Rattler fencing, wetland impact of four-lot subdivision debated

A proposed four-lot subdivision in Highland Mills raised concerns about rattlesnake disturbance and its impact on worker safety at the April 17 village of Woodbury Planning Board meeting.

Woodbury village attorney Kelly Naughton commented during the public hearing for the project, to be located on Seven Springs Road, that there were issues with possible timber rattlesnake encounters potentially impacting the safety of contractors involved with the site’s construction. She cited another project in the area that had snake fencing as a condition of approval. Naughton suggested the applicant could reach out to the Department of Environmental Conservation for a letter affirming that fencing wasn’t needed.

Michael Morgante, engineer for the proposed subdivision, objected to the comparison to the other project, as the one he was representing was much smaller. He also argued that snakes most likely aren’t going to go toward construction as they would find the vibrations and noise bothersome. However, according to the DEC, this is the time of year when timber rattlesnakes are just emerging from their dens, which makes them rather lethargic at first.

Morgante also noted that fencing was expensive and said he felt educating the contractors and others about timber rattlesnake encounters and safety would be sufficient.

During public comment Maria Hunter of Highland Mills shared that residents in the area have not complained about rattlesnakes. She also claimed studies for other projects in the area found rattlesnakes can get around fencing and that it didn’t make sense for small projects.

“To me it doesn’t make sense to put a fence around this small property, because the snakes are smarter than we are,” said Hunter, which the board agreed was a fair point.

Despite the debate around snake fencing, Morgante conceded that if fencing is required it would need to be added to the site plan.

Other discussions on the proposed subdivision included how information on groundwater is presented in the proposal, potential impact on nearby wetlands, and erosion sediment control.

The public hearing for the proposed four-lot subdivision in Highland Mills is extended to the May 15 meeting.

Falkirk Ave. townhouses

During the meeting, the planning board also reviewed revised plans for a proposed 12-unit townhouse on Falkirk Avenue in Central Valley.

Morgante, was the representative on this project as well and shared that the updated site plan reduced the number of units from 12 to seven. He explained that the site plan was originally approved several years ago under different zoning conditions.

“It’s a reduced version of the original plan,” said Morgante. “It’s certainly less impactful.”

Flooding issues were among the concerns raised by the village’s engineering consultant, who commented that the site was located on a FEMA-designated flood hazard area. This prompted the engineer to ask the applicant to provide flood mitigation efforts and assurance that the development would not lead to flooding of nearby properties.

Other concerns included storm water management and potential disturbance to adjacent archaeological sites.