Public hearing on Woodbury open-space plan draws committee praise, questions on maps and wetlands

The Village of Woodbury Board on Feb. 13 held a public hearing to receive comment on proposed updates to the village Open Space and Natural Resource Protection Plan, an addendum to the comprehensive plan. Committee members and residents praised the months-long effort to update the plan, asked the board to adopt a clean final document and urged the village to use the plan to pursue grants and conservation actions.

Why it matters: the plan sets local priorities for preserving open space, protecting natural resources and seeking funding. Speakers said adoption would help the village apply for grants and preserve community character as development pressures continue along Route 32 and surrounding areas.

What speakers said and asked

Neil Krauss, Highland Mills, who co-chaired the Land Preservation and Open Space Committee, said the update grew out of a 2007 draft in the village comprehensive plan and that committee members — including representatives from the planning and zoning boards and members of the public — worked to modernize the language and refine the recommendations. "There isn't a member of the committee who did not have some input into the development of this and making it refined," Krauss said.

Robin Krauss, who the committee identified as doing a majority of the drafting and formatting work, and committee member Lisa Hintz, who also serves with the village Climate Smart Community Task Force, described outreach and technical input. Hintz advised the board that certain state wetland regulation changes she expects will not be in effect until 2028 and therefore asked the board to move the document out of draft status and continue updating it as state and county plans evolve.

Board questions focused on file formatting, missing appendices and maps. One trustee asked specifically why Peckerman's Pond (also referenced in the packet as Peckman) did not appear in the map or water-body listing; staff and committee presenters said the maps had formatting issues in the packet and that the appendices would be supplied in a clean copy for board review.

Process and next steps

The hearing was closed at the meeting; board members indicated they will schedule another public hearing, likely at the next meeting, to allow delivery of corrected maps and appendices and to allow the board and public to review a clean version. Committee members said they intend the plan to remain a living document that will be updated as county and state open-space planning and wetland rules change.

Cromwell Lake and public comment

During the public-comment portion of the agenda several residents and environmental committee members urged action on Cromwell Lake, which speakers said has high E. coli readings, invasive water chestnuts and summer algal blooms. One commenter, speaking at length on the lake, said the village owns the land under Cromwell Lake and urged the village to treat it as a water-quality and emergency backup source and to act before the lake becomes anoxic and loses its ecological function. Committee members, climate-action volunteers and residents said they will pursue grant opportunities and volunteer efforts in coordination with the village to support cleanup work.

Ending: Board members thanked the committee for its multi-year effort and asked staff to deliver a clean, paginated copy with appendices and corrected maps ahead of the next scheduled hearing so the public and trustees can review the final edits.