The Town of New Windsor Planning Board welcomed for its initial appearance Blooming Hill Farms, a proposed farm to table business with event space and farmstand proposed on the west side of town. The board voted to circulate for lead agency on Wednesday, September 27.

Engineer Christopher Fritzl of Lanc & Tully, along with Blooming Hill Farm owners Austin Jones and his two other brothers, were present in the audience and presented the project. Blooming Hill Farm is family owned and operated, founded by Jones’ father, Guy Jones, in 1982.

The project was proposed to be developed on an 187 acre property that was once used as an apple orchard. The project is located in the R1 (residential) District of the town and the project is a permitted use within that zone. No variances are anticipated to be required, said Fritzl. A proposed parking lot with ADA [Americans with Disabilities Act] stalls has been included on the plans and proposed buildings serviced by private wells and septic systems are also included.

“They [Blooming Hill] currently operate a business in Blooming Grove and they’re looking to move it to the Town of New Windsor,” said Fritzl. “The project site is located on Shaw Road, which is on the west side of town. The [proposed] buildings include the employee housing building, the restaurant and the farmstand and event space.”

No livestock according to Jones would be brought onto the property, and the previous apple orchard has been considered to be used in the new site usage. Blooming Hill Farms will have a larger property for operations in New Windsor compared to their current property where most of the business takes place in Blooming Grove. The family also maintains land out in the Chester area. The business will continue serving their farm grown food and continue to host private and special events.

In October 2022, the New Windsor Town Board had approved an amendment to their local code that would recognize the land that was proposed for the project would be a permitted use within that specific area. The surrounding area is recognized as residential zoning.

The town board had previously held an informal public hearing session in June that same year to collect initial feedback on the project. The Jones family also appeared at the public session to address any questions about their intent and what the project would look like if all went well. The property had been considered for another development project of cluster homes, and from the informal hearing, most comments expressed support for the new business project.

Comments prepared by Shawn Arnott of MHE Engineering note that building heights and development coverage will need to be reviewed and a new driveway connection will need to be reviewed by the highway superintendent. MHE will also need to review the new septic system depending on the amount of gallons per day. If it is greater than 1,000 gallons per day, a State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) permit will be required. If not, then the engineer will just need to oversee various tests for the proposed septic system.

Details about grading, water and waste supply, landscaping, lighting and stormwater design will need to be included in future submissions of the plans. A permit from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation will be required, as the project may potentially impact a DEC wetland. A Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) will also be required, as 11 acres are proposed to be disturbed for the project.

Blooming Hill Farm is currently located at 1251 State Route 208 in Blooming Grove.