The Town of Goshen Town Board reviewed a request from the Orange County Soil & Water Conservation District to waive town permit fees for a Walk Hill flood mitigation project involving rock-ledge removal, but members tabled the fee-waiver motion and instead authorized the town attorney to ask the county for a project presentation.

Why it matters: The proposed ledge removal is intended as flood mitigation, but board members said the work could alter stream hydraulics and cause downstream bank retreat or other impacts; the board sought more complete plans before excusing town permitting fees.

The board considered a resolution to waive town permit fees for this specific project, conditioned on applicant-provided escrow to cover technical review and inspection costs, written confirmation that no blasting would occur (or compliance with applicable blasting permits if blasting is later proposed), submission of legal access/owner endorsement documents, and completion of required floodplain and grading permit submittals. The draft motion stated the waiver would be project-specific and nonprecedential.

Multiple board members voiced concern about blasting and downstream hydraulic effects. One member recalled post‑storm litigation risks from previous projects and asked whether the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or DEC had reviewed the proposal. Floodplain administrator Frank said the applicant submitted a pre-application plan and staff discussed likely town permits: a blasting permit (if needed), clearing/grading permits, and a floodplain development permit.

Board member Tom pressed for more detailed plans, noting the potential for bank retreat if ledges are removed; another member emphasized that mechanical methods were under consideration: “no blasting is what they're looking at right now,” Frank said, while noting that grading or floodplain permits may nonetheless trigger additional review or public hearings depending on thresholds.

After discussion the board did not adopt the fee-waiver resolution. Instead it voted to authorize the town attorney to prepare and send a letter to county officials requesting a presentation on the project and to provide the board with project drawings that had been supplied to town staff. Town attorney Laurie agreed to draft the letter; the board passed the authorizing motion on the record.

Next steps: The waiver request remains tabled pending receipt of clearer plans and a county presentation. The town attorney will draft the letter to the county and circulate the applicant materials that were submitted to the floodplain administrator.