Planning board approves pavilion at Vassar Farm; county referral noted
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Summary
The board granted site plan approval for a roughly 55-by-44‑foot pavilion at Vassar Farm Lane, citing the structure’s role as a multi‑purpose landing for farm distribution, school groups and to reduce vehicular circulation; the Dutchess County department called the project a matter of local concern.
The Poughkeepsie Planning Board voted July 21 to approve a new pavilion at Vassar Farm and Preserve, a multi‑purpose wood structure intended as a distribution and gathering point for the Poughkeepsie Farm Project and for school and community groups.
Project plans show a roughly 55‑by‑44‑foot timber pavilion with a stone‑dust landing, a short pedestrian rail head and an improved crosswalk from the adjacent parking lot. Vassar College representatives said the pavilion will replace an existing temporary tented distribution point and create a safer, more obvious entrance that draws visitors into the farm and preserve.
"We found that it's kind of this hidden, no man's zone. . . . We came up with this idea that it would be nice to kind of create a landing zone for people coming to visit the PFP," said Brian Corrigan, campus architect for Vassar College, describing the project's goals to increase visibility and pedestrian safety.
The board’s resolution incorporates a Dutchess County Department of Planning and Development comment letter that characterized the proposed project as a matter of local concern. The planning resolution classified the action as Type II for SEQRA purposes and required that the applicant submit an as‑built plan set prior to final certificate of occupancy for certification of compliance with the planning board approval. The project team said design documents are at construction‑bid stage and that state grant funds are in place.
Why it matters: The pavilion is a small, publicly accessible piece of infrastructure intended to support on‑farm distribution, educational programming and to reduce vehicle circulation within the farm area. The board attached standard department sign‑offs and a requirement for as‑built documentation before occupancy.