed to high-density residential to make existing trailer parks
more conforming in terms of zoning include three areas in the Route 9 Corridor
(on Cooper Road, on Osborne Road, and on Route 9 and Smithtown Road) and
one area at the junction of Pye Lane and Montfort. An existing trailer park on
New Hackensack Road northeast of Lakeside Road is currently zoned RMF -3 but
the density of dwelling units on the site is approximately 4.7 units per acre. This
site should be changed to RMF -5 zoning to make the site more conforming.
5. The Route 9 Corridor consists of a patchwork of Highway Business, Highway
Office, and Highway Design zoning districts, and the northern section is partially
under the control of the Village of Wappingers Falls. The Town should initiate a
discussion with the Village of Wappingers Falls with the goal of coming to a
consensus on the use of land in the northern section of the Route 9 Corridor. In
the southern section, the Town has an opportunity to create uniform standards
regarding setbacks, landscaping, and access to sites which could improve the
character and function of the Corridor.
Goals and Obiectives
Environmental Resources
Goal: Encourage the preservation of environmentally significant features.
Objectives:
A. Establish, preserve and/or restore open space corridors including riparian
buffers along Wappinger Creek, Sprout Creek and the Hudson River, and
improve access to these resources.
Town of Wappinzer Comprehensive Plan 7
Introduction
B. Regulate the development of floodplains, wetlands, stream corridors, steep
slopes and ridge lines to ensure minimal disruption of their environmental
functions and scenic qualities.
C. Preserve the quality and quantity of the Town's surface and groundwater
resources through land use regulation, monitoring, testing and promotion of
water -saving systems.
D. Protect surface water quality through regulation of stormwater runoff,
particularly during new construction, and through rigorous enforcement.
E. Develop a system of central utilities that will protect water resources by
reducing the number of failing septic systems.
F. Protect the Town's biodiversity through protection of endangered species
and threatened plant and animal populations, as well as through control of
invasive species.
G. Educate stakeholders, contractors, public works employees, and the public
about local environmental issues and best practices.
H. Cooperate with adjoining and area municipalities to address regional
environmental issues, such as the Wappinger Watershed Intermunicipal
Council.
Population and Housing
Goal: Improve housing choice in the Town by encouraging a balance of housing
types and sizes that meet the needs of existing and future Wappinger
residents and employees.
Objectives:
A. Affordable / Workforce housing. Encourage a sufficient supply of homes
within economic reach of Town residents.
B. Accessory apartments. Continue to allow the development of accessory
apartments in appropriate conditions on single-family lots.
ITown of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 8
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Introduction
B. Develop the Hughsonville, Chelsea, New Hackensack, Swartoutville and
Myers Corners Hamlets, and the Old Route 9 District as vibrant, traditional
town/village centers.
C. Protect important landscapes through open space and farmland
conservation.
D. Protect historic buildings and sites.
E. Regulate signage to promote appealing streetscapes and to protect
important landscapes.
Transportation
Goal: Encourage the development of a transportation system consistent with
Town land use patterns and objectives, including public transportation,
*P pedestrian and bicycle systems.
Objectives:
A. Improve traffic conditions on Route 9 and Route 9D.
B. Use transportation improvements as a positive factor in shaping growth.
C. Require service roads, internal connections and combined parking lots,
where appropriate.
D. Minimize the number of access points on major and collector roads.
E. Develop a sidewalk network and bikeway system connecting community
facilities, centers and schools.
F. Improve street connectivity between neighborhoods as new areas are
developed.
Water Supply and Sewage Treatment
Goal: Continue the development of a system of central utilities to address the
needs of existing developed areas with water supply and sewage treatment
problems, and to achieve land use goals and objectives.
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 10
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Objectives:
Introduction
A. Extend utilities at the lowest cost feasible by serving the highest number of
users per linear distance of utilities.
B. Encourage public involvement in planning decisions associated with
municipal sewer and water service.
Recreation and Community Facilities
Goal: Develop recreational and cultural facilities and programs that are adequate
to serve the Town's current and future populations.
Objectives:
A. Anticipate future needs and provide appropriate locations for facilities,
services and programs. Locate recreational facilities in such a way that
they are compatible with Town development patterns.
B. Maximize community use of existing facilities.
C. Develop Greenways along the Hudson River, Wappinger Creek and Sprout
Creek for public recreation.
D. Develop additional trails throughout the Town to meet public demand for
nature and walking trails in cooperation with the Wappinger Greenway
Trail Committee, which is an intermunicipal group comprised of the Towns
of Wappinger and Poughkeepsie and the Village of Wappinger Falls.
Goal: Maintain and enhance the Town -wide comprehensive recycling program.
Objectives:
A. Encourage increased rates of recycling.
B. Encourage proper disposal of hazardous wastes.
C. Monitor recycling rates, solid waste disposal rates, and hazardous waste
disposal rates through objective measurements.
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I Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 11
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Introduction
Land Use
Goal: Guide the development of the Town in a way that preserves
environmentally significant features, improves housing choice, and
encourages a balanced economy.
Objectives:
A. Designate areas of the Town intended for low-density residential
development, farmland protection, and open space.
B. Designate areas of the Town that are well situated for medium- and high-
density residential development.
C. Designate areas of the Town that, due to transportation links, the intensity
of proximate land uses and other features, are appropriate for current and
future use as Town centers.
D. Designate areas of the Town where only commercial, industrial, or
institutional land uses are appropriate.
Survey
An extensive 58 -question survey was sent to every household in the Town of Wappinger
in 2004, seeking the opinion of residents in relation to the development of a new
Comprehensive Plan. Of the approximately 10,000 surveys mailed, about 2,500 were
returned, representing a very high response rate. The survey asked residents to prioritize
planning issues, identify the strengths and weaknesses of the Town, and identify
recreational preferences. Many questions were open-ended, allowing respondents to
write in responses, and these responses were recorded as text into the survey database by
Town employees. In addition to questions about issues and opportunities facing the
Town, the survey also included questions regarding the respondents' age, employment,
most frequent modes of transportation, household composition, household income,
housing costs, housing tenure, and the number of years residing in the Town. This means
that the Town has the opportunity to cross -tabulate survey responses regarding issues
according to these socio-economic factors in order to better understand the community
and respond to specific planning decisions in the future.
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 12
Introduction
Public Meetings
The Town Board appointed a Comprehensive Plan Committee in the spring of 2003
composed of residents of Wappinger, as well as members of the Town Board, Planning
Board, and Zoning Board of Appeals. The Committee has met diligently through over a
dozen meetings. By the time the Plan is adopted, it will have been before the Town
Board as the subject of a public hearing on at least two occasions, as required by State
law.
Implementation
The Comprehensive Plan represents not only a product of much time and effort, but also
the beginning of a process which involves changing existing conditions, regulations, and
procedures in the Town. Sustained public involvement is necessary to bring the items in
this plan to fruition. The following are preliminary implementation strategies that the
Comprehensive Plan Committee has identified for the Town to consider following
completion and adoption of this Comprehensive Plan:
1. Require copies to be distributed to all Town Board members and staff.
2. Place copies of the Comprehensive Plan and the Town Code on the Town web
site.
3. Ensure that copies of the Comprehensive Plan document and large scale
presentation maps are available at every Town Board meeting for easy
reference.
4. Develop a policy that all memos, reports, studies and resolutions affecting
capital and planning decisions include reference to applicable Comprehensive
Plan objectives and recommendations.
5. Prepare a priority list/matrix of the objectives and recommendations
identifying:
• Planning topic (e.g., Community Character; Environmental Resources;
Land Use; Transportation, etc.).
• Objective (numbered by chapter).
• Recommendation (numbered by chapter, e.g., Objective #3-13, etc.).
N
ITown of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 13
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+r• • Involved and responsible parties (Town Board, Planning Board, Zoning
Board of Appeals, staff/consultants, special committee, Local Development
' Agency, adjoining municipalities, other agencies).
• Effort and cost required (low, medium, high or rough approximation in
dollars).
• Time required (6 months, 1-2 years, 2+ years, ongoing, etc.).
• General priority (e.g., low, medium, high).
6. Schedule a review of the priority list/matrix with an annual report on status of
implementation projects and progress. The review/report could be made part of
a report to Town residents to show progress and to reinforce the public's
interest and awareness of the role and importance of the Comprehensive Plan.
7. Schedule a review of the Comprehensive Plan at least once every five years.
8. Establish special implementation committees (by interest and topic), perhaps
with an oversight committee.
9. Public outreach and meetings on topics and issues of local concern (e.g.,
Hughsonville Concept Plan, re -use of former Fairchild Plant, etc.).
10. Create or improve application and development plan review forms and
checklists. The forms and checklists would query applicants, staff and boards
to verify review of and compliance with the relevant portions of the
Comprehensive Plan, its maps and recommendations.
J:\DOCS2\500\Wappinger\Comprehensive Plan\Chapters\Adopted Comp Plan 09-27-2010\Introduction.doc
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Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 14
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Environmental
Resources
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Environmental Resources
II. ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES
e
All of the activities and investments that take place in the Town are closely related to the
Town's natural resources, from the land itself as a surface for buildings and roads, to the
soils of the land, the water underground and above ground, and the plants and animals
that inhabit the landscape. The Town's transportation systems, economy, development
patterns and potential development are all influenced by the natural features of the Town.
In addition, the Town has an interest in preserving important natural features, for
practical reasons, for aesthetic reasons, and for the sake of preserving biodiversity in the
region.
The Town is a relatively populous suburban center within the metropolitan New York
region because of its proximity to the Hudson River. Although the river no longer serves
as a primary mode of transportation, the plains and gradual hills of the river valley still
contain most of the transportation routes and population centers in the area. The Town's
drinking water comes from bedrock aquifers through individual wells, and from
subsurface soil and gravel aquifers that are part of the Wappinger Creek and Sprout
Creek drainage basins. The relative impermeability of most of the soils in Wappinger has
had an effect on the settlement pattern of the Town, limiting density through natural
constraints on the proper functioning of individual waste water disposal systems (septic
systems). Impermeable soils have also led to an abundance of wetlands in the Town,
which present both barriers to development and opportunities for connected wildlife and
open space corridors.
The 2004 Town Survey showed that environmental issues are important to Town
residents. With 96 percent of respondents rating the preservation of environmental
resources as "important" or "very important," it was the highest -ranked issue facing
Wappinger today. Other highlights include:
• 59 percent supported the Town using tax money to acquire undeveloped land to
preserve and protect community character. Thirty-five percent said it was the
single -most important investment the Town could make. Fifty-six percent would
support a modest increase in taxes if this objective was achieved. (This objective
was the second most popular proposed use of tax money in the Town.)
• Scenic beauty was one of the three top reasons why people choose to live in
Wappinger.
• 79 percent of survey respondents supported preserving open space resources as the
Town continues to grow.
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 15
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Environmental Resources
• 50 percent favored conservation or cluster development of new subdivisions,
versus 20 percent opposed and 30 percent unsure or not responding.
• Of the recreational amenities that respondents said they would like to see more of,
nature preserves and trails were the two top items. "Nature enjoyment," walking
or hiking and picnicking were the three most popular activities chosen from
Question 30 of the survey.
• 69 percent supported the Town actively pursuing the extension of a regional
Greenway walking trail system along the Hudson River.
Issues and Opportunities
1. Scattered land development throughout the Town has fragmented habitat. If
effective regulatory action is taken, open space corridors can be preserved along
the Hudson River, Wappinger Creek and Sprout Creek.
2. Opportunities exist to improve the protection of ridgelines, steep slopes, stream
corridors and wetlands through land use regulations and permitting procedures in
the Town.
3. Relatively impermeable soils covering much of the Town often result in septic
unsuitability, less rainwater percolating into the ground, and more wetlands. Ten
percent of septic systems are failing or marginal, and these pollute surface water
and groundwater.
4. There is a relative mismatch between the capacity of the land to absorb waste
water and the allowable density of dwelling units in the northeastern part of the
Town.
5. Roadway and parking lot design standards, such as street width, width of right-of-
ways, cul-de-sac turn-arounds, roadside drainage, and parking ratios all have an
impact on the amount of impervious surface in the Town. For instance,
unnecessarily wide street widths contribute to the creation of impervious surfaces
in neighborhood subdivisions, which reduces water quality.
6. Poorly managed earthwork and excavation sites pollute surface water with silt and
sediment. DEC Phase II stormwater regulations are in the process of
implementation in the Town. There is a need for strict enforcement of regulations.
+» 7. Road salt and water softener salts are sources of water pollution in the Town.
Careful attention to the methods and materials used for de-icing roads and
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 16
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Environmental Resources 1
encouraging the use of widely available improved technologies for water softening
and purification can substantially reduce the water quality impacts associated with
these uses of salt.
8. The Town is home to a number of threatened and endangered species, including
the Blanding's Turtle, and plants such as Blazing Star, Rattlebox and Violet Wood
Sorrel.
9. The Town is a member of the Hudson River Valley Greenway Compact, which
encourages inter -municipal cooperation and policies consistent with Greenway
principles, including natural and cultural resource protection, public access, and
environmental education. Membership gives the Town enhanced access to grants
that help implement Greenway principles.
10. Groundwater Resource Report Dutchess County Aquifer Recharge Rates &
Sustainable Septic System Density Recommendations, prepared in 2006 by Russell
Urban -Mead of the Chazen Companies should be used as a guide for
implementation of appropriate zoning amendments.
Environmental Conditions
Approximately one-third of the Town, consisting of about 5,000 acres, is currently
undeveloped land. About 970 acres are protected as parkland or conserved lands,
representing about 6 percent of Town lands. An additional 1,080 acres of wetlands are
protected as habitat through NYS DEC regulation.
The main topographic features of the Town are the Wappinger and Sprout Creek valleys.
Central Wappinger is characterized by a mixture of large flat areas and low undulating
hills typically rising up to 50 feet above the surrounding land surface. Lowlands along
the Wappinger Creek define most of the western boundary of the Town, changing
abruptly to steep slopes along the Hudson River. Hills just west of Sprout Creek range
along the eastern side of Town, forming the drainage divide between the two main
watersheds in the Town. Elevations range from 540 feet at the top of Cedar Hill just east
of Smithtown Road to near sea level along the Hudson River. Wappinger contains
several long ridgelines; many high points with excellent panoramic views; and significant
areas of steep slopes that provide scenic quality as well as severe constraints to
development.
With the exception of areas generally within the floodplain of Sprout Creek and
Wappingers Creek that have sandy, gravelly and excessively well drained soils, most of
Wappinger soils are characterized as poorly drained, clay and/or rocky. The result is that
there is a very large and extensive system of surface waters and wetlands throughout the
Town, and relatively little, or very slow, groundwater recharge in most areas of Town.
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 17
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1 11 1 1 Proposed Greenway
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Open Space Components
Note: Open Space Components include: streams and 100 -foot
buffer wound streams. waterbodies and 100 -foot buffer around
waterbodies, NYS DEC wetlands and 100 -foot buffer around
wetlands, NWI (federal) wetlands and 100 -foot buffer around
wetlands, 100 -year floodplain, slopes greater than 15%,
recreation areas, conserved lands, and publiciv owned lands.
Nae: TN—p,, fa general pl—g prop—only
Sowces: D-hass County EMC- Dv h— County OF6ce
d Real Picpny Tam FPCA GIS
OPEN SPACE CORRIDORS
�I TOWN OF WAPPINGER
♦ _
Dutchess County, NY
��.,. N
COMPREHENSIVE
t , PLAN MaY
2005
4�
FREDERICK P. CLARK ASSOCIATES, INC.
Plaim ing/Dev elopment/Env ironment/lransportabon
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1
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ac.
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v i7f � J
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-4-,
Legend
1 11 1 1 Proposed Greenway
�I Parcel Boundaries
Open Space Components
Note: Open Space Components include: streams and 100 -foot
buffer wound streams. waterbodies and 100 -foot buffer around
waterbodies, NYS DEC wetlands and 100 -foot buffer around
wetlands, NWI (federal) wetlands and 100 -foot buffer around
wetlands, 100 -year floodplain, slopes greater than 15%,
recreation areas, conserved lands, and publiciv owned lands.
Nae: TN—p,, fa general pl—g prop—only
Sowces: D-hass County EMC- Dv h— County OF6ce
d Real Picpny Tam FPCA GIS
OPEN SPACE CORRIDORS
�I TOWN OF WAPPINGER
♦ _
Dutchess County, NY
��.,. N
COMPREHENSIVE
t , PLAN MaY
2005
4�
FREDERICK P. CLARK ASSOCIATES, INC.
Plaim ing/Dev elopment/Env ironment/lransportabon
Figure
:�, II -2
yrs
Environmental Resources
Wetlands are extensive, interconnected, and essential to control of flooding, water
quality, groundwater recharge and wildlife corridors. Pollution, contamination, filling or
degradation of wetlands may affect neighboring communities, the environmental health
of the ecosystem, and the quality of life of residents.
The Town of Wappinger contains habitat for a wide variety of plant and animal species.
Continued efforts are required to protect local plants and animals and their habitats, and
to diminish the presence of invasive species in order to encourage biological diversity.
Habitat fragmentation is a constant threat, particularly to animals that need large areas of
habitat to sustain their activities. Currently, the deer population is considered a nuisance
by many Town residents. Deer populations are cause for increased concern due to tick
borne diseases such as Lyme's Disease, and concentrated populations become a nuisance
and safety hazard for residents and drivers. Under -story vegetation in wooded areas is
being denuded and causing harm to the natural balance of native species.
For more detailed information regarding baseline environmental conditions of the Town,
please consult the companion volume to this Plan, Inventory and Analysis.
Goal
Encourage the preservation of environmentally significant features.
Obiectives and Recommendations
A. Establish, preserve and/or restore open space corridors including riparian buffers
along Hunter's Creek between Town Hall/Reese Park and Stonykill Farm,
Wappinger Creek, Sprout Creek and the Hudson River, and improve access to
these resources.
Preservation of open space can serve several important purposes including:
• Protecting and strengthening ecological functions;
• Providing habitats for increasingly rare and endangered species;
• Preserving community character;
• Protecting lands for parks and passive recreational uses; and
• Providing economic benefits such as enhanced land values.
fto
M
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 181
to
Environmental Resources 1
Recommendations
1. Revise the Town's Subdivision Regulations to require or encourage that any areas
established for open space be designed to connect with other open space parcels to
form continuous open space corridors.
2. Enhance open space in and around Robinson Lane Park, through possible
expansion to adjacent undeveloped properties, and through connections to other
adjoining open space resources, including:
• Existing Sprout Creek trail system in East Fishkill;
• Proposed Rail Trail on former Maybrook railroad line;
• Further west to NYSEG rights -of -ways; and/or
• 40 -acre open space parcel with 3,000 feet of frontage along Sprout Creek in
the Blackwatch Farm.
3. Increase connectivity of open space for passive recreation through public use of
trails on utility easements and rights -of -ways. There are over 24 miles of such
easements in Wappinger (see Recreation Areas map). Although some sections
would not be appropriate to use as trails, such as where they pass through
established subdivisions, other sections may be well suited to the purpose. In
recent discussions with NYSEG, its representatives stated that they do not have
objections to such use.
4. Integrate the Dutchess Rail Trail with the proposed open space corridor along
Sprout Creek.
5. Consider in the future increasing the 100 -foot buffer requirement for wetland and
watercourse buffers in proposed open space corridors (along the Hudson River,
Wappinger Creek and Sprout Creek) to facilitate habitat protection and wildlife
migration through these corridors.
6. Pursue easements for passive recreation on lands in proposed open space
corridors, and/or public acquisition of land.
7. Study and document through maps and other means the migration of existing
wildlife and the locations of all important wildlife corridors in the Town.
