New Milford voices housing project support

BY STACI WILSON

New Milford borough council members expressed concern over public perception that council was putting up roadblocks to the proposed senior housing project on Church St.

Council member Teri Gulick said she has seen emails that insinuated council is not behind the project. “That couldn’t be farther from the truth,” Gulick said.

Council president Jim Carr said, “I want to stress to the public that council is doing everything possible to have the project proceed.”

Susquehanna County Redevelopment and Housing Authority executive director Karen Allen attended the February council meeting to ask for a zoning variance and change on the property. Currently the property, once the site of the Southern Tier Plastics facility, is zoned industrial. However, changing the zoning to residential is needed for the project.

That change would have helped the project’s chance at funding but the application deadline was March 1.

Council told Allen in February the zoning board would not be able to meet prior to the deadline but did send a letter of support to the agency.

Although New Milford was not able to meet the tight timeline, borough boards are still moving to make changes necessary for the project to proceed.

The zoning board will hold a public hearing on Thursday, March 10 to consider the zoning change.

Council is also moving forward to make a map change, from industrial to residential, on the Church St. parcel. Council will hold a hearing during the April 7 meeting on the map change request.

Zoning board member Gerald Bevan tendered his resignation from the board, effective Feb. 7.

Council accepted his resignation, with regret.

Gulick said Bevan “did a good job” and really knew the borough’s zoning ordinance. She also said he was instrumental in helping with the bank restoration, watershed project.

Council plans to send Bevan a letter thanking him for his years of service on the board.

Rick Ainey, a former New Milford council member, was appointed to fill Bevan’s seat on the zoning board. Ainey, who was present at the meeting, accepted.

Council received preliminary census figures which showed a decrease in the town’s population.

Current numbers reflect a population of 830, down over 980 in the 2000 census.

The decrease surprised Gulick who said she thought that with the younger families moving back into the area the population would not have dropped off as much.

Carr said the numbers were “interesting” and asked to do a comparison of the current and past census results at the April meeting.