Public weighs in on new nursery school

The Warwick Town Planning Board has granted conditional approval for the repurposing of an existing commercial building located on Clinton Avenue Extension into a nursery school for children with special needs. During the November 20 meeting, the board held a public hearing on the proposed project.

Supporters of the school claimed that services for special needs preschoolers were lacking in the county and meeting this demand outweighed concerns about traffic and other issues. They also commented on the well-regarded reputation of the applicants, Etta and Jonathan Hamilton, who own and operate other childcare facilities, including The Village Childcare, located in the village of Warwick.

Among the supporters was Nick Mangold, who said his children have participated in The Village Childcare programs and championed the Hamiltons as life-long residents of Warwick and respected members of the community.

While residents agreed serving children was an admirable mission, several questioned how this new facility, which would serve up to 80 children, might impact traffic in an already precarious area. The applicant’s traffic engineer provided an overview of the study performed at the intersection of Galloway Road and Clinton Avenue, sharing that he found the peak hours to between 8 and 9 a.m. and 4:30 to 6 p.m., outside of when most of the traffic activity related to the nursery school would occur. Members of the public and the planning board questioned the findings, claiming those peak periods were much longer and that even throughout the day, traffic flow is heavy in that area. Planning Board Chairman Ben Astorino reminded the public that the applicant’s traffic study is reviewed by their own engineers.

Jonathan Hamilton shared that the nursery school would try to mitigate issues by scheduling its programming outside of Warwick’s elementary, middle, and high school schedule. He said the hours would be from 8 a.m. or 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. or 5 p.m., noting that there may be a few kids staying earlier and/or later due to parents’ work schedules. He also addressed concerns about students’ families parking on residential property, noting that on rare occasions the school were to hold a large event, he and his wife have other, larger properties they can utilize.

Residents also raised concerns about the safety of both the children attending the facility as well as those who live nearby and asked about signs being placed to warn drivers to slow down.

Among those voicing their issues with the project was Denis McLaughlin, a resident of Clinton Avenue Extension. While he was grateful for the ongoing communication and respect he has received from the Hamiltons, McLaughlin shared how he was worried about the impact on the residents of what has long been a quiet, dead-end street.

McLaughlin previously came before the board to discuss his lack of notification about the dissolution of Clinton Avenue Extension as a paper street and ownership of the street being conferred upon the Hamiltons. During the review of the application, representatives explained that one of the conditions of approval would be an agreement with other residents of Clinton Avenue Extension that would give them access to the road. In addition, the Hamiltons would agree to handle maintenance of the road.

After the board voted to grant conditional approval of the site plan and special use permit for the school, Astorino informed the Hamiltons that they still have a lot of work to do and that they should continue reaching out to their neighbors.

Local lodging

The town is on track to increase guest lodging with the planning board granting conditional approval for the construction of a 24-bedroom lodge and additional 30 cabins on Hathorn Road near County Route 1. The hotel, to be known as Inn The Fields, would also include trails, a pool, and other facilities for guest enjoyment. An existing residence on the property will be converted into a caretaker’s residence.

During the meeting, representatives for the applicant discussed the design of the hotel, noting that they were looking to incorporate the natural surroundings into the aesthetic and mitigating ground disturbance. The representatives also reviewed potential impact on traffic as well as emergency access and ADA accessibility.

On a smaller scale, the planning board granted conditional approval for the conversion of a class one occupation into a class two home occupation for the establishment of a five-bedroom bed and breakfast on 17A near Pumpkin Hill Road.

Other business

The planning board continued its review of the proposed repurposing of existing buildings located on Old Forge Road for an institution of higher learning known as BMMY College. The planning board asked the applicant to review the environmental impact of the project, given its location in the middle of a state park (Sterling Forest) and asked them to consider alternative lighting to mitigate impact on local wildlife. Astorino, who attended the planning board’s visit to the site, commented that the site still needs work. The board set the public hearing for the project for the next available agenda.

Citing the impact of the recent fire at Sterling Forest, one member of the public, Rodger Friedman, expressed his view that this raises concerns about the application.