8. Promote the amendment of New York State law so as to make it easier for
orm
landowners to receive agricultural assessments on lots smaller than seven acres in
size.
i..
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 19
Environmental Resources
B. Regulate the development of floodplains, wetlands, stream corridors, steep slopes
and ridge lines to ensure minimal disruption of their environmental functions and
scenic qualities.
The terrain within the Town of Wappinger is distinctive and varied and includes ridge
lines, hillsides with panoramic views, and numerous interconnected wetlands. These sites
lend value to the semi -rural and scenic character of the Town and, if not protected or
given special consideration, may lose the qualities which make them special due to
poorly designed development. Ridgelines are visually prominent within the Town.
Development along visually prominent ridgelines, including the removal of trees, can
have significant impacts and should be limited and/or guided.
Recommendations
1. Re-evaluate and consider strengthening the Town's Wetlands Protection Law on a
regular basis to ensure that it is current relative to the appropriate protection of the
environment.
2. Protect significant natural features such as wetlands, streams, steep slopes and
ridge lines through better management of information systems, including GIS, to
enhance the evaluation during the development review and approval process.
3. Review zoning regulations regarding steep slopes, and consider limiting
development in areas with gradients exceeding 25 percent and regulating
development in areas with slopes between 15 and 25 percent. In this intermediate
steep zone, regulations should include consideration of soil types, vegetation and
terrain in guiding development to minimize impacts, particularly erosion.
4. The Town should consider zoning amendments to limit or prevent new
construction and the removal of trees along all prominent ridgelines. The Town
should consider mapping all important ridgeline features to aid in the protection of
these features.
5. Consider amending the Town Subdivision Regulations to ensure that the design of
new subdivisions preserve the visual and landscape quality of prominent ridgelines
within the Town. Regulations should ensure that the construction of roads and the
positioning of building envelopes are appropriate within visually prominent
settings.
ITown of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 20
Environmental Resources
6. Consider preserving key sites on ridgelines through public land acquisition or by
obtaining scenic easements.
C. Preserve the quality and quantity of the Town's surface and groundwater
resources through land use regulation, monitoring, testing and promotion of
water -saving systems.
A major component of this objective is to ensure that development in areas not expected
to be served by central utilities occurs at densities low enough to protect water resources
and public health. Seventy-two percent of respondents in the 2004 Town Survey
supported reviewing and amending the development standards of residential districts to
reflect environmental constraints. In the northeastern part of the Town there is a
mismatch between the capacity of the land to absorb waste water and the allowable
density of dwelling units. Specific recommendations addressing this situation are found
in the Land Use chapter.
Recommendations
1. Encourage street and parking lot designs that minimize impervious surfaces, as
outlined in the Town of Wappinger Recommended Model Development Principles
for Conservation of Natural Resources in the Hudson River Estuary Watershed
(June 2006).
2. Regulate land uses in aquifer recharge areas (along Wappinger and Sprout Creeks,
near the Dutchess County Airport and in the New Hackensack area) through an
Aquifer Protection Overlay District to prevent overuse and contamination of
groundwater resources.
3. Establish a water quality monitoring program for the natural water bodies in the
Town, particularly the Sprout Creek, Wappinger Creek, Wappinger Lake, Lake
Oniad and the Hudson River.
4. Promote efficient use and re -use of water in domestic and commercial plumbing
systems. The collection of roof water for domestic uses may be appropriate for
properties not served by Town water. While not likely to be viable as drinking
water, rainwater collection systems are feasible for irrigation, landscaping, car -
washing and flushing toilets.
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 21
I
Environmental Resources 1
R
D._ Protect surface water quality through regulation of stormwater runoff,
particularly during new construction, and through rigorous enforcement.
Recommendations
1. Consider the need for additional and/or higher fees to fund enhanced enforcement
efforts.
2. Develop a Town ordinance controlling stormwater, erosion and sedimentation in
accordance with DEC Phase II stormwater regulations.
E. Develop a system of central utilities that will protect water resources by reducing
the number of failing septic systems.
Ninety-eight percent of the Town's surface consists of relatively impermeable soils.
Individual septic systems built in soils with poor porosity have a high rate of failure, and
failing septic systems constitute an ongoing source of point -source pollution in the Town.
This objective was included in this chapter as a means of highlighting and strengthening
the connection between the Environmental, Land Use, and Water and Sewer elements of
this Plan. For specific recommendations regarding this issue, consult the Water and
Sewer section in the Community Facilities chapter of this document.
F. Protect the Town's biodiversity through protection of endangered species and
threatened plant and animal populations, as well as through control of invasive
species.
Recommendations
1. Conduct a Town -wide assessment and survey of environmental resources such as
properties with important natural features and areas with threatened and
endangered species. Knowledge of the presence of such resources is essential in
their protection.
2. Work with landscape suppliers to discourage use, stocking and sale of invasive
species, and to encourage the use, stocking and sale of native species. Lists of
discouraged invasive and encouraged native species should be incorporated into
the Town's regulations; made available on Town website; and shared, updated and
promoted with landscape suppliers, professionals and homeowners as part of an
educational program.
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 22
be
F
Environmental Resources
3. Consider creating a Tree Protection Law to protect adjoining property owners
from adverse aesthetic and environmental impacts resulting from removal of trees
near a property line; to prevent clear -cutting that may destabilize slopes and soils
or adversely impact water resources such as wetlands and streams; to protect
ridgelines; and to protect sensitive or special trees of significance. The Tree
Protection Law should also provide guidance and protection to the utility industry
on the maintenance of trees within rights -of -ways. Currently there are no Town
controls against inappropriate tree removal and clear cutting except where
development is proposed on property and in cases where there are stipulated
prohibitions against such associated with approved development.
G. Educate stakeholders, contractors, _public works employees, and the public about
local environmental issues and best practices.
Recommendations
1. Work with local legislators and representatives to ensure that local power plants
(the Danskamer and Roseton Power Plants) are in full compliance with emissions
standards and requirements, particularly regarding mercury and particulate
I 6W emissions. Encourage disclosure and monitoring of emissions.
2. Educate the public about the use and misuse of pesticides and fertilizers, which
can have significant independent and cumulative impacts on local environmental
resources.
3. Educate the public about the economic and environmental benefits of modern
water softener and purification technologies through such means as an addendum
to the Town water bill.
4. Explore the use of less caustic road salts and/or reduced application of road salt in
sensitive areas.
H. Cooperate with adjoining and area municipalities to address regional
environmental issues, such as the Wappinger Creek Watershed Intermunicipal
Council and Fishkill Creek Watershed Association.
J:\DOCS2\500\Wappinger\Comprehensive Plan\ChapterMclopted Comp Plan 09-27-2010\Environmental Resources.doc
M
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 23 1
711
wo
Population and
Housing
Population and Housing
III. POPULATION AND HOUSING
Housing is essential to the quality of life of every individual, family and community.
Housing, food and water, and the means to achieve these (employment) are the
foundations of life. As part of the overall goal of this plan of improving the quality of
life of the residents of Wappinger and people who work in Wappinger, this chapter
outlines the basic challenges confronting the community in terms of housing, and
describes the goals and objectives developed in order to achieve measurable
improvements in housing opportunities for existing and future residents.
Issues and Opportunities
The housing challenges confronting the community are twofold:
1. Housing costs have increased at a rate far greater than incomes.
2. There is a growing mismatch between the trend of smaller household sizes and the
large three -or -more bedroom homes that have been built and will be built under
current zoning.
These challenges threaten the quality of life of all members of the community, including
residents, business owners and employees. The escalating housing costs hinder efforts to
achieve a better jobs -housing balance, and result in less time spent by individuals in the
community, less disposable income available for non-essential goods and services, and
more traffic in the Town and throughout the region. The housing mismatch has
contributed to high housing costs, since small families or single people may be paying for
a larger home than they really need. The housing mismatch also makes it difficult for
small families, seniors, and young adults to remain in the community, and for those who
work in Wappinger to move to the Town. What follows is a deeper analysis of the facts
and figures behind these findings, including an analysis of the demographic changes that
have set the stage (for yet more detailed data and documentation, please refer to the
companion volume to the Plan, the Inventory and Analysis).
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 24
60
11
Population and Housing
Demographic Changes
Highlights:
1. The Town of Wappinger has experienced no population growth over the past
20 years, while nearby communities have grown.
2. The senior population is projected to grow considerably over the next 20 years.
3. The number of school -aged children has decreased by approximately 14% over the
last 10 years.
The Town of Wappinger experienced rapid population growth in the 1960s and `70s,
L which leveled off at approximately 22,500 persons from 1980 through 2000.
Neighboring communities and the county continued to grow over the same period, as can
be seen in the chart below. Wappinger's population appears to be relatively stable for the
L time being, and is not expected to change substantially in the next 10 years.
fi.
* Does not include the Village of Wappinger taus.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau and Dutchess County Department of Planning.
Prepared by Frederick P. Clark Associates, Inc.
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 25
—♦—Town of
45,000
Wappinger*
>! City of
40,000
Poughkeepsie
Town of
35,000
LaGrange
f Town of East
30,000
Fishkill
■ Town of
o
25,000
Fishkill
o
— -)K— - City of Beacon
6
20,000
15,000 . - _ -)K-
)K10,000
10,000
5,000
0
1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970
1980 1990 2000
Year
* Does not include the Village of Wappinger taus.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau and Dutchess County Department of Planning.
Prepared by Frederick P. Clark Associates, Inc.
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 25
60 1
Population and Housing
4
e
The senior population, which has
grown in the 1980s and `90s, is
expected to continue to increase.
The 55-64 age group will
increase by 75% in the next two
decades (from approximately
2,250 to 4,000 persons) and the
65-74 age group will double
(from approximately 1,400 to
3,000 persons) in the same 20
years. Larger numbers of
seniors living in the community
will increase the demand for
smaller housing units, senior
housing such as assisted
living, and other products and
services.
Projected Increases in the Senior Population in
the Next 10 and 20 Years
5,000
4,000 o 2000 ■ 2010 ■ 2020
c 3,000
3
o 2,000
1,000 +
o
55-64 65-74 75-84 85+
Age Groups
Source: U.S. Census Bureau and Dutchess County Department of Planning.
Prepared by Frederick P. Clark Associates, Inc.
The number of school -aged children in the Town of Wappinger may drop slightly in the
coming five to 10 years due to fewer children ages 0-5 than in previous Census counts.
There were 1,427 0-5 year-olds in 2000, versus 1,649 in 1990, a drop of 222 persons, or
14%. The current numbers of 5 to 9 year olds and 10 to 14 year olds confirm a likely
drop in the population of school -aged children in the Town, which will have an impact on
the school system, the use and market for existing housing, and the demand for new
housing.
Housing Trends
Highlights:
1. The median price of a single-family detached home in Wappinger has nearly doubled
in the past four years, rising from $179,000 in 2000 to $300,0001 by the end of 2004.
Rents have increased by 61/2% per year, rising from $750 in 1998 to $1,0302 in 2003 for
a typical two-bedroom apartment.
2. The Town's housing stock is currently comprised of 64% single-family detached units
and 36% multi -family units, condominiums or mobile homes. However, housing
1 Source: New York State Office of Real Property Services.
2 Source: Dutchess County Department of Planning and Development, Rental Housing
Survey (2003).
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 26
ation and
types and sizes have failed to meet the needs of households with changing
demographics for the past 20 years, and the mismatch between needs and production
has grown more acute.
3. While there has been no population growth in the Town since 1980, 2,834 acres of
land have been consumed for housing since 1986 (a 59% increase). Multi -family
housing uses less land on a per unit basis, preserves more open space and creates less
impervious surface than single-family detached housing. Over 3,000 multi -family
housing units fit into just 9% of residential land.
4. One-quarter of the households in the Town (about 800 renters and 1,100 owners) have
a high housing burden (meaning they are paying more than 30% of their income for
housing).
5. Preliminary results from the 2004 Town -wide Survey show that housing is one of two
single -most important issues for Wappinger residents. There is strong support for a
greater diversity of housing types and sizes, and one-third of residents responding to
the survey said they would prefer to live in well designed, low maintenance housing
such as townhouses, condominiums or apartments if such housing was available in the
Town.
Background. At the time of the 2000 Census, there were 8,466 housing units in the Town
of Wappinger. (Unless stated otherwise, figures are for the Town exclusive of the
Village of Wappingers Falls.) Of these, 5,407 (64%) are single-family detached units and
3,059 (36%) are multi -family units, condominiums, or mobile homes. Single-family
detached homes dominate the residential landscape of the community, with over 7,000
acres (91% of residential land).
Multi -family homes use land more efficiently, squeezing over 3,000 housing units into
just 685 acres (9%) of residential land. This mix of housing is typical of Dutchess
County as a whole, but includes considerably more multi -family housing than the
neighboring communities of LaGrange and East Fishkill, and substantially less multi-
family housing than Poughkeepsie and Fishkill. Overall, land developed for housing has
increased 59% from 4,868 acres in 1986 to 7,733 acres in 2003, consuming 2,834 acres
of land, yet population growth has been zero over the same time period.
Owner -occupied housing accounts for 71% of the occupied housing, and renters for 29%
(similar to the owner/renter ratios for Dutchess County, at 69% and 31 %, respectively).
" Vacancy rates decreased overall between 1990 and 2000, indicating a tighter housing
market (4.0% in 1990 versus 2.8% in 2000). The vacancy rate of rental units dropped
from 6.3% to 1.0% over the decade, and the vacancy rate of houses for sale remained at
about 1%. While there were 450 new households residing in the Town in 2000, there
were only 366 new housing units.
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 27
to
a
s
Housiniz Cost. The impact of increasing housing costs on residency, transportation,
employment and economic development was one of two single most important issues to
the residents of Wappinger, based on preliminary results from the 2004 Survey. Ninety
percent of residents said that this issue was either important or very important,
representing a remarkable consensus on the subject. Housing prices, both in terms of
renting and owning, have risen at rates considerably higher than that of incomes between
2000 and 2004. The median price for a house in 2000 was about $179,000; it had risen to
$300,000 by the end of 2004. At these prices, many Wappinger residents would not be
able to afford to buy the home they currently live in today.
The graph below illustrates the relationship between the increasing housing prices and
local median incomes, with an additional line showing the median household's ability to
afford a home, based on a price three times the annual median household income.
$350,000
$300,000
$250,000
$200,000
$150,000
$100,000
$50,000
Average Wages versus Median Home Prices:
Housing Affordability in Dutchess County and Wappinger
700
$48,659
0-------------------Q-�-�
$29,200
O � N M V u W n 03 0 O N M V
0) O 01 M pt O O O O O O O (D O O
pr m Qr O O W O O 01 O O O O O O
Source: US Census (American Factfinder) P080A, P053, H06 IA. H085, P068, P043, Bureau of Labor Statistics,
Dutchess County Planning Department, NYSORPS, Prepared by Frederick P. Clark Associates, Inc.
6 House Prices
Dutchess County
—A House Prices
Wappinger
Housing Affordability
(three times income)
T Wappinger Median
Household Income
--a- Wages (Dept. Labor)
Dutchess County
- - Wages (Census)
Dutchess County
Wages (Census)
Wappinger
According to the rental housing survey conducted annually by the Dutchess County
Planning Department, rents have increased about 6'/2% per year from 1998 to 2003,
climbing from about $750 for a two-bedroom apartment in 1998 to about $1,030 in 2003.
Average wages in Dutchess County increased at a much lower rate (3.9% per year) over
the same period. Average rents in Wappinger are generally the same as average rents
County -wide. According to preliminary results of the 2004 Survey, 34% of renters hope
to purchase a home in the Town of Wappinger.
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 28
Population and Housing
At the time of the 2000 Census, a total of 1,866 households (about one-quarter of all
households in the Town) had a high housing burden, meaning that they were paying more
than 30% of their income for housing. About 40% of these households were renters, and
rt about 60% were owners. We can assume that the number of households with a high
housing burden has increased among renters (who are paying higher rents now than in
2000) and among homeowners who have recently purchased or refinanced a home. The
number of households with a high housing burden is an indicator of housing affordability.
Households throughout Dutchess County are under similar circumstances.
0
New housing construction in nearby communities in Dutchess County in 2000 averaged
twice the median sales price of all homes in each community, according to the Dutchess
County Smart Growth Housing Task Force Report (December 2001). This is partly
because new single-family housing is generally much larger than it was mid -201h century.
According to the report, housing built in the 1950s in Wappinger had a median square
footage of 1,296, versus a home built in the 1990s with a median of almost twice the size,
at 2,268 square feet. Likewise, the average single family home in Wappinger the `50s
stood on a'/z acre lot, versus 1.3 acres in `90s.
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 29
Number of Households with High Housing Burden:
Town of Wappinger 2000: Renters and Owners
1600
1400
❑ Total Households
V
1200
■ Housing Burden
L
1000
=
800
0
M 366
600
409 476
E
400
345
Z
200
1412
164
78
16
0
O°'0 O°'0 O°'0 ore 000 O°'0 0°'0 O°'0 ore
0 b
ss�0
s91� as°jO o��^O sy�0 s900
�a '9 000 ti� t4 'P NP 000
O 000 000 000 00. O 000 000 000 00•
Renters Owners
Source: US Census (American Factfinder) P052, H073, H097. Prepared by Frederick. P. Clark Associates, Inc.
New housing construction in nearby communities in Dutchess County in 2000 averaged
twice the median sales price of all homes in each community, according to the Dutchess
County Smart Growth Housing Task Force Report (December 2001). This is partly
because new single-family housing is generally much larger than it was mid -201h century.
According to the report, housing built in the 1950s in Wappinger had a median square
footage of 1,296, versus a home built in the 1990s with a median of almost twice the size,
at 2,268 square feet. Likewise, the average single family home in Wappinger the `50s
stood on a'/z acre lot, versus 1.3 acres in `90s.
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 29
Population and Housing
k
According to the most current information available, housing costs are likely to continue
to increase in the short term ("Housing Market Is Still Going Strong," NY Times,
February 6, 2005). Increasing housing prices were a concern in the 1988 Wappinger
Town Plan as well. At that time, two-thirds of Dutchess County households could not
afford to purchase a median priced house in Wappinger. In 2000, incomes had caught up
somewhat with housing prices, and less than half of Dutchess County households would
have found home prices unaffordable, but by 2004, again, more than two-thirds of
Dutchess County households are priced out of the Wappinger housing market. Housing
costs are once again a primary concern for Wappinger.
Housing Mismatch. There is a mismatch between the need for smaller housing units for
more non-traditional households and seniors, and the market's supply of large housing
units with three or more bedrooms. The Town bears some responsibility for this as well.
Under current zoning, virtually all future residential growth (96% of all possible housing
units) will be single-family detached housing. Current zoning would support a projected
80 to 100 additional multi -family units (of approximately 2,000 potential housing units
total) before reaching `full build -out.' Very few alternatives to single-family detached
homes have been built in the Town over the past 20 years.
The average household size has declined steadily since 1970, when it was 3.39 in
Wappinger and 3.14 in the U.S. as a whole, to 2.67 and 2.59 respectively. There are
fewer households composed of a married couple with children (30% in 2000, down from
35% in 1990) and the percentage of senior, single -parent or childless households has
increased and is expected to continue to grow. The 1988 Plan found that, "More than 43
percent of households consist of only one or two persons, yet 60 percent of housing units
have three or more bedrooms." This trend in housing mismatch has only gotten worse:
now even more households are only one or two persons (54%), yet more housing in the
Town consists of three or more bedrooms (64%). The housing mismatch has contributed
to higher housing costs, since small families or single people may be paying for a larger
home than they really need or want.
