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Mayor Responds to Concerns About Zoning Board
Dear Brian:
On Thursday evening, August 12, 2004, the Village of Cold Spring Zoning Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing on the application of Cold Spring Harbor, LLC, who is seeking to develop the old lumber yard property.
This public hearing was originally scheduled for July 14, 2004 but at the request of both the attorney for the applicant and the attorney for the zoning board, it was cancelled on the morning of July 13, 2004. The village clerk immediately called WHUD and asked them to air the cancellation on their radio station. She also asked the Putnam County News to place it on their web site. Public notices were placed at the fire house and at the village office, and phone calls were made to individuals in hopes that as many people as possible would get the word of the cancellation. Although the cancellation was an inconvenience, it was necessary.
My hope is that all interested parties get as much information that is available at the village office in order to form an opinion. The application and proposed site plan along with the village codes pertaining to the variances are available. The master plan is also available although the legality of the plan is questionable due to the fact it was never adopted by the Village Board.
Although I appreciate Mr. Teagle’s invitation to attend the public hearing, I respectfully decline. I have never attended a zoning board public hearing before and I see no reason to start now. I have the utmost confidence in the Zoning Board as I have with the Planning Board, Historical Review Board and Recreation Commission. And why shouldn’t I? Look around our village and see for yourself. The Grove (Loretto Rest) development was attacked in the same manner by the same individuals and look how well it turned out. These volunteers deserve the thanks from all residents for the time they put in for the benefit of our village.
If Teagle or anyone else wants to "target" the Village Board, we have three workshops and one regular board meeting every month. Kindly stop by. Mr. Teagle had no problem finding my office a few months back to seek leniency when he had been cited for major building violations during the renovation of his home, but I guess it is a little different when you need an audience to vent your frustration.
While it is our right to form our own opinion and in some instances, use our imagination to alter the facts to make them more questionable, we do not have the right to force our opinions down our neighbors’ throats and verbally abuse them if they disagree.
I continue to believe we all have the same goal - our lovely village. Let us approach our differences in a civil and neighbor friendly manner.
Mayor Anthony Phillips
Village of Cold Spring
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