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The Vacant Lot NearYou Could be Next
Dear Editor:
I attended last week's Town Board meeting, where the CAC delivered their Open Space Index. The CAC has come a long way since I was a member, when Town officials all portrayed us as environmental nuts and our liaison, Planning Board chairman Ande Merante, treated us with the same arrogance and contempt that he now treats people like David Weinpahl. Over the last year Town officials have been vowing to make the CAC a board by November, which is next month. Is there any chance this will actually happen?
David Weinpahl and his Foundry Pond Road neighbors were also at last week's meeting, asking why Philipstown's Town, Zoning and Planning Boards, as well as several of its employees/consultants/lawyers, had all sided with a scofflaw New York City developer against them - not just once, but again and again.
Near the end of the meeting a Town Board supporter, who admitted he didn't know any of the facts, accused the neighbors of dreaming up some kind of conspiracy. The people who should be shouting about a conspiracy are the Board of the Village of Cold Spring, who sent a letter to Philipstown's Boards asking them to help protect their access to their reservoirs - then watched as Tim Miller, Glenn Watson, Tom Monroe and Ed Doyle took their access away and gave it to a New York City developer.
One of the things that struck me the most about last week's meeting was the way Bill Mazzuca plans to address these problems. Richard Shea talked about hiring a Town Engineer, since Tim Miller has no engineering degree (at least this was true the last time I checked and we the taxpayers pay him the big bucks). When I asked if that meant the town would get rid of Miller, Mazzuca snapped, "I'm not even going to answer that." So we would have a Town Planner and a Town Engineer. The Town Board has talked about hiring an Environmental Code Officer, since so many environmental violations are never addressed. So we would have a Building Inspector/Code Violations Officer plus an Environmental Code Officer.
Where is all this money coming from? As a businessman, this does not make good business sense. Why not just replace those who are not healthy to our environment, or who have blatant conflicts of interest? Why not just replace a few these cohorts?
Everyone who is worried about the effect bad development could have on their own property should call David Weinpahl and ask for his timeline, which chronicles in black and white every step of this mess since 2003. The DeVido development would make Foundry Pond into a congested, dangerous suburban road. The neighbors have spent 4 years and nearly $30,000 of their own money fighting it, and have watched Philipstown's current government and its cohorts bend over backward for the developer. Pay attention! The vacant lot next to you could be next.
A very important election is coming up in Philipstown. On November 6 you have a good choice, you can make a difference and you can make a change but you need to VOTE.
Rodney W Dow
Garrison
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