CORNWALL – Some 75 Cornwall residents filled the town council chambers Tuesday night to voice their opposition to the Treetop warehouse project.
The project calls for building five warehouses on nearly 200 acres along Route 9W in Cornwall. The town board had called the special meeting to listen to comments from the public and to meet with Town Attorney Steve Gaba in executive session.
While some of the participants had spoken at a public hearing January 17, many others took advantage of the meeting to add their voices in opposition to the project. Many lived in the vicinity of the project. And residents spoke as one: This project doesn’t fit with the character of Cornwall.
Mile Nielsen who lives across from the proposed project, urged the board to hire independent consultants, consultants not connected to the Orange County Partnership, an economic development agency.
Dave Nunnally, who lives on Frost Lane, adjacent to the property, said that the vibration of the trucks would damage the foundation of streets as well as their surfaces.
Rodney Wells, also from Frost Lane, said that the light emanating from the warehouse site would make Stewart Airport look like a flashlight. He also said that the project would take a toll on people’s mental health.
Gerry Brauer, who lives on Stately Oaks that borders the site, said that the federal funds are available to create other uses for the property.
“The federal government, there is a bill right now pending in the Senate to provide for the Hudson Highlands $10 million to help protect land. There is also one in New York State – a bond act – a multi-billion dollars for the same purpose and there is an EPA fund from the feds that is also there for the taking,” he said.
Woodbury Mayor Andrew Giacomazza spoke against the project. He said Cornwall is a beautiful town with lots of open space. He urged the Cornwall board not to let Cornwall become a Woodbury, buried in traffic and construction projects.
Many…
Read the full article here