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Bartles and other members of the town planning board were seeking community feedback on an 1,800-page draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the development, which was stored to the side of the room in four cardboard boxes.
Community members on both sides of the issue spoke during Friday's hearing, which drew a standing-room only crowd.
Pine Plains United and Scenic Hudson were among the organizations to express their concerns with the development.
George Janes, executive director of the not-for-profit Environmental Simulation Center in New York City, discussed what he said were flaws in one aspect of the DEIS. He was retained by Pine Plains United.
The photo simulations showing construction on the site don't properly depict the project's impact on visual resources and need to be redone, he said. For instance, the simulations underestimate the number of trees to be disturbed, he said.
Bob Chamberlin, a traffic operations engineer retained by Pine Plains United, said the assumption that traffic patterns will stay what they are once the homes are built is flawed.
Under the development proposal, the number of intersections will increase from three intersections to nine intersections along a three-mile stretch of Route 199, he said. There may also be a need for a left-turn lane, which would also affect the rural feel of the road system, he said.
Michael Klemens, director of conservation science for Scenic Hudson, said the development is "ecologically damaging" and reflects a lack of pre-planning to protect natural resources on the acreage.
The site is an important habitat for four species, including the Jefferson salamander and box, spotted and wood turtles.
"A project of this scale and design causes irreparable fragmentation of over 2,200 acres of rich Hudson Valley open space," Klemens said.
Jim Mara, co-chair of Pine Plains United, said he would like to see a proposal more in line with the town's comprehensive plan, one that is environmentally, aesthetically and economically acceptable.
"We object to the Carvel project as proposed," he said.
Carol Mann, a weekend resident for two decades, spoke in support of the Dursts, describing the development as "an important project" for revitalization of the town.
"The fight against Durst is a tragedy," she said.
Noise, dust and visual landscape degradation were among the concerns of Ross Patterson. He said the development is disproportionate to the size of the town. It should be developed gradually and on a smaller scale, he said.
George Steckler said a select group of elitists are trying to stop the Durst Organization, the town's "best hope."
"The people who come here will not have empty pockets," he said.
Pine Plains is not going to be the new boom town, said Dick Hermans. The rich people who buy homes in the development will go to Rhinebeck for shopping and dining, he said.
The development is "a gigantic mistake" for Pine Plains, he said. "I don't want to look like Lagrangeville."
The next public hearing is set for March 6 at 5 p.m. at the Milan Town Hall, followed by one on March 12 at 7 p.m. at Stissing Mountain High School.
Members of the Pine Plains Planning Board were scheduled to meet Wednesday to discuss the possibility of adding a Saturday public hearing for additional public comment.
For more information, visit www.pineplains-ny.gov.
