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Putnam Valley board presses changes for two Rodriguez home proposals, schedules public hearing
Summary
Planning board members asked for additional concept plans, updated tree and wetland reviews, and stronger boundary demarcation for two Rodriguez single-family proposals; a public hearing on Lot 5 was set for Sept. 15.
The Putnam Valley Planning Board on Aug. 25 reviewed two Rodriguez single-family home proposals in the town’s conservation (CD) zoning district and urged the applicants to provide clearer site alternatives and stronger protections for nearby conservation areas.
Eric Slobham of Inside Engineering, representing the Rodriguez applicants, said the team moved the proposed house 5 feet away from the conservation restriction and the 50-foot intermittent watercourse buffer and added a post-and-rail fence to delineate the restricted area. "We moved it 5 feet away," Slobham said, adding the plan includes building-mounted entry lighting, a tree-removal plan and notations that rock chipping or blasting permits may be required.
Board members pressed for more demonstration that the chosen house location was the least-impact option. One member suggested presenting alternate concept plans to show why other locations would cause greater driveway slopes or additional septic impacts. "The fence is good," Chairman Phillips said, but multiple members recommended a more permanent demarcation, such as boulders or a low stone wall, to prevent future encroachment into the conservation area.
The board also asked the applicants to provide a baseline record of the conservation easement boundary (photographs and maps), an updated tree survey and, where needed, a blasting plan. For the second Rodriguez parcel (Lot 5, about 6.6 acres), the board flagged potential habitat for Indiana bats and timber rattlesnakes and asked for an updated Natural Heritage review.
After the discussion, the board voted to schedule a public hearing on Lot 5 for Sept. 15 and encouraged the applicants to meet with consultants at a Wednesday session to resolve outstanding engineering, septic and conservation-easement items before the hearing.
The board emphasized that Putnam County Department of Health approval for the septic system, DEC jurisdictional correspondence for wetlands, and completed tree and blasting documentation would be required to advance the applications.
