Town of Wallkill Master Plan Committee Proposes Warehouse Code Changes

Town government center in the Town of Wallkilll, N.Y., on Dec. 27, 2022. Cara Ding/The Epoch Times

After months of work, nine members of the Wallkill Master Plan Review Committee came up with a suggested list of warehouse zoning changes at their first August meeting.

The main point is to limit large-scale warehouses close to major intersections while still allowing small distribution centers to develop in a broader area in the town.

“What the committee felt strongly about was trying to limit the truck traffic through the town and the effect it had on the quality of life of our residents,” Master Plan Review Committee Chairman and Town of Wallkill Councilman Eric Johnson told The Epoch Times.

Specifically, warehouses can be built around three intersections in town: a section along Route 17K between Route 17M and Stone Schoolhouse Road, along Route 302 between Route 17M and 17, and along a new road parallel to Crystal Run Road between Route 17 and Goshen Turnpike.

Other warehouse ideas include raising the permitted height to allow for smaller footprints and increasing the setbacks from adjacent residential areas and parking lots.

As for smaller distribution centers, Mr. Johnson said they used smaller vehicles on more frequent trips. Hence, they had a different type of use and effect on the community compared to warehouses.

“We are trying to have something in the code that will allow distribution centers to be not just in those three intersections but also other zoning districts as well,” Mr. Johnson said.

The definitions of such centers are yet to be hashed out, including facility square footage, types of items being stored, types of vehicles used for deliveries, and number of daily deliveries.

A 1.3 million-square-foot Medline warehouse in the Town of Montgomery, N.Y., on May 17, 2023. Cara Ding/The Epoch Times

Other Suggestions and Feedback

Aside from warehouse code changes, the master plan committee also proposes to put a sunset clause on all approved projects, remove overlay zoning districts, and create a coordinator position to oversee the planning, zoning, and building departments to streamline economic development in the town.

“These are recommendations we’ve developed so far, and we would like to know what everyone thinks,” Mr. Johnson said. “This is a process that involves the whole community and the town, so the more people that are involved, the better the representation will be.”

He presented the committee suggestions to the town board during the last work session on Aug. 9. Public members are welcome to voice their opinions during master plan committee meetings on the first and third Mondays at the town hall.

Supervisor George Serrano told The Epoch Times that the committee had done a good job, and he looked forward to a full warehouse code proposal soon, hopefully before the expiration of the second town moratorium on warehouses in November.

A picture commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Town of Wallkill on the wall of the town hall in Middletown, N.Y., on Jan 11, 2023. Cara Ding/The Epoch Times

Deputy Supervisor and Councilman Mark Coyne agreed.

“Once we come to an agreement on the changes, developers can then use those guidelines to get going with warehousing in certain locations in town,” Mr. Coyne said. “We don’t want a moratorium to go on indefinitely by any stretch and stifle the business growth in town.”

Councilman Neil Meyer told The Epoch Times that he commended all the volunteers on the master plan committee for putting in their time to develop a master plan for the community.

The members not only attend bi-weekly meetings but also visit sites frequently.

“This is amazing, given the fact that people don’t volunteer as much as they used to,” Mr. Meyer said, adding that the town board was discussing compensating the committee members.

Master Plan Vision

Formed in July 2021 under former Supervisor Frank DenDanto, the master plan committee is tasked with forming a new comprehensive plan to guide the town’s developments in the future.

The last master plan and associated zoning changes were adopted in 2005.

Mr. Johnson, who became committee chairman after Mr. Serrano was elected supervisor, said the committee’s vision was to grow the tax base while preserving the quality of life for residents.

“This is to say, how can we keep what we have, or make what we have better, and still allow for the future?” Mr. Johnson said. “That is kind of the balancing act we are doing.”

Children attend the Town of Wallkill Touch A Truck event in Circleville, N.Y., on May 20, 2023. Cara Ding/The Epoch Times

Unlike the previous master plan review, which hired a Saratoga Springs-based planning firm, this committee operates independently under Mr. Johnson, who was trained as a hydrologist and worked at the environmental engineering firm Malcolm Pirnie for seven years.

“The problem with an outside firm is that you don’t have local people that understand the community and what Wallkill is; it is more of a business venture without the personal connection,” he said, adding that going without one also saves the town money.

A town resident for over 45 years, Mr. Johnson was the chairman of the zoning board of appeals and now works as a local science teacher.

The last master plan review took over three years to complete; he said this one would be a multi-year process.

The nine committee members hail from all four town wards and include the following: Mr. Johnson; Jerry’s Collision Center secretary and Walker Lake Landowners Association director Carol Gillen; owner and operator of Loiodice Excavating James Loiodice; 373 Plumbers and Steamfitters Union foreman Chris Michaels; cybersecurity engineer and retired Army Reserve officer Saleem Newsome; owner of Quickway Diner Teek Persaud; NYC iron worker and volunteer firefighter Richard Reeves; community relations professional and Middletown District school board member Denise Romero; and school resource officer and retired New York City police officer Steven Vinella.