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General News: Public Comments on Proposed Master Plan
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| Chair Lee Murphy addresses the crowd |
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| Jeff Small (center) explained zoning and design |
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| Nancy Bryan spoke out for the fire siren |
April 15, 2007
A crowd of fifty people turned out to the Storm King Fire Engine Company on Saturday morning for a public hearing on the proposed village master plan. In a well-mannered and congenial atmosphere, people shared their views on what changes they would like to see in the community and everyone learned more about the steps that lay ahead.
Master plan committee chair Lee Murphy opened the discussion by telling people that the proposed plan should be viewed as part of a democratic process, not tablets brought down by Moses from mountain. He reminded people that change was inevitable but encouraged people to have a voice in that change.
Members of the committee presented different recommendations made in the document, then people in the audience spoke, expressing their opinions either for or against it.
Jeff Small, a professional architect and committee member, addressed some of the issues raised by village attorney Howard Protter about the impact of larger lot sizes on the availability on affordable housing for seniors and others. Small said that the committee was mostly concerned with “balancing healthy growth with the need to protect our established neighborhoods.” He also noted that any zoning change would still have to be adopted by the village board, giving individuals a chance to participate before any change is made.
Zoning was on the mind of Rick Gioia, who recently lost a bid for village trustee. He questioned why he had not been notified of zoning changes that allowed for new construction across from his residence on Hudson Street. Gioia also spoke later in favor of restricting the emptying of dumpsters during early morning hours and for restricting national chains from opening stores that compete with locally-owned businesses.
Attorney Protter had also recommended that the committee define the character of the village and Small said that its character had been discussed throughout the document. Murphy added that there cannot be a single definition. “For some it is the location near the river, for some, it’s the housing stock. It’s different for different people,” he said.
Michael Trainor, an employee of the village water department, noted that only five of the 20 village employees live in the village because the housing prices are so high. He said that the proposed 1,000 square foot accessory apartments would not be large enough for a family.
Mel Johnson, whose family once owned property on Cornwall Landing, proposed that a hamlet could be created in that area once again, with a housing and a small grocery store. Johnson envisioned the village returning to its roots, with small stores within walking or biking distance in what he called the ‘post-automotive age.”
The master plan committee re-iterated its interest in building a permanent dock at the landing, and committee chair Murphy said it could be done for less money than a floating dock. Frank Vogel, who spoke often throughout the three-hour meeting, questioned how the village would pay for maintenance and repair. Suggestions of getting grant money and volunteer labor both were heard.
Gary Haugland stressed that any changes at the waterfront should have the “lowest possible impact” and he proposed working with the New York State Greenway to create water trails. Access to the undeveloped village property north of Donahue Park also was raised as a problem, as was the limited amount of parking at the riverfront.
Ed Flynn pointed to the threat of increased traffic on Shore Road once the Cornwall Commons development is built and chair Lee Murphy said that the development of Stewart Airport was “an elephant in the closet” that will impact the village without a doubt.
Traffic safety in the village, particularly at the intersection of Duncan Avenue and Hudson Street was noted, with no specific solution introduced.
Perhaps the high point of the meeting was an impassioned plea by Nancy Bryan of the Storm King Fire Engine Company in support of the fire siren. The committee had recommended that the siren be replaced by a paging system because of the sound posed a potential health hazard to people living nearby.
“To think that the siren is annoying,” she said, “I would say shame on anyone who thinks that. It is a travesty that it is even a recommendation.”
Her words were greeted by applause and the committee members agreed on the spot that the recommendation deserved closer review, especially after fire chief Jeff Armitage noted that the department had taken steps to reduce the decibel level and the number of cycles of the siren.
The master plan committee also presented its interest in enhancing the view of the Hudson River from public roadways, like Hudson Street, which would require the removal or trimming of trees. Tara Hoffmann noted that the view of Storm King Mountain should be considered as well. Barbara Gioia put in a word for protecting trees, especially older ones that enhance the beauty of the place, and Kirk McDonald noted that some property owners scar the view of the village from the river by clear-cutting in front of their homes.
There was little objection to the proposed design guidelines, which committee member Jeff Small said are designed to protect the scale of the neighborhood, not to be edicts of the ‘design police.”
Murphy wrapped up the discussion by acknowledging the support he received from the committee members and he encouraged the public to stay with the process and be part of future deliberations with the trustees and mayor.
He said that the committee would likely hold one more meeting to incorporate the comments from the public hearing before turning over the final document to the village.
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