BLOOMINGBURG – About seventy-five people gathered July 5 to discuss strategies to derail changes to zoning on a few parcels of land within the town of Mamakating. Simmering below the surface, however, was resentment over what many residents believe was the Bloomingburg Village Board's disregard for residents' opposition to a planned 396-unit townhome development.

The Mamakating Town Board is slated to vote July 17 on changes to its Planned Office, or PO, Zone. There are four such zones within the town: two parcels on Winterton Road in Bloomingburg adjacent to the controversial Town House project; property at Exit 115 off Route 17 at Roosa Gap Road and Burlingham Road in Bloomingburg; and the "spur" at the Yankee Lake entrance to Route 17 eastbound. The Town Board meeting will begin at 6 p.m. at Town Hall on Route 209 in Wurtsboro.

The changes to the PO zone are complex, and on the surface appear to tighten restrictions on the land. For instance, cage-type poultry farming, distribution facilities, an office and research business park, medical offices and conferences centers, which are now allowed by right, would need special permits to operate.

A number of new uses would be allowed in the PO zones by special permit as well. They include vehicle garages, gas stations, retail and convenience stores, large offices, contractor storage yards, restaurants and taverns, and some other uses.

William Herrmann and Holly Roche opened the meeting at the Mamakating Town Park by saying they were not there to discuss particular people or religions. However, Herrmann said it appeared that the proposed changes to the PO zone are being sought to "suit a few individuals in this town." The gist of Herrmann's and Roche's message, they said, was that Mamakating is a rural town and they do not want high-density housing, traffic and an influx of huge commercial businesses.

Available at the meeting were copies of newspaper articles about the Bloomingburg townhome development; petitions opposing the PO zone changes; a flyer with a photo of clustered housing and the words: "It's coming to Bloomingburg. Are You Ready?" and scripted dialogues along with phone lists of residents within town borders for those who were willing to start a telephone campaign to drum up interest in the July 17 meeting.

Roche said the Town Board needs to hear from the people who voted them into office.

"While they are the elected board of the town of Mamakating, we ARE the town of Mamakating," Roche said. Residents need to gather and educate as many people as they can about what the town is doing, she added.

Members of the audience kept steering the dialogue back to the village's townhome project. It was first proposed as a 125-home golf course community. But when the village annexed the property into its borders, with the promise of a new sewer-treatment plant built by the property's developer, plans changed into the current 396-unit proposal.

"With the housing economy so depressed, why are they developing so many homes?" Mary McLaughlin asked. She was answered by a voice in the audience who yelled, "Section 8, that's why!"

"The 125-unit housing development was never going to happen," said Matthew Mordas. "That was a con."

Rumors abound that — although the townhouse plans call for three bedrooms per unit — a computer room, office and library in each unit could be converted to bedrooms too, making each unit a six-bedroom home. That, plus earlier plans that included two sinks and two stoves in each kitchen, led opponents to believe the project was meant for families from Hasidic Jewish sects.

Although Roche and Herrmann said the townhome proposal within the village is a "done deal," they hope to be heard nonetheless.

Frank DenDanto III said, "If we can, as a unified voice, affect the town board to understand that this is the kind of growth we are not interested in, we may have the possibility of at least containing or scaling back the development further down Winterton Road, and the overall picture that's happening along the ridge... We have an opportunity to effect change, start the process, invigorate the dialogue so that the community has a voice with the board."

Roche agreed.

"If we're heard strong enough and long enough, they will not be able to ignore us," she said.

Members of the audience said that, in fact, they have been ignored by town officials.

"When do we hear them speak for us?" asked one man, who did not want to be identified. "When we say, 'No, no, no,' why is it, 'Yes, yes, yes'?"

"We elected our neighbors, and they let us down," said Herrmann, who ran unsuccessfully for town supervisor in the last election. "Why? Is it ignorance, or greed?"

As the meeting ended, several people noted that two town board seats are up for election in November. Voter turnout is traditionally low, and the audience was encouraged to bring as many people to the polls as possible.

For discussions about the town and village proposals, there are four Facebook pages:

• "Town of Mamakating Unoffical (sic) Information Pg (sic) for Residents";
• "Mamakating Town Crier";
• "Mamakating — Get the scoop...Scoop Mamakating!"; and
• "Citizens for the Preservation of Rural Mamakating".