Woodbury, Orange County, New York

Woodbury is a town and village (Woodbury was created into a village in August 2006) in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 9,460 at the 2000 census. The origin of the town name is no longer known.

The Town of Woodbury is in the southeastern part of the county.

History

The region was once called Woodbury Clove ("valley"). The Town of Woodbury was incorporated in 1889 (the town was originally created in 1863, but was dissolved soon afterwards).

The Town of Woodbury, which comprises the hamlets of Central Valley and Highland Mills; and the area which was formerly known as the hamlet of Woodbury Falls, was officially created on December 19, 1889, by an act of the Orange County Board of Supervisors. The first town meeting was held the following year on March 4th with John A. Patterson presiding as Supervisor. The second Supervisor was James Seaman. Even though the land is no longer used for farming, the Seaman family property can still be identified by a sign which reads “Sweet Clover Farm” along Route 32 on the northern end of town.

The Town of Woodbury was actually created twice - the first time in 1863 when the Board of Supervisors approved the division of Monroe into the three communities of Monroe, Southfields and Highland. The Highland portion was what would become Woodbury in 1889. Objections to this arose and two years later the Legislature was asked to overrule the Board's decision which it did by recreating the old Town of Monroe. In 1889 the Board of Supervisors reinstated the original separation and the town now known as Woodbury was reborn.

Woodbury had gone through numerous geographic and name changes prior to its incorporation in 1889. Until 1764, the area was part of an enlarged Goshen. In that year, Goshen was divided into two parts with Woodbury becoming part of Cornwall. During the American Revolution, the area was shown on maps as Woodbury Clove. By 1799, Cornwall was also divided with Woodbury joining the present day Monroe and Tuxedo to become the Town of Cheesekook. This name was changed to Smithfield or Southfield and in 1808 became Monroe in honor of the newly elected United States President James Monroe. (The last sentence is per the legend, however, Thomas Jefferson was the President of the United States at the time (1808); James Madison served from 1817-1825 and is best known for the Monroe Doctrine. Some believe it was named in 1808 after a local family with a different spelling, and changed later to honor the President. Or maybe it is a typo and should be 1818.)

No one is quite sure of the derivation of the name “Woodbury.” Some say it may have come from the Dutch word "wode" for wood and meaning a dwelling place in the woods. Others claim that the many English families who settled here bestowed the name of a famous English family named Woodbury upon the area. As for the hamlets, Central Valley and Highland Mills were once called Lower Smith's Clove (clove meaning valley). Highland Mills was also known as Orange Post Office, but the residents changed it in 1824 with the present name most likely reflecting the watermills, flour, and tannery businesses in the area. A map dated about 1790 shows Woodbury Falls as being called Smithfields. It may have later taken its name from the once lovely falls there. The First Cuban President Thomas Estrada Palma lived in Central Valley. Estrada Road was named in his honor.

In addition to the flour and grist mills, the area's industry was dominated by a large tourism business as well as a famous fly rod (fishing rod) manufacturing business. Woodbury was the home to both the Payne Rod Company and the Leonard Rod Company.

The town's major attraction is Woodbury Common Premium Outlets, one of the largest outlet malls in the world. People visit the area from Japan, China, Europe, and the Americas. This large shopping boom in the area, which began in the 1980s, has inspired major construction projects including Wal-Mart, Home Depot, BJ's Wholesale Club, many chain restaurants, car dealerships, other retailers, as well as many other projects in the works. This has brought on much conflict and controversy with the local residents as well as the surrounding municipalities. The Town of Woodbury and Orange County, NY is prospering and from this new economic boom. Along with the revenue produced, it has made commuting on local roads almost impossible on big holiday shopping days like Black Friday.

On August 11, 2006, residents voted overwhelmingly to incorporate all of the town save that portion in Harriman as the Village of Woodbury. At the time it was believed by many that this would save the town from annexation by the neighboring Village of Kiryas Joel, which it was later learned, would have little effect on such a circumstance. Organizers of the effort to create the village now claim the village movement was established to protect the town from another village being created inside the Town of Woodbury.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 37.2 square miles (96.3 km²), of which, 36.2 square miles (93.7 km²) of it is land and 1.0 square miles (2.6 km²) of it (2.72%) is water.

The town is west of West Point, the United States Military Academy. Interstate 87 as well as NY-17 (future Interstate 86), NY-32, and US Route 6 pass through the town.

Schunnemunk Mountain defines part of the west town line.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 9,460 people, 3,117 households, and 2,546 families residing in the town. The population density was 261.6 people per square mile (101.0/km²). There were 3,358 housing units at an average density of 92.9/sq mi (35.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 90.18% White, 3.03% African American, 0.29% Native American, 2.60% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.21% from other races, and 1.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.94% of the population.

There were 3,117 households out of which 46.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.9% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.3% were non-families. 15.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.03 and the average family size was 3.39.

