Milan Residents Voice Concerns Over Proposed Church Retreat on Turkey Hill Road

Fifteen residents attended the Milan Zoning Board of Appeals meeting on Aug. 28 to express concerns over rumors of a proposed church retreat on Turkey Hill Road at the former Red Wing Gravel site, now owned by Ministerio Internacional Tierra Deseable. Despite the community’s unease, Zoning Board member Phillip Zemke clarified that the meeting was not open for public comment on any specific project, stating, “This is not a public meeting, and there is limited information we can share with you.”

The board members’ discussion centered around residents’ fears of increased traffic, water supply issues, and safety on local roads. Milan resident Antonia Zitz expressed concern over the impact a large development might have on her well’s declining water levels. “I can’t do two loads of laundry one after the other because it will dry the well,” she said. “I’m concerned about the water.”

Milan resident Michael Jeffer raised issues regarding the impact on local traffic. “The roads are two-lane highways there. It works now, but having a large number of people coming in and out of that location would fundamentally disrupt that,” Jeffer said. Zemke acknowledged that traffic would be a consideration if any project were to move forward, noting that such concerns would be addressed in a review by the planning board.

Other residents, like Ed Rosolie of Turkey Hill Road, highlighted safety concerns, particularly the increased danger of retrieving mail or walking dogs on the busy road. “Eight out of 10 times, I have to stop for a truck or a car when I go to my mailbox,” said Rosolie. “An increase in population so close could make it life-threatening.”

Kathy Osborn, also a Turkey Hill Road resident, sought clarity on the status of any development plans. Zemke responded, stating, “There is no project in front of the town right now.” He noted that an architect had submitted a request for interpretation regarding the zoning code, which he said was unrelated to any specific project. He further clarified that there had been a plan submitted by KDA Architects in Red Hook, but it has since been withdrawn. “From what I understand, the architect showed up to the planning board, presented a plan, and asked for feedback. The planning board said they can’t do what [the architect] wanted to do,” said Zemke.

At a December 2023 Milan Planning Board meeting, representatives from KDA Architects, Kristina Dousharm and Zak Hall, discussed a site plan on behalf of the not-for-profit Ministerio Internacional Tierra Deseable. Ducharme explained that the group, which is based in Queens, N.Y., had been renting property at the Mirror Lake Retreat in Milan, near the Taconic State Parkway, for many years and intended to replicate a similar setup on the Turkey Hill property. The proposal included a religious worship space, a gymnasium, a housing facility with 100 rooms, a recreation area, a playground, a pool, a sports field and a separate residence for church leadership. 

However, the planning board raised concerns, noting that under current zoning law, camps are not allowed in Milan, and places of religious worship are limited to a single building. At the time, Planning Board Chair Darby suggested that a potential path forward could involve subdividing the property to accommodate various uses.

“We went in very confident in December to the planning board because of the precedent of Mirror Lake,” Dousharm told the Herald. “We put together the December 2023 submission, went to the planning board, and immediately came up against the question of use.”

In 2018, Mirror Lake Retreat, a ministry partnership of the Metro New York District Church of the Nazarene, zoned as a religious place of worship, was granted accessory uses like those proposed in KDA’s since withdrawn December 2023 plan, including dining facilities, cabins and recreation areas. Dousharm noted that Mirror Lake was allowed to expand and added, “you can’t expand on non-conforming use.”

“We’re not looking to do anything other than what the zoning code allows,” she said. “Now, we’re back at step one. We’re going before the ZBA for a determination of use.”

The Milan Zoning Board of Appeals will hold its next meeting on Sept. 25 at 7:00 p.m., when further discussion of the project is expected.