The Woods At Newtown—

Design Issues Aired

For 178-Unit Condo Complex

By Andrew Gorosko

Five Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) members this week met with a developer’s nine representatives at a public hearing in seeking to iron out some technical problems that have arisen in a proposal to build 178 age-restricted condominium units in Hawleyville, known as The Woods at Newtown.

The commission addressed whether Bashert Developers, LLC’s, proposal for the complex conforms with the zoning regulations that govern the construction of such high-density, multifamily dwellings for people over age 55.

Bashert of New City, N.Y., in Rockland County, is seeking P&Z approval to build the project, consisting of 132 units of “congregate housing,” and 46 “independent-living” condos at a 50-acre site at 12-16 Pocono Road. The project would have driveway access from 166 Mt Pleasant Road (Route 6).

Following a March 16 public hearing on The Woods at Newtown, zoning officials had met to compile a list describing the project’s apparent nonconformance with some zoning regulations.

At an unusual afternoon session of the P&Z on April 11, five P&Z members sought to clarify the project’s compliance or noncompliance with the zoning regulations.

“We have all sorts of issues and concerns,” said P&Z Chairman William O’Neil.

When the P&Z initially formulated its congregate housing regulations, such housing was conceived to provide small dwellings for low-income people, Mr O’Neil said.

“We never visualized what you’re proposing here…These are quite large units,” he said. What is being called “congregate housing” could be understood to serve as more elaborate “independent living” units, he said. The proposed congregate housing units are about three times as large as what the P&Z had initially envisioned as congregate housing, he said.

But congregate housing units smaller than those being proposed would not be marketable, according to the developer. 

Attorney James White, representing the developer, told P&Z members that Bashert has made various modifications to its project in seeking to comply with applicable regulations.

P&Z member Robert Mulholland stressed that while Bashert proposes constructing the same number of condos as had been previously approved by the P&Z for a project at the site that failed to materialize, the units now proposed by Bashert are considerably larger.

Burton Dorfman of Bashert assured P&Z members that the plans for kitchens proposed for the congregate housing have been revised to meet applicable regulations.

Architect Conrad Roncati, representing Bashert, said that the proposed congregate housing buildings have been redesigned to decrease the structures’ height in order to meet the P&Z’s building height limits.

Mr Roncati said that a large garage that would hold covered parking for 272 vehicles would be illuminated and also ventilated to ensure that it has a fresh air supply. The structure also would contain a fire suppression system, he said.

Bashert proposes that the congregate housing be located in ten large apartment buildings surrounding a massive courtyard, beneath which there would be covered parking. The parking would be located at ground level with a roof atop that parking area functioning as the “courtyard” amid the ten buildings.

The 46 independent-living condos would be housed in eight separate buildings, with conventional attached garages. A clubhouse also would be constructed.

P&Z members discussed the fire safety aspects of The Woods at Newtown with the Bashert representatives. Mr Roncati said that all buildings on the site would be fully equipped with fire sprinklers.

The P&Z public hearing on The Woods at Newtown is scheduled to resume on April 20.