|
When the Club decided to provide hauling and storage of its members boats, it needed permission from the Town of Wappinger to construct the launch pit for the travel lift. Since Commodore Jim Kennedy had notified the Town of Wappinger Planning Board that Robert A. Arnouts, A.I.A., was authorized to represent the Club before the Board in regard to the bulkheads and the boat ramp(letter dated April 28, 1988), it was natural to ask Bob Arnouts to obtain the permission for the launch pit as well.
Since he knew that, if he applied to the Town Planning Board directly, the Board would be required by the State Environmental Quality Review Act to refer him to the relevant agencies for permits before they could consider the application, he decided to get the permits first. He applied for permits from the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the New York State Department of State, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
DEC approved the plans almost immediately. An application went to the Department of State on April 15, 1991. They also approved the plans. In fact, when the plans were changed at the request of the Corps of Engineers, they said that the relocation of the boat launch pit from the north side to the west side of the site would not cause coastal zone effects in the Hudson River different from those originally reviewed. (Oct. 21, 1992 letter re: F-91-459 U.S.Army Corps of Engineers/New York District Permit Application, Chelsea Yacht Club, Town of Wappinger)
The Corps of Engineers was slower. A July 11, 1991 letter from R.A. Arnouts to Mr. Chris Mallory ( re: Project No. 8304) transmitted a requested list of adjacent property owners. Although the Corps approved of the project in principle, it took a request to the office of Congressman Hamilton Fish for expedition of the process to produce the issuing of Army Permit No. 16511 (Feb. 2, 1993 letter from Thomas R. York to R.A.Arnouts).
On October 10, 1991 Bob Arnouts forwarded copies of all applications, approvals, and correspondence to Herbert J. Levenson, Town of Wappinger Zoning Administrator (R.A.Arnouts letter of 10/10/91 re: Chelsea Yacht Club Boat Launching Slip Project No. 9110). A December 27, 1991 letter from Mr. Levenson notified the Town of Wappinger Planning Board that his review of the site plans found them in order. On January 27, 1992 the Board gave legal notice of a February 13, 1992 public hearing at the Town Hall for discussion of site plan approval. It also distributed copies of the plans to various Town agencies. On February 7, Graham Foster, Superintendent of Highways, responded with five proposed conditions, two of which were substantive. No. 1 was to remove the fence from Town property on the west side of Front Street. No. 3 was to reopen Bank Street to the river to allow public access to the beach which, according to Chelsea residents, was a public beach and launching ramp.
These conditions and also allegations made at the public hearing led to a complete resurvey of the Chelsea Yacht Club's property by licensed surveyor Peter Hustis. The resulting map was transmitted to the Planning Board with the comment that there is no substance to the Superintendent of Highway's condition no. 3. Finally the Club had title searches made by a title guarantee company to establish that the Club has clear title to all the properties indicated on the map. This was partly in response to a July 20, 1992 statement by Ellen Hanig, Waterfront Specialist/Planner, representing Scenic Hudson. She attempted to throw doubt on the ownership of filled land.
Commodore Chris Bunker wrote many letters to the Planning Board attempting to resolve all of the issues involved. One of these was a September 24, 1992 letter announcing that the Club had relocated the fence on the west side of Front Street to within its own property boundaries. On September 29, 1992 the Board circulated a draft resolution approving the Club's site plan to the various Town agencies for comment. The Club finally asked Town Supervisor Constance Smith for help, and approval was finally issued with some conditions.
One of these arose from the property survey. The survey shows that Broadway Avenue extends across the railroad and joins Front Street right by the entrance to the clubhouse grounds. The condition that was made was that the Dumpster located by the railroad fence be removed from Town property. It was relocated to the adjacent parking area to the north.
An unexpected result of the property survey was the discovery that the Town of Wappinger boat-launching ramp is partly on Club property.
|
