The project known as 85 Renwick Street proposes the construction of a new four story mixed-use with residential building containing 12 residential apartments and two retail spaces on the ground floor. It reappeared before the City of Newburgh Planning Board on Tuesday, February 20.

Site plans for the proposed project were prepared by the firm Dunn & Sgromo Engineers with the building footprint at 3,900 square feet. Engineer Greg Sgromo and the applicant 85 Renwick St, LLC, represented by Erik Cooney appeared Tuesday night to present with other colleagues.

The proposed location is on the corner of Renwick and Liberty Streets where a vacant grass lot is located. The Liberty Street School project, the Newburgh Yoga Shala studio and residential buildings are also at the intersection of Liberty and Renwick. The site is located in the Downtown Neighborhood (DN) Zone, in the Historic District where the mixed-use with residential usage is permitted with site plan approval from the planning board.

In a prepared letter from the City’s Engineering Office, the applicant was requested to review items such as the project’s lighting plan with needed identification and details, and also to review tree pits and the sediment control plan. Other requests for the applicant included review of the proposed number of bike racks, grading, curbs and sidewalk, a key box and a fire department connection location with signage. The applicant will also be requested to confirm in writing from Central Hudson that the existing utility pole and/or wires can be relocated to accommodate the site plan.

The project applicant was also requested to submit site plans to the Conservation Advisory Council (CAC) for its review and comment. The planning board was recommended to review the CAC’s comment letter once made available. Most of the other items within the city engineer’s comment letter have been deemed satisfied.

The City Planning and Development office noted in a comment letter that the project before the board is an unlisted action under the New York State Environmental Quality and Review Act (SEQRA).

The project is subject to Coastal Consistency review from the CAC, according to the planning department. According to New York State, “Consistency review is a regulatory program that works to ensure that all levels of government work in unison to build a stronger economy and protect vulnerable natural assets in New York State Coastal Areas and designated inland waterways.”

Since the last appearance to the planning board in December 2023, the project has received Architectural Review Commission (ARC) approval. However, further survey work found changes in project variances and previously requested parking spaces, which would also need approved variances.

The project would need to go before the ARC again and the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals in order to be granted the required variances and approvals. The applicant does not foresee any issues with the zoning board, whose next meeting was set for Tuesday, February 27 at 7 p.m.

After reviewing the site plans and further discussion by board members, the planning board declared itself lead agency for the project. A public hearing was previously waived by the planning board.