In the town the population was spread out with 30.9% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 7.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $79,087, and the median income for a family was $84,156. Males had a median income of $59,744 versus $37,695 for females. The per capita income for the town was $28,566. About 1.8% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 1.6% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in Woodbury

* Central Valley -- A hamlet south of Highland Mills on NY-32.
* Coronet Lake -- A small lake partly in the town at the southwest town line.
* Cromwell Lake -- A small lake northwest of Central Valley.
* Highland Mills -- A hamlet west of Interstate 87 on NY-32.
* Harriman -- Part of the Village of Harriman is on the south town line at the junction on Interstate 87 and NY-17.
* Lebanon -- A hamlet in the western part of Woodbury on Shunnemunk Mountain.
*Newburgh Junction -- A hamlet at the southern tip of the town on NY-17.
* Thevenet Hall -- A location by the west town line.
* Woodbury -- The hamlet of Woodbury is north of Highland Mills on NY-32.

Political Representation

Woodbury is located in the 19th Congressional District of New York and is represented by Representative John Hall, (D).

In state politics the town is in the 39th Senatorial District, represented by William Larkin (R)and in the 96th State Assembly District represented by Nancy Calhoun (R).

The community is split into three County Legislative Districts: the 1st District, represented by Michael Amo (I),(Michael Amo switched from a Republican party member to an Independence Party member in 2007), the 12th District represented by A. Alan Seidman (R) and the 14th District represented by Roxanne Donnery (D).

The town is further divided into ten election districts. each of which elects two enrolled individuals from the Republican, Democratic and Conservative parties to represent those enrolled voters in any of those three parties at local and county party caucuses.

Town & Village Officials

The 2008 Town and Village Officials of Woodbury are as follows:

The Town of Woodbury has primarily been a town dominated by Republicans. However, Democrats won control of the Town Board for the first time in over 20 years at the 2007 elections.

Town:

Supervisor-John Burke (D)

Deputy Supervisor- (?)

Town Clerk/Registrar-Desiree Potvin (R)

Town Justices-David Levinson (D) & David Hasin (R)

Town Board-Michael Queenan (R),Geraldine Gianzero (R), Amidee T Haviland (D), Carlton L Levine (D)

Tax Collector-Carol Herb (R)

Highway Superintendent-Peter Stabile (R)

Village:

Village officials are elected on Independent party ballots. The two primary village parties are the Woodbury CommUNITY Party and the Woodbury Preservation Party.

Mayor-Stephanie Berean-Weeks (CommUNITY)- March 2006 to Present.

Deputy Mayor-Joann Stabile (CommUNITY)-March 2006 to Present

Village Board-Neil Crouse (CommUNITY)- Elected March 2006 and re-elected March 2008,

Joann Stabile (CommUNITY)-March 2006 to Present

Patrick Kinney (CommUNITY)-March 2006 to Present, Richard Jackson (CommUNITY) March 2008 to Present

Village Attorney-Richard Golden

Village Clerk/Registrar/Treasurer-Desiree Potvin

Deputy Village Clerk/Registrar-James Booth

Former Town Supervisors

The following have served as Town Supervisor of Woodbury either by election or on an acting basis since the founding of the town. Between 1890 and 1969 the supervisor serving represented the town on the old Orange County Board of Supervisors which was the governing body of the county until December 31, 1969 when charter government took effect.

1890-1899 John Patterson (R)

1900-1905 James Seaman (R)

1906-1907 Alexander Thompson (R)

1908-1909 William Ferguson (R)

1910-1921 Richard Bullwinkle (R)

1922-1930 William McClellan (R) (Died in Office-November 2, 1930)

1930-1933 Norman C. Lawson (R) (Appointed to fill vacancy then elected)

1934-1935 Walter Doscher (D)

1936-1947 Howard B. Gregory (R)

1948-1957 Walter H. Belding (R)

1958-1967 Stephen W. Hayes, Sr. (D)

1968-1981 Louis R. "Bud" Burgunder (R) (First Time)

1982-1985 Lawrence Bayard (D) (Resigned)

1985 Marie Brickley, Dep. Supervisor (D) (Acting)

1985 Louis R. "Bud" Burgunder (R) (Second Time/Acting)

1986-1995 Robert Till (R)

1996-1999 Joan Caruso (R)

2000 Jay Gubernick (R)(Died in Office-November 2, 2000)

2000-2001 Henry J. Dobson, Dep. Supervisor (R) (Acting)

2001 Theodore Jones, (R) (Acting)

2002-2005 Sheila Conroy (R)

2006-Pres.John Burke (D)

Major Issues

Traffic

Pollution

Taxes

Woodbury Common Outlets produces major sales tax revenue for Orange County, but the residents of Woodbury are burdened with unbearable traffic congestion and pollution from car exhaust especially during peak holiday shopping periods. The amount of sales tax revenue that is returned to the town is viewed by some as inadequate. The Woodbury Police force is constantly being called to handle shoplifting and other crime problems that Woodbury Common Outlets is saddled with. The NYS DOT is currently undertaking a 30 Million Dollar project to redirect traffic flow to try and ease the unsafe conditions that arise on peak shopping weekends. Recent changes to 5 local zoning laws that were implemented in 2006 have allowed local developers to build more homes than originally allowed in return for the builder to donate land to the town, clustering and senior housing.

In 2008 now under control of the Village of Woodbury, another Developer has come before the Village board and requested a change to other laws that would allow the builder to raise the number of homes from 113 to 287. The Village board has not made a final decision as of 3/25/08.

References

External links

* http://www.townofwoodbury.com/home.shtml