Kingstonian Public Hearing Continues to Spur Debate

By Miranda Reale

KINGSTON – Despite controversy that has surrounded the $60 million mixed-use development known as the Kingstonian, last Tuesday’s public meeting drew a low turnout. Public comments from eight residents and three written comments kept the meeting short, though not all too sweet. Of the speakers, just two were in support of the project.

Opposition expressed concern that the development is not in line with the initial draft of the city’s revised zoning code. Released on the same day as the hearing was held, the draft code addresses community goals and will impact all future development in the city of Kingston. “This is the first draft of the new zoning code and map, and incorporates much of the feedback that we have received from residents since the rezoning process began. This draft will go through several revisions before being considered by the Common Council this fall,” said Mayor Noble. “As we’ve seen in other communities, form-based code is a proven framework for guiding neighborhood change while preserving the unique assets and character of a community. We look forward to hearing robust feedback from the community, as this will ultimately affect every Kingston resident,” he continued in a press release.

The last time the planning board reviewed the Kingstonian project was in 2020 and in March of this year, the Kingstonian cleared more hurdles after securing approvals from two historic review boards, the Heritage Area Commission and the Kingston Historic Landmarks Preservation Commission. An approved plan to combine properties and demolish buildings, the project is set on the development of 143 apartments, a 427-space parking garage, a boutique hotel, and nearly 9,000 square feet of retail space. The projected site lies where Wall and Fair streets meet North Front Street.

Spurring multiple lawsuits and dividing city residents since its first proposal back in 2017, the project has made some increasingly resistant. Board of Education President James F. Shaughnessy Jr., expressed his concern. “I’m no more in favor of the project now than I was three, four years ago when I first heard about it,” he said. Nanette Bourne, an urban planning consultant hired by the William Gottlieb Real Estate Group, spoke of the potential she sees. “The Kingstonian would be a catalytic project that would reinvigorate the area,” she said, but ultimately Bourne could not support its development. “There are two parts to the proposed plan that will seriously miss the city’s planning goals and are contrary to the working principles of your form based code,” she continued. The two areas Bourne finds most concerning are the termination of Wall St. at North Front St. As well as the impact on Schwenk Dr. “These two parts are in conflict with the goals of Kingston 2025, and could be a lost opportunity to slow down, and calm traffic with traffic-calming strategies that would create a more walk-able area,” she said.

Last month, the Kingston planning board passed the project to the Ulster County planning board and city agencies for feedback and recommendations.