362 town houses and condos proposed in Vernon

Vernon-Residents crowded into the Municipal Building's conference room late last week for the first of three special Zoning Board meetings on the proposed development of a 640-acre tract of land surrounding the current Legends Resort and Spa in McAfee. The Vernon Zoning Board convened a special meeting to discuss the most recent plans and designs for the proposed Crystal Springs development, which included a modified layout and design. Originally conceived in 1989, the new overall site plan proposes the construction of 362 town houses and condominiums, reserving the right to increase that number to 398 units, in four sections, according to George Deirreik of Langen Engineering. The four sections included in the current plan are west of Route 517 with 157 units, north of Route 94 above the cliffs of the old quarry with 147 units, the area between the railroad and Route 94 with 42 units, and the Legends Hotel and parking area with 16 units. The plan suggests the renovation of the old stone house in section one to a community recreational amenity, the preservation of the old barn in section three and a proposed 16 units facing the tennis courts in zone four. The units are to be divided into three types of building pods with from one to three bedrooms. According to Stanley Forrest, the architect being used by Spring Creek Holding Company Inc.'s joint venture with the Japanese firm Shinnihon USA, the units will all be "very high-end products meant to compliment the area and designed for resort-type use." Each unit would have the same interior design and is planned to open as a fully furbished resort residence. The proposed pods, however, will not be as similar as the units, with garages being suggested in only approximately 70 proposed of the pods. Most units are planned to have a one-car garage and a private parking lot space, while all other parking would have street parking. The envisioned "resort oriented community" would include pools, tennis courts, golf courses, hiking trails, biking trails and playgrounds. The developers also plan to include grading, utilities and road management for the resort area. This includes establishment of a water supply as an extension of the Stone Hill Water System. Also presented to the board and the public were artist renderings of the proposed exteriors of the pods as well as the renovations of the Legends hotel.