A majority of Wappinger residents responding to the 2004 Survey (58% of preliminary
results) supported a greater diversity of housing types and sizes to meet the changing
needs of the community. Thirty-five percent of residents responded that they would
prefer to live (either now or in the near future) in well designed, low maintenance
housing such as townhouses, condominiums or apartments if such housing was available
in the Town. Since only 24% of the population currently lives in townhouses,
condominiums, or apartments, the difference (11%) represents a potential demand of
2,500 people for such housing currently or in the near future.
Water and Sewer. Housing development entails water and sewage disposal systems, and
Wappinger faces specific constraints with regard to local water supplies and the
timeframe of sewer line construction, as is detailed in the chapter on community services
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 30
0
Population and Housing
and facilities. If multi -family housing options are to be expanded, extending water and
sewer service may be necessary. Multi -family and commercial development can help
make such links economically viable. Due to limited drinking water resources in the
Town (estimated to supply 400 additional homes), and to the layout of existing systems,
the Town will probably need to work with neighboring municipalities (Wappinger Falls,
the Town of Poughkeepsie and the Town of Fishkill) for further development of utilities
in the water and sewer district.
Implications. The trends described above have significant implications for the quality of
life of all members of the community, including residents, business owners and
employees. Escalating housing costs will push individuals to work further from home
and longer hours, resulting in less time spent in the community and more traffic in the
Town and throughout the region. Many households will respond simply by cutting
spending on all non-essential expenses, which will have negative impacts on local and
regional businesses and markets. Homeowners with middle or low incomes may find that
they must sell, or struggle to remain in place. The high cost of purchasing a home also
means that many families currently renting in Wappinger may not be able to fulfill their
dream of someday buying a home of their own in the community. The housing mismatch
will continue to make it difficult for small families, seniors, and young adults to remain
in the community, and for those who work in Wappinger to move to the Town.
Goal
Improve housing choice in the Town by encouraging a balance of housing types and
sizes that meet the needs of existing and future Wappinger residents and employees.
Wappinger should be a community where housing of the right size and type, at a
reasonable cost, is available to everyone in the community at every stage of life. People
should have the opportunity to live out their lives in Wappinger, surrounded by friends
and family. Housing and employment opportunities should be available in close
proximity, making commuting easier, and businesses more efficient. With housing costs
at reasonable levels and shorter commutes, residents will have both more time and money
to contribute to the community, and also more opportunities to enjoy the recreational and
social benefits of living in Wappinger.
Obiectives
A. Affordable / Workforce housing. Encourage a sufficient supply of homes within
economic reach of Town residents.
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 31
Population and Housing
Town residents, regardless of age or income level, need a decent place to live. A
sufficient supply of housing that is affordable to average -income working households
provides opportunities to local businesses to expand and for new business to locate in the
region, thereby improving the local economy. Affordable housing is about individuals
and families not experiencing housing costs as a burden. Since housing costs have
climbed so rapidly in the New York metropolitan area, solutions to affordable and
workforce housing issues are now much more diverse and innovative than subsidized
housing.
B. Accessory apartments. Continue to allow the development of accessory
apartments in appropriate conditions on single-family lots.
Accessory apartments can make more efficient use of existing housing stock, by
converting underused spaces to additional living quarters. The visual impact of an
accessory apartment on the neighborhood can be mitigated through regulating building
height, setbacks, number of bedrooms, parking and design, so that the apartment blends
into the fabric of the neighborhood. By encouraging the construction of accessory
apartments, the Town is helping to provide a better housing mix, specifically by
encouraging the development of smaller units. Accessory apartments provide
opportunities for families as they grow and change. They can allow teenagers and young
adults to begin living independently next door to the family home, and provide extra
income through rent when the children are grown. As the senior members of the
household age, they can retire to the smaller quarters of the accessory apartment if they
choose, and making room for grown children and grandchildren in the main house, or
they can rent the main house to cover living expenses. The ability to rent out a portion of
the property on a single-family lot can make the difference between staying or being
forced to leave for seniors with limited incomes.
C. Variety of housing types. Require that certain percentages of large, new
developments be comprised of a variety of housing types (such as attached
single-family homes, duplexes and apartments).
A majority (58%) of Wappinger residents want a greater diversity of housing types and
sizes to meet the changing needs of the community, according to preliminary results of
the 2004 Survey. About one-third of respondents said that they would like to live (either
now or in the near future) in well designed, low -maintenance housing such as
townhouses, condominiums or apartments if such housing was available in the Town.
Increasing the variety of housing types and sizes will help to alleviate the problem of a
housing mismatch in the Town.
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 32
e
Population and
Planned Residential Development (Section 240-39). This provision was intended
to provide greater flexibility to developers, by allowing for a diversity of housing
types and land uses offering employment and shopping, all as a part of a single
large development. This provision has not been used since its inclusion in the
Town Code. The application process is complicated and requires considerable
investment in design without offering much certainty of approval. The Town may
consider amending the code to streamline the process, and investigating similar
codes and conditions in neighboring communities where such provisions have
been utilized successfully. The Town should also consider amending the Code to
specify water and sewer service requirements necessary for site plan approval.
Mixed Use. While there are several non-residential zoning districts that permit
residential use as principal or special permit uses (including the HB, MU, HM,
NB, GB and SC Districts), there has been very little residential construction in
these zones in the last 10 years. Possible deterrents are requirements for elevators
and fire separation, additional water and sewer demands, floor area ratios and
parking requirements. The Town should study this further, with the objective of
removing or ameliorating deterrents to the development of residential uses in these
districts.
Mobile Homes. Mobile homes are permitted at the same density as single-family
homes in most Wappinger residential districts. There are at least four mobile
home parks in the Town, all of which are pre-existing non -conforming uses.
Mobile home parks generally have a higher population density than single-family
housing, offering similar advantages and constraints as multi -family housing.
There have been no new mobile home parks in the past 10 years in the Town
because the low density permitted by the Code is a substantial disincentive to
develop lower-cost housing on relatively high-value lots. The Gables in
Poughkeepsie is a good example of a new, well-designed manufactured housing/
mobile home development.
Implementation Strategies
A. Affordable / Workforce Housing
Affordable / Workforce and Senior housing overlay districts. In an effort to keep
housing affordable, the 1988 Plan recommended establishing an unmapped
floating zone for affordable housing. This option has not been acted upon by the
Town, partly because it entails a rezoning each time it is used, and would subject
both the applicant and the Town Board to controversial public hearings on each
occasion in which a developer applies for inclusion into such a zone. The floating
zone offers a lower than average degree of certainty to a would-be developer of
affordable housing, and is not strongly recommended at this time.
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 35
i0a
a
Population and Housing
�r
The Town is instead considering the establishment of specific mapped
affordable/workforce and senior housing overlay districts over a very limited
number of single-family districts that would permit a developer to apply for
density bonuses in exchange for providing affordable/workforce housing or senior
housing in conservation/open space subdivisions on sites located within the
districts. In these cases, development below the R-20 District requirements would
not be permitted and the projects would each need to include a substantial open
space component.
Density bonuses. The Town is considering amending the multi -family zoning
districts to offer a density bonus for developments that include a certain
percentage of affordable/workforce and senior housing units. The density bonus
must be carefully tailored to the capacity of the zoning district and the realities of
the housing market in order for developers to apply for these bonuses. Density
bonuses would only be allowed in return for direct social benefits to the Town.
B. Accessory Apartments
Zoning amendment. Currently, accessory dwelling units are allowed by special
permit in the Town for occupants related to the owners of the main house and lot.
The Town has recently modified its zoning provisions to allow accessory
apartments subject to specific standards but without a special permit from the
Town Board. The accessory apartment provisions should be reviewed periodically
to determine their effectiveness.
C. Preserve and Re -use Older Housing
Historic preservation law. The Town should consider the adoption of a historic
preservation law using standards developed by New York State.
D. Variety of Housing Types
Consider re -zoning appropriate lands near existinjz centers for multi -family
housing. A potential location of higher -density residential development is Old
r Route 9/Main Street (see the Old Route 9/Main Street Concept Plan).
Density units. The Town is currently considering using density units to achieve
affordable housing and a variety of housing sizes in a development. This was
introduced as part of an Affordable Housing Draft Law affecting RMF districts.
By introducing density units, the Town will encourage the production of different
sizes of housing units, because developers would be allowed to build 2 one -
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 36
M
and Housing
., bedroom units for every three-bedroom unit, or 1'/2 two-bedroom units for every
three-bedroom unit.
Construction of new multi -family homes that are of a similar size and design as
single-family homes. The Town could develop regulations to require any new
multi -family housing in certain districts to be designed so that it is virtually
indistinguishable from single-family detached housing, as viewed from the street.
This is a developing architectural form, with many well-known examples in the
U.S.
E. Development in Existing Centers
Housing in mixed use: requiring and conserving. In certain districts, such as the
Old Route 9/Main Street district and the Hughsonville Hamlet, the Town should
consider requiring new development to include housing either on the floor(s)
above a retail use, or in some other location on the site. The Town may consider
changing the zoning in these districts to reduce building setbacks, and instead
require maximum setbacks to achieve greater development potential and
encourage pedestrian -oriented development. The Town can reduce parking
requirements, and require shared and coordinated parking instead. The Town can
also encourage multi -story buildings with offices and apartments above
commercial uses on the ground floor.
Transfer of development rights (TDR). The Town may consider drafting
legislation that allows the property owners in designated `sending' districts (such
as farmland areas) to sell their development rights to property owners in
designated `receiving' districts (such as the Route 9 corridor), which could then
build at a higher density with the purchased development rights. Such a plan must
be tailored to the local economic realities of development in order for owners and
developers to actually begin buying and selling the development rights.
F. Variety of Architectural Styles
Multi -family residential design guidelines. The Town may consider developing
design guidelines for multi -family districts in order to better ensure well-designed
townhouses, condominiums and apartments.
Resources. There are many resources available to Town residents, Board
r members, and developers to help promote good design and a variety of
architectural styles.
• The Town of Wappinger has a "Commercial and Mixed Use Design
Guidelines" document that not only guides development in these districts,
e
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 37
it
M
I
Population and
but can be used as a resource for design questions in other parts of the
Town as well.
• The Dutchess County Planning Department has produced "Housing
Designed to Build Neighborhoods," other wise known as the `Green Book,'
which shows elevations, plans, and site plans of small homes in the
vernacular tradition of Dutchess County, including Dutch Colonial, Greek
Revival, Federal, Victorian Cottage, Arts and Crafts (Bungalow), and Neo -
Colonial.
• The Dutchess County Planning Department has also produced Hamlet
Design Guidelines, which shows how to duplicate the historic development
patterns in today's modern context.
• The Dutchess County Planning Department's "Greenway Connections" is a
useful resource on establishing and maintaining historic and ecological land
use practices.
J:\DOCS2\500\Wappinger\Comprehensive Plan\Chapters\Adopted Comp Plan 09-27-2010\Population and Housing.doc
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 38
lr•
Economic Base
I
Economic Base
IV. ECONOMIC BASE
Economic health is a critical component of a well-rounded, stable community, and is
therefore an important consideration in a comprehensive plan. Economic characteristics
such as major employers, commuting patterns, types of employment and income describe
the past and future health of a town's economy. This plan incorporates information about
both the local economy and the regional economy, since eighty-five percent of
Wappinger's employed residents work outside the community.
Issues and Opportunities
1. The economic base of the Town is relatively small compared with the number of
employed persons residing in the Town and compared with the number of homes
in the Town.
2. This uneven distribution of jobs and housing results in secondary impacts of long
commuting times for employed residents and a higher proportion of property taxes
paid by the residential sector.
3. The high cost of housing in the Town has become a limiting factor on existing
local businesses and on potential new businesses.
4. Commercial, industrial, and office land uses currently use approximately 500 acres
of land in the Town, and approximately 400 developable acres are zoned for these
uses and are currently undeveloped. Also, several existing commercial properties
offer opportunities for reuse and/or additional development.
5. There is a strong consensus in the Town that any future development of
commercial land uses should be well designed to fit in with the sites and should
preserve and promote positive neighborhood/district features, so that community
character is protected and enhanced. The Route 9 Corridor in particular is a high
priority, and is discussed further in the following chapter on Community
Appearance and Character.
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 39
a
R
Economic Base
down, Wappinger needs to participate in a regional effort to improve the distribution and
balance of jobs and housing.
Wappinger Survey of Business Establishments -1997
Industry
Number of
Companies
Revenue
$1,000
Payroll
$1,000
Number of
Employees
Wholesale trade
18
$120,040
$14,201
245
Retail trade
26
$83,503
$7,141
313
Real estate & rental & leasing
13
$11,278
$4,044
123
Professional, scientific, & technical
services
26
$11,972
$3,414
75
Administrative & support & waste
management & remediation
services
11
$3,726
$1,037
57
Educational services
6
$474
$193
18
Health care & social assistance
33
$12,147
$4,127
219
Arts, entertainment, & recreation
4
$1,928
$608
70
Accommodation & food services
21
$10,147
$2,684
308
Other services (except public
administration)
15
$3,727
$930
56
Total
173
$258,942
$38,379
1,484
Source: 1997 Economic Census
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 41
i.
t
ile
Economic Base
In 1986, during a Town -wide inventory leading up to the 1988 Comprehensive Plan,
there were 231 businesses in the Town. These were primarily small, locally -owned retail
l and service operations. Only two commercial properties were found vacant at that time,
suggesting a vibrant local economy. The Plan notes that, "Many of the central business
establishments and commercial areas of Route 9 are within the... boundaries of the
Village of Wappingers Falls." As of 1997, at the time of the most current Economic
Census, there were 173 businesses in the Town, with approximately 1,500 employees.
Wappinger's business community appears to have been strong in 1997, with $259 million
in revenue, and $38 million in payroll (see chart above).
The Town of Wappinger has far fewer local jobs than it has local workers, partly by
accident of historical development patterns, and partly by design, through past land use
decisions. Without including the Village of Wappingers Falls, the Town has about 1,500
local jobs, about 12,000 resident workers, and approximately 8,500 housing units,
resulting in a jobs -to -housing ratio of 0.2 : 1, and a jobs -to -employed residents ratio of
0.1 : 1 (see table below).
Jobs to Housing Ratios: Wappinger
and Surrounding
Areas
Jobs
Jobs :
Employed
Housing
Employed
Housing
Residents
Area
Jobs
Units
Residents
Ratio
Ratio
Town of Wappinger
(not including
1,484
8,466
11,959
0.18:1
0.12:1
Village)
Town of Wappinger
4,094
10,157
13,289
0.40:1
0.31 :1
plus Village
Towns of
Wappinger, Fishkill,
29,072
40,802
54,245
0.71 :1
0.54:1
Poughkeepsie, and
East Fishkill *
Dutchess County
114,354
106,103
130,793
1.08: 1
0.87: 1
Source: 1997 Economic Census, 2000 Census
* Includes Villages of Fishkill and Wappingers Falls
A jobs -to -housing balance would be roughly 1.5 : 1 (Dutchess County is 1.1 : 1) and a
balanced jobs -to -employed residents ratio would be 1 : 1 (Weitz, "Jobs -Housing
Balance," American Planning Association, 2003).
It may be more accurate to include a wider area, such as the Village of Wappingers Falls,
in an economic analysis, since the Village was historically the economic center of the
area, and even today, with 218 businesses and 2,600 employees, it remains a strong
ITown of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 42
R
Economic Base
)41 source of goods, services, employment and income for many Wappinger residents. The
combined economic area of the Town and the Village yields a jobs -to -housing ratio of
l 0.4:1, and a jobs -to -employed residents ratio of 0.3:1. Expanding the study area to
include the Towns of Poughkeepside, Fishkill and East Fishkill (with large IBM facilities
in Poughkeepsie and East Fishkill) yields slightly higher ratios, but the general trend
remains the same: there are fewer jobs than there are workers in the area.
One result of Wappinger's polarized jobs -housing ratio is that its economic base is more
dependent than most communities on businesses located outside of the Town. Another
result is the heavy reliance on longer commutes to jobs, as mentioned above.
The tax base of the community is also impacted by the relatively small size of the
economy located within the Town. According to the Dutchess County Economic
Development Corporation, Wappinger receives 24 percent of its taxes from commercial
land uses. Nearby communities, such as the Town of Fishkill and the Town of
Poughkeepsie, get about 35 percent of their tax revenue from the commercial sector.
Thirty-five percent of tax revenue from commercial is a commonly accepted goal for
most communities, according to the EDC. Currently, commercial, industrial and office
land uses occupy 523 acres (just over 3 percent) of land in the Town. These properties
have a combined assessed value of $70 million, which is approximately 8 percent of the
total assessed value of all property in the Town. Residents of towns with higher
percentages of commercial and industrial uses generally pay less in residential taxes.
The 2004 Survey showed that the property tax implications of all land use and
development was one of two single -most important issues to residents of the Town.
However, residents were divided about encouraging more commercial and industrial
development to broaden the tax base: 47 percent were in favor, 23 percent were unsure or
did not respond, and 30 percent were opposed to such development. But when asked if
Wappinger should encourage additional business development for the purpose of job
creation, 50 percent were in favor versus 30 percent opposed. Finally, a majority (55
percent) opposed encouraging additional business development for the purpose of
providing more shopping and commercial activities in the Town. Seventy-nine percent
felt that there are adequate day-to-day shopping opportunities currently existing in the
Town. Town residents appear to be in favor of further commercial development,
particularly if it does not overload an already large regional shopping district, and
particularly if it provides local jobs and fiscal tax benefits to the Town.
There are 418 acres of developable land zoned commercial or industrial in the Town.
This count excludes already developed commercial or industrial properties, as well as
steep slopes, wetlands and floodplains, and lots under 10 acres (but including smaller lots
if they are contiguous to other such lots adding up to 10 or more acres). The count was
restricted to 10 or more acre lots because many businesses require a minimum of
approximately 10 acres for their operations. The majority of this developable land, 213
ITown of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 43
Inmd
_ Business Zoned Parcels - Undersized or Developed
Industrial Zoned Parcels - Undersized or Developed
_ Business Zoned Parcels - Vacant or Undeveloped
Industrial Zoned Parcels - VacaoUUndeveloped
- $$ Developable Acreage of vacant/undeveloped parcel
Note: Zoning layers show only lands without
environmental constraints.
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DEVELOPABLE LOTS:
COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL
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CONTIGUOUS ACRES
TOWN OF WAPPINGER h
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COMPREHENSIVE
PLAN June
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Economic Base
acres, is located on 15 lots in the Airport Industrial District and the Conservation
Commercial District just east of the airport. The remaining developable lands are located
in just two places — 26 developable acres along the Route 9 corridor and 179 acres at
what is known as the Contrail Property (both are zoned Conservation Office Park).
Currently, all but one of the above sites (the Contrail Property) are not eligible for
municipal water and sewer services, which is a deterrent to businesses seeking turn -key
development locations.
In addition to undeveloped lands, properties with existing buildings and/or improvements
offer opportunities in the Town, particularly the Pizzagalli (formerly IBM) Property, the
Dutchess County Airport, the former Fairchild computer chip manufacturing site, and the
Alpine Commons Property (where a portion of the large parking lot can be reused).
The implications of developing any or all of these sites need to be carefully considered,
with the aim of capitalizing upon the potential benefits, such as tax revenue and jobs, and
mitigating potential adverse impacts, such as increased traffic and environmental
disturbance. The draft Commercial and Mixed Use Design Handbook addresses these
issues, including sections on building form, location, and orientation; access and
movement, streetscape, signage, landscaping, public spaces, and lighting.
Future development of residential or commercial properties within the region will have
an impact on traffic volumes on Route 9. Many businesses in the Town are dependent
upon retail activity along this corridor. Thus, maintaining and improving the appearance
and function of this valuable community asset is a priority, requiring County -wide
cooperation, at many levels. Further discussion of the methods and priorities for
improving the Route 9 Corridor can be found in the following chapter on Community
Appearance and Character.
