Goshen board reaffirms Amy's Kitchen findings and grants conditional reapproval amid public objections
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Summary
After a lengthy public hearing and debate over whether to require updated studies, the Goshen Planning Board voted to reaffirm prior findings and adopt a conditional reapproval for the Amy's Kitchen site so the applicant can market the site to prospective buyers; opponents argued this amounts to an end-run around the town's code and urged a fresh review.
The Goshen Planning Board opened public comment and debated at length whether to reauthorize long‑expired approvals for the Amy's Kitchen site. Attorney John Capela told the board the company is marketing the property and sought renewal of prior major‑site approvals so prospective purchasers would see the approvals remain in force. Counsel said the application materials are unchanged from the earlier approval and framed the request as a reauthorization rather than a substantive change.
Several board members and residents pushed back. Board member Jeremy and resident Chris Haley argued the town code does not provide for simple extensions and asked whether reapproval would create precedent and remove community protections. As Jeremy put it during the hearing, "We're being asked for a concession in our process without consideration," and he urged careful analysis before granting any reauthorization. Multiple residents said Amy's has already abandoned the project and that marketing the site as "shovel ready" would be misleading.
Amy's counsel and other supporters noted the owner has invested significant infrastructure and that reauthorization would preserve a baseline of strict conditions for any successor applicant. Counsel said the redevelopment would remain bound to the prior findings and that any purchaser proposing a materially different use would have to return to the planning board for new review and additional studies.
Following public comment and board discussion, the board voted to close the public hearing, reaffirm the prior SEQRA findings, and adopt a resolution granting conditional approval with additional language clarifying that any successor applicant proposing changes must return to the board for review. The resolution was described as preserving the prior "high watermark" of mitigation measures while requiring successor applicants to demonstrate compliance or file new studies when their proposed operations differ materially from the approved project.
