In discussions of the proposed overlay district and the future of the Filare property, RUPCO has been mentioned as the kind of organization that could develop affordable housing there. This may leave residents with the impression that RUPCO’s participation – and the resulting affordable housing – can reasonably be expected.

But there is no public evidence that RUPCO has committed to the Filare project or even determined that development of the property would be feasible.

This matters because of a fundamental mismatch: the proposed overlay seeks to – in the near future – authorize significant development along Route 209 relatively soon, while the affordable housing being invoked to help justify it might not be available for five or more years – and might never be undertaken by an organization like RUPCO.

RUPCO’s Red Hook Gateway project offers a useful comparison. It is strikingly similar to Marbletown’s plan for Filare: In Red Hook 97 acres are being preserved there while 12 acres are designated for affordable housing and commercial space, including rental apartments and houses for first-time buyers.

Red Hook and RUPCO were discussing the project’s feasibility by August 2023. RUPCO received a $3.465 million state infrastructure award in 2024, and the Town formally approved selling the development parcel to RUPCO in June 2025. As of September 2026, the project remains “in development,” and no homes are yet available.

Filare is likely to take even longer. The Red Hook development site is near existing village water and sewer lines. At Filare, arrangements for water, wastewater, road access and other infrastructure remain much less settled. These are not minor construction details. They could determine whether an affordable-housing project is financially feasible at all.

Before adopting zoning changes that would permit substantial new development throughout the overlay district, the Town should explain what connection – if any – exists between the eventual production of affordable housing at Filare and the broader zoning changes that are likely to result is housing purchased perhaps by non-residents as vacation properties.

I and others call for a realistic Filare development schedule that identifies the necessary infrastructure, funding and approvals needed... and who is responsible at each step. Residents deserve to know which parts of this plan are reasonably assured and which remain aspirational.

Affordable housing is undoubtedly an important goal. If RUPCO or another affordable-housing organization undertook the Filare project, affordability could be built into that development. The proposed overlay district offers no comparable assurance. The Town should not use the possibility of affordable housing at Filare to justify broad rezoning before it has established whether, how or when that housing can actually be built.

Wendy Saul

Stone Ridge