Developer outlines 72‑unit James Riverview cluster plan with 76‑acre conservation easement; town will return July 1

At the June 11 meeting the board heard a detailed concept presentation for the James Riverview cluster subdivision, a proposed 72‑unit (36 duplex structures) for‑sale development on a 91‑acre property along Lehigh Station Road.

Peter Bars of BME Associates said the plan pushes development to the west portion of the parcel, preserves more than 76 acres under a permanent conservation easement to protect wetlands and Red Creek, and relies on existing water and sewer infrastructure near Wiregrass and Lehigh Station Road. "We're proposing to place an open space or conservation easement over 76 acres," Bars told the board.

Bars and staff discussed constraints: upland developable areas, a DEC and federal wetland that comprises much of the parcel, and a sanitary sewer that cannot cross beneath Red Creek at the location proposed, which limits east‑side development. The applicant said the proposed units would range about 1,680–1,820 sq ft, with an estimated starting price in the mid‑$300,000s.

Board members and the public asked about wetland encroachment, mitigation and traffic. The presenter and staff noted New York State finalized general wetland permits for certain residential housing activities on June 10, 2026; the permits can allow a limited amount of buffer disturbance subject to mitigation (the presenter described a program cap and a 2:1 mitigation approach), and the applicant said they will run required calculations under the new DEC rules and return with more details. The board kept the public hearing open and expected the applicant to return on July 1 with additional materials and to appear before the planning board in the interim.

No decisions were made June 11; the board emphasized that further engineering, SEQR coordination and planning‑board review remain before any approval can proceed.