Planning Board refers church’s daycare plan to Orange County and waives its own public hearing

The Town of Newburgh Planning Board on May 7 agreed to refer an amended site-plan application from Christian Friends Welcome Assembly Church, which proposes weekday daycare operations at its D'Alfonso Road location, to the Orange County Planning Department and determined it would waive a separate Planning Board Public Hearing.

Scott Sicina of Lanc & Tully told the board the church intends to provide weekday daycare services Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. within the existing roughly 19,000-square-foot building and that the existing parking exceeds code requirements (site has 240 spaces, code requires 235). The Zoning Board of Appeals previously interpreted that a nursery school and a daycare are the same use and that no variances were required.

Town engineer Pat Hines advised the board that because the site is within 500 feet of Route 17K the project must be referred to the Orange County Planning Department under the applicable referral law; County Planning then has 30 days to issue findings. Planning Board attorney Dominic Cordisco confirmed that once a referral is made the Planning Board cannot act until the county review period lapses. Board members agreed the county review would likely conclude in time for a June consideration and unanimously waived an additional Planning Board public hearing given the prior ZBA hearing and the applicant’s representations.

The Board voted to refer the matter to Orange County Planning and noted that, unless the county raises significant concerns, it could take final action at a subsequent meeting in June. The Board recorded unanimous affirmative votes on the referral.