Residents form group to fight 168-unit apartment proposal in Newburgh

Seventeen Town of Newburgh residents gathered at the Goodwill firehouse to turn scattered opposition into a named organizing effort against a proposed apartment complex on Vermont and HyVue Drive. The new Elkay Partners Residential Development Community Group formed as the fight over the project moved deeper into environmental review, shifting the debate from a single hearing to a sustained push on local decision-makers.

The proposal calls for three apartment buildings with 168 total units, including 19 reserved for senior housing. It also includes a clubhouse and pool, details that have done little to calm neighbors who worry the scale of the development will strain sewage capacity, add traffic and alter nearby wildlife habitat. For opponents, the question is no longer just whether the project is large, but whether the town’s review process will fully account for what that density means on the ground in this part of Orange County.

The backlash has grown since a packed public hearing in November, when residents packed the room to voice those concerns. The petition against the development has climbed from more than 400 signatures in November to more than 600 by late April, giving opponents a visible measure of support as they try to show town officials the issue reaches well beyond a handful of neighbors. That kind of count can matter in a local land-use fight, where boards weigh public sentiment alongside planning documents and environmental findings.

At the meeting, Town of Newburgh Democratic Committee co-chair and Town Clerk candidate Jennifer Knox urged the group to create a website so residents could find the full project information in one place. Vanessa Tirado, the committee’s other co-chair, pushed members to keep showing up at Town of Newburgh Town Council meetings so officials continue to hear from residents who oppose the project. Petry, a group member, warned that if people do not have their ducks in a row, they will not get anywhere.

No follow-up meeting date was announced, but the formation of the group showed the opposition is becoming more organized as the review continues. That sets up a high-stakes local fight over how much housing the area can absorb, how much traffic and infrastructure strain residents will tolerate, and which town actions could still slow or advance a project that has already become a flashpoint in Newburgh.