Planning board finds no 'significant' impacts

The Fishkill Planning Board concluded on April 9 that the plan to restore the 158-year-old Dutchess Manor into a visitor's center and offices for the Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail will not have a significant environmental impact.

The "negative declaration" unanimously approved by the board ends its environmental review of the project and allows HHFT Inc. to avoid a more in-depth study of the impacts. But it still needs Planning Board approval for its site plan, a special-use permit and a zoning change to 14 Coris Lane, the adjacent property it purchased with Dutchess Manor in 2020 for $3.4 million.

While acknowledging small impacts from land disturbance and runoff, as well as the "targeted" use of herbicides on invasive plants and an increase in visitors to the property, the Planning Board determined that HHFT will incorporate sufficient mitigations, including proposing a left turn lane for entering Dutchess Manor from northbound Route 9D.

In addition, the board approved a "certificate of appropriateness" that will allow HHFT to begin demolishing additions constructed in 1947, 1989 and 2007. The original structure, built in 1868 as a home for merchant James Wade and his wife, Louisa, is on the National Register of Historic Places.

"With the environmental review finalized and the certificate of appropriateness issued, we look forward to beginning work so that we can realize our vision for the Fjord Trail Visitor Center as a welcoming hub for our educational programs and events and our home base," said Amy Kacala, HHFT's executive director.

Demolishing the additions will be a prelude to renovations that include restoring the slate roof and rear patio, removing paint to expose the brickwork and rebuilding the trim, HHFT said. The interior will be remade with first-floor spaces for a welcome desk and interpretive exhibits, upper-floor offices and meeting space.

Outside, a 600-square-foot bathroom with four stalls, a service closet and a pump house for the manor's fire-suppression system is planned for a sunken area southwest of the manor. There would also be 170 parking spaces in three areas: a paved lot with 48 spaces for the public and 19 for staff; a gravel parking area with 55 spaces; and a grass "overflow" spot with 48 spaces.

A shuttle is proposed to transport visitors from the Dutchess Manor to trailheads, as well as terraced lawn seating and a lawn behind the manor for events. According to HHFT, the property will not be marketed as a venue for private events.

During the review process, HHFT expanded a planted buffer on the property's southern boundary in response to concerns from neighbors about the visual impact of the overflow parking area. One of those neighbors, Erin Sine, had suggested eliminating the overflow lot and replacing it with "a substantial and dense evergreen buffer that protects the safety and quality of life of the residents who live close to this park."

Along with concerns from neighbors, opponents of the Fjord Trail development argued to the board that HHFT improperly "segmented" the project by having the Dutchess Manor project reviewed by Fishkill rather than by the state as part of its environmental review of the entire trail.

Under state law, segmenting projects to avoid a comprehensive review "may result in legal action." But state parks rejected the claim. In an October 2025 letter addressed to the Planning Board, the department said that because Dutchess Manor is located within Fishkill, "it is appropriate for the town to analyze the potential impacts arising from its specific land use actions."

State parks also concluded that Dutchess Manor, which is projected to open next year, will have "independent utility" from the trail and support the existing trail system. It said that its environmental review of the Fjord Trail, which concluded in January, considered the Dutchess Manor visitor center's impact on traffic, parking and community character.