No Warehouses
Certain businesses just don't belong in a rural community. I'll fight hard to keep them out of Goshen. There are good reasons that residents in every town in Orange County are fighting against warehouses. Let's take a look at a few.
Pollution
Warehouses attract heavy-duty trucks, which are significant sources of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a respiratory irritant and a diesel byproduct. Studies have shown that NO2 levels near warehouses can be 20% higher than in other areas. This increased NO2 pollution can contribute to respiratory illnesses like asthma and other health problems.
Noise
The constant flow of trucks, forklifts, and other machinery in and around warehouses creates a significant amount of noise, which can disrupt residents and potentially impact their health. Interrupted sleep leads to learning disabilities in children and manifests as stress and anxiety in adults. Who would vote for this?
Traffic
At the April 10th 2025 Town Board meeting, our very own Town Supervisor said the traffic on Rt 17 M is horrible. You've been on that road and already know this. What elected official in their right mind would add to this misery?
We've all seen the increase in large commercial vehicles on the roads surrounding our neighborhoods. Tractor trailers and dump trucks are everywhere. Putting up warehouses specifically designed to bring in more of these vehicles will make it intolerable.
No Jobs
The companies that build these warehouses brag that they are designed with automated systems. Conveyors moving packages throughout the building. Everywhere they can replace a paid worker with a machine, they do it. The traditional model of the warehouse that employed local labor is gone.
PILOT Programs
Payment In Lieu Of Taxes has become so normalized that these companies expect it. So instead of paying their full share of taxes, they get an agreement to pay only a percentage for a certain number of years. What used to be 5 year PILOT programs have now been stretched to 30 years! I'm paying my full share or taxes. You're paying full freight too. The audacity that these companies want us to subsidize their multi million dollar businesses with our tax dollars astounds me! In other words, we have to pay for the privilege to have these warehouses clog our roadways, pollute the air and keep us awake all night? Absolutely not!
What's the Upside?
I've tried my best to find a silver lining here. The only ones who make out on this deal are the foreign companies that build these warehouses and leave. That's right, they leave. They don't live here and they don't have to put up with the misery they leave behind. They are tourists, not locals.
When the Town approves a new business, they do it because there is an overall good. On the overall, these warehouses are bad for the town.