The Newburgh Town Board is tentatively planning a meeting in early February to seek public comment on the town’s East Coldenham Hamlet Plan, the draft of which has been formulated by VHB/Saccardi & Schiff, architectural and planning consultants.

The East Coldenham hamlet was identified and recommended for study as an initial project and implementation step. The study is intended to give the town guidance in the development of this hamlet in relation to the town’s overall growth.

During the Town Board’s Jan. 11 meeting, council members discussed Feb. 6 as a potential date for a public information meeting. This week’s Town Board meeting was moved from Monday to Tuesday because of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. The Coldenham hamlet study was not on last night’s agenda and the board’s next work session is scheduled for Feb. 1.

Also not on last night’s agenda was any mention of the 6,000-square-foot, 2-story adult entertainment center that is going up on the site of the Blue Moon/Fantasy Island strip club on Route 9W in the Middle Hope area of the town.

But it would not be a surprise if the protesters who were denied an opportunity to voice their opposition to the entertainment center at the town’s organizational meeting on Jan. 3 weren’t out in force at this meeting.

Asking for an opportunity to speak on Jan. 3, the local residents were told:

“That will be for a regular Town Board meeting,” said Supervisor Wayne Booth. “That is not part of the agenda tonight.”

The Jan. 3 protest was highly organized with signs stating “Protect Our Children” and “Just Say No to the Mega Strip Club” dotting the audience. Interestingly enough, one sign near the front of the audience read “Let Us Speak,” indicating the protesters anticipated that they would be turned away.

On Jan. 3, Booth and the Town Board were accused of placing more importance on the agenda than on the town children that protesters predict will be hurt by the club.

Details of Tuesday’s meeting, which occurred too late to make this week’s deadline, will be reported in next week’s Mid Hudson Times.

By ALLAN GAUL
agaul@tcnewspapers.com