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Residents warn against Granite Point development; Somers applies for $5M WQIP land-acquisition grant
Summary
Speakers urged the board to halt approvals for the proposed 23-lot Granite Point development, citing contamination history and watershed risks. The town said it applied for a $5 million WQIP grant (25% match up to $1.25M) to explore land acquisition, but noted filing the grant doesn't stop ongoing planning-board review or developer rights.
Several residents expressed strong opposition to the proposed 23-lot Granite Point development on a peninsula in the Amawalk/Ambeauk Reservoir watershed, citing long-term contamination and slope-stability concerns.
Fred Hagan, a longtime Somers resident, argued that deep excavation for luxury basements and site clearing would risk remobilizing historical contaminants from a former target shooting range and harm the reservoir that supplies downstream drinking water. "This project proposes an unacceptable long-term threat to the Croton Watershed System," Hagan said, calling for denial of further extensions and for the town to declare the applications expired after repeated extensions.
In response, the supervisor said the town has submitted an application to the New York State Water Quality Improvement Program (WQIP) seeking $5,000,000 for land acquisition of Granite Point, with a 25% local match requirement (up to $1,250,000). He emphasized there is no guarantee the grant will be awarded and that filing does not pause the planning-board process or the developer's rights; the developer has also provided a support letter for the town to apply. Board members said any acquisition or remediation would require coordination with state agencies, potential DEP and DEC involvement, legal review, and a funding plan if the grant were awarded.
