CRAWFORD – The southern end of Stone Schoolhouse Road was all farmland until recently. Then a row of gracious homes was built on the eastern side of the road with fabulous views across to the Shawangunk Ridgeline.

But you know the most important notion in real estate, right? Location, location, location.

And it just so happens that the southern end of Stone Schoolhouse Road is just a hop and a skip away from Route 17, and not too far from US 84, as well as Stewart Airport. So when that area was zoned for business purposes, the developer Black Creek saw an excellent opportunity.

"We believe that this area, where Orange, Ulster and Sullivan Counties meet, is going to be the next region to develop," says Mark Baez, the Director of Commercial Development for Black Creek. "The lower Hudson Valley is fully developed now, so development will naturally move in this direction."

That led to Black Creek purchasing the farmland on the western side of the southern end of Stone Schoolhouse Road. They are currently building their first project there, a 26,000 square foot warehouse with an approach road and loading dock. However, none of that is visible from the road. Black Creek are followers of a philosophy that some might call "Enlightened Development."

"We're here to make money, that's obvious," says Baez. "But we have to be good partners with the town. We have to show people that we can be good neighbors. For example, we have gone out of our way to do all the environmental work that any developer would have to do for the site, but far in advance. We anticipate environmental demands and we do it, not because we have to, but because it's the right thing to do."

Ultimately, Black Creek intends to create a 138-acre, mixed-use Commerce Park on the site.

"It will not be an industrial park," says Baez. "There might be some light assembly, but that is all."

Light assembly?

"Say someone does aluminum ductwork, which means they fold and cut metal on-site, but they have no industrial use of water, nor do they create pollution. They bring in just the material they need for their business, and take it away to install it."

The plan envisions a group of small to medium sized warehouses, all built with as low and unobtrusive a profile as possible.

"We see a balanced mix of variable-sized warehouses and commercial buildings. At the lower end around 25,000 square feet, at the upper end, no more than 100,000 square feet, which is the limit in the Town of Crawford."

Baez explains more of the Black Creek philosophy of development. "Our company is centered here. We revived the old airport at Wurtsboro. We've worked to create partnerships with local communities. We have a broad base of experience, and we can pull from that knowledge to make things work."

To that end, Black Creek will be negotiating what can be included in the scoping document with the Town of Crawford Planning Board, beginning at the Board Meeting on February 11.

"Public comment will be vital to the final scoping document," says Baez.

The two critical aspects of any development like this are the ratable value created by commercial buildings and the jobs created by businesses in those buildings.

"At full build-out," says Baez, "there would be anywhere from 300 to 1,000 jobs created there. In the current economic climate, we all know that municipalities are struggling to raise revenues to cover necessary services. Developments like ours are essential if that is to happen without tax increases on residents."

How quickly could all this happen?

"We are in the process of pre-approving lots for a broad range of light industry that might go in there. Of course, customers would have to go back to the Planning Board of the Town of Crawford for approvals. But that's another reason why we work to address all the environmental issues beforehand, because it can speed up the process with the Planning Board. Note we're not trying to evade the process, just to get through it as quickly and fairly as possible.

"From our perspective there's nothing worse than having a customer stuck waiting two years for approvals. So we're speeding up the sales process because a lot of the hard work has been done up front."

So far, so good, but what about the infrastructure in what was, until recently, a pretty rural section of the township? Can Stone Schoolhouse Road handle that much truck and car traffic?

"We're looking at those issues, and we might seek some industrial access money from the state."

While the road to 17K would get an upgrade, Baez also touches on the subject of water and sewer services.

"That's a two sided issue for us. On the downside, because there's no municipal water or sewer there, it shortens the list of businesses we can attract to the site. On the upside, we are only able to attract those kinds of business with a light environmental footprint."

With the Town of Crawford struggling to make ends meet, it's clear that development has to come. The only question remaining is what shape that development takes and how good it is for the town in terms of jobs and ratables.

"Communities have to have a balanced approach," says Baez. "We can't just be pristine spaces with no commercial activity, not if we have schools and towns to support. Without commercial development, there's no way that a populace could sustain a modern community. We have to find ways to get commercial ratable properties, and crucially, to get it to blend in with what you already have."

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