Irish Cultural Center’s plan awaits hearing

A second public hearing on the proposed Irish Cultural Center in the Rondout will be held by the city Planning Board on Nov. 2.

The hearing is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. at City Hall on Broadway.

Planning Board Chairman Wayne Platte said Friday that the second hearing is intended to give the public a chance to comment on a scaled-back plan for the project at 32 Abeel St.

“There has been a new submission that alters the size of the of the project,” Platte said. “We just want the public to have the chance to weigh in again on the changes in the proposal.”

The Planning Board will also continue its review of the project during its regular monthly meeting scheduled for Nov. 14.

At the first hearing, on Oct. 5, Planning Board members were asked by slightly more than half of the 34 speakers to declare that the project would have environmental impacts requiring mitigation or would disqualify the project altogether.

At that hearing, Irish Cultural Center supporters announced the proposed building would be narrowed by 3 feet, 2 inches and reduced by 1.5 feet in height.

Following the session, they said the project is anticipated to be reduced from 16,889 square feet to about 16,129 square feet.

Other changes include: building a theater with 174 seats, an 11-seat reduction; banquet hall with 120 seats, a 30-seat reduction; and a pub with 70 seats, a 10-seat reduction.

Associated parking requirements would be 54 spaces, a three-space reduction, leaving the project to require a zoning law waiver allowing 36 off-site spaces.

However, the reductions did not make a difference for at least 18 speakers at the Oct. 5 hearing, with many saying the center is a good idea, but in the wrong location.

The city Zoning Board of Appeals is waiting for survey information about property adjacent to the proposed Irish Cultural Center site before deciding whether a zoning determination supporting the project is correct.

Irish Cultural Center Hudson Valley purchased the property from Alan and Ruth Bendelius.