The Tenmile River in Dover NY and Sherman CT needs your help!  A Conference Center, proposed on the river and in the view shed of the Appalachian Trail, is currently in front of the Town of Dover planning board. The applicant is requesting to forego the full SEQRA environmental review for this project.  The applicant, Harlem Valley Homestead, has been in past receipt of both an Army Corps Engineer "Cease and Desist" and a DEC "Stop Work Order" for environmental violations.  They are now trying convince the town (and public) that their inadequate studies (bought and paid for by the applicant) are sufficient and that the Planning Board should approve the project without a Draft Environmental Impact Statement.  If the applicant was confident that their project would pass this review, they would have no problem completing it.  Please read the below letter and sign this petition, indicating your support for a careful and responsible environmental review.  We appreciate your shared concern for the health of the river and all its inhabitants. 

Dear Chairman Courtein and Members of the Planning Board:

We understand that the Town of Dover Planning Board (“Planning Board”) is considering the Harlem Valley Homestead development in the Town of Dover (the “Project”). We urge the Planning Board to adopt a Positive Declaration and require the applicant to prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (“DEIS”), which is appropriate for the Project under the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (“SEQRA”).

The record is full of potential environmental impacts that may or may not be mitigated. I understand that SEQRA provides that, if the project has the potential for at least one potential environmental impact, a DEIS should be prepared. The record is incredibly large and disorganized, the public would benefit from a comprehensive environmental review in the form of a DEIS. The Project will disrupt the character of the community and appears to have tremendous impacts related to habitats, wildlife, endangered and threatened species, traffic, noise, etc. Further, the public and the Town would benefit from having all the environmental reports and studies in one comprehensive DEIS, which can then be reviewed by the Town’s consultants and easily digested by the interested community members.

If the Town does not require the applicant to prepare a DEIS, please deny the Project as it will disrupt the community, the surrounding environment and potentially destroy environmental resources.

Thank you for taking our comments into consideration.