What you need to know about Thursday's vote on the Pelton Mansion housing project
The Pelton Mansion housing project, steeped in controversy and litigation, moved forward Thursday night after the city of Poughkeepsie's historic commission approved the project during a very contentious meeting.
The approval was included in a settlement voted on by the commission between the developers, the city and the Historic District and Landmark Preservation Commission.
On Thursday night, the commission voted 4-2 in favor of the settlement which provides the developers with the certificate of appropriateness. The settlement stipulates that Pelton Partners agrees the property is designated as historic.
The certificate appropriateness the commission voted on Thursday included 39 apartments, six buildings, commercial space and 69 parking spaces. The mansion would be used as a community arts center. In order to include commercial, the council would need to approve rezoning measures. The alternative is to have 46 apartment units.
Pelton Partners sued the city of Poughkeepsie, its Common Council and Historic Commission two years ago claiming the property wasn't designated as a historical site by the city and isn't under the commission's jurisdiction. The property is the home of a roughly 160-year-old mansion and is located near the train station. Some residents refer to the property as Wheaton Park and have used it as such, although the city has challenged that notion. The property is now owned by the developers.
The historic commission denied the developer's certificate for appropriateness in 2019 which would have allowed the developers to build five buildings consisting of 46 market-value apartments around the mansion. Pelton Partners appealed the decision to the Common Council and was denied.
"The newly designed development that earned a favorable vote from the Commission will see much needed housing built in the city, in close proximity to our train station," said Poughkeepsie Mayor Marc Nelson, calling the vote courageous and selfless. "Not only is transit oriented development a critical need, but the transformation of the former Pelton Mansion into a new home for one or more non-profit arts entities will prove to be a major contributor to the local arts scene and a driver of economic development in the city’s First Ward and beyond.
"We are in the middle of litigation and we're trying to fix this, we need to be focused on what's best for the city," Commission Chair Tim McQueen said to those voicing their comments of disapproval from the audience.
Commission member John Bartelstone compared the Pelton application to one where an applicant might ask to remove the entire yard, repave the property with asphalt and put in 30 parking spaces.
Commission member Elisa Li stated the application did not meet the mininum standard and that some "key criteria ... captured in the city code" which includes the proximity of the buildings to the mansion and the size of the buildings. She stated the commission was given less than 24 hours to review the settlement and all its documents.
The other commissioners who spoke did so citing personal experiences with the mansion and not about historic-based requirements of the commission.
The commission allowed for public comment giving audience members one minute each to speak. Even as the commission called for closing public comment, audience members continued to speak against the project.
Politics: In the Hudson Valley, these Gen Zers are the new faces of public affairs
Crime: Poughkeepsie man sentenced to life in prison after murder conviction
COVID: NY death rate spiked 30% amid COVID's darkest days. See top causes of death in your county
The settlement also states that the common council is "not a party to this Stipulation" because the settlement does not "resolve any issue between Pelton and the Common Council."
Members of the Common Council said they were not privy to settlement discussions and that the city's attorney went ahead with the agreement without consulting them. Council members and some residents have also been critical of Mayor Marc Nelson's recent appointments to the historic commission.
Nelson, previously the city administrator, became mayor and city administrator in January after Rob Rolison was elected to the state senate. He has previously stated that he plans to move the Pelton project forward and was optimistic about the outcome of the project. Nelson is hoping to run for mayor in November's election.
The Journal was unable to reach Tim McQueen, chair of the historic commission, who has been on the commission for over two years.
"I believe that there is an unwarranted rush to judgement that is occuring, particularly because there is a controversy about the commissioners appointment," said Debra Long, councilmember for the First Ward, where the Pelton property is located.
How Nelson appointed historic commission members
Nelson, as mayor of the city, is allowed to appoint and terminate positions on commissions and boards, according to the city's charter.
In previous council meetings, some of its members had voiced their disapproval of how the mayor was handling appointments to the historic commission.
"The mayor has illegally removed members of the HDLPC and replaced them with handpicked supporters," suggested Evan Menist, D-2nd Ward, majority leader for the Common Council.
Long stated during the April 3 council meeting that the mayor has made "inappropriate appointments" to boards and that the council had spoken about being more involved with appointments "several months ago."
At the same council meeting Brian Hooper, a previous member of the HDLPC who lives in an historic property, said he had been trying to speak with Nelson regarding his dismissal "without cause" from the commission.
Council Chairwoman Natasha Brown said she, along with council leadership, have been advocating for Hooper's reappointment. She said there have been a lot of requests from the public suggesting the council create a resolution to confirm appointments.
Saba Ali: SAli1@poughkeepsiejournal.com; 845-451-4518.
This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: What to know about Poughkeepsie Pelton Mansion housing project vote
