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Commends the Friars for Starting Development Process on the Right Foot
Dear Editor:
Recently, the Friars of the Atonement at Graymoor invited their property adjoiners to a meeting in order to present the plan they have for redevelopment. They were anxious to have their neighbors see what they have been thinking of before notices appeared in the paper about public hearings.
The Friars are looking to replace the existing old friary with a new, modern building that will suit their aging population, to remove the top two and a half floors of the inefficient Spiritual Life Center and re-do all it's interiors and to eventually build a new church between the new friary and the Spiritual Life Center. They will present their plan to the Philipstown Planning Board on April 17th.
While their plan is ambitious, it will improve their site on the mountain. The Friars will have a new, modern living facility and the Center will be reduced in size and stature and yet will be able to house more visitors and be an inviting welcome center for the people who use their facilities. And eventually, there will be a new church that will have the ability to open to the outdoors for large gatherings and allow them to remove Pilgrim Hall.
As both a neighbor and a member of the Philipstown Citizens Alliance, I want to commend the Friars for starting their development process on the right foot. Ensuring the support of their neighbors and the town is an essential first step towards community acceptance for their development. They also show a willingness to be flexible with their plans and expect that things will change along the way with input from the community through public hearings and suggestions that may come from the various town boards. The PCA encourages this type of responsible development as an example of what should be common practice for all development in Philipstown.
I encourage anyone with an interest in Graymoor to come to the Planning Board Meeting on Thursday, April 17, 7:30 pm at the Cold Spring VFW Hall to see the presentation of the plan in person.
Tom Kelley
Garrison
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