Galloway Heights project deemed too big for current spot

Residents of Galloway Heights voiced their disproval of a proposed 12-unit apartment building to be located at 1 Galloway Heights, during the February 4 Warwick Village Board meeting. While most supported the idea of additional housing in the village, they felt that this type of structure, for which the applicant was seeking a zone change to allow the building, was too big for the area, would increase the density of the area, and create safety issues due to its location near Park Avenue Elementary School.

Members of the board generally agreed with these sentiments, with Trustee Thomas McKnight commenting that the proposed building is four times the size of the current building on the property. He also asked the board to think about the new building’s potential impact on water treatment systems and other issues associated with adding more residential units to the area.

McKnight raised the question of whether this proposed building met the needs of the village’s comprehensive plan, noting that it prioritizes protecting residential areas and that the area around 1 Galloway Heights is meant to be a transitional zone between residential and commercial.

Mayor Michael Newhard acknowledged that the proposal does address the need for housing but acknowledged the need for a buffer. Trustee Carly Foster added that while she agreed housing is important, the lack of private outdoor space for potential residents of the building was an issue and reiterated her prior concern about quality of life.

Trustee Mary Collura shared that she felt the motivation for the project was about the bottom line and that she was worried this would set a precedent for commercial owners to expand in a way that would be detrimental to the area.

The board agreed to not move forward with the requested zoning change for the property and clarified that the applicant could seek a special use permit or go to the Zoning Board of Appeals for variances. Newhard informed the residents that they could share their concerns with the ZBA.

Pole barn

When discussing proposed budget modifications, Trustee Barry Cheney said the $60,000 allocated for road paving was being used to fund the DPW pole barn project. The board questioned why the project needed this additional funding and agreed not to proceed until they heard more from the DPW. The board plans to invite DPW Supervisor Michael Moser to speak on the matter at the next meeting.

Federal grant changes

The village is already feeling the impact of pauses on federal grants, as Trustee Foster noted she was unable to apply for a Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant. Foster explained that there wasn’t enough notice given about the modifications to the grant, which included a title change and a reduction in funding. She said that while the village did not submit for this grant, she will pursue other opportunities.

Newhard encouraged Foster to engage the services of Millennium Strategies, which the village agreed to partly share the cost with the town, to assist her with finding alternative grants.

Wickham Works

During the meeting, the board discussed Wickham Works proposal to refresh one side of the mural at Stanley-Deming as part of the TreeFest celebration. While overall they appreciated the idea of bringing more art to the park, there was some debate over whether redoing the existing mural, which many visitors to the park enjoy, was the right approach. Trustee McKnight wondered if other areas of the park would be more suitable for the project, while Foster spoke about engaging kids in the design process.

In other art news, Wickham Works has initiated efforts to bring back an artist-in-residence program, beginning with Nicole Hixon, who will be creating an art piece featuring natural elements for TreeFest. Newhard said that in the future the village might consider putting out a broader request for artists for this program.