The largest businesses driving the regional economy are IBM, with about 11,000
employees located in East Fishkill and Poughkeepsie, and a group of colleges and
vocational institutes including Vassar College, Marist College, Dutchess Community
i College, the Culinary Institute of America, and Bard College (largest to smallest, with a
total of about 4,000 employees). The GAP/Old Navy, NXP and Pawling Corporation are
the other major businesses that bring money into the region among the top 30 employers,
with a total of 2,200 employees in this group. Wappinger has become the home of many
companies since 2000, including Southeastern Container (100 employees), Hannaford
(230 employees), Epson/Seiko (80 employees), Immediate Credit Recovery (100
employees), and Cable Vision (60 employees).
The ability of current and future businesses to attract and retain employees is currently
being called into question by the rising cost of housing in the area, as detailed in the
previous chapter. According to the Dutchess County Economic Development
Corporation, Marist and Bard Colleges are having difficulty attracting new professors due
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 44
R
a
Economic Base
to the high cost of housing in the region, and IBM is having difficulty recruiting Master's
Degree students for the same reason. According to the EDC, 70 percent of the employees
at the GAP in Fishkill reside outside of the County, and most of Southeastern Container's
100 employees live in Ulster County where housing is less expensive. Housing,
transportation, community appearance and character all have an impact on the quality of
life experienced by residents of Wappinger, as well as on the economic decisions of
businesses to come to and to remain in the Town.
Goal
Encourage a balanced economy with diversified employment opportunities.
Objectives
A. Promote regional cooperation in economic development planning.
Recommendations
1. Coordinate with neighboring municipalities and the Dutchess County Economic
Development Corporation to undertake an economic study and analysis to explore
potential land use changes and restructuring within business and commercial
districts and to develop a regional business and commercial structure plan.
2. Build partnerships with surrounding communities for evaluating development
impacts, preserving highway capacities, encouraging diverse business and
commercial opportunities and enhancing community character.
B. Improve business opportunities within the framework of improved community
character and appearance.
Community character and appearance are important values to maintain as the Town's
commercial areas continue to develop and change. Community character contributes to a
quality of life that should be understood as a part of the Town's strength in attracting
highly -skilled employees and high -paying employers. Community character is also
important to the Town's ability to attract shoppers. Improving community character also
entails an efficient use of land, which offers direct and tangible benefits to the Town in
terms of the conservation of land for future economic opportunities, and more tax base
per acre of land.
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 45
Economic Base
Recommendations
1. Simplify and streamline review and permitting process while maintaining
environmental protection and enhancing community character.
2. Ensure that areas the Town designates for higher intensity commercial and
industrial development are within existing or planned sewer and water service
areas.
3. Review commercial zoning district requirements and consider focusing
commercial areas into more compact nodes of development by promoting in -fill,
mixed-use and higher intensity uses within key locations. Re-evaluate zoning
requirements that may deter business development, especially parking
requirements.
4. Reduce the number of commercial zoning districts with a focus on area character,
function and design instead of a separation of uses. (See also recommendations for
Community Character and Appearance.)
5. For key areas, develop detailed district design plans. The development pattern for
important commercial centers should be clearly articulated with plans and
standards designed to ensure that commercial, economic and design objectives are
attained. Often this requires a more detailed design process combining land use
planning with open space, pedestrian circulation, transportation and built form.
Areas identified for the preparation of conceptual development plans include:
• Hughsonville Hamlet (see attached Figure V-1 for a rendering of a possible
Hughsonville Concept Plan)
• Old Route 9 District (from Old Hopewell Road through Myers Corners /
Middlebush Road to U.S. Route 9; see attached Figure V-2 for sketch plan)
• Chelsea Hamlet
• Swartoutville Hamlet
• New Hackensack Hamlet
• Myers Corners Hamlet
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 46
Economic Base
C. Promote well-designed office research ;parks and similar uses that offer good jobs
and wages in appropriate locations.
Recommendation
Cooperate with the Dutchess County Economic Development Corporation to
identify strategies to increase marketability of existing underutilized commercial
properties.
J:\DOCS2\500\Wappinger\Comprehensive Plan\ChaptersUclopted Comp Plan 09-27-2010\Economic Base.doc
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 47
a
Community Appearance
` and Character
i
and Character
6 V. COMMUNITY APPEARANCE AND CHARACTER
A community is shaped by the topography and natural character of the land, by the
number of people and the kind of housing built upon the land, by the economy that
shapes the lives of the people, and by the function and appearance of the transportation
system that links destinations. But a community's character is also influenced by
collective values and their influence on the landscape and the built environment. This
chapter is about how Wappinger can and should capitalize on its own unique assets and
use private development forces to create a more attractive and humane community with a
strong connection to both nature and history, and an enhanced sense of place.
Goal
Encourage development with high aesthetic standards to provide a visual and natural
environment that will promote economic stability, enhance community character, and
will be compatible with surrounding land uses.
Obiectives
A. Improve the appearance of the Route 9 corridor.
B. Develop Hughsonville, Chelsea, New Hackensack, Swartoutville and Myers
Corners Hamlets, and the Old Route 9 District as vibrant, traditional
town/village centers.
I C. Protect important landscapes through open space and farmland conservation.
D. Protect historic buildings and sites.
E. Regulate signage to promote appealing streetscapes and to protect important
landscapes.
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 48
kift
and Character
Issues and Opportunities
1. The existing pattern of development in the Town is primarily one of fragmented
low-density housing developments and strip commercial development along Route
9.
2. Other than the Village of Wappingers Falls, which regulates itself and its lands
separately from the Town, Wappinger does not have a town center.
3. The Old Route 9 area from Old Hopewell Road through Middlebush / Myers
Corners Road to U.S. Route 9, and the Hughsonville, Chelsea, New Hackensack,
Swartoutville and Myers Corners Hamlets are existing centers of activity that can
be enhanced and redesigned to promote community character in the Town.
4. Farm fields and forested lands, which provide natural resources and a rural or
semi -rural character to the Town, are threatened by the continued development of
housing, commercial, and institutional sites in the Town. Fields and forests also
help define the edges and shape the identities of settled areas.
5. The Wheeler Hill Historic District is the only protected historic feature in the
Town. Other important historic resources may be lost or degraded without
regulatory protection.
6. Billboards on Route 9D are inappropriate for the area and detract from the
appearance of the roadway.
Existinz Conditions and Recommendations
Wappinger has a unique combination of assets that makes it an attractive place to live,
work, and play. Key items are:
• Hudson River, Wappinger Creek, Sprout Creek
• A mix of commerce including corporate offices, manufacturing, and retail
• A good location within the region in terms of jobs, transportation, recreation, and
tourism
• An excellent school system
• Views and scenic vistas, in particular from hilltops and ridgelines
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 49
Community Appearance and Character
• A variety of housing types (single-family detached homes, condominiums, and
multi -family apartment buildings)
• Farms, open spaces, numerous large and small wetland areas
• Historic hamlets, sites and districts
• Scenic roadways
Many residents wrote in their own comments in open-ended questions of the 2004 Survey
that they want Wappinger to keep its small town, rural feeling, and that they were
concerned about the impact of future development upon that small town character. While
the Town cannot, legally or ethically, bar the doors to all new development, the Town can
., commit to carefully guiding the form of that development. What follows is a description
of the existing problems and opportunities for the Route 9 corridor, for enhancing and
developing existing centers, for protecting farms and woodlands, for historic
preservation, and for roadside signage throughout the Town.
Route 9 Corridor
Currently, the Route 9 Corridor in the Town is organized around the parameters of
automobile drivers' needs and perceptions, and routine business strategies to attract the
attention of, and make accommodations for potential customers passing along the road.
The corridor is generally zoned as Highway Business, Highway Office, or Highway
Design. While this linear commercial zone may be a good strategy for accommodating
these uses, the end result is currently a denuded landscape, characterized by a landscape
of oversized parking lots, large, box -like buildings, large signs in clashing colors, a lack
of coordinated landscaping, and, particularly on the north end of the corridor, traffic
congestion due to too many lights and driveways too close together. Upon exiting from
an automobile, one finds that the only appealing environment for a pedestrian is inside
the store. Pedestrian connections between separate lots are virtually nonexistent in the
corridor.
Recommendations
1. Adopt the Commercial and Mixed Use Design Handbook. This handbook, crafted
specifically for the Town of Wappinger, demonstrates best practices in building
location and orientation, building form, access pathways, streetscape, signage,
landscaping, public spaces, and lighting. The use of local design guidelines and
minimum standards for all new commercial and mixed use development will
reinforce the community's desired future character and contribute to rebuilding
community identity within commercial districts.
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan' 50
ilrr
Community Appearance and Character
2. Encourage shared driveway/roadway access to Route 9 among contiguous lots
(details can be found in the Transportation section).
3. Create a Boulevard Effect along Route 9, with street tree plantings, sidewalks, and
roadway realignments with medians where possible.
4. Encourage the development of small, closely spaced storefronts in the fronts of
existing large parking lots.
5. Consider developing a detailed master plan for landscaping and public space
improvements in the corridor, including street tree planting, pedestrian sidewalks,
attractive lighting design, hedges and flower plantings, and community art
installations.
6. Use the Greenway Connections "Zip Up the Strip" Guide, provided by the
Dutchess County Planning Department, for planning and development decisions
regarding the corridor.
7. Encourage development design which hides parking from plain view along Route
9.
8. Require that parking areas be landscaped well.
9. Encourage the remediation and reuse of existing brownfields and other disturbed
areas.
Centers
Other than the Village of Wappingers Falls, which regulates itself and its lands separately
from the Town, Wappinger does not have a town center. The Route 9 corridor forms a
linear backbone to the Town, but does not provide the kind of human scale, community
focus which characterizes a traditional town center. The existing hamlets of
Hughsonsville and Chelsea are not functioning as centers due to a lack of at least two of
the following: sufficient passers-by to support local retail, sufficient pedestrian amenities
such as sidewalks and public spaces, a cluster of local institutions such as school,
churches, a post office, or a government building, and sufficient parking. Neighborhood -
scale businesses help give a community a sense of place.
In addition, the Town itself is lacking in definition, from the point of view of those
passing through it. Many residents responded to the 2004 Survey with comments that
they did not know where the Town's borders were, and when they were entering or
leaving the Town. The Route 9 Corridor, with Greenfly Swamp at the south end and
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 51
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Community Appearance and Character
i. Wappingers Lake at the north end, represents an opportunity for defining boundaries that
passers-by can understand.
Recommendations
1. Develop District Design Plans. Existing historically significant centers with
unique qualities which contribute to the character of the Town should be preserved
and enhanced. This requires a detailed design process combining land use
planning with open space, pedestrian circulation, transportation and built form.
Areas identified for the preparation of District Design Plans include:
• Hamlet of Hughsonville (see attached Figure V-1 for a rendering of the
Hughsonsville Concept Plan)
• Old Route 9 District (from Old Hopewell Road through Myers Corners /
Middlebush Road to U.S. Route 9) (see attached Figure V-2 for sketch plan)
• Hamlet of Chelsea
• New Hackensack Hamlet
• Swartoutville Hamlet
• Myers Corners Hamlet
2. Review and amend zoning as necessary to encourage appropriate development in
areas to be developed as Town centers. Encourage compact development, mixed
use, infill, and higher densities to increase pedestrian activity, make efficient use
of public facilities and infrastructure, and create more vibrant commercial centers.
3. Install signs or other visual markers at all the main entry -ways to the Town.
Landscapes
{ The Town's rural and semi -rural character is due to the farms on the west and northeast
sides of Town, and large undeveloped parcels, mostly forested, scattered between the
developed areas in the central section of Town. The central section is generally zoned R-
20 or R-40, while the northeastern and western areas are generally zoned R-80. From
1986 to 2003, the area of land used for housing increased from 4,868 acres in 1986 to
7,733 acres in 2003, indicating that 2,834 acres of land was consumed during this 17 -year
period for the development of new housing. If past rates of development continue, at
roughly 110 acres of land developed per year, most of the remaining undeveloped or
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 52
1q.
4
and Character
agricultural lands in the Town will be developed in 70 years (3,400 of 5,544 acres
currently in undeveloped/agricultural land use would be developed for housing alone).
As noted in the Population and Housing chapter, demand for housing will likely remain
i"" strong for the foreseeable future. The challenge before the Town is to accommodate the
demand for housing while preserving the character of the community.
Hilltops and ridgelines within the Town are not only good sites for scenic vistas, they are
also themselves the objects of views from other locations in the Town and in neighboring
communities. Any development occurring on these hilltops and ridgelines should be
sensitive to the nature of these sites as important elements in the appearance and
character of the community.
The Town has the opportunity to take action to ensure that future development responds
to and respects existing areas of important natural landscape features. Areas that should
be considered include:
• Farms and open space surrounding Carnwath Farm
• White's Farm House and adjoining lands at the northeast corner of All Angels Hill
and Old Hopewell Roads
• Garafalo Homestead, Meadowbrook Farm, and Reese Farms
• Portions of large undeveloped parcels including Cranberry Hills, Shamrock, Cedar
Ridge, Brookvale, Hill `n Dale, and Contrail
Recommendations
1. Consider creating an Agricultural Overlay District. Such a district may include
one or more of the following:
• Transfer of development rights;
• Agricultural easements;
• Purchase of important land holdings;
• Tax incentive programs; and
• Open space / conservation subdivision requirements.
2. Target key sites for open space preservation / acquisition.
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 53
I
Community Appearance and Character
3. Establish Scenic Districts or design scenic easements for appropriate locations.
4. Protect scenic roadways through formal establishment through appropriate
regulation. Roadways to be considered for Scenic designation:
• Old Troy Road
• Wheeler Hill Road
• New Hamburg Road
• Diddel Road
• All Angels Hill Road
• River Road
• Creek Road
• Robinson Lane north of Wappinger Farms
5. Develop special regulatory standards, such as mandatory open space/conservation
subdivisions, for the subdivision of larger parcels of land.
6. Review and update regulations regarding hilltop and ridgeline development.
Coordinate this review with concerns and recommendations referred to in the
Environmental Resources chapter. The Town may draft new regulations or zoning
amendments, and/or develop a Sensitive Areas Overlay District for
environmentally or visually sensitive areas.
7. Update subdivision regulations as necessary to ensure that newly developed sites
retain topsoil, identify and protect large trees, plant new trees, and provide high
quality landscaping.
8. Pursue a Scenic Byway' designation from the State for Route 9D in cooperation
with all of the municipalities involved. (Currently, Route 9D is designated as a
Scenic Byway only in certain sections in Putnam County.)
' Scenic Byways are roads that are representative of a region's scenic, recreational,
cultural, natural, historic or archeological significance as defined by NYSDOT.
bay
ITown of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 54
Community Appearance and Character
9. Create an Open Space Plan after this Comprehensive Plan is adopted.
10. The Town should consider making use of the New York Agricultural and
Farmland Protection Program, the Dutchess County Partnership for Manageable
Growth, and/or other farmland and open space protection programs and funding
sources.
Historic Preservation
Historic buildings, sites and neighborhoods provide a sense of continuity to community
members and can make an important contribution to community character and sense of
place. Wappinger has its own unique historical contributions to make on the national and
state level (the Wheeler Hill district, for example), and on the local and regional level.
Unregulated historic landmarks in the Town may be lost through development or
redevelopment. An example is the 200 -year-old "La Fonda Del Sol" building located on
Old Hopewell Road and Old Route 9, which was demolished last year.
The Wheeler Hill Historic District was listed in the State Register of Historic Places on
April 24, 1991 and within the National Register of Historic Places on June 14, 1991. The
District has eight contributing properties, with 52 contributing buildings or structures,
and 17 contributing sites. This district is currently the only location in the Town of
Wappinger with Historic Preservation status.
Recommendations
1. Survey the historic resources of the Town for determination of historic
significance, and determine the proximity and density of historic sites for the
feasibility of developing additional historic districts.
2. Develop a Historic Preservation Law. A draft Historic Preservation Law was
considered by the Town Board in May 2003. The draft Law includes the creation
of a Historic Preservation Commission, a process to designate historic landmarks
and districts, and a method for reviewing changes to these landmarks and districts.
The draft Law was prepared in accordance with the Certified Local Government
(CLG) program administered through the New York State Office of Parks,
Recreation and Historic Preservation (NYSOPRHP). Certification through the
CLG program would provide a direct link to state and federal preservation
programs, including a range of municipal support programs and government
grants.
3. Ensure that developments adjacent to historic sites are compatible with the setting
and the scale of existing features.
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 55
r7
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Iq
Community Appearance and Character
Si nn e
The ability of Route 9D to function as a scenic roadway is reduced by the large billboards
along this route. Other areas of the Town, such as Route 9, may benefit from tighter
controls on signage, as well.
Recommendations
1. Adopt the Commercial and Mixed Use Design Handbook. This document
contains detailed guidelines for freestanding, window, and wall signs, including
illustrations of both recommended and discouraged features. It covers the size,
location and design of signs, as well as materials, color, and lighting.
2. Review the existing signage regulations and zoning controls as they pertain to
signage for opportunities to improve regulation.
3. Explore methods of phasing out and removal of existing signage where such
signage is in conflict with planning objectives.
4. Use the guidelines in Dutchess County's Greenway Connections / Greenway
Guides to improve signage in the Town.
J:\DOCS2\500\Wappinger\Comprehensive Plan\Chapters\Adopted Comp Plan 09-27-2010\Community Character.doc
ITown of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 56
q
Transportation
'M
Transportation
VI. TRANSPORTATION
The transportation system connects residences with work, shopping, recreational and
community facilities. In Wappinger, as in the rest of Dutchess County, the primary
element of the transportation system is a road network and private automobiles. Other
elements of the transportation system include the Dutchess County Airport, Metro -North
rail service, regional and inter -city bus service, waterborne transportation, and pedestrian
and bicycle systems. This section of the Plan examines existing conditions as a basis for
recommendations to improve the system. It includes recommendations for improvements
to accommodate increased traffic on Routes 9 and 9D, and for transit and pedestrian
improvements as well. Successful management of the increasing level of traffic on the
main roads in Wappinger will involve integrated planning, including enhancing
transportation alternatives and coordinating future land uses with the best possible
r.. transportation systems and practices, and working together with neighboring
municipalities and State and County officials to implement major improvements.
Goal
Encourage the development of a transportation system consistent with Town land use
patterns and objectives, including public transportation, pedestrian and bicycle systems.
Obiectives
A. Improve traffic conditions on Route 9 and Route 9D.
B. Use transportation improvements as a positive factor in shaping growth.
C. Require service roads, internal connections and combined parking lots, where
appropriate.
D. Minimize the number of access points on major and collector roads. I
E. Develop a sidewalk network and bikeway system connecting community
facilities, centers and schools.
M I F. Improve street connectivity between neighborhoods as new areas are developed.
60
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 57
I"
Issues and Opportunities
1. There is a high level of traffic congestion on Route 9 during peak hours, especially
between Myers Corners Road and New Hackensack Road.
2. Service roads designed to alleviate traffic congestion in this area have been
planned since 1974, but have not been implemented, due to the difficulty of
acquiring control of certain properties, physical constraints, fiscal constraints, and
the additional requirement of coordination between the Town and the Village of
Wappingers Falls, plus State and County authorities. The 2004 Survey shows that
there is public support for the condemnation of land to build new roads to improve
traffic within the Town.
3. The 2004 Survey shows that 84 percent of Town residents support using local tax
dollars to fund roadway improvements to improve traffic flow (with 13 percent
neutral and only 3 percent opposed). When residents were asked to identify the
single -most important investment the Town should make, this was the highest-
ranking item.
