Fishkill church met with opposition over plans to build apartments, child care facility on property

A church in Dutchess County wants to add a few more buildings to its property, but some neighbors are praying they don't.
Karen Finnegan with Keep Fishkill Beautiful is one of several residents who don't want to see the Church of Nazarene's project come to fruition as it stands.
"There's a lot of respect for the religious entities in this town," says Finnegan. "The only thing we're upset about is that they are going in and asking for variances and asking to break the law."
The plan is proposing an apartment building with over 100 units, a child care facility and a community park, all on the church's land. The land spans into both town and village property.
The church is requesting multiple variances and rezoning to get it all done.
According to Finnegan, she and others are worried that there will be more traffic in an already busy area along Route 52, worse drainage for water that could end up flooding residences and an eyesore in a residential area.
Her group's online petition has nearly 200 signatures in the weeks it has been up.
Pastor Ron Pankey says the project is designed to address needs like housing for the elderly and more child care.
"We have about 8 acres here. Most of it undeveloped. We began to look at how could we meet that need that's in the community," says Pankey.
Pankey says there are plans in place to address some concerns, like an easement for traffic and an intricate drainage system.
"We want to be good neighbors. We are looking at these things and doing our best to address the needs, along with our neighbors. We've been here 110 years. We don't plan on going anywhere," says Pankey.
The proposal goes before the Village of Fishkill's planning board next Thursday.