Town of Highland is slated to open public comment period for Camp FIMFO Draft Environmental Impact Statement during busy holiday season
The Town of Highland Planning Board has determined the Camp FIMFO’s draft Environmental Impact Statement (draft EIS) is adequate for public comment. Per New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQR) regulations, the comment period will be opening in the coming days and public notice will be published in the New York Environmental Notice Bulletin.
The Planning Board will accept written comments from November 27* through January 10th, and will hold a public hearing on December 18th from 6-8PM where individuals can give verbal testimony. The public hearing will be held at either the Highland Town Hall or the Eldred Central School building. The hearing will be available to watch on Zoom but ZOOM PARTICIPANTS WILL NOT BE PERMITTED TO GIVE VERBAL COMMENTS. All individuals who wish to speak in-person at the hearing will need to sign up in advance and will be limited to a 3-minute time slot. If the public hearing runs past 8PM, the Planning Board has said they will use their January monthly session to finish hearing all of the testimony. More specifics are forthcoming and DRN will update you as we learn more.
*There is a potential the comment period will open sooner, but presently that is unclear. Delaware Riverkeeper Network will be sure to update its members if the start date of the comment period changes.
WE NEED TO PACK THE ROOM to show the Planning Board the amount of community concern with this development project! The hearing is open to everyone, not just residents, so if you care about the River and the Land, please show up and speak! We strongly encourage you to use up your full 3-minute speaking time. We also need you to submit your written comments to the Planning Board at planningboardzba@townofhighlandny.com between November 27 through January 10. Here are the next steps we need from you to help us save the National Treasure that is the Upper Delaware River Corridor from Camp FIMFO:
Step 1 – Sign up for DRN Webinar to Learn About Camp FIMFO & Its Conflicts With The River Management Plan & Town Code, The Public Comment Process, & Next Steps In This Vital Comment Period. If you’re interested in joining this discussion, sign up HERE. Details to come on the specific date and time of webinar.
Step 2 – Start Planning Your Testimony for December 18th. Here are some thoughts of what you could include:
- Camp FIMFO is proposing 194 new RV Cabins all with bathrooms, electric, AC, and heating, to be placed in just a few acres of land. These cabin-like structures need a whole separate unit to tow them out, posing a massive safety concern because of the inability to move them quickly during a flood event.
- A 66,950 square foot Aquatic Play Area with two swimming pools, a multi-level play structure, and gallons upon gallons of chlorine treated water is proposed in the floodplain. Not only could this water wash into the river during a flood event, the pools themselves could become dislodged from the ground and be washed into the River, endangering all those in its path.
- The National Park Service (NPS) has determined that the Camp FIMFO application “fails to meet the intent of the guidelines and the [River Management Plan (RMP)]” that was set forth to protect the essential character of the Upper Delaware River Corridor. NPS found that the RV Cabins, which are essentially permanent structures with permanent infrastructure, intensify the land use and do not substantially conform with the RMP—and thus the application “does not maintain or conserve the essential character of the corridor.”
- The Town of Highland has an obligation under the New York State Constitution’s Bill of Rights, Article 1, Section 19, to uphold and protect the rights of each person to have clean air and water, and a healthful environment. Allowing Camp FIMFO to build would be in direct violation of the fundamental rights of the people of New York State.
- Importantly, speak from your personal experience of how you have loved and enjoyed the land and the River as it has been. Explain how this kind of development would severely change the iconic character and quality of the Upper Delaware River Corridor and the nature it would provide for future generations.
To review the application yourself, you can access the accepted Camp FIMFO draft EIS submission here. Delaware Riverkeeper Network will provide more guidance on framing your comment in the coming weeks. Stay up to date on all of our FIMFO Action Alerts by becoming a free member here and checking out our FIMFO page.
Step 3 – Submit Your Comment Digitally and Verbally. All written comments can be emailed to the Planning Board at planningboardzba@townofhighlandny.com and please CC your comments to DRN at keeper@delawareriverkeeper.org, between November 27th to January 10th. If you are going to be speaking at the public hearing on December 18th, please also write down your comment and email it to the Planning Board for their records.