MAMAKATING – Despite what appears to have been a miscommunication between the Town of Mamakating Planning Board and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the final scoping document for the development known as 'Seven Peaks' includes all of the recommendations the DEC had asked for under the State Environmental Quality Review Act, or SEQRA, process, according to Willie Janeway, Director for Region 3.

"We've reviewed the document, and we're satisfied that all of our recommendations have been addressed," Janeway said.

In a letter to the planning board dated March 5, 2009, Alex Ciesluk, Deputy Regional Permit Administrator for Region 3, requested that the DEC be given a final review of the scoping document before the board voted on whether to accept it. It became apparent, however, that the DEC had not reviewed this scoping document when, several weeks ago, the planning board voted to approve it —which sent up a red flag among various community organizations.

The DEC, however, reviewed the document over the last several days, and has come to the conclusion that the Mamakating Planning Board had acted according to the DEC's requests.

"We're confident that, working together in a cooperative review, we will take a hard look at all the issues that need to be explored and we will guide this process forward in a timely manner," Janeway added.

Mamakating Planning Board Chairman John Piazza said that he was confident that the scoping document included all of the DEC recommendations, and that the board had done its due diligence with regard to the DEC's concerns.

"I feel very confident that we included everything the DEC requested," Piazza said.

Piazza also went on to say that he was pleased that the DEC had joined the process and that the agency's input help lend weight to the final approval.

"Two heads are always better than one," Piazza said.

Piazza was also quick to praise Shalom Lamm, the individual behind Black Creek Developments, the firm building 'Seven Peaks.' Lamm has been active in helping rehabilitate various properties in the Mamakating area, in particular the airport and the new library.

Piazza went on to say that, because of the nature of the 'Seven Peaks' project — the fact that, if the project comes to fruition, it will generate several-million dollars in taxes each year — the planning board is going out of its way to ensure that everything is done in a careful and thorough manner.

"We want to do the right thing, especially with a project of this magnitude," Piazza said.

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