Believes project will help with taxes
Christina Amato offered a positive opinion of the company that wants to develop the land her father owned in Cornwall. “We’re encouraged by their ability to do this project if that’s what makes Cornwall happy,” she said. “Our sentimentality doesn’t matter…. The project would help with taxes. So I hope the Town moves quickly.”
The would-be buyer is Tree Top Management. Their plan is to build warehouses on the property that would have been used for a residential development that included senior housing.
Ms. Amato’s said her father (Joe Amato) purchased the property in 1999 and invested $7.5 million in it.
“I think it [Cornwall Commons] would have been a beautiful project for Cornwall,” she told me.
Cornwall Commons was introduced to the town and school district as a Planned Adult Community for residents age 55 and above. It would have included a clubhouse and recreational facilities.
But the plans changed about a dozen years ago during the economic downturn. The developer proposed a mixture of senior housing and units available to people of any age.
The Town’s administration was reluctant to accept the change – fearing an increase in the school population might lead to an increase in school taxes.
The discussions were often rancorous – especially after Mr. Amato passed away and his daughter became the spokesperson for the project. “There was a lot of emotional frustration,” she recalled.
She had allies, but they were often “no shows.”
“People would call to offer their support,” she explained, “but they didn’t have time to come to the meetings. You have to come out. And that’s a hard thing.”
After the Town’s comprehensive plan was revised, the Town Board imposed a land-use moratorium and changed the zoning for the Commons property from residential to industrial. At a public hearing, Ms. Amato and her brother argued against the change without success.
The new zoning opened the door for the Tree Top proposal. The company will purchase the land if it can get the necessary approvals.
“It would be great for the Town,” Ms. Amato admits, “but on a sentimental note it’s a little bittersweet.”
Her feelings, however, don’t keep her from endorsing Tree Top Management. “They’re very experienced,” she observed, “very reputable and it’s an impressive project.”
Ms. Amato is looking after two homes these days.
Along with her dog, she’s taken over her parents’ home in Cornwall and she’s restored an historic dwelling in the City of Newburgh.
The dog prefers Cornwall, but its owner loves the architecture and the community in Newburgh. She admits to having “zero interest in politics,” but that hasn’t kept her from becoming a candidate in Ward 1. She’s running on the Republican line and a line that she created. It’s called “Newburgh Forward.”
She’s running because the city government’s reaction to economic problems is to “raise taxes and cut services.” Christina Amato has a master’s degree in finance and is well-acquainted with the issues. If elected, she believes she can help.
