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Neighbors raise wetlands, permitting concerns over logging at 442 Crescent Avenue
Summary
Residents told the planning board a private logging operation cleared large sections of a roughly 14‑acre old‑growth parcel on Crescent Avenue, said DEC permits were unclear, and asked the planning board to advise next steps; the board recommended reading the town code, seeking DEC mapping or a biologist report, and taking the matter back to the town board.
Neighbors told the Plattekill Planning Board that a logging operation on a roughly 14‑acre parcel at 442 Crescent Avenue removed a sizable portion of old-growth forest and may have impacted wetlands adjacent to an environmental conservation zone.
Michael Hollick (speaker 9) said the landowner, Vince Yoda, hired Craig Benjamin Logging to clear much of the trees on the property and that residents discovered the operation had not initially secured proper permits. Hollick said the town and the DEC issued a stop-work order but that a June 26 town-board letter later said the logging had permit approval and could resume July 1; he added that neighbors remain concerned about potential, irreversible wetland damage. "They took a sizable chunk of the forest... it's about 14 acres of old growth woods," Hollick said.
Board members advised neighbors to consult the town code and DEC mapping and recommended obtaining a biological survey if DEC has not recently inspected the site. Planning staff offered to help neighbors locate relevant ordinance language and to brief the town board; residents reported a neighbor had been fined $7,500 for working without permits in a related instance.
