What’s missing in the village apartment plan?

February 3, 2025.

The Financier.

At the January 27 Planning Board meeting, the Town of New Paltz took a closer look at the Village's Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the New Paltz Apartments project. This is a big project that has consumed a huge amount of time and effort for both the Town and the Village. There’s also been a lot of consultants involved which is why What they found — or rather, what they didn’t find — was revealing.

Board members raised serious concerns:

• Ms. McPadden pointed out that the soil management plan lacked enforceable details. It referenced best practices, but gave no commitment that they'd be followed.

• Ms. Welles said that the Village’s justification for increased demand on police and emergency services — “future tax revenue might help” — was vague at best.

• Chair Adele Ruger questioned how affordable housing would work in a building charging by the bedroom. She also flagged inconsistencies in parking numbers: the Village claimed 491 spots in its findings, but the FEIS showed 422 with 226 “land banked.”

• Deputy Chair Nolan called the “no impact to schools” claim misleading, since the apartments include multi-family units. He also challenged the logic of reusing contaminated topsoil to build berms.

As a numbers person, I walked away with this thought: a plan full of vague promises and shifting figures isn’t a plan — it’s a risk.

The Village says tax revenue will make up for service strain, but offers no financial modeling. They promise affordable units but can’t say who qualifies or how this qualification will be enforced over time.They reduce parking but don’t say how emergency vehicles will maneuver during a snowstorm.

I’m not against housing. I’m against paperwork that shifts costs onto the public while pretending to solve problems.

If it’s really serving the residents rather than the developers, The Town Planning Board has to start demanding tangible, enforceable actions (with real consequences for violation) rather than enjoying the process of throwing around loose and vague promises that have no hope in being enforced.