4. Traffic congestion on Route 9 and Route 9D induces drivers to seek alternate
routes, resulting in higher levels of traffic and higher speeds than are appropriate
on local roads.
5. Moderate but increasing levels of congestion occur during peak hours on Myers
Corners Road by Ketcham High School, at the intersection of Old Hopewell Road
with Route 9D, at the intersections of the major east -west collector roads (New
Hackensack, Myers Corners and Old Hopewell Roads) with Route 9 (particularly
westbound in the morning peak hours) and with All Angels Hill Road (County
Route 94).
6. Use of public transit has increased, but opportunities for travel by pedestrian,
bicycle, and public transit modes are limited and not fully integrated.
Transportation Conditions and Recommendations
The private automobile is the primary means of transportation in the Town. Most Town
residents rely on private vehicles for their commute to work, for trips to shopping
locations and for other daily activities. The vast majority (82 percent) of Town residents
drive alone to work, and 10 percent carpool. Use of public transit, including train and
bus service, has increased from 3.2 percent of commuters in 1980 and only 2.0 percent of
commuters in 1990 to 4.9 percent of commuters in 2000. Walking and bicycling are not
common means of getting to work (1.3 percent), but there is strong support (61 percent in
rw
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 58
the 2004 Survey) for walking and bicycle trails connecting large areas of the Town: 43
percent of responders said that if bike paths and bike lanes existed throughout the Town,
they would be used by at least one member of the family. More detailed information on commuting patterns can be found in the companion volume to this Plan, the Invent
and Analysis, in the Community Services and Facilities section. Inventory
While Wappinger commuting patterns are similar to others in Dutchess County, a
significant minority of workers commute 45 minutes or more each way. The mean travel
iw time to work for Wappinger workers was 32 minutes, up 16 percent from 1990. This
increase in travel time to work is due to people commuting her for employment, and
to more traffic on roads. The number of Wappinger resident workers leaving the County
for work increased by 17 percent from 1990 to 2000.
As noted in the earlier chapter on the economic base of the community, one-quarter of
Wappinger commuters (26 percent) spend 45 minutes or more traveling to work each
day — more, even, than in Los Angeles County (where 20 percent have commutes of 45
minutes or more), and more than in Dutchess County as a whole (22 percent).
Nationally, only 15 percent of commuters have commutes of 45 minutes or more. Many
of these long-distance commutes involve crossing county lines, particularly to the south.
According to the 2000 Census, one-third of the workers residing in Wappinger work
outside the county. While one way to reduce the long commute is to bring jobs and
housing closer together (as described in the chapter on the local economy), another is to
improve the transportation system, including roadway improvements and improved
transit options.
Pedestrian and Bicycle System
The Town has a limited system of sidewalks, no existing bicycle paths, and one County -
designated bicycle route (Route 9D). There is a Greenway trail from the mouth of
Wappinger Creek to the Route 9 bridge over the north end Wappinger Lake. The New
York State Department of Transportation has proposed bicycle routes along Route 9 and
Route 82, and the Dutchess County Planning Department is developing plans to use the
old Maybrook rail line as a bicycle path.
Recommendations
1. Develop a staged Pedestrian and Bikeway Master Plan that inventories and
evaluates existing and potential facilities and improvements. The Town has
already studied the possibility of having others build a sidewalk on Route 9 from
Old Hopewell Road to Middlebush / Myers Corners Road, and on Old Hopewell
Road from Route 9 to Route 9D in Hughsonville, with a crosswalk at the
intersection of Route 9 and Old Hopewell Road (approximately two miles total,
with a sidewalk on one side only). Old Hopewell Road, Myers Corners Road,
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan
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Route 376, and the portions of New Hackensack and Widmer Roads near Route 9
should be considered as future corridors for bike paths and/or bike lanes.
2. Review and expand requirements for the provision of sidewalks in conjunction
with new commercial development.
Public Transit
Public transportation options available to the residents of the Town include the Metro -
North Railroad (Hudson Line) and the County's LOOP Bus System. Inter -city bus
service is provided by a group of private companies: Short Line, Arrow Bus, and
Leprechaun Bus Lines. The County also operates a Dial -A -Ride service for senior
citizens and physically handicapped persons who are unable to access the LOOP Bus
System. The details of these services are described below.
The Metro -North Hudson Line provides access to Westchester County and New York
City with stations in New Hamburg and in Beacon to the south. The New Hamburg
station is 1 hour and 10 minutes away from Grand Central Station (GCT) via express
service, and offers 25 trains each day, with six trains leaving the station to arrive at GCT
during the morning peak hours, and six leaving GCT for New Hamburg during evening
peak hours. Ridership at the New Hamburg station increased from an average of 193
persons per day in 1982 to 800 per day in 1996 and 818 per day in 2003. The station has
parking for 815 automobiles. The County LOOP bus system connects to the station, with
five trips each morning and six each evening. Undeveloped properties near the New
w Hamburg station, just south of Wappingers Creek in the Obercreek / Wheeler Hill
neighborhood, present opportunities for transit -oriented development.
Four LOOP bus routes and one CTC (Commuter Train Connection) bus route operate in
the Town, with a total of 39 LOOP buses and 11 CTC buses per weekday. LOOP 3
offers the most frequent service, with 12 buses per day from the Galleria Mall in
Poughkeepsie along 9D to Beacon. Saturday schedules vary slightly, and Sunday service
is not available on all LOOP bus lines. Fares are low, at 75 cents per ride, with an option
for monthly passes as well.
Dial -A -Ride is a demand response bus system designated to meet the special needs of
elderly and disabled people in seven Dutchess County municipalities. The service is
sponsored by the Town in conjunction with Dutchess County Office for the Aging and
provides individualized transportation to those elderly and handicapped individuals who
cannot use regular bus service. At the present time, Dial -A -Ride service is available to
Wappinger residents on weekdays, with fares starting at 75 cents for a one-way trip.
Private bus companies offer express service to New York City, Poughkeepsie and White
Plains. The Short Line bus company runs 18 buses a day between New York City and
.
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 60
6w
a
Poughkeepsie, with a flag stop in Wappingers Falls. The Arrow Bus company provides
eight buses a day between Poughkeepsie and New Paltz. Leprechaun Bus Lines runs 13
buses a day to White Plains with a stop at Nine -Mile Plaza in Wappingers Falls.
Recommendations for Public Transit
1. Coordinate with regional transit authorities and adjoining communities to improve
regional transit services. Public transit connections to regional nodes, such as the
New Hamburg station, the airport, and park-and-ride stations, should be evaluated
and opportunities for expansion considered.
2. Encourage higher density land uses in locations which could serve as public transit
nodes in the future.
Airports
The Dutchess County Airport is the major airport in the County. While regular
commercial flights ended in 2001, the airport hosts frequent private charter flights,
averaging four passengers per flight, according to the Dutchess County Airport's
manager. The airport is also useful as a facility for reconnaissance flights for law
enforcement and utility companies, and as a fast route for deliveries, from organ
transplants to weekly parcel deliveries.
Stewart International Airport is 20 miles away from most locations in Wappinger, located
across the Hudson River in Newburgh. The airport offers commercial passenger service,
including US Airways, American, Northwest, Delta and Alaska Airlines, with
approximately 25 flights daily offering direct service to Chicago, Cincinnati, Detroit,
Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. Leprechaun Bus Lines operates a shuttle from the
Beacon station to the airport hourly.
Recommendation: Amend zoning to restrict land uses to avoid high populations of
employees or residents near the Dutchess County Airport, in relation to proximity to the
airport generally, and in relation to proximity to flight paths.
Water Transportation
The Hudson River, on the western border of Wappinger, has a deep water channel for
ocean-going vessels as far north as Albany. Deep draft vessels can be berthed at private
facilities in Beacon, Newburgh, Poughkeepsie and Kingston. There are public launches
for small boats at Beacon, New Hamburg, Poughkeepsie, Stattsburg, Rhinecliff and
Tivoli. There are also private boat clubs in most riverfront communities. There is a
small launch facility at Chelsea that is available for use by Town residents.
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 61
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Freight
Although CSX operates a freight rail line through the Town, and freight travels on the
Hudson River and through the airport, all freight with origins or destinations in the Town
must travel on the roadway network.
Arterial Roadways
The principal arterials traversing Wappinger are Route 9D, Route 9, Route 376 and a
short section of Route 82, consisting of a total of 11.26 miles of State -maintained arterial
highways. These roadways provide access to Poughkeepsie to the north, Beacon and
Fishkill to the south and Hopewell Junction and Pawling to the east. Arterials passing
through Wappinger connect with Interstate 84 to the south, providing access to
Pennsylvania, New England and New York City, as well as with the Taconic State
Parkway to the east, which connects New York City with northeastern New York State.
Other arterials in Dutchess County include Route 22, a north -south roadway in the
eastern section of the County, Routes 44 and 55 which traverse the County from east to
west, and Route 52 in the southern section of the County.
The State conducts traffic counts on all State roadways at regular intervals. The most
recent volume data is presented in full in the companion volume to this Plan, Inventory
and Analysis. Significant increases in traffic volume over the past 10 years have occurred
only on Route 9 near the junction with Myers Corners Road and on Route 376.
Route 9
The Wappinger portion of the Route 9 corridor, functionally classified as an Urban
Principal Arterial System,' has experienced tremendous land development and increased
traffic volumes (heavy commercial traffic, commuters and local traffic). This section of
the Route 9 corridor has been identified by the NYS Department of Transportation as
having no access control and in need of alternative traffic movement options along the
western (southbound) side of the road between Myers Corners Road and Mesier Avenue.
This portion of Route 9 was not widened to six lanes in the 1990s when the rest of the
corridor was improved from Vassar Road in Poughkeepsie to Mesier Avenue in
Wappinger. A major chokepoint is the segment between New Hackensack Road and East
Main Street due to the proximity of these intersections, inadequate stacking and turning
lane capacity, the large number of left turn movements, and the large number of curb cuts
1 An Urban Principal Arterial System "carries most of the trips entering and leaving the
....area, as well as most of the through movements." Source: A Policy on Geometric
Design of Highways and Streets, American Association of State Highway and
Transportation Officials, 2004.
fr.
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 62
q
in such a small area. The close proximity of existing buildings and businesses to the
traveled way severely complicates solutions.
There are many commercial and light industrial sites along the Route 9 corridor and other
roadways with individual curb cuts and very few coordinated entrances off of major
collector and through road arterials. There are limited or no internal connections between
the sites with high traffic -generating uses (commercial and multi -family). These
conditions lead to decreased function on the roadways resulting from conflicting turning
movements, driver confusion, restricted pedestrian access and safety concerns. The large
number of individual and sometimes multiple curb cuts for each site also contributes to a
degraded pedestrian environment and a cluttered visual appearance.
Peak hour traffic is seeking alternate routes to Route 9 and is diverting to local streets,
creating safety concerns and a significant degradation of the quality of life in the
adjoining areas. The congested rush hour traffic is resulting in significant delays,
increased air pollution, productivity impacts, increased frustration, and diminished
quality of life for residents, workers and shoppers. Continued problems may limit the
proper economic growth of the area.
The traffic congestion on Route 9 is not primarily a problem of volume or capacity, but
one of access management — there are too many intersections and curb cuts in the 1.5
mile corridor in the north end of Town. In this portion of Route 9, there are several long
dead-end roadways that parallel Route 9 on the east side and that contain high density
development (multi -family housing, senior housing, office parks, etc.) that, despite long-
term recommendations for their continuation as through streets, have not been extended
and connected as a secondary service road. Key properties necessary to make the desired
connections are currently being considered for development that would prohibit such
connections. Continued failure to develop service roads on both sides of Route 9 would
reduce traffic safety, and limit the functionality and economic potential of the
surrounding area.
Recommendations for Route 9
1. Service road east of Route 9. Implement plans from 1974 to create a north -south
service road on the east side of Route 9 by joining several dead-end access roads.
Concept plans include lateral east -west links through to Meiser Avenue, East Main
Street and Old Route 9. [see attached map] The PDCTC Transportation
Improvement Program includes this project, from Hollow Brook to Imperial
Boulevard, with acquisition of the right-of-way in 2010 and construction in 2011.
2. 3rd southbound lane. Encourage the NYSDOT to provide a third southbound lane
on Route 9 from Meiser Avenue to Myers Corners Road for the purpose of
creating benefits to the level of service on Route 9. The NYSDOT includes a
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 63
n
pedestrian crossing project (as the Route 9 Pedestrian Wappingers
Bridge) at
Lake.
3. Right turn lanes. Encourage the NYSDOT to consider installing additional right
turn lanes at all Route 9 intersections.
4. Reduce / eliminate / combine vehicular access points to Route 9. Section 240-20,
Access and Required Street Frontage, of the Town's Zoning Law currently
requires individual street access for all properties. This requirement should be
changed for commercial land uses to encourage coordinated use of vehicular
access points along the major arterials of the Town. The revised regulation should
place a greater emphasis on traffic efficiency and pedestrian safety, and the
cumulative negative impact of individual access points on the traffic movement
along Route 9. Regulatory changes should be consistent with the Greenway
seven -step guide to "Zip Up the Strip."
5. Commercial site interconnectivity. Encourage service roads, parking lot
connections, and sidewalks linking commercial sites so that main roadways are not
congested by excess turning movements.
6. Parking. The Town should review current parking requirements and adjust them
to encourage the coordination of parking and access between adjoining
commercial properties in this corridor.
7. Boulevard design. The appearance and pedestrian safety of Route 9 should be
improved through streetscape improvements, including median landscaping,
sidewalks, street trees, lighting, signage and underground utilities. (See also the
previous chapter on Community Appearance and Character.)
Route 9D
Route 9D is frequently used as a cut -through between Route 9 in Wappingers Falls and
the I-84 exit near the Beacon -Newburgh Bridge. Congestion is significant during peak
hours in the vicinity of Hughsonville and Wappingers Falls. The proximity of buildings
e
in these areas precludes the widening of the roadway for vehicular traffic, and the section
lw in Hughsonville is especially narrow, allowing no room for sidewalks, islands or other
amenities.
Recommendations
1. Hughsonville / Route 9D Concept Plan. The planning process associated with this
plan identified a potential solution to the problems of congestion in Hughsonville
as well as a solution to the lack of sidewalks in the hamlet. The solution involves
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 64
Iq
the creation of a new couplet, approximately 800 feet long on the southeast side of
Route 9D in the hamlet center. The new section of road would serve northbound
traffic only, and the existing roadway would be reconfigured to serve only
southbound traffic (see attached map, Figure VI -5).
The Hughsonville / Route 9D couplet would alleviate traffic congestion and delays
along Route 9D by reducing the number of conflicting turning movements.
Separate northbound and southbound travel lanes will allow motorists to conduct
left turn movements unopposed. Coordination of the two traffic signals could
permit a continuous flow for the larger movements, such as the northbound to
eastbound movement during the morning peak period. Reducing the number of
conflicting turning movements will also reduce the potential for accidents and may
therefore improve safety.
The new section of road would pass through mostly vacant land, requiring the
removal of a metal building housing a salvage yard operation. All of the other
buildings would remain and would be enhanced by coordinated parking areas
behind buildings, sidewalks, street lights and some parallel on -street parking. The
Town should cooperate with County and State officials to study the possible
solutions further and to advance the outcomes possible under the Hughsonville /
Route 9D Concept Plan.
2. Maintain and enhance the highway's scenic and rural character. This includes
maintaining the road as a two-lane highway, and removing billboards from the
1 corridor.
Collector Roadways
Collector roads provide traffic circulation access to land within the Town's primarily
residential areas, connecting homes and worksites with the regional arterial network. The
21.26 miles of collector roads in Wappinger are maintained by Dutchess County. County
Routes 28, 29, 34, 35, 93, 94, 104 and 110 are the primary collector roadways in the
Town. Of these, Routes 28 and 94 (Old Hopewell Road and All Angels Road) also serve
as conduits for through traffic. Volumes on all County roads are recorded at regular
intervals by the Poughkeepsie — Dutchess County Transportation Council.
Traffic levels on these collector roads have increased over the past 10 years.
Hughsonville / Old Hopewell Road (County Road 28) increased to over 10,000 AADT
(average annual daily traffic) east of Route 9, with an average increase of 2.6 percent per
year. Middlebush / Meyers Corners Road (County Road 93) experienced increases of up
to 3.0 percent per year, and volumes of nearly 20,000 AADT near the Ketcham High
School. New Hackensack Road (County Road 104) has traffic volumes of around 10,000
AADT near Route 9 and between Jackson Road and All Angels Road. Jackson Road
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 65
e
Transportation
(County Road 110) near the airport increased the most of all County roads in traffic
volume, more than doubling since the mid-1980s to over 10,000 AADT by 2001. (For
more detailed information, please refer to the Inventory and Analysis, the companion
volume to this Plan.)
As mentioned earlier, the County roads, which ordinarily serve as collectors providing
access to the arterial roadways, are now doubling as through -roads, due to the higher
levels of traffic and reduced levels of service on Route 9. Also, peak hour travelers on
the east -west collector roads (New Hackensack, Meyers Corners and Old Hopewell
Roads) often experience delays approaching the intersection with Route 9, particularly
westbound traffic. Congestion has also been reported at the intersections of these
roadways with All Angels Hill Road. The high volume of traffic turning into and out of
Ketcham High School results in long queues and delays along Meyers Corners Road
during morning school arrival and afternoon school dismissal times.
Recommendations for Collector Roadways
1. The Town should encourage County officials to construct a turning lane on
County Route 93 (Myers Corners Road) at the Ketcham High School entrance.
2. The Town should encourage State and County officials to address the problems on
Route 9 that contribute to traffic problems on collector roads.
3. The Town should encourage County officials to construct right turn lanes at the
intersection of Routes 93 and 94.
Local Roadways
Local roadways provide access to individual properties throughout the community. The
96 miles of local roadway system in the Town of Wappinger are maintained by the Town
Highway Department. The 36 miles of double yellow centerlines on local roadways are
repainted every year. The Town has a tentative re -paving schedule, which includes
paving between five and six miles per year. This results in the repaving all Town roads
approximately every 15 years. The Town has plans to improve the intersection of
Ketchamtown Road at Route 9D with State funding.
Certain local roads are being used by through traffic, or are experiencing higher traffic
volumes than what they were designed for or can safely accommodate due to
environmental constraints. Specific problems have been reported on Spook Hill Road,
Kent Road, Cedar Hill Road, Degarmo Hills Road, Montfort Road, Robinson Lane and
Pye Lane. The Town commissioned a study of these roads to determine the extent of the
problems and the feasibility of traffic calming solutions.
own of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 66
Transportation
The study found that Spook Hill Road and Kent Road had 20 or more accidents each
during a three-year period between 1998 and 2001, and all the roads studied commonly
experienced traffic traveling 10 or more miles per hour over the posted speed limit. The
t" study also found that for most of these roads, physical improvements such as curbing and
raised center medians in key locations could help reduce the speed of traffic (for more
details, refer to "Traffic Calming Study: Town Roadways, Wappinger, New York,"
prepared by Frederick P. Clark Associates, March 2003).
Recommendation for Local Roadways
The Town should pursue financially feasible traffic calming solutions, including physical
long-term improvements in key locations.
Integrating Land Use and Transportation
Currently, most of the Town consists of low-density residential land uses, generally one-
half acre to an acre per dwelling unit. As the Town continues to grow, and as automobile
use becomes less efficient in terms of cost and function, transportation alternatives will
become more viable and important. Bus routes and other forms of public transportation
work best when they link areas of higher density housing and employment with one
another. Daily shopping needs and community activities can be accessed by walking
when housing and other uses are close together. While the Town currently has public
transit service, the frequency of service has not yet risen to levels competitive to those
with the automobile as an option.
