GARDINER -- Gardiner residents delivered a petition Tuesday with more than
1,100 signatures that calls for a temporary moratorium on development in the
Ulster County town.
It is unclear what, if any, effect a moratorium would have on a
controversial plan to build homes at the base of the Shawangunk Ridge.
The Awosting Reserve is a 2,660-acre piece of land mostly in the Town of
Gardiner. Owner John Atwater Bradley wants to subdivide the parcel into more
than 300 lots for a private ''Adirondack-style'' community complete with
village center and golf course.
The Shawangunk Ridge Coalition, which collected the signatures, is urging
the town board to adopt a temporary moratorium on subdivision approvals of
more than two lots. The petition calls for a moratorium until all zoning
laws to support a revised master plan are adopted.
''I care about all of Gardiner. The truth is that I live here. I want to see
farms here. I want to see the (Wallkill) River. The river is beautiful. It
runs right through town,'' said Amy Little, coordinator of the coalition.
''I want to see us grow in a smart way.''
Gardiner's population rose 22 percent between 1990 and 2000, to 5,238
people, according to the U.S. Census.
Little, who has lived in town four years, acknowledged many of the
petitioners are relative newcomers. She said they too are residents and
voters, so length of residency shouldn't matter.
The town began revising its master plan last fall, and it's unclear how long
the revision and any zoning law changes to implement it may take to
complete, Supervisor Jack Hayes said.
He thinks there are legal problems with the way the moratorium is written.
''It must be for a specific amount of time,'' he said, detailing a number of
months, rather than putting a hold on building until new master plan zoning
is adopted.
The Awosting Reserve plan, which was proposed in December, will require at
least 26 approvals from all levels of government. It's unclear how long that
could take.
Representatives for the developer did not return a call Tuesday.
