Camp Combe at the Zoning Board
It was a full house last night at Town Hall, when residents attended a Zoning Board of Appeals meeting to learn more about Camp Combe's plans to expand its operations.
Before opening the public comment period Board Chair William Maskiell went to great lengths to assure the audience that no decision would be taken in that meeting. He stressed that the public hearing period would remain open for a long time because the Zoning Board isn't authorized to make a decision about the variances being sought until an extensive environmental review takes place. That review is being led by the town's Planning Board. Last night, he said, was just the opening round, a chance for the Zoning Board to gather more information.
The attorney for Camp Combe introduced the variances the camp is seeking by suggesting that there had been a misunderstanding about their expansion plans. Taryn Ramey insisted that the main goal of their application was simply to enhance the experience of the summer camp. As examples of events that would occur outside of the summer camp period, she mentioned afterschool activities and school field trips which she said would only occur Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm.
One immediate result of this scaled-back version was her assertion that they no longer need permission to park 150 cars on the grass field alongside Peekskill Hollow Road. Now, she said, they only need 69 parking spots on the property that would be on pavement or gravel, and 48 are already in place. But, she added, "it’s possible we might need more than 69 spaces. So, on an as-needed basis, we have an event parking plan where if we anticipate more than 69, for example, cars coming, we can park them on the grass to accommodate them. But it’s temporary overflow as needed, it’s not permanent parking." Town Code Enforcement Officer Richard Quaglietta likened the camp's new approach to what now occurs at Tompkins Corners Cultural Center, where cars are parked on the grass for some events.
If Ramey's new description accurately captures the camp's goals, it is quite a turnaround from the camp's mid-May appearance before the Planning Board. The business plan presented then included having as many as 300 people on the property five times in each of the eight months when the camp isn't in session, or 40 times a year. Also gone last night was any mention of renting out the camp facilities to outside groups on weekends.
As for the 470-seat amphitheater the camp is seeking to build, Ramey said that would primarily be used as a gathering spot for campers at the beginning and end of the day. Shannon Casey, who oversees the camp's teen program, said they needed a place that wouldn't be in the hot sun and though she acknowledged the amphitheater wouldn't have a roof, she said they would put up a "shade sail" in the summer and remove it in the winter. As proposed, the amphitheater would have far more seats than are needed for the 3oo campers that Camp Combe's planning consultants have indicated are the maximum they expect. Until the camp goes before the Planning Board again, no formal details of this new, scaled-back version of their project are available.
Despite the assurances being offered by the Zoning Board chair and the camp, residents spent more than an hour expressing their concerns about this project. Some challenged the details being provided by the camp in terms of how much open space would remain after its proposed new buildings are in place. Others expressed concern that the YMCA of Central and Northern Westchester, which owns Camp Combe, might still be intending to turn the property into an entertainment venue that would not be in keeping with the rural character of the neighborhood. The camp is located in a Preservation District, the zoning of which is tightly restricted.
Indeed, the sheer number of variances that the camp is seeking, 16, was cited as sufficient cause for concern: "If you need this many variances in a Preservation District, something catastrophic can happen to our neighborhood," said Nicholas Oliverio.
Christian Russo, who did not introduce himself as a Town Board member or a neighbor who lives across the street from the camp, earned a loud round of applause after reading his remarks. After emphasizing that he supports the camp and its mission, he expressed concern about the scope of its proposed expansion and the number of variances it is seeking. "A facility designed for several hundred attendees, along with the associated vehicle traffic, lighting, noise and activity represent a significant change of character from the traditional character of this area. I am particularly concerned that the request for variances may allow development that is inconsistent with the intent of the Preservation District which is designed to protect open space, natural resources and the rural character of our town. "
The camp seemed to come prepared for opposition. One of its employees, who described herself as a longtime Putnam Valley resident, spoke of her frustration at how the camp was being cast: "I resent the idea that these are not people from the town that are directly involved in the community of Camp Combe," she said.
The next step in this process is likely to be the camp's return for more discussions with the town's Planning Board. Given the board's calendar, that will not happen before August.
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