Developing higher densities of employment along particular corridors in the Town would
facilitate expanded transit service. The Route 9 Corridor has a large amount of
developed land, but lacks housing and pedestrian amenities. Myers Corners / Middlebush
Road (County Route 93) is still rural and suburban in character, yet it links major
employment centers — the former IBM office facility, the high school, junior high school
and elementary school, plus Hughsonsville hamlet. Route 9D links the Village of
Wappingers Falls with Hughsonsville and with the cities of Beacon and Newburgh.
These three roads could be the major axes of public transportation in the Town's future.
The Town should give careful consideration as well to the Wheeler Hill / Obercreek area
6. as a potential area for transit -oriented development in relation to the New Hamburg
station in Poughkeepsie, with the parallel goal of preserving the rural landscape that
separates and defines the Hughsonsville hamlet. As mentioned in the earlier chapter on
population and housing, land development of the densities required to achieve positive
transit and pedestrian outcomes also involves extending municipal water and sewer
service.
Y
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 67
Transportation
Recommendation: Encourage higher commercial density and mixed commercial land use
in existing commercial areas that support transit, reduce traffic, improve local identity,
provide opportunities for public spaces, and promote pedestrian activity.
Coordinated Planning
The Town will need to work with State and County transportation agencies, and with
neighboring municipalities in order to implement the improvements proposed in this
Plan. The improvements planned by the Village of Wappingers Falls in its 2001 Plan
regarding Routes 9 and 9D have been considered and this Plan does not conflict with
them. The widening of Route 9 and the development of service roads to the west will
take close coordination between the two municipalities over a long time period.
J:\DOCS2\500\Wappinger\Comprehensive Plan\ChaptersWdopted Comp Plan 09-27-2010\Transportation.doc
4
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 68
lw.
M
Water Supply and
Sewage Treatment
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I
Water Supply and Sewaze Treatment
VII. WATER SUPPLY AND SEWAGE TREATMENT
Water supply and sewage treatment are essential services accompanying the development
of land for housing, non-profit and community institutions, commerce and industry.
While many services, such as electricity and telephone communications, are ubiquitous
and available to all without complications, water supply and sewerage systems develop in
relation to the surrounding infrastructure and natural environmental conditions, and to the
intensity of uses required of these systems.
Issues and Opportunities
1. Water availability within the Town is constrained by a bedrock aquifer that is
limited in volume, and limited access to the sub -surface sand and gravel aquifers
associated with Sprout Creek and Wappinger Creek. Town wells have the
capacity to meet existing and future development within existing water districts,
but without substantial upgrades to the existing system, future services to
additional districts would be limited to roughly 700 additional homes. One-
quarter of all residents that participated in the 2003 Water and Sewer Survey
reported some kind of supply problem regarding their individual wells. The
Town will need to access alternative water supplies or system improvements in
order to meet future demands outside of existing service areas.
2. Nearly two-thirds of the Town have soils that provide severe limitations to septic
suitability, and most of the remainder provide moderate limitations. One in ten
households participating in the 2003 Water and Sewer Survey reported failing or
marginal septic systems, and most had systems that had been replaced at least
it once.
The Town has responded to problems of water supply and sewage disposal by making
significant capital investments in central water and sewer systems. The history of these
investments and the current status of Town and private water and sewer systems are
outlined below. Information regarding residents' private water supply and septic systems
was derived from a 2003 Water and Sewer Survey which was mailed to nearly 5,000
addresses in June 2003, to which approximately 1,500 residents responded.
Water Systems: Existing Conditions
1•• The Town now has a central water supply system referred to as the United Wappinger
Water District (UWWD) that serves approximately 3,400 households and a much smaller
number of commercial establishments. The current system, with the Atlas and Hilltop
well fields, can supply a maximum of 2.4 million gallons per day (MGD) during low
water supply periods, such as a drought. Current average demand is approximately 1.0
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 69
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Water Suvply and Sewage Treatment
MGD and current maximum daily demand is approximately 1.70 MGD. Capacity
appears to be sufficient for current and future development within the existing UWWD, if
zoning remains unchanged.
Future demand Town -wide, however, based on current zoning, is estimated to be 4.0
MGD. Since future demand outpaces the maximum reliable supply, accommodating only
700 additional households outside the current water district boundaries, the Town may
eventually need to find alternative sources of drinking water for its residents outside of
existing districts. The primary alternatives are to connect to the Poughkeepsie system,
which draws from the Hudson River, or to the Fishkill system, which draws from the
Clove Creek aquifer.
The water system has developed substantially since the Town's purchase of Hilltop
Water Works in 1970. Hilltop, drawing from the edge of the Sprout Creek Aquifer, has
6. the capacity to produce 900 gallons per minute (GPM) under normal flow conditions, and
can be relied upon to produce 350 GPM, or approximately 0.5 MGD, in drought
conditions.
to
The Town then purchased the Rockingham Water System and developed the Central
Wappinger Water Improvement Area, with new service areas in the vicinity of Kent
Road, Brothers Road, DeGarmo Hills Road, Mid -Point Park and Top -O -Hill Road. More
recent improvements include the purchase of the Atlas Well Field in 1990, a much larger
6. producer than Hilltop, being rated with a capacity of 1,500 GPM or 2.16 MGD and
subsequently resulted in the formation of the UWWD. There has also been a related
upgrade of the entire Town's storage and transmission components, amounting to over
$9,000,000, which is known as Project No. 99-2(R).
Most older, smaller central water systems have been integrated into the UWWD, with the
most recent two being the Oakwood Knolls Water District and the Wappinger Park Water
District. However, there are a number of remaining private independent water systems,
including Alpine Commons, Montclair Condominiums, Woodhill Green Condominiums,
and Village Crest Apartments.
There are three other Town -owned Water Districts not connected into the Central Water
system. The first two are the Fleetwood Water District at the south end of Town, which
is connected into water from the Village of Fishkill wells, and the Watchhill Water
District, also on the south side of Town, which is hooked into the Town of Fishkill Water
Supply System.
The last remaining Town District is the Tall Trees Water District, which is on the west
side of Town, adjacent to the Hudson River. This district is served by their own two
private wells, which have a marginal supply. It should be noted that the residents of the
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 70
e
Water Supply and Sewage Treatment
Tall Trees Water District have been on water conservation restrictions for the last 3 to 5
years.
The quality of the drinking water in the Town's central system is monitored by the State
and has historically met water quality standards. On the other hand, private systems, both
individual wells and those serving larger numbers of users, have frequently had water
quality concerns, usually with regard to taste or odor, water hardness, and the effect of
minerals in the water on plumbing fixtures. One-third of those participating in the water
and sewer survey rated the water quality of their individual wells as marginal or
unsatisfactory.
The water quality of individual wells is threatened by nearby septic systems that are
either too close or failing. Of the survey participants that knew the distance between their
well and their septic system, one-quarter said that this distance was less than 100 feet,
which is the standard minimum today. Of the 1,552 respondents, two percent said that
their system was failing, and seven percent reported the system as marginal. In addition,
household oil tanks — particularly those which are buried and more difficult to monitor —
are a constant threat to water quality, and contamination from a leak could go unnoticed
in individual wells until the water is tested. Thirty percent of those participating in the
water and sewer survey have not tested their well water in the past five years.
In addition to water quality problems, some Town residents find that they cannot get
enough water from their individual wells. One-quarter of all residents that participated in
the 2003 Water and Sewer Survey reported "marginal," "substandard," or "supply
problems" regarding their individual well systems. While the survey shows that residents
with water quantity problems are distributed throughout the Town, residents on Cedar
Hill Road, Losee-Sucich, Fowlerhouse Road, Peggy Lane, Apple Blossom, Peter Road
and Montclair Condominiums have significant issues, and the Town is looking into the
feasibility of serving these households with central water.
Typically, water lines cost $250 per linear foot to install, or about $1.32 million per mile.
Costs are borne by the users, and each new group of users is organized by the Town into
a water district, which pays for its share of capital and operational costs. Households
may pay between $600 and $1,200 or more annually for water service in a new district,
depending on the density of development (more compact development requires less
investment for service, so annual fees are lower).
Sewage Treatment Systems: Existing Conditions
The Tri -Municipal Sewage Treatment plant in Poughkeepsie was built in 1984, and the
Town of Wappinger, at one time a partner in its development, connected to the system as
a tenant user in 1995, which allowed the Town to remove two under -performing plants
from service. The Tri -Muni plant is currently configured to treat 2.775 MGD, of which
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 71
Water Supply and Sewage Treatment
Wappinger accounts for 1.375 MGD, or approximately half the volume to be treated.
Actual dry weather volumes from the Town are approximately 0.8 MGD per day
currently. The plant was designed to allow for expansion as needed, up to a total of 16
MGD. Because the plant is located on the Hudson River, the treated effluent will have
minimal environmental impacts, compared with the former small, older facilities located
on small tributaries.
Four sewer districts in the Town continue to rely on treatment through means other than
the Tri -Muni plant, due to distances and topography. The Watch Hill Sewer District
collection flows to a facility in Fishkill. Mid -Point Park, Fleetwood and Wildwood each
have small sewage treatment plants that discharge into tributaries. Wildwood's discharge
into the much larger Wappinger Creek is less of a long-term concern than the smaller
creeks into which Mid -Point and Fleetwood discharge. In addition, there are several
private sewer plants in the Town. These include Montclair Condominiums and Chelsea
Apartments, and Woodhill Green Condominiums and Village Crest Apartments near
Wappinger Creek.
The Town's sewer system has developed in phases, beginning with Phases 1 and 2, which
were completed in 1990. Phase 3A was completed in 2001, and Phase 3B is currently in
the planning process. Phase 3 is only in the conceptual mode of development with the
focus on Mid -Point Park and DeGarmo Hills Road. The execution of these plans hinges
on the Town's residents being able to afford them. Construction costs have risen
dramatically in the last 2 to 3 years and Federal grants and State interest subsidized loans
have become more scarce. It would seem that these phases would become a reality when
funds become available from either the Federal or State governments.
These phases correspond to existing sewer districts, each of which collects its own capital
and operating costs from its own base property owners within the District. In addition to
the individual districts there is an overall Wappinger Sewer Transmission/Treatment
Improvement Area (WST/TIA), which extends from Smith Crossing Road in the
northeast to Fleetwood in the southwest. This overall sewer improvement area was
created in approximately 1990. Areas outside of the WST/TIA are generally zoned for
much lower density. Residents within Phases 1, 2 and 3 paid between $300 and $500 per
year into the system, whether they currently receive sewer service or not.
Phases 1 and 2 re-routed sewage from Sewer Improvement Area No. 1, Oakwood System
and the Rockingham System, and their outdated plant to the Tri -Municipal Plant in the
Town of Poughkeepsie. Phases 1 and 2, which combined cost approximately
61 $16,000,000, was designed to accommodate 1 MGD of waste corresponding to the future
level of demand, when all parcels in this District are developed to the then current
zoning. Phase 3A expanding service to respond to failing septics in neighborhoods to the
east and west of the previously established Phase 1 and 2, with approximately 800
residential customers and a number of commercial users in the District. This cost was
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 72
Water Supply and Sewage Treatment
60 approximately $11,000,000. This phase included expanding the Tri -Municipal Sewage
Treatment Plant to accommodate the additional 375,000 GPD of flow.
Phase 3B will further expand the service to some combination of the following targeted
areas:
• Route 9 • Mid -Point Park
• Sub -areas to the North and South • DeGarmo
• • Edgehill Manor • Middlebush Road
• Shale Drive • Fowlerhouse Road
• Route 9D/Hughsonville • Peggy Lane
The capital cost for this per resident will be significantly higher than those in Phases 1, 2
and 3, and without funding could easily reach $1,500 per year per household. The cost of
this project will vary, however, depending upon the areas identified by the Town for
sewer service.
In general, sewer system expansion costs slightly more than water system at
approximately $300 per foot or $1.58 million dollars per mile (MDM). Accompanying
the cost for the pipe line is the necessary expansion of the Tri -Municipal Sewer
Treatment facility to accommodate the treatment of the newly generated flows. The New
York State Revolving Load Fund allows participating municipalities to save on interest
payments by subsidizing the interest charged through the life of the bond and actually
providing the Town with a manual check to defray this costs. The Town has participated
in this program for Phases 1, 2 and 3A saving in excess of $4,000.000.
Individual septic systems in the Town have historically had a high rate of failure and
most have been replaced at least once. The Town is constrained by a high percentage (59
percent) of soils that provide severe limitations to septic suitability, and most of the
remainder (39 percent) provide moderate limitations. Limitations include shallow soils
(depth to bedrock), soil types that are easily saturated with water, hydric soils, and
wetlands. Nine percent of households participating in the 2003 Water and Sewer Survey
reported failing or marginal septic systems, and most had systems that were newer than
the house, indicating that the original septic system was replaced at some point in the
past.
Many areas in the Town with soils that pose severe limitations to septic systems have
been developed as one acre lots (as zoned by the Town), and a number of these lots have
reported marginal or failing systems in the 2003 Water and Sewer Survey. The areas in
or near soils with severe limitations with large numbers of septic system problems can be
divided into five main groups: the Brothers Road area, the Apple Blossom — Peters Road
area, the Helen Drive — Daisy Lane area, the Tall Trees area, and the Lake Drive - Sky
Top Drive area.
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 73
6.
r.
Water Supply and Sewage Treatment
The largest area, referred to above as the Brothers Road area, is north of the Rockingham
Sewer District, south of the Mid -Point Park District, and bordered on the east by the
Sprout Creek and on the west by the Sewer Improvement Number 1 District. It includes
approximately 100 lots and is approximately 175 acres in size. Within this area, the
residents of 363 lots responded to the 2003 Sewer and Water Survey, and of these, 34
reported marginal or failing septic systems (9 percent). This rate of lots with septic
system problems does not take into account the number of such systems that were
marginal or failing in the past and were replaced.
The Apple Blossom — Peters Road area is in the southeast corner of the Town, from
Leskow Circle to Apple Blossom Lane and Moccasin View Road. It includes 13
marginal and failing systems out of 70 lots that responded to the survey (18 percent), with
an area of approximately 325 acres.
The Helen Drive - Daisy Lane area (also known as Quiet Acres) just south of the airport and adjacent to the Town Atlas Wellfield contains another significant cluster of lots that
reported marginal septic systems. Other areas with clusters of failing or marginal septic
systems include the Tall Trees development, and in the Lake Drive - Sky Top Drive area.
Two areas with moderate soil limitations also contain clusters of marginal or failing
septic systems. Hughsonville Hamlet and the Route 9 area between Fowlerhouse Road
and Smithtown Road have significant numbers of failing or marginal septic systems.
The Town is faced with the need to respond to multiple areas with chronic septic system
problems, and to also consider the need to allow denser development in community
centers to enhance community character, which also demands the infrastructural support
of sewer and water. There is considerable support for further development of central
sewer services among the residents of the Town who do not yet have sewer service: of
the survey participants who responded directly to Question #12 ("Would you consider
hooking into the system for $850?"), 59 percent said "Yes," and 41 percent said "No."
Coordinating Water and Sewer Service with Land Use Planning
The Community Character and Land Use Chapters call for developing and/or enhancing
community centers in four main locations: the Old Route 9 District, the Hughsonville
Hamlet, Chelsea Hamlet and Myers Corners. By directing development to these areas,
the Town will better protect existing rural and semi -rural areas. But Wappinger's
opportunities for creating higher density housing cannot be achieved without central
water and sewer service. Currently, none of these four areas, except for the southern area
of the old Route 9 commercial district, are served by central water or sewerage systems.
Plans for allowing increased densities in these areas must be accompanied by plans to
serve these areas with central utilities.
ITown of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 74
Water Supply and Sewage Treatment
Also, some currently undeveloped areas of Town may become overburdened by demands
from too many septic°systems located too close together, if they are developed according
to existing zoning. There are several areas of concern where there are soils with severe
septic limitations to the north of current sewer districts. These areas are currently zoned
at densities that have resulted in high septic system failure rates in similar soil conditions
in other parts of the Town. (See the Environmental Resources Chapter for more details.)
These areas are unlikely to be served by a central sewer system in the future. Rezoning
for lower densities in these areas may be necessary.
Goal
Continue the development of a system of central utilities to address the needs of existing
developed areas with water supply and sewage treatment problems, and to achieve land
use goals and objectives.
Objectives
A. Rank areas in terms of need for water and wastewater service that are currently
outside of existing district boundaries
B. Extend utilities at the lowest cost feasible by serving the highest number of users
per linear distance of utilities.
C. Encourage public involvement in planning decisions associated with municipal
sewer and water service.
Recommendations
1. Organize water and sewer districts to include both cost-effective denser areas and
cost -ineffective existing problem areas.
T 2. The Town may consider reducing allowed residential densities in some areas north
of the sewer districts, where there are several undeveloped parcels of 10 or more
L acres which have the same soil constraints as the Brothers Road area to the south
of Mid -Point Park. To offset the lost development potential of rezoning these
lands, and to enhance community character and tax base, the Town may consider
strategically rezoning key areas for higher density, and providing central sewer
and water to these areas, as recommended in Dutchess County's Greenway
L
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 75
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J6 Water Supply and Sewage Treatment
Connections, in the section "Coordinating Development with Central Utilities."
(Please refer to the Land Use Chapter for a full discussion of this
recommendation.)
3. Identify new sources of water supply for the Town. This could include the use of
the approved Meadowood Well Field, subject to completion of water distribution
system improvements, or connection to the newly constructed Dutchess County
Central Transmission Line on the east side of Town.
4. The Town should continue to seek legislation in Albany to consolidate water
districts.
5. Groundwater Resource Report, Dutchess County Aquifer Recharge Rates &
Sustainable Septic System Density Recommendations, prepared in 2006 for the
Dutchess County Water and Wastewater Authority should be used as a guide for
implementation of appropriate zoning amendments.
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Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 76
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Recreation and
Community Facilities
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Recreation and Community Facilities
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VIII. RECREATION AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES
Community facilities and services are important factors in the quality of life in a
community. As a community grows, existing facilities and services need to expand to
maintain this quality of life. This chapter provides an overview of the recreation
facilities, emergency services, solid waste services, Town government facilities,
educational facilities and library facilities available to Town residents.
'V' Recreation
The Town owns and maintains 23 parks on approximately 372 acres, including 11 parks
with facilities for active recreation. The Town recently purchased the Greystone /
Camwarth Farm property next to the Hudson River, which consists of 98 acres of fields
+ and forest, with a historic estate house, gardens and a baseball field.
Town residents also have access to two large recreational facilities that are in or near the
Town, but are not owned and maintained by the Town. Stony Kill, operated by the State
of New York, is on the southern border of the Town, and consists of 735 acres of
parkland, 285 of which are in the Town of Wappinger. Bowdoin Park, operated by the
County, consists of 299 acres, and is just north of Wappinger Creek along the Hudson
River.
Details of the Town recreational facilities are outlined in the following table.
