Wetland to Wasteland: What You Need To Know About The Woodland Estates

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons The Woodland Estates Luxury Apartment Complex is a proposed plan to build 468 luxury apartments within the town of East Fishkill. However, there are many reasons why this plan is being protested by the members of the town, and why you should consider signing a petition to stop construction.

The Plan

On paper, the plan looks like a great addition to the town, with 23 new buildings, including recreational amenities such as pools and pickleball courts. However, the town of East Fishkill does not suffer from a lack of such amenities, or from a lack of luxury housing.

The Cons

Issues arise when considering the necessity of such a project and whether it will be beneficial to the residents of the town. East Fishkill does not suffer from large poverty rates, however as housing prices increase, the marginal value in building more luxury estates should be evaluated. Luxury apartments should not be a priority in any town in which people find themselves unable to afford housing.

The largest issue comes with the planned location of the new land. The complex is set to be built on 35 acres of undeveloped land within the town, which lies in very close proximity to Shenandoah creek. Within the original board meeting where the Woodland Estates was proposed, the plan had many unfinished thoughts and was not fully fleshed out. The claim made during the meeting was a “minimal” impact on Shenandoah creek. Not only is this vague, but there is nothing stopping an infringement of this promise when construction begins. The construction of the planned waste system is very likely to require drilling underneath the creek, and will negatively influence the natural environment around the estate. On top of this, there are more negative factors to consider that will occur during construction of the estate. The noise pollution, destruction of natural habitats, and disruption of this land are all cons that may outweigh the minimal benefits of more luxury estates. Finally, while those proposing the estate did not consider traffic at all within their presentation, “(these plans) are coming” board member Ed Miyoshi brought up these traffic concerns, along with further concerns regarding the sidewalk around NY-376 in which the estate will be built along. Other developments along 376, such as the one off of Cannon Lane are homes to many young children and the elderly, and an estate with 900 more parking spots will increase the congestion and danger of the entire roadway.

Recap

East Fishkill and the residents of East Fishkill have absolutely nothing to gain from the approval of the Woodland Estates plan. The people at the helm of a project like this, do expect to gain profit from the construction of such an estate, and have little to no incentive to protect the wetlands on and around their build location. If you wish to help, the link here is where you can sign to protect the ecosystems of East Fishkill, and read up a little more on the entire project.

References:

Facebook // Original board meeting

TEDI // More Information Here + Sign the Woodland Estates petition through this link