Hoag Rd. project moves ahead

But Mountainkeeper expresses concerns

By Mio Moser | Manor Ink

Livingston Manor, NY – As of now, there are many different housing projects and developments around Livingston Manor and Sullivan County that are planned or currently being built. One such project is the Livingston Farm development, formerly known as Broadacre Farm. The creators of this “conservation subdivision” off Hoag Road in the hamlet currently propose to build nine single-family homes, 42 cabins, a trail network and other amenities for guests and residents on the 117-acre property.

This proposed development in particular has not had an easy time getting started, and has also faced significant pushback from the community. This may be because of its evolving site plan, as numerous earlier plans have been criticized by the community over concerns about environmental issues, in particular water run-off and traffic. Not only would land need to be cleared for buildings, but access roads would need to be added or expanded.

Developers Joseph Satto and Stefan Martinovic have conducted reviews of neighbor concerns during the public scoping hearings held by the Town of Rockland Planning Board since 2021. A recent statement addresses this feedback. “Decades of neglect on this property have contributed to the stormwater issues. By investing millions in green infrastructure, runoff will be reduced by over 20 percent, a vast improvement to the current conditions. By implementing regenerative agriculture in the currently fallow fields, planting thousands of native trees/shrubs and using extensive conservation easements, we’ll preserve the property’s rural character.”

Different housing needed

Additionally, critics of the project argue that the development would not provide housing that the community actually needs – affordable homes and rental units close to centers of employment.

“One of the big impacts to our community that we’ve witnessed is people turning their houses, which used to be long-term rentals, into vacation homes for weekenders. That makes it really difficult for people that live and work here to find a place to live, if they can’t afford to own a home,” said Wes Gillingham, co-founder of the Catskill Mountainkeeper.

The plan additions generated since the project’s conception were revised at the Planning Board’s request. “Ultimately, in keeping with the town’s comprehensive plan, we arrived at a mix of uses which better fits the town’s need for housing, lodging and agritourism,” Satto and Martinovic said. Some of their goals are “embracing regenerative farming, green infrastructure, sustainable building practices, creating jobs and supporting local businesses.”

Overall, Livingston Farm is another development in the Town of Rockland that promises to create a new and unique Catskills living experience. But that experience will likely be for people that reside outside of Sullivan County.

Fitting into an ecosystem

“Our opinion is that the community really needs to engage with the development,” Gillingham said. “Every creature that’s ever lived on this planet has to fit into their ecosystem. Because the balance and dynamics of nature usually adjust, we as humans have a choice to just let that adjustment happen and have cataclysmic long term impacts, or we need to address everything along the way and think about how we fit into an ecosystem. Over the course of history, we’ve decided to ignore some of those real world parameters.”

Livingston Farm’s developers stress that listening to Manor residents and taking into consideration environmental issues is what they have attempted to do. They plan to open the initial phase of the project in 2024, and will continue to address community concerns until then. Whether those concerns will be allayed remains to be seen.

To learn more about Livingston Farm, see a video created by the developers at youtube.com/watch?v=C_SvpTTGQF4.