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Poughkeepsie neighbors urge board to cap new South Hamilton project at three units over parking
Summary
At a Poughkeepsie City Planning Board public hearing, neighbors pressed the board and applicant to reduce a proposed four-unit building at Franklin and South Hamilton streets to three units because of chronic parking and congestion; the board adjourned the application to June 10 and signaled support for a three-unit resolution.
At a meeting of the Poughkeepsie City Planning Board, neighbors urged the board and the applicant to reduce a proposed four-unit building at the corner of Franklin and South Hamilton streets to three units, citing chronic parking shortages and narrow streets.
The requested reduction followed concerns that an approved 58-unit townhouse/condo project across South Hamilton Street would add traffic and push more cars onto the already congested block. A resident who lives at 100 South Hamilton Street said Franklin Street is now “bumper to bumper parking on both sides” and warned, “There is no place for a fifth car unless you're gonna put it on the roof.”
Neighbors and longtime residents told the board the block is narrow, has little green space and has seen a shift from single-family homes to absentee-owned rental properties. Roger Christenfeld, who identified himself as a resident and a former zoning board member, said he has watched neighborhood deterioration over decades and urged the board to steer development carefully.
Board members put the applicant on notice that reducing the project from four units to three would allow all required parking to be provided on-site and avoid requests for off-street parking variances tied to setbacks and lot coverage. A board member said the board expects to have “a resolution ready for you next month based on 3 units, no additional height.” The applicant indicated willingness to consider the change and to confer with staff about which variances would still be required.
The board made a formal motion to close the public hearing and adjourn the application to the June 10 meeting; the motion passed on a voice vote. The board also directed staff and the applicant to work toward a three-unit configuration and to return with updated materials at the continued hearing.
Clarifying details discussed at the hearing included the nearby, previously approved 58-unit development across South Hamilton Street; the applicant’s assertion that roughly seven variances had been requested for the proposal; and that the project as proposed would use a single driveway on South Hamilton Street for ingress and egress.
Next steps: the applicant is expected to consult with planning staff, the board will prepare a resolution reflecting the three-unit approach, and the application will be considered again at the June 10 meeting.
