ELLENVILLE – Like any good sequel, the second part of the public hearing regarding Walmart's proposed Napanoch store offered plenty of drama and conflict — mostly, it seemed, among the Wawarsing residents who filled Ellenville's Government Center. Though the turnout was not as overwhelming as November's public hearing session, the 99-person capacity courtroom was still plenty crowded and low on empty chairs.

During the Wawarsing Planning Board meeting held on the evening of Tuesday, December 23, residents from every corner of the town voiced their opinions, many formally and emphatically requesting that the planning board require a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) from Walmart and Bohler Engineering — a process which could conceivably slow Walmart's groundbreaking in Napanoch. Other residents rose to the podium to attack those who'd requested the DEIS, becoming animated and calling loudly for the jobs they hoped the retailer would provide. Yet other residents expressed a more centrist view, voicing their support for the store and its proposed community-benefits, but asking for caution and revision in its design and architecture.  >  MORE...

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