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 77
Recreation and Communitv Facilities 1
TOWN OF WAPPINGER: RECREATIONAL FACILITIES
PARK
Greystone/
Carnwarth Farms
LOCATION
Wheeler Hill Road
ACRES
98.6
FACILITIES/FEATURES
Historic estate house and gardens, ballfield and
panoramic Hudson River views
Card Road
Card Rd.- S. Fowlerhouse Road
0.3
'/z Basketball court
Quiet Acres
Helen Drive
12.2
Ballfeld, swings, slide, Basketball court,
Summer playground, pavilion, storage
Martz Field /
Montfort Road
Building
Pye Lane
11.3
Ballfield, 2 tennis courts, volleyball courts,
picnic area, basketball court, swings, slide, field
house, maintenance barn, summer program
Robinson Lane
Complex
Robinson Lane
40.0
Ballfields (10), swings, field house, pavilion,
summer program, picnic area, restrooms
Castle Point
S. River Road
40.0
Ballfields (2), playground equipment, picnic
area, shelter, summer program, restrooms
Schlathaus Park
All Angels Hill Road
5.0
Bandstand, house, storage, garage
Chelsea Boat
Ram
Front Street
--
Boat ramp
Spook Hill Park
Spook Hill Road
5.3
Fieldhouse, pavilion, swings, slide, handball
court, summer playground, modular play area
An elbrook
Rich Drive
4.0
Oen field
Ye Olde Apple
Orchard
Kent Road/All Angels Hill Road
5.4
Pond
Airport Park
Airport Drive
10.0
Soccer fields, field house pavilion
Rockingham
Regency Drive / Soccerfield Drive
11.5
Soccer fields, swings, pond
Fleetwood
Fleetwood Drive
2.0
Swings, basketball
Reese Park
Creek Road
40.0
Trails, restrooms
Briar Lane
Briar Lane
21.8
Undeveloped
Deer Run
Deer Run Road
6.2
Undeveloped
Dutchess Park
Arkwa
Salem Road
3.2
Undeveloped
Moccasin Hill
Boxwood Close
13.4
Undeveloped
Noto Subdivision
Woodland Court
15.2
Undeveloped
Pond Area
Joan Lane
8.5
Undeveloped
Rymer
Old Ho ewell Road
30.3
Undeveloped
Tall Trees
Amherst Lane
1.6
Undeveloped
Meadowood
Old Hopewell Road and Sprout Cr.
11.8
Undeveloped
The 2004 Survey included a range of questions regarding residents' needs and levels of
satisfaction with Town parks. Key findings are:
• One-half or more of the respondents were familiar with the following seven Town
facilities (of 23 total): Martz Field / Montofort Road Building, Robinson Lane,
Schlathaus Park, Reese Park, Spook Hill Park, Airport Park and the Chelsea Boat
Ramp.
• Residents use Town parks just about as often as County and State parks, private
recreational facilities, and parks outside of Wappinger.
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 78
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Recreation and Community Facilities
• While over half of respondents felt that their recreational needs are met by existing
Town facilities, over one-quarter felt that the Town needs additional recreational
facilities.
• When asked, "If more facilities in Wappinger were available, which of the
following would you participate in?" "Nature enjoyment" was 1St, picnicking 2nd
walking or hiking 3rd, swimming 0, and winter sports (ice skating, skiing) 5ih.
• Although there was not overwhelming support for the acquisition of land for
active recreation (such as ball fields) and for the development of a swimming pool
facility, 20 percent of respondents felt that acquisition of land for active recreation
was the single -most important investment the Town should make, and 13 percent
felt that acquiring land for a swimming pool facility was the single -most important
investment.
• Nature preserves and trails were the top items (over 80% combined) for
recreational amenities that respondents would like to see more of in their
neighborhoods.
The Town Recreation Commission is monitoring activities and needs, and is actively
pursing new opportunities to better meet the recreational needs of residents. The top
priorities of the Commission are currently:
• Develop a year-round swimming pool. The Town is currently using a private
outdoor facility at the Cross Court property for the Town Summer Camp program.
• Develop a roller hockey / skateboard park. Robinson Lane Park is currently being
considered for this facility.
• Develop more athletic fields. Existing baseball fields are sufficient for existing
uses, but the community needs more soccer fields. The Recreation Commission is
exploring opportunities to expand to properties adjacent to Robinson Lane Park.
• Develop more tennis courts. Tennis court usage is currently at an all-time high.
• Develop a large indoor space / gymnasium. The Recreation Commission is
currently working with the Wappinger Central School District to use its facilities.
The Commission is exploring the feasibility of constructing a "bubble building"
for approximately $700,000. The life expectancy of such building is
approximately 20 years.
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 79
Recreation and Community Facilities
• Enhance Schlathaus Park with the cooperation of the local Rotary organization.
Develop a seasonal outdoor ice-skating rink.
Goal
Develop recreational a.nd cultural facilities and programs, that are adequate to serve
the Town's current and future populations.
Obiectives
A. Anticipate future needs and provide appropriate locations for facilities,
services and programs. Locate recreational facilities in such a way that they
are compatible with Town development patterns.
There are a number of potential sites for acquisition by the Town for recreational
purposes. These are:
• Lands around Robinson Lane Park.
• Cranberry Hills / Ketcham Trails property, consisting of 327 acres. This site
has potential for both active and passive recreational uses.
• Jekoce Acres camp property for a community recreation center and swimming
pool. The adjacent Sun -Up construction storage site that borders the lake to the
west could be a part of the future facility.
• Deer Hill. This Wheeler Hill Road property has recently been put up for sale.
This was identified as a new opportunity to meet the Town's growing
recreational needs.
• Lands adjacent to Castle Point Park. The former VA Hospital water plant
property and building, located opposite the entrance to Castle Point Park, is
available for immediate acquisition from the Federal Government. The land
could be used for parking and the building re -used for cultural, recreational,
tourism functions, and for a possible Teen Center.
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 80
Recreation and Community Facilities
Recommendation
1. The Town should define a method for evaluating these opportunities and engage
the public in the decision-making process.
2. The Town should create a fund for potential land acquisitions for recreational
uses.
B. Maximize community use of existing facilities.
The Town Administration and the Recreation Commission have been engaged in
developing the following properties for greater public use:
• Carnwath Farm. Continue to develop the Greystone/Carnwath Farms property for
recreational uses. A sports museum will be a tenant for one part of the property.
• Robinson Lane Park. The Recreation Commission has proposed a one -mile trail
around the perimeter of the park, and recommends developing a rollerblade and
skateboard facility in the park. A second vehicular access is needed to resolve
congestion and safety problems during larger events.
• Rymer Park. Currently undeveloped with approximately 30 acres, the park
includes large areas of slopes and wetlands with little level land. A conceptual
plan had been prepared to improve the park for public use, including a small
building, bathrooms, and a play/picnic area suitable for summer camp use. This
property could be linked to the Wappinger Creek Greenway Trail via the nearby
Town sewer line easement and proposed multi -family development between Old
Hopewell and Route 9D (behind the cell tower, Emergency Services and Town
Hall buildings).
Specific recreational amenities were requested consistently in the write-in questions of
the 2004 Survey. The Town will need to prioritize these requests, and identify whether
existing properties can meet these needs, or whether new properties would be necessary.
The most requested amenities were:
• Ice skating rink, and more winter activities
• Shaded picnic areas or pavilions at recreation sites, more benches
• More restrooms
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 81
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Recreation and Communitv Facilities 1
x;
only 18 percent opposed.) The lumber yard to the north of Chelsea hamlet may be
a possible future location for parking or other facilities.
3. Integrate and improve facilities to support the Hudson River Greenway Water
Trail for canoers and kayakers. Provide access at Reese Park for hand launch of
small boats and camping by permit at Reese and Castle Point parks.
Wappinger Creek
4. Develop a cooperative partnership with the Village to make the best recreational
use of Wappingers Lake, including possible dredging of the lake.
5. Continue to develop and expand the Wappinger Greenway Trail as a joint Village
and Town project.
6. Improve access to Wappinger Creek (Fifty-nine percent of residents participating
in the 2004 Survey were in favor of improving access, with only 15 percent
opposed.)
General Recommendations for Greenways
7. Develop a Waterfront Revitalization Plan. The Town should, either independently
or in cooperation with the Town of Poughkeepsie and the Village of Wappingers
Falls, prepare a Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP). The Village of
Wappingers Falls is currently in the process of preparing a Local Waterfront
Revitalization Strategy (LWRS). LWRPs have been touted as among the most
efficient and effective programs ever created for waterfront revitalization. An
LWRP provides clear priorities and action steps that implement Federal, State and
local coastal zone management.
D. Develop additional trails throughout the Town to meet public demand for
nature and walking trails in cooperation with the Wappinger Greenway Trail
Committee, which is an intermunicipal group comprised of the Towns of
Wappinger and Poughkeepsie and the Village of Wappinger Falls.
Recommendations
1. Develop more jogging and walking paths and trails on existing Town -owned
lands. The 2004 Survey showed significant demand for nature preserves and
trails, with over 80 percent of residents interested in having these facilities in their
own neighborhoods.
i
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 83
Recreation and Community Facilities
fir► • Lighting on athletic fields for nighttime use
A
• Teen center
• New larger senior center
The Recreation Committee is also working on developing the following high priority
amenities:
• Swimming pool
• Additional athletic fields
• Additional tennis courts
• Gymnasium
Recommendation
Identify a methodology to use in comparing various alternatives, and involve public in
decision-making process.
C. Develop Greenways along the Hudson River, Wappinger Creek and Sprout Creek
for public recreation.
The Hudson River has ecological, scenic and historical value, as well as being a great
recreational resource.
Recommendations
Hudson River
1. Develop the Hudson River Greenway trail from Castle Point Park to Wappinger
Creek. Sixty-nine percent of residents participating in the 2004 Survey were in
favor of this measure, versus 11 percent opposed.
2. Improve access to the Hudson River, including acquisition of the Chelsea Marina
and improved trailer parking and boat storage; pedestrian access at Castle Point
Park and Camwath Farm. (Fifty-four percent of residents participating in the 2004
Survey were in favor of purchasing the Chelsea Marina and waterfront lands, with
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 82
F_ Recreation and Community Facilities
,, only 18 percent opposed.) The lumber yard to the north of Chelsea hamlet may be
a possible future location for parking or other facilities.
3. Integrate and improve facilities to support the Hudson River Greenway Water
Trail for canoers and kayakers. Provide access at Reese Park for hand launch of
small boats and camping by permit at Reese and Castle Point parks.
Wappinger Creek
4. Develop a cooperative partnership with the Village to make the best recreational
use of Wappingers Lake, including possible dredging of the lake.
5. Continue to develop and expand the Wappinger Greenway Trail as a joint Village
and Town project.
6. Improve access to Wappinger Creek (Fifty-nine percent of residents participating
in the 2004 Survey were in favor of improving access, with only 15 percent
opposed.)
General Recommendations for Greenways
7. Develop a Waterfront Revitalization Plan. The Town should, either independently
or in cooperation with the Town of Poughkeepsie and the Village of Wappingers
Falls, prepare a Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (L)NRP). The Village of
Wappingers Falls is currently in the process of preparing a Local Waterfront
Revitalization Strategy (LWRS). LWRPs have been touted as among the most
efficient and effective programs ever created for waterfront revitalization. An
LWRP provides clear priorities and action steps that implement Federal, State and
local coastal zone management.
D. Develop additional trails throughout the Town to meet public demand for
nature and walking trails in cooperation with the Wappinger Greenway Trail
Committee, which is an intermunicipal group comprised of the Towns of
Wappinger and Poughkeepsie and the Village of Wappinger Falls.
Recommendations
1. Develop more jogging and walking paths and trails on existing Town -owned
lands. The 2004 Survey showed significant demand for nature preserves and
trails, with over 80 percent of residents interested in having these facilities in their
own neighborhoods.
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 83
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Recreation and Community Facilities
2. Consider the use of utility line easements for possible trails and connections to
areas of public open space. There are 24 miles of utility right-of-ways in the
Town, which could be used as trails through Town agreement with utility
companies. (Sixty-one percent of residents participating in the 2004 Survey were
in favor of the Town using these right of ways for recreational purposes, with only
11 percent opposed.)
3. Develop bike paths where appropriate as opportunities arise. (Forty-three percent
of residents participating in the 2004 Survey said that at least one member of the
family would use bike paths and bike lanes if they existed throughout the Town.)
4. Explore the feasibility of developing a connecting trail from Stony Kill north
along wetland boundaries to the elementary and middle schools, finally connecting
with Reese Park.
Emmency and Protection Services
The Town of Wappinger's police coverage is provided by the Dutchess County Sheriff's
Office and the New York State Police, which provides regular patrols to all areas of the
Town in marked patrol vehicles 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, with particular
attention to areas with more activity. The Sheriff is also responsible for responding to
911 emergency calls in the Town. The Sheriff's office provides additional services to the
Town's schools. Deputies are assigned to schools in order to teach safety lessons,
maintain order, and provide a general sense of security.
The Town Wappinger fire services consist of three different fire districts: Hughsonville,
New Hackensack and Chelsea. These companies supply comprehensive fire coverage for
the Town. For more information, please refer to the companion volume to this Plan,
Inventory and Analysis. In addition, Village of Wappingers Falls is protected by Village
of Wappingers Falls Fire Department.
Solid Waste
The existing and proposed County programs and private carriers generally handle solid
waste and recycling issues in the Town. The Town has a recycling center and a bulk
pick-up site. There is particular concern with the proper disposal of hazardous wastes
such as used motor oil, anti -freeze, used paint, fertilizers, pesticides, and other household
chemicals. The key is to make proper disposal of these wastes easier and more user-
friendly.
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 84 1
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• Goal
Recreation and Community Facilities 1
Maintain and enhance the Town -wide comprehensive recycling program.
Obiectives
A. Encourage increased rates of recycling.
Recommendation: Increase quality and quantity of public education and announcements
locally. Use the Town website for information, announcements and reminders.
B. Encourage proper disposal of hazardous wastes.
Recommendation: Provide local drop-off and pick-up of hazardous wastes. Provide
collection services at the Town recycling center as extension of the County program.
C. Monitor recycling rates, solid waste disposal rates, and hazardous waste
disposal rates through objective measurements.
Recommendation: The Town should consider the hiring of a waste management
company.
Town Government Facilities
The Town Hall on Middlebush Road provides 16,000 square feet of space for offices and
meeting rooms. All Town offices, except for the Recreation Office at Schlathaus Park
and the Town Highway facilities by Old Route 9, are located in the Town Hall. The
Town Hall also includes facilities for Town Court, which are no longer large enough to
io accommodate the needs of the Court. The Town Highway site includes a garage, offices,
equipment storage buildings, a salt storage bin and a Sheriff substation.
Education
The Town of Wappinger is located within three school districts. The majority of the
Town falls within the Wappingers Central School District. A small area in the southwest
corner of the Town falls within the Beacon City School District and an even smaller area
in the Northeast corner falls within the Arlington Central School District.
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[own of Wappineer Comprehensive Plan 851
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Recreation and Community Facilities
The Wappingers Central School District covers 120 square miles, and is the 9`I' largest
central school district in New York State, with over 11,000 students. It has 10
elementary schools, two of which are located within the Town. The district has two
junior high school and two high schools; one of each are located in the Town. The
district is considering plans to build another school facility, administrative offices, bus
depot, and athletic fields on a property within the District. The location of existing
school facilities and school districts in the Town are shown in the companion volume to
this Plan, Inventory and Anal.
Library
The Grinnell Library serves the needs of the residents of the Town of Wappinger and the
Village. The Library is located in an historic building on East Main Street in the Village.
The building has approximately 4,000 square feet of space and in excess of 27,000
volumes. The building was constructed in 1887; an addition was completed in the early
1980s. Grinnell Library is a member of the Mid -Hudson Libraries; this affiliation
provides residents with additional services and a larger resource base.
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Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 86
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Land Use
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Land Use
IX. LAND USE
There are approximately 17,000 acres of
land in the Town of Wappinger,
comprising of over 26 square miles.
This chapter explores how the Town has
changed in the last three decades; how it
will change if current land use
regulations remain the same and if
private development were to maximize
allowable densities of development; and
how the Town should develop in the
future.
This chapter builds upon the research
and analysis as reported in the "Land
Use, Zoning and Development Potential"
chapter in the companion volume to this
Plan, Inventory and Analysis.
The analysis of development potential in
the second half of the chapter is an
important step in identifying if the
zoning of a municipality is in line with
the goals and expectations of the Town.
The land use component of this plan uses
the dual perspectives of past trends and a
possible future based on current zoning
to adjust and fine-tune the destiny of the
Town. The details of the dual analyses
are summarized below:
1. Past Land Use: Land Use
Land Use: 1970
Public/Sem- Industrial
Public 0.2% Commercial
14.0% 0.9%
Residential
16.9%
Undeveloped
68.1%
Land Use: 1986
Industrial Commercial
Public/Semi- 2.7%
Public
12.7%
Residential Undeveloped
28.4% 1111 55.9%
Land Use: 2003
Commercial
Public/Sem- Industrial 2.6% Undeveloped
Public 1.0% 47.4%
16.9%
Residential
32.0%
Changes from 1970 to 2003. The
following items highlight the major changes in development the Town has
experienced over the 33 years between land use inventories:
• Developed Land: In 1970, there were 5,214 developed acres (32% of all Town
land); in 2003 there were 8,997 developed acres (55% of all Town land). The
amount of developed land increased by 70 percent in this 33 -year period,
resulting in the development of 3,673 acres of land at a rate of 111 acres per
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 87
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Land Use
year. If land development trends continue, all currently undeveloped lands will
be developed by the year 2075.
• Public and Semi -Public Land: Currently occupying 2,866 acres with
approximately 650 acres for recreation, the percentage of land in public use
(17% in 2003) has not changed appreciably since 1970 when it was 14 % of all
Town land.
• Agriculture: Two-thirds of agriculturally used lands were lost between 1986
and 2003; a reduction from a total of 1,596 acres in 1986 to 531 acres in 2003.
• Indust : Lands used for industrial purposes have grown from 25 acres in
1970 to 173 in 2003. Approximately 930 acres (about 6 percent of the Town's
land area) are zoned industrial. While this greatly exceeds industrial land use,
industrial zoning generally allows all other commercial uses as well as
industrial uses.
• Commercial Land: Use of commercial land peaked in the 1980s at 452 acres —
triple the amount of land used for commercial activity in 1970 at 148 acres.
Currently, commercial land use is 439 acres: 88 acres in office uses, 263 in
retail/service and 88 in mixed use. Approximately 1,075 acres (about 7 percent
of the Town's land area) are zoned commercial.
• Residential Land: Acreage used for residences nearly doubled between 1970
and 2003, rising from 2,759 acres to 5,409 acres. Approximately 2,650 acres
were developed for housing during this period, averaging 80 acres per year.
The Town maintained a nearly constant balance of single family vs. multi-
family land uses, at roughly 10% multi -family and 90% single-family.
Currently, the Town has 4,724 acres in single-family use and 685 acres in
multi -family use. Approximately 13,500 acres are zoned residential, including
approximately 340 acres zoned for multiple family residential uses and 13,160
acres zoned for single-family residential use.
2. Development Potential. This section highlights future land uses, given current
land use regulations:
• Residential Development Potential. Approximately 4,600 acres of residentially
zoned land is developable, resulting in an estimated 3,100 units of housing that
could be built in the future.
• Commercial and Industrial Development Potential. There are approximately
4.7 million square feet of potential building space in vacant land zoned
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 88
Land Use
commercial or industrial in the Town. This figure takes into account the floor
area ratio (FAR) allowed in each district, as well as environmental constraints.
However, development potential is limited by the absence of municipal sewer
and water service on most sites. Of the lots with 10 or more contiguous acres
zoned commercial or residential (see Figure IV -1), only one area totaling 85
acres (in the Conservation Office Park District) is in municipal sewer and
ON water districts. The development potential of this property is up to 740,000
square feet of floor area. Two areas zoned Conservation Office Park or
Conservation Commercial are adjacent to water and/or sewer districts, with a
total area of approximately 114 acres and a development potential of
approximately 980,000 square feet of floor area. The remaining large vacant
,. or undeveloped sites are in the Airport Industry District, which is not planned
to receive municipal sewer and water service. Development of sites without
sewer and water service is constrained primarily by the performance of on-site
wells and septic systems.
