State Rejects Claim Over Dutchess Manor

Supports local review of Fjord Trail project
New York State has rejected a claim that it should review a proposed renovation of a Route 9D events space tied to the Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail, rather than the Town of Fishkill.
HHFT wants to convert Dutchess Manor into a visitor's center, offices and parking for the proposed trail. The Fishkill Planning Board has scheduled a public hearing on Thursday (Dec. 11) that will continue in January to hear feedback.
At its Nov. 13 meeting, the Planning Board spent an hour discussing recent revisions to HHFT's plan for the site, especially concerns about traffic and parking.
It also addressed arguments that HHFT should not be allowed to "segment," or separate, Dutchess Manor's restoration from the larger, 7.5-mile Fjord Trail, which is undergoing a state environmental review. Under New York's State Environmental Quality Review Act, segmenting projects to avoid a comprehensive review of its impacts "may result in legal action."
In an Oct. 28 letter addressed to the Planning Board, the state parks department said that because the Dutchess Manor property is located within Fishkill, "it is appropriate for the town to analyze the potential impacts arising from its specific land use actions."
The agency also said that Dutchess Manor, which is projected for completion in 2027, will have "independent utility" from the trail, which is scheduled for completion in 2031, and support the existing recreational trail system. It added that its review of the overall project will incorporate the visitor center's impact on traffic, parking and community character.

Dominic Cordisco, the Planning Board attorney, called the letter "a very clear statement from state parks" and advised the board to focus "on the particulars of the Dutchess Manor proposal - this particular site - rather than the trail."
Protect the Highlands, a group that opposes the trail as proposed, has been trying to convince the Planning Board that HHFT improperly segmented the project. Its president, former Cold Spring Mayor Dave Merandy, wrote in a Nov. 12 letter to the board that because state parks is leading the review of the Fjord Trail and is HHFT's "partner" in the project, its position on segmentation "isn't surprising."
"That claim is flawed, as argued in the many letters and comments you have received from PTH [Protect the Highlands], PTH members, concerned neighbors and residents of the Hudson Highlands," he said. "We ask that you revisit and carefully consider those letters and comments during your deliberation."
Extended discussions about segmentation and the trail's impact on traffic and residents have subsumed deliberations about HHFT's plans for the actual building, which call for demolishing three additions to the original 1868 residence and restoring the structure, which is on the national and state registers of historic places.
In addition to a first-floor visitors' center with exhibit space and 181 parking spaces (including 29 for staff), HHFT's proposal calls for a store where hikers can buy snacks, water and other items, said Amy Kacala, HHFT's executive director.
Food trucks would be available, along with shuttles to ferry hikers from the parking lot to trailheads. There would also be public restrooms, a lawn for picnicking and events, and new landscaping and lighting.
HHFT is asking the Planning Board to approve its site plan and a special-use permit. It will also seek Town Board approval to rezone 14 Coris Lane, an adjacent residence that HHFT bought to use for its offices. HHFT said it expects Dutchess Manor to draw 36,000 visitors annually.
In response to questions from Planning Board members about traffic, a representative of AKRF, a consulting firm hired by HHFT, said it projected that 85 vehicles would enter the property each weekday, rising to 154 on Saturdays and Sundays. That would constitute "an acceptable service level," even after the trail is completed, the representative said.
At the board's requ...