WAWARSING –Things could be a changing in Wawarsing if proposed laws are adopted at the next board meeting. But not everyone is in agreement.

Two of the three proposed laws involve "big-time" development — a six-month moratorium on the placement of more than three dwellings on a single lot, and another on new major subdivisions — are coming at a time, board member Terry Houck said, that is necessary considering the need to update the town's comprehensive plan.

"That's one of the reasons why we're doing the moratorium. It's been nine years and it needs to be done," he continued.

The plan would provide an outline for a community's growth and development, he added.

But the timing doesn't sit well with some residents who, during the January 15 town meeting, spoke out.

"At a time when we are looking to the state and saying, 'Hey, we got the short end of the stick for the casino vote,' we're going to put ourselves in a potentially tight spot to have very adverse publicity when we really don't need it," noted Ellenville mayor Jeff Kaplan. "We're trying to put our steps forward and trying to get something positive going."

Kaplan, who represents multiple clients in regards to an approved sub-division and development of the Tamarack property, said that neither will occur if the proposed moratorium laws are passed.

"The laws will prohibit both of these from happening. We will throw out, from this community, someone clearing up a property that desperately needs cleaning up and adding taxable revenue and taxable properties to our tax roll," Kaplan said.

Those properties in question, he continued, could potentially add $400,000 to $500,000 of tax revenue annually and would require a subdivision to continue on towards the development of permanent seasonal homes. It would be short-sided of the board, he added, to ban that kind of proposal and to continue with a moratorium when there's no obvious need for it, as evident in the lack of applications going through the town's planning board.

"It's a real concern of mine that this moratorium may be viewed by some to be addressing a problem that doesn't yet exist," Kaplan said, noting that other communities place moratoriums on development when their planning boards get overwhelmed by an overabundance of applicants. Clearly, he added, that is not a problem in Wawarsing.

The proposed moratoriums will hinder development and could have a serious detrimental effect on all developers coming into town, added former planning board chairman and Ellenville building inspector Brian Schug.

"It could be the final nail in the coffin for the town, seeing that we don't have a casino at the forefront now and we have several large parcels ripe for development," he said. "You have a very professional planning board in place that can handle any project that comes in front of the town. With the town board's advice, they can make proper and orderly development."

Town supervisor Leonard Distel said the moratoriums, if approved, would give the town board and its committees time to review existing zoning codes and update the town's comprehensive plan, a process he estimated could take about six months. In the meantime, he added, he didn't see any adverse effect on development, as depicted by Kaplan or Schug.

"When was the last time a big developer came here?" Distel said. "We were waiting on the Nevele, and I don't believe it's going to affect the Schrade property."

Some are speculating that the moratorium is an effort to halt religious communities from developing in Wawarsing, as they have in nearby Bloomingburg. But while Distel wouldn't address that issue, he did explain that Albany has to do something regarding the structure of tax exempt properties.

"Every time we lose a parcel we have to make it up," he said. "It's a burden on the people, and it's not just religious exemptions."

Continuing, the supervisor pointed out the number of empty store fronts in the village, and property owners who haven't paid taxes or water and sewer bills.

Both public hearings on the proposed laws, as well as a third regarding amendments to chapter 112 of the zoning code, will be continued on February 5. In related news, there have been a lot of good ideas, board member Dan Johnson said, regarding the development of Wawarsing and Ellenville. He particularly noted the high attendance at a recent joint held meeting at village hall.

"There were at least a dozen who spoke that had really positive ideas that hadn't been expressed before," he said. "There's a lot of impetus for something to happen."

Distel agreed.

"Something needs to be done; we have to be productive," Distel noted, emphasizing the need for more jobs.

In other news, it was noted that Wawarsing received an additional $600,000 Community Block Renewal Program grant they had been hoping for, to be used to complete continued improvements to the Napanoch sewer district.