Land surveyor John Gerd Heidecker, representing the Winnakee Land Trust, was granted unanimous approval by the Stanford Planning Board on Wednesday, May 28, for the subdivision of 150 acres at 6322 Route 82.
The approval separates 150 acres from the 155-acre property into a distinct lot that the Trust plans to make available for public recreation. “What they intend to do is to allow people to go up and hike the property,” Heidecker said, noting the Trust’s intention to develop a network of public trails.
Heidecker made clear that no residential structures will be built on the land, and that logging roads and trails are already in place, with possible plans to expand the existing trail network.
A farmhouse, also owned by the Trust, sits on the remaining 5-acre parcel. It was part of the whole 155-acre property when the Trust purchased it in October 2024 from Shalvoy Farm, LLC, for $1.675 million. Heidecker explained that the Trust will not be acting as landlords, and will seek other uses or futures for the house.
In other business, Ken Casamento, owner of The LRC Group (land surveyors and civil engineers) worked with the board to schedule a public hearing for the construction of a roughly 10,000-square foot boys dormitory at The Millbrook School, a private boarding school at 131 Millbrook School Drive in Millbrook. The school has an enrollment of roughly 330 students.
“[The dorm] doesn’t increase the number of students,” said Casamento. “It’s just giving them their own facility rather than having 10 over here and 10 over here. It’s pulling them together.”
Casamento has been working with town engineer Christian Bertram on site plan approval. The public hearing on the finalized plans will take place at the next Planning Board meeting on June 25. “We’re hopefully looking to get everything together so we can get started this summer with construction,” said Casamento.
A pre-application conference was held for Sam Holden, who seeks to build a self-storage unit behind McCarthy’s Pharmacy at 6032 Route 82. The parcel for development is 5 acres, and Holden laid out plans for some of the land to be used as recreational vehicle and camper storage (not for camping or recreational use) in addition to the self-storage unit. Bertram advised Holden on the need to present the board with plans for a stormwater management system. As a pre-application conference, no site plans or board approval were offered at the meeting.
Additionally, a public hearing was held for a site plan and special use permit for Benjamin Rathjen, who seeks to construct two pole barns for an office and storage space for his business, Rathjen’s Landscaping at 6102 Route 82.
Bertram said that there are still issues with the site plan, including details pertaining to the steepness of the road granting access to the proposed site, as well as details on the report on potential impacts to wetlands on the property.
Rathjen will work with his own engineer and Bertram to finalize a formal site plan over the coming weeks, before submitting it to the board, which will then open a public hearing on the matter.
The next Planning Board meeting will take place at 7:30 p.m. on June 25.