New Windsor Plans Water System Overhaul, Schedules Two Public Hearings

New Windsor officials unveiled a multistage plan on March 18 to address what they described as long-standing vulnerabilities in the town's water supply, setting the stage for two public hearings that will give residents a direct say in the project's direction.

Both hearings are scheduled for 7 p.m. on April 1 during the New Windsor Town Board meeting. The first will focus on proposed improvements to the Butterhill Water Treatment Plant. The second concerns an entirely new surface water treatment plant to be constructed at Stewart Airport.

The two-track approach signals the scope of the overhaul town officials believe is necessary. Butterhill, the existing treatment facility, would receive upgrades under the plan, while the proposed Stewart Airport plant would represent a new addition to the town's water infrastructure rather than a replacement or renovation of an existing site.

No costs, construction timelines, or engineering specifications have been publicly detailed at this stage. The April 1 hearings will be among the earliest formal opportunities for New Windsor residents to weigh in on both components before the Town Board takes further action.

The water supply announcement came during the same March 18 Town Board session in which members approved a five percent hotel/motel occupancy tax following a separate public hearing. Allan Miller of the Waterford Hotel Group spoke against that measure, arguing it "would place a burden on overnight guests and place the town at a competitive disadvantage. It would lower occupancy and entice guests to go elsewhere with a lower tax hit." Supervisor Stephen Bedetti countered that the move aligns with regional practice: "Orange County already charges an occupancy tax, as do the towns of Wallkill and Newburgh." The board also appointed Matthew Masterson as a police officer at the same meeting.

The April 1 Town Board meeting begins at 7 p.m., with both water-system hearings on the agenda.