The August 4 Marbletown board meeting formally designated the Pacama Vly forests and wetlands as a Critical Environmental Area (CEA). A July 21 public hearing described Pacama Vly’s biodiversity, as well as prominent threats such as insect damage, pollution and irresponsible recreation. “CEA designation can encourage more proactive planning and design to conserve critical resources, avoid hazards, and keep track of ‘big picture’ issues like habitat connectivity”, per a Hudson River Estuary Program document.

Pacama Vly’s approximately 340-acre waterways and trees extend into Marbletown, Olive, and Rochester. This biome is home to multiple species of turtles, trout, woodpeckers and the only known black spruce trees in the Catskill region. The Vly Brook passes through and joins the Rochester Creek just downstream of what will become the CEA.

Board member Lisa Giannico praised “a nice multi-town effort,” as Olive has already declared their stretch a CEA and Rochester is expected to follow.

“An extra layer of protection is responsible, and the right thing to do,” Giannico said. She thanked ornithologist Ariane Giudicelli, in attendance, for her contributions to this preservation effort.

Resolution 87-Public Safety Radio Facility

Concerns were voiced about the pending “public safety radio facility” at Rondout Municipal Center.

Tower visibility issues and construction safety concerns arose via public comments, especially because a service road leading to the proposed site is close to a playground.

This structure, intended for emergency and cell phone service improvements, is planned for a wooded area 100 yards from the apex of a hill. This position was chosen to keep the structure unobservable from the Village of Rosendale, confirmed by a recent balloon test. The tower is expected to earn approximately $30,000 revenue, added to a 4% interest savings account for municipal use.

“Once the cell tower is built, traffic is non-existent,” Supervisor Rich Parete said. He added that the playground can close briefly, and the construction tasks to bury wires should take “a day or two.” Movable speed bumps, and signs that indicate ‘children at play’, are already present.

Other Business

The board will be leasing a Kyocera copier/printer from Advanced Office Technologies (AOT). This machinery, with $226 monthly lease payments, will replace old devices. “They’ve been excellent to deal with,” Parete said of AOT.

Pickleball courts have re-opened. Reservations can be made at parks@marbletown.gov. Also, the solar projects at High Falls Water District and Rondout Municipal Center are out to bid.

Van Wagenen Farms has requested a “cannabis letter” from the town board, an imperative step for outdoor cannabis growers to receive permits for indoor growing operations.

New York City and Kimley Horn are continuing studies of aqueduct leaks and well levels for the Catskill Aqueduct tunnel, which is estimated that the subterranean pipe to leak between 3 and 10 million gallons daily, affecting around 600 properties.

Marbletown Community Center (MCC) was mentioned briefly. Max Stratton said that Scott Davis of Peak Engineering and Chris Ruel of North River Architecture are communicating to “keep the wheels turning” on the repairs. “They're making good progress on the wall section,” Stratton reported.

Marbletown Meadows

“We’re really close,” Parete said, regarding the planned ADA-complaint pathway planned for Marbletown Meadows. The archaeological study has been completed for the project and no issues were reported.

Compliance requires wide pathways for wheelchairs and adaptive mobility equipment, and parking spaces to accommodate wheelchair lifts.

Overlay Districts

Affordable housing was under discussion. Two overlay districts in High Falls and Stone Ridge are proposed, potentially adding more affordable housing options for seniors and working families.

Resident Gary Tinterow used public comment to express overlay district concerns. “I certainly support our full planning and the creation of more affordable housing anywhere. But as far as I can tell, this proposal does not show it achieves that goal.”

The idea of a “missing middle” class of homes in Marbletown has been discussed in planning board and town board meetings alike. The term ‘missing middle’ is credited to Daniel Parolek, an Opticos consultant and urbanist, who used it in 2010 to describe a general shortage affordable, multi-unit dwellings in walkable neighborhoods. Tinterow referenced this history as he spoke.

“Parolek’s missing middle model was designed for large areas like Minneapolis and Portland. Smaller, newly built homes are not automatically more affordable. In fact, they’re almost always more expensive than existing housing.” On water concerns, he added, “The Main Street Historic District depends entirely on private wells. There is no public water system before expanding development in the district.”

Board member Daisy Foote indicated that affordable housing opportunities are “exactly what the town plan always suggested.”

Board member Max Stratton described overlay district plans at the July 26 planning board meeting, exploring these concepts further via email. “By allowing diverse, smaller-scale housing types like cottage courts, pocket neighborhoods, and multiplexes, the town aims to naturally create affordable housing options for young families, single-person households, and senior citizens while maintaining the area's historic, rural character,” Stratton explained. “Additionally, the law updates off-street parking regulations to reduce construction costs and minimize environmental impacts like excessive impervious surfacing.” Stratton said that any new construction would “blend seamlessly with Marbletown’s existing historic neighborhoods.”

“Good planning for rural communities is based on local conditions, not models imported from large cities,” Tinterow summarized via email. “This proposal should not be adopted by the Town Board. These changes might encourage new market-rate residential construction, but they certainly will change the character of our Historic District and deliver more people using the aquifer and more traffic on Route 209. Are these our priorities?”

Supervisor Parete indicated a very busy agenda at the next meeting on August 18th.