At the start of its May 5 meeting, the Tama Brenda Planning Board announced that the town and the planning board successfully defeated two legal challenges to their grant of preliminary approval for the proposed Alderkill Conservation Subdivision.

Planning staff said the victories will allow the Alderkill Conservation Subdivision to proceed to final subdivision approval and said the approved plan seeks to preserve approximately 45 acres of open space. The board said these outcomes advance goals in the Rhinebeck town comprehensive plan and its zoning law by enabling conservation-oriented subdivision design rather than a conventional subdivision layout.

The planning board chair and other members thanked staff members John and Kim and board member Jim for their work defending the approvals. The board described the victory as “good news for conservation in the town of Rhinebeck” and indicated it expects the applicant to return to the board to schedule final subdivision approval steps.

No additional procedural votes were taken at the meeting on the Alderkill matter; staff said they would advise the applicant and schedule the final-subdivision application as appropriate.