86 ACRES OF FOREST LAND

Despite significant community opposition expressed for more than a year, the Town of Thompson Planning Board on Wednesday closed its public hearing and declared a negative declaration for Avon Commercial Park, the massive warehouse distribution facility project that is planned for the heart of Rock Hill.

"If an action is determined not to have significant adverse environmental impacts, a determination of nonsignificance (Negative Declaration) is prepared," according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

The project is being developed by Robert Berman, the former CEO of Empire Resorts.

The SullivanTimes has reported that the tenant for the two warehouses planned is FedEx but that was not independently confirmed. FedEx did not confirm or deny its intentions to occupy the future facility.

Below are some excerpts from the Environmental Assessment Form prepared by Glenn Smith, then project's engineer.

In one section, the applicant acknowledges that there will be an 86 percent reduction (from 161.6 acres to 75.37) in forest land that will result from the construction.

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