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L' <br />NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION <br />Division of Environmental Permits, Region 3 <br />21 South Putt Corners Road, New Paltz, NY 12561-1620 <br />P: (845) 256-3054 1 F: (845) 255-4659 <br />www.dec.ny.gov October 28, 2015 <br />David Wylock, Chairman <br />Town of Dover Planning Board <br />126 East Duncan Hill Road <br />Dover Plains, New York 12522 <br />RE: Lead Agency Circulation Response <br />Olivet Center — Phase I <br />Proposed Redevelopment of Harlem Valley, Psychiatric Center <br />Town of Dover, Dutchess County <br />Clearinghouse No. 6097 <br />Chairman Wylock: <br />We have reviewed the SEQR lead agency coordination request for the proposed Olivet <br />Center educational campus which we received September 29, 2015. As indicated in <br />circulated materials, the proposal would redevelop the former Harlem Valley Psychiatric <br />Center (HVPC) into Olivet Center, a college campus for Olivet University. The project is <br />located on the eastern side of NYS Route 22, and includes demolition of certain buildings, <br />rehabilitation and reuse of other existing structures, and construction of new facilities and <br />amenities on the 513 -acre site to support the proposed college campus. <br />From your circulation, we understand that the Planning Board of the Town of Dover <br />wishes to assume lead agency for the SEAR environmental review of this Type I action. <br />Based upon, the information contained in the lead agency circulation, DEC has no <br />objection to the Planning Board of the Town of Dover assuming lead agency for the <br />environmental review. In addition, we offer the following: <br />Prior Proposal for Development of the Site: Prior to the instant proposal, the Torn of <br />Dover Planning Board had acted as lead agency for SEQR review of the Knolls of Dover <br />proposed development, a separate Type I action which had previously been proposed at <br />the site. DEC, as an involved agency, provided substantive comment on a variety of <br />concerns throughout the coordinated SEQR review of the Dover Knolls proposal. DEC <br />also engaged the Knolls of Dover project sponsors in a series of productive discussions <br />to aid development of an environmentally sound project. As our prior comments on the <br />Dover Knolls project indicate, the site contains numerous protected natural resources. By <br />copy of this letter, we wish to draw attention to the information which was developed and <br />incorporated into project plans for the prior proposal (Dover Knolls). Project revisions <br />arrived at through those discussions resulted in a proposal designed appropriately to <br />avoid and minimize proposed impacts and disturbances to protected resources, including <br />wetlands and State -listed species found on the project site. We strongly encourage the <br />current project sponsors to utilize information developed for SEAR review f thtDove <br />Knolls project as a resource in planning the current proposal. d <br />NEW YORK Department of U O V 0 Fd 2015 <br />STAT[ OF <br />ovronTUMrr Environmental <br />Conservation <br />