The Crawford Town Board has unanimously approved a change its zoning code to allow the construction of affordable housing in the Hamlet of Pine Bush.

The change adds affordable housing as a special use of property in the Business Park-Hamlet district, provided the properties adjoin existing housing developments. Apartments are in short supply in Crawford and the new law is aimed at creating dwelling units for workforce renters, veterans, people with special needs and senior citizens who meet income levels determined by New York State or federal agencies.

In March, Supervisor Charles Carnes announced that the town was in discussions with Jonah Mendelbaum, president of Warwick Properties, Inc., which owns roughly 3,000 units of affordable housing in the Hudson Valley, to build 42 affordable units on a 2.2-acre lot off of Boniface Drive.

Mendelbaum had been trying for years to attract medical practices to the site without any luck and was receptive to building housing instead, Carnes said. That lot is one of a handful that would fit the requirements of the new special use permit.

Under the rules for the special use permit, a lot must be at least two acres and have access to municipal sewer and water services. Density is limited to 20 units per acre, and buildings cannot cover more than 40 percent of the lot. The apartments are limited to one or two bedrooms with the exception of a single three-bedroom unit reserved for a caretaker.

No one spoke at the public hearing scheduled before the vote at the board’s July 21 meeting. In 2020, the last time the town pushed to get apartments built, it involved creating a new mixed-use floating zone, and applying it to about 7.7 acres of surplus Pine Bush Water District property at the intersection of Route 302 and Blackhawk Road. Developer Moses Schwartz was going to build 54 one- and two-bedroom market rate apartments and 20,000 square feet of commercial space on the property. But public opposition was swift and overwhelming, with some people arguing that it would change the face of the town forever. In the end, town board members voted not to create the new zone, basing their decision on increased traffic at the Route 302-Blackhawk intersection — near two schools and the site of many auto accidents. However, vicious anti-Semitism on social media marked some of the opposition.

No one spoke either at a second public hearing on July 21 on a law to increase the maximum floor area of warehouses and distribution centers to 400,000 square feet. Under special use requirements, such buildings are now allowed in Business Park and Industrial zones, but are limited to 200,000 square feet. In describing the intent of the law, the board said it recognized the benefits of larger warehouses and conceded that the 200,000-square-foot limit discourages developers from building in the town. The board also reasoned that one 400,000-square-foot warehouse results in better land use than multiple smaller buildings.

Since the minimum lot size in the BP zone is 2.5 acres and 400,000-square-foot warehouses and their attendant loading areas, driveways, stormwater facilities, parking and landscaping are not likely to fit on such a lot, the board will leave it to the planning board’s discretion to determine if any individual application is suitable for a lot in question. The town board unanimously approved the law.

Senior Center Rentals Under Review

The use of the town’s Senior Center next to Town Hall on Route 302 has rebounded from the slow COVID-19 pandemic years, and with it an increase in damage to the building, town clerk Jessica Kempter told town board members. The building is one the few in town that can accommodate large crowds — up to 280 — and the demand has also increased because another large space at the Pine Bush firehouse has been under renovation and out of service.

Kempter attributed most of the damage to out-of-town groups rather than town residents. She also said that the increased use by out-of-town groups has caused some Crawford groups to look elsewhere for space or reschedule events because the Senior Center is rented on a first-come, first-served basis.

Any group renting the building must put down a security deposit which so far has covered any damage, Kempter said. But the work can put a strain on the maintenance crew that must get the job done before the next event takes place — sometimes the same day.

All renters put down a $350 deposit on top of the rental fees — $250 for a half-day event, $500 for a whole day for residents, and $400 and $800 for out-of-towners. The rental contract comes with an extensive list of instructions and requirements that users are expected to follow to maintain the facility. If they don’t, the maintenance crew must do it, along with repairing any actual damage to walls and carpets and picking up debris left in the building and parking lot.

The board and some members of the public who attended the meeting offered some solutions, including increasing the security deposit, keeping a credit card from the renter on file, and most dramatic, limiting rental of the hall to residents only. That could damage the bottom line. So far this year, Kempter has collected $22,419 in rent, up from $9,613 for the corresponding time period last year. And more of the money is coming from out-of-town groups, Kempter said. The board will study the situation and take the matter up at next month’s meeting.

Board Losing Patience With Property Owner

Carnes asked building inspector John Calaca for an update on the conditions surrounding a building at Main Street and Depot Street Extension. The town has been trying to get old vehicles, tires, and scrap metal cleaned up for years, Calaca said. A court case involving violations has been kicking around for three years, delayed by changing lawyers and venues, Calaca said. The building was last home to CarTech, a now defunct auto repair business. Before CarTech, the building was a Ford dealership.

According to the town assessor’s office, the property is owned by John Rozema, a/k/a John Thomas, and Jay Joseph Friedrich. The property is assessed at $156,900 and has a market value of $527,200.

Calaca said he has been dealing with Friedrich to get the lot cleaned up. Carnes proposed giving the owners 10 days to get the job done or otherwise condemning the building and directing the town to clean it up and bill the owners. The board went along with Carnes’ suggestion. Calaca said any action against the owners would first require a due process hearing.