By Nathan Mayberg
MONTICELLO — September 2, 2005 – The Viznitz Hasidic community in Kiamesha Lake formally withdrew their petition to form the Village of Ateres on Monday.
And on Wednesday, they met with the Town of Thompson Board to discuss a request to form a Planned Community Development so they could build up to 12 units per acre. The exact number of buildings they would construct was not available.
The residents are looking to build a mix of single-family and multi-family residences. Their current allowable density was not available.
Currently, the residents live in a roughly 377-acre Planned Unit Development with a year-round Yeshiva (religious school) of between 200-300 students. An additional 53 families live there full-time, according to the group’s liaison, Chayim Fried. Fried has said he is looking to bring a couple hundred more families onto the property.
Town of Thompson Supervisor Anthony Cellini said, “A lot of things need to be taken into consideration, [such as] density and sewer capacity.
Town of Thompson Councilman William Rieber said he was reserving a decision on their proposal. He – along with town planning board members Lou Kiefer and Bernard Cohen, town engineer Richard McGoey, town attorney Michael Mednick and deputy attorney Paula Kay – will meet Monday, September 19 at 8:45 a.m. at the Town of Thompson Hall with the group, to consider and discuss their proposal.
The group is expected to present a master plan to the committee, formed by Cellini, on that date. Subsequent meetings should follow.