Sterling Forge Estates

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Current Status

5/1/2004

• See May 2004 issue of the Sterling Forest Messanger and contact your legislators.

4/6/2004

• Snakes rattle developers' plans for golf course in park

1/5/2004

On Monday, January 5 the Sterling Forge Estates DSEIS is on the TuxedoTown Board meeting agenda to be accepted as complete and ready for public review. However, since the corporation's rattlesnake study and its evaluation by the NYSDEC has not been completed, the Board will probably postpone acceptance until this issue is resolved, presumably in the next few weeks. Until the Town accepts the DSEIS, the document cannot be released for public review and therefore no public hearing date will be set until later this month or in February. Once accepted there will be approximately 30 days to prepare comments for the public hearing. Copies of the DSIES will be made available in Tuxedo Town Hall, Tuxedo and Sloatsburg libraries and perhaps elsewhere. We will keep you updated as events unfold. Meantime we encourage anyone who has an interest in preserving the integrity of the SF State Park, begin to think about an issue they would like to review that directly affects environmental, economic and quality of life issues raised by this project. The fight to save this 570 acres of Sterling Forest may seem like a small battle in the larger scheme of things, but it is a classic example of how NY State law favors developers and town boards that want to support their project, against clear evidence that what they want to do is environmentally unsound. We are looking for a large turnout at the public hearing, when it happens, to protest this development and preserve the integrity of Sterling Forest State Park.

Mary A Yrizarry

Background

DEIS

• Public Comments on First DEIS Dec 2001

FEIS (from Sterling Forest Messenger Nov 2003)

In June 2003, the Sterling Forest Corporation submitted a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) to the Tuxedo Town Board. Upon reviewing the document, the Town’s consultants wished to clarify several issues of continuing concern related towater issues. The Timber Rattlesnake study required by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) drew particular attention.

As a result, in mid-August, the Town Board formally rejected the FEIS and requested a Supplemental EIS (SEIS) in its stead. This was an important step which will require the developer to publicize its plan and will expose the project to further public comment.

After following the Town’s instructions, the Sterling Forest Corporation submitted its revised document on October 1 calling it a Draft SEIS (DSEIS). It contains a few changes to its original FEIS, mostly dealing with water issues and historic preservation, plus a complete set of new maps. At its meeting on November 17 the Town Board requested an extension for accepting the DSEIS in order to review it with their consultants. The Board will not accept the DSEIS until it is satisfied that all of its concerns of last August have been adequately addressed.

As of this writing the DSEIS is scheduled for approval on December 15. However the Town Board also needs to hear from the NYSDEC regarding the Timber Rattlesnake studies. Once the Town has accepted the document it will be released for public review and a date for a public hearing will be set. This should be around January 15, 2004 but the exact date is still to be determined.

After the public hearing, the Corporation will be required to review and address the public comments which it will then submit to the Town Board and its consultants. Once the Board is satisfied that the document is complete, it can reject the project as unacceptable, or accept it as a Final EIS (FEIS). This may take the process well into 2004.

If the Board accepts the FEIS it will issue permits which will define parameters under which the project can proceed. The Corporation will then take a more detailed plan to the Tuxedo Planning Board. The Planning Board will continue the review process and the Corporation will obtain various permits from the NYSDEC and other State and County agencies.