Warwick Meadows Residents Express Concerns at Hearing

By Elise Fisch

The Village of Warwick Planning Board held its regular meeting on Tue., Mar. 9. in the Warwick Town Senior Center, located behind the Town Hall building where meetings normally are held. The Senior Center is capable of accommodating a total of 33 people inside while adhering to social distancing.

A public hearing was held regarding the site plan approval for Warwick Commons Stage 5 development. Prior to opening the hearing to comment, Andrew Featherston, the engineer representing the project, provided a brief, but thorough presentation about the Warwick Commons development in its current iteration.

Traffic, Drainage Concerns

Nancy Bowden, as a resident of the Warwick Meadows townhome community for nearly 27 years, expressed her primary concern regarding the safety and conditions of the roadways through the community, which will likely become a common route for much of the traffic to and from Warwick Commons once residents have moved in. Bowden fears that the increased traffic will not only become a safety issue for pedestrians, but may also require more maintenance on the roadways, which residents will pay for through Homeowner Association (HOA) fees.

Bowden said she would like to see that efforts will be taken to reduce traffic on Sheffield Dr., such as keeping the entrance gate to Warwick Commons closed to thru-traffic. Ultimately, the decision to leave the gate open or closed will be that of the Village Board, and not the Planning Board.

Lenore Franzese, President of the Warwick Masters HOA Board of Directors, also shared concerns of maintaining safe conditions within the community. Franzese explained that on Sept. 14 of 2020, she was contacted about the dam in Warwick Meadows, and told that the dam would need to either be decommissioned or restructured in order to accommodate construction in the Warwick Commons development. Since this conversation, Franzese has been informed that the dam will no longer need to be changed in order for construction to proceed; however, she is still left with the question of whether or not water and drainage from Warwick Commons will be directed through the dam. Franzese worries that Warwick Meadows residents will be on the receiving end of drainage issues and pipe breaks due to runoff and draining from Warwick Commons.

Site Plan Extensions:

Village View, Warwick Commons

The Planning Board approved an extension for a subdivision site plan for Village View Estates, followed by the approval of another extension for the site plan of Warwick Commons, putting both pending projects on the agenda for the Board’s meeting on Wed. June 9.

Reapplication Request: 16 Elm St.

The Board reviewed a request for a site plan extension regarding 16 Elm St., the proposed future location of Yesterdays’ restaurant, currently located at 29 Main St. in Warwick. Since the site plan for this project had expired on May 24, 2020, the applicant’s attorney, John Cappello, asked that the Board review the request as a reapplication rather than an extension. The site plan was not renewed in 2020 due to ongoing litigation involving the property. After approving the site plan reapplication, the Board reaffirmed their status as lead agency for 16 Elm St.

Lead Agency: 15 Elm St.

The Board also confirmed their status as lead agency for the proposed zone change of 15 Elm St., formerly known as the Warwick Feed & Grain, soon to be the location of Irace Architecture (currently located at 60 Main St. in Warwick). The Board is in favor of the zone change because it would allow for general business and residential uses, making the property more valuable for future resale.

Next Meeting

The next meeting of the Village of Warwick Planning Board will be held on Tues., Apr. 13 at 7:30 p.m.