Issues and Opportunities
For most areas, the Plan described here recommends a continuation of existing zoning, or
recommends adapting existing zoning to reflect actual uses that may have pre -dated the
zoning. The areas where changes from either current land use or current zoning are
recommended are highlighted below.
1. This land use plan includes changes designed to improve the function and
appearance of existing community centers, including the Hamlets of Chelsea,
Hughsonville, New Hackensack, Swartoutville and Myers Corners, and the
proposed Old Route 9 District.
2. Currently, there is a mismatch between the capacity of the land to absorb waste
water and the allowable density of dwelling units in the northern part of the Town.
The Town can correct this mismatch by rezoning lands not currently within a
sewer district to lower densities, and by rezoning lands outside of areas planned
for sewer service to even lower densities.
3. Other areas recommended for a change to low-density residential are an area south
of MacFarlane Road and east of Route 9, and an area on Route 9D south of
Ketchamtown Road.
6W 4. Other areas to be changed to high-density residential to make existing mobile
home/trailer parks more conforming in terms of zoning include three areas in the
Route 9 Corridor (on Cooper Road, on Osborne Road, and on Route 9 and
Smithtown Road) and one area at the junction of Pye Lane and Montfort. An
existing trailer park on New Hackensack Road northeast of Lakeside Road is
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Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 89
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Land Use
currently zoned RMF -3 but the density of dwelling units on the site is
approximately 4.7 units per acre. This site should be changed to RMF -5 zoning to
make the site more conforming.
5. The Route 9 Corridor consists of a patchwork of Highway Business, Highway
Office, and Highway Design zoning districts, and the northern section is partially
under the control of the Village of Wappingers Falls. The Town should initiate a
discussion with the Village of Wappingers Falls with the goal of coming to a
consensus on the use of land in the northern section of the Route 9 Corridor. In
the southern section, the Town has an opportunity to create uniform standards
regarding setbacks, landscaping, and access to sites which could improve the
character and function of the Corridor.
Goal
Guide the development of the Town in a way that preserves environmentally
significant features, improves housing choice, and encourages a balanced economy.
Obiectives
A. Designate areas of the Town intended for low-density residential development,
farmland protection and open space.
B. Designate areas of the Town that are well situated for medium- and high-
density residential development.
C. Designate areas of the Town that, due to transportation links, the intensity of
proximate land uses and other features, are appropriate for current and future
use as Town centers.
D. Designate areas of the Town where only commercial, industrial or institutional
land uses are appropriate.
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 90
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Land Use
The plan for future land use in the Town of Wappinger is depicted in the Land Use Plan
Map, and is further identified and explained in this section. The following categories are
a part of the land use plan. The purpose, definition and location of each land use
category are described below.
• Residential — Low Density
• Residential — Low/Medium Density
• Residential — Medium Density
• Residential - High Density
• Workforce / Senior Affordable Housing Overlay
• Conservation Residential (Cluster)
• Hamlet
• Mixed Office / Retail / Residential
• Commercial
• Conservation Commercial
• Conservation Office Park
• Industry
• Institutional
• Recreation
• Open Space
Residential — Low Density
This category calls for two- to five -acre minimum lot sizes to protect groundwater
supplies and quality (both of which have gradually diminished over the course of the last
30 years of housing development) and to prevent the incidence of septic system failure,
as soils north of Widmer Road and Myers Corners Road, and west of Route 9D generally
pose severe limitations to the proper functioning of septic systems. This Low Density
Residential area is also intended to help preserve open space in the areas furthest from
central sewer service and in areas with clusters of protected forest and parkland and
working farms. Finally, the Low Density Residential areas are intended to limit traffic
burdens on rural roads and hamlets.
Within the Low Density area, new residential uses are expected to rely on individual or
group septic systems designed to protect groundwater quality, with a residential density
no greater than one unit per two acres. The use of private treatment plants should be
discouraged.
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r. As in the Residential — Medium Density category, cluster development should be
encouraged, as long as it is designed to rely either on individual private septic systems or
a collective septic system.
The category includes areas east of the Dutchess Rail Trail in the northeast corner of
Wappinger, the sensitive uplands and wetlands that surround Smithtown Road, and the
southwestern corner from the Hudson River inland to Route 9D and east of 9D along
both sides of Stonykill Road.
Residential — Low/Medium Density
This category calls for lots that are 40,000 sq.ft. (approximately 1 acre) to 80,000 sq.ft.
(approximately 2 acres) in size, depending upon the availability of public sewer and/or
water. This category includes areas along and mostly west of Route 9D from Marlorville
Road to Chelsea Road; areas along Diddell Road, Robinson Lane, Viola Court, Red
Hawk Hollow Road and Maloney Road in the northeasterly corner of the Town; and two
Swenson properties on New Hackensack Road in the vicinity of New Hackensack
Hamlet.
6 Residential — Medium Densit
The one-quarter to one -acre minimum lot sizes of this residential area cover most of
Wappinger. This area extends from the proposed Dutchess Rail Trail west to
Hughsonville and parcels west of Ketchamtown Road. It includes lands east and west of
the Route 9 Corridor, with the exception of the Greenfly Wetland and the steep slopes
and wetland areas around Smithtown Road.
Much of the area is already devoted to residential development at densities of one-half to
one acre per lot. The one-half acre lots are concentrated within the area currently zoned
R-20 both west and east of Route 9, and west of Lake Oniad and Myers Corners along
Old Hopewell, Myers Corners and Widmer Roads.
To protect groundwater quality and to support central utilities, new development within
this area should either connect to central sewer systems within existing sewer districts or
sewer improvement areas, or be designed to connect to the regional municipal sewer
system. Cluster developments should be used where appropriate to preserve natural
features, such as riparian buffers, open space / conservation areas shown on the Land Use
Map, and to allow for more cost-effective utility systems and roads.
Residential — High Density
This category includes multi -family (apartment) housing, townhouses, and duplexes. It
covers scattered sites in the Route 9 Corridor and three existing locations on the
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i
southwest and northeast ends of Town. This category currently includes over one-third
of the existing housing units in the Town, which comprise 9% of all residential land uses.
This Land Use Plan proposes that high-density residential districts be eligible for density
bonuses for affordable/workforce housing and affordable senior housing. Under this
plan, a density bonus would be available if a specified portion of the additional housing
units are affordable to working residents and a density bonus would be available if a
specified portion of the additional housing is age -restricted to seniors. Specific
guidelines and definitions would be established through local legislation.
Workforce / Senior Affordable Housing Overlay Zone
A mapped overlay zone applies an additional layer of incentives or controls over an area,
which determines the way in which the underlying zone functions, or add uses and
standards which would not ordinarily apply to the underlying zone. The Workforce /
Senior Affordable Housing Overlay Zone would encourage the construction of housing
that is affordable to working people and seniors in the Town through a density bonus.
The bonus would be available if a specified portion of the additional housing developed
is affordable to working people in the Town or seniors. Specific guidelines and
definitions would be established through local legislative action.
Conservation Residential (Cluster)
This category includes lands with special environmental features and scenic value. The
intent of this category is to recommend that housing development in these areas — the
Meadowbrook Farm area near Myers Corners and the lands surrounding Chelsea Hamlet
— be developed only through cluster development, concentrating residential uses in areas
with the least impact and preserving large areas with scenic and environmental value.
Hamlet
One historic hamlet within the Town demands special attention in the land use decision-
making process: Hughsonville. The land use plan designates as a hamlet the existing
densely settled portions of this area, and a limited amount of undeveloped land on its
perimeter. The plan calls for carefully designed zoning and transportation improvements
needed to preserve the character of this area and to ensure that surrounding development
pressures will not destroy the functionality of its road system and historic character.
r In Hughsonville, mixed residential and commercial uses and building renovations are
needed, along with a plan for accommodating increasing traffic volumes through the
hamlet (see Transportation and Community Character Chapters for a more detailed
explanation of proposed solutions and a graphic rendering of the District Design Plan for
Hughsonville). Also, dimensional requirements for lots within this hamlet should be
two
ITown of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 93
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revised to reflect the existing, traditional development pattern and bring the majority of
the lots there into conformance with zoning. For instance, many attractive lots in
Hughsonville are between 50 and 70 feet wide, and between 90 and 170 feet deep. Total
`w lot size in the hamlet ranges from 3,500 square feet to 25,000 square feet. Lots of 4,000
to 5,000 square feet are in keeping with village and hamlet patterns throughout the
`, region, and generally function well where central utilities are present.
Providing additional public access to the Hudson River at the hamlet of Chelsea would be
worthwhile, but controlling future traffic through the hamlet is essential. Regarding
current land uses, careful monitoring of drinking water quality and vigilant maintenance
of individual septic systems is needed until central sewer and water systems are available.
Swartoutville, a third hamlet at the junction of Route 82 and All Angels Hill Road in the
southeastern corner of the Town, is nestled between steep hills on the west and the
floodplains of Sprout Creek on the east. This Land Use Plan recognizes this hamlet
through its inclusion in the Hamlet land use category.
The preparation of a concept plan for the Swartoutville hamlet (such as has been done for
the Hughsonville Hamlet as part of this Plan), should be accomplished in the future.
Mixed Office / Retail / Residential
This use is intended to foster a compact, vibrant community center for the Old Route 9
District. The Town envisions a carefully arranged complex of shops and offices, with
residences above or behind buildings fronting main roads. Further development of
details for the Old Route 9 District will follow after this Plan.
Commercial
The purpose of this category is to allow for the continued commercial use of areas in the
Route 9 Corridor, in Myers Corners, and near the airport. These areas are generally
zoned as Highway Business, Highway Design, General Business or Shopping Center.
Due to the Town's interest in protecting and enhancing the character and appearance of
the community, the areas planned for commercial use along Route 9 have not been
expanded. Businesses will be encouraged to make more efficient use of existing
ir0 commercial areas.
Conservation Commercial
The Conservation Commercial category appears in areas where commercial uses already
exist or would be more appropriate than any other use, but where severe environmental
constraints dictate that development be carefully designed and built at a relatively less
intensive scale than in other commercial districts. For this reason, gasoline stations
3
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 94
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should not be allowed in the Conservation Commercial zoning district. The three areas
shown are the lands between Route 376 and the Maybrook Line, a small area south of
Myers Corners Road near Route 9 and the area along both sides of Route 9D at its
northern intersection with Old State Road.
Conservation Office Park
Areas appropriate for office uses, but which contain extensive wetlands, streams or steep
slopes, thereby requiring special treatment, are included in the Conservation Office Park
(COP) category. This category represents the greatest opportunity for the large-scale
development of attractive, environmentally sensitive non-residential uses that could
expand the Town's tax base and make its economy more secure. Imaginatively designed
office campuses in these areas would leave ample open space networks and could
incorporate wetlands and streams as site amenities.
The areas designated for this land use include the "Contrail" property west of All Angels
Hill Road and north of Tor Road.
Industry
Industrial areas have been designated to the northeast of the Airport, in the area of the
former IBM facility just west of Myers Corners, and on the southern end of the Route 9
Corridor. This represents a significant strategic change from former land use plans,
which sought to encourage primarily office and office/research uses. The 1988 Plan had
only one small site designated as industrial — the lumber company site on the Hudson
River. With IBM now gone, and with the Fairchild property still underutilized, the Town
has begun to diversify its land use strategy.
Institutional
The institutional category includes existing public facilities that are not also recreation
areas or floodplains, and includes school grounds, the Town Hall and Emergency
Services Building, the Chelsea pump station owned by New York City, fire department
property on Myers Corners Road, and the Dutchess County Airport. In the event that
additional schools or other public facilities are needed in the future, specific siting studies
should be undertaken to determine the best locations.
Open Space
The Open Space category includes areas of the Town intended to remain green space,
because of important or fragile environmental features. This category includes 100 -year
floodplains and lands not owned by the Town but which are publicly owned lands for
active and passive recreation (primarily the New York State Stony Kill property), and
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 95
Land Use
.. lands conserved in perpetuity. The plan proposes that these areas be kept permanently
undeveloped.
Recreation
This category includes Town -owned lands that are used for active and passive
recreational purposes, and any proposed lands for such use (such as the lands to the north
of the Dutchess County Airport, adjacent to Wappingers Creek).
Recommendations
1. The Hamlet zoning should be revised so as to work with existing hamlet
settlement patterns and to reduce the occurrence of nonconforming lots. Lots of
4,000 to 5,000 square feet in size are in keeping with village and hamlet patterns.
For instance, many attractive lots in Hughsonville are between 50 and 70 feet
wide, and between 90 and 170 feet deep. Total lot size in the hamlet ranges from
3,500 square feet to 25,000 square feet.
Providing sewer service to the area will help achieve land use goals and minimize
environmental problems associated with waste water disposal on existing lots.
Small lot sizes can also be a way of encouraging affordable housing. By
encouraging small lots with central sewer service, developers have an opportunity
to construct modest -sized houses on these lots and sell them for more affordable
prices.
2. A zoning district should be developed so as to implement the mixed retail, office
and residential uses intended for the Old Route 9 District in the Land Use Plan.
3. Zoning changes should be considered in the areas between the Wildwood Sewer
District and Route 376, where there are several parcels of 10 or more acres which
have the same severe soil constraints as other areas in the Town with high rates of
septic system failure. Within this area, two areas near the intersection of St.
Nicholas Road and Widmer Road are zoned for half -acre lots, and the rest is zoned
for one acre lots. These areas should be rezoned to R-80. The area outside of the
WST/TIA boundary to the north should be rezoned from R-20 to R-80 and the
area to the northeast from R-40/80 to R -3A to reflect the unsuitability of the soils
there for septic systems, the need for more area for absorption of septic flow, and
the fact that there are no plans to extend sewer service to these areas. The other
areas that have soils with severe septic limitations and are not within existing
sewer districts are either already largely developed according to existing zoning,
or are zoned for two -acre lots, posing less of a demand on the soils.
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 96
Land Use
4. In the future, the Town should examine the residential zoning districts with
variable densities (R-20/40 and R-40/80), the intermediate densities of 30,000 or
60,000 square feet, in that these zones allow for these densities under
b" circumstances that may not be environmentally sound. Currently, the intermediate
densities are allowed if either central water or central sewer are present. Central
water without central sewer will protect homeowners from some public health
consequences of failing septic systems, but will not protect the overall
environment from failing systems. Conversely, central sewer without central
6W water will not protect homeowners from droughts and other potable water
problems.
5. In order to improve the function and appearance of the Route 9 Corridor, the
Town should consider offering density bonuses for development occurring on
larger lots. This would encourage the assembly of small lots, which would result
in fewer curb cuts, greater opportunities for landscaped buffers along the
highway's edge, better internal circulation and better traffic flow on Route 9. The
Town should also study the appropriateness of current zoning in the Route 9
Corridor and the possibility of consolidating two or more zones in the corridor, or
developing uniform dimensional regulations for lands within the Corridor. The
study should examine current land uses, current lot sizes, existing lot widths and
depths and setbacks.
6. As mentioned above, the Land Use Plan shows Hughsonville and Swartoutville as
being designated for Hamlet development.
7. Villa Borghese is a restaurant and catering facility which has been in existence in
an R-20 zoning district for many decades. Similarly, the Osborne Inn has been in
existence in an R-40 zoning district for quite a long time. As a reflection of the
existing and enduring nature of these uses, the Land Use Plan shows these
properties with a Commercial (Neighborhood Business) designation.
8. Stonykill Farm is a property which is roughly 285 acres in size and owned by the
New York State Education Department. This property is used for agricultural and
educational purposes. The Land Use Plan designates this property for a new five -
acre zoning district. In addition, this Plan recommends that the Town explore the
creation of a new agricultural zoning district which would include property such as
this.
9. This Plan finds it reasonable and appropriate to extend the Swartoutville hamlet to
the south by a relatively small amount to encompass the Chambers property within
the Hamlet designation.
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Land Use
{„ 10. The property known as Stonegate and located on the east side of Old Post Road
includes existing high density residential development on the front portion of the
property, while the rear portion which extends to Beechwood Circle is
undeveloped. The Land Use Plan shows a Commercial designation for the
developed portion of the property and a residential designation for the rear, in
order to both reflect the existing development and protect the Beechwood Circle
neighborhood.
11. The "Canter" property is located on the westerly side of Route 9 between
Fowlerhouse and Card Roads. It is one of only two properties located on Route 9
which are zoned 2 -Family Residence District.' The Land Use Plan designates the
front of this property for commercial (Highway Business) use and the rear for
Medium Density Residential, in order to both acknowledge this parcel's location
on Route 9 and to protect the adjacent neighborhoods.
12. This Plan recommends that the former Fairchild property be rezoned from Planned
Industry to Conservation Office Park because Planned Industry is no longer
appropriate given the alternative opportunities for the redevelopment of this
property.
13. The property formerly known as Pizzagalli and located on Myers Corners Road is
currently zoned Planned Industry. Given the existing and potential future uses of
this property, this Plan recommends that it be rezoned to Conservation Office
Park, which allows many suitable uses for this property, but excludes higher
intensity industrial uses.
14. The property known as Cranberry, which is located between Widmer and Myers
Corners Road, is a large (325 -acre) undeveloped property zoned R-20. Much of
this property is environmentally sensitive, including approximately 112 acres of
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation regulated wetlands.
This wetland acreage comprises 35.4% of the total property. When mapped, it is
likely that the Town -regulated wetlands may exceed that amount. This property
also contains steep slopes, important habitat areas, and abundant wildlife, possibly
including threatened or endangered species.
This property is one of the most well -studied properties in the Town, having been
the subject of a variety of development applications and associated environmental
analysis, as well as long-term analysis over many years as part of this
Comprehensive Plan. During this period development regulations in the Town
and State have changed and have become more environmentally protective,
' The other property is proposed for RMF -3 zoning to reflect the density of the existing
mobile home park located on that property.
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including but not limited to the enactment of new, comprehensive Town wetland
regulations in 2005.
Given the environmental sensitivity of this property, this Plan recommends that
the Town Board consider designating the Cranberry property as a Critical
Environmental Area (CEA) in accordance with the provisions of the New York
State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA).
Further, and in the interest of having this property's zoning properly reflect the
carrying capacity of this property, this Plan recommends that the Cranberry
property be designated for Low Density residential development, or more
specifically to be rezoned to the R-80 zoning district.
15. The Town's Zoning Law currently includes 13 non-residential districts, which the
Town Board deems too many, given the kinds of uses permitted in these districts
and the nature of the Town. Two of these zoning districts, namely the Highway
Office (HO) and Highway Design (HD) Districts, permit essentially the same list
of uses. In the interest of making the Zoning Law less cumbersome, this Plan
recommends that the HO District be eliminated, and that the HO -zoned properties
in the Town be rezoned to the HD District.
16. This Plan recommends that zoning be created which would allow for the creation
of what is known as a Continuing Care Retirement Community, whereby senior
independent living, assisted living and advanced care for seniors would be located
together on the same property. However, this Plan does not identify any specific
property in particular as being appropriate for this new zoning. An analysis upon
which to base an identification of an appropriate property (or properties) would
need to be performed.
17. As mentioned above, the Residential — Low/Medium Density category includes
two properties owned by Swenson on New Hackensack Road in the vicinity of the
New Hackensack Hamlet. This Plan more specifically recommends the rezoning
of these two properties from R-20 to R-40/80.
18. This Plan recommends the rezoning of the Smart property located on the westerly
side of River Road between Lake Drive and Stenger Court (as well as the property
immediately to the south) from R-80 to R-40 so as to be the same as the zoning
along both sides of River Road to the north of the two subject properties.
19. It is recommended that the Town and the Village of Wappingers Falls explore the
exchange of property between these two jurisdictions in order to try to achieve the
safer, more efficient and more economical provision of services and facilities.
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Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan 99
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Appendix
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