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General News: Calls for Master Plan Review Grow Louder
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| Architect Jeffrey Small called for progress on the master plan document. |
November 19, 2008
The public comment session of Monday’s village board meeting was lively, with several members of the master plan committee present to press the board to take action on the document.
Architect Jeffrey Small, who volunteered dozens of hours to create the proposed design guidelines that would preserve architectural and historic features of the village, spoke first. He told the board that the current zoning code is a disaster waiting to happen and that new codes can be written after the master plan is adopted.
Mayor Joseph Gross told Small that he has been in touch with a representative of the Orange County Planning Board about putting together a review of where the process stands.
Lee Murphy, who served as the chairman of the master plan committee, reminded the mayor that he had assured the public two months ago that he wanted to address the issues raised in the document.
“We have a plan that we worked on for two years and we would like to see it on the agenda,” Murphy told the mayor. “Don’t say you’ll do it – do it!.”
Jeffrey Small, who also serves on the village planning board along with Murphy, said that he would make it a priority and drop everything to meet with the board members to explain how the committee came up with some of the proposals. Another planning board member, Andrew Argenio, said he has several reservations about the document, including the fact that no green building practices had been recommended in it. He also frowned on the idea of the Mary Powell dock and a two-story underground parking garage, wondering where the money for that would come from.
Small acknowledged that these are good points, but he reminded the board that the issues cannot be addressed if the process is at a standstill.
Trustee Rick Gioia said he had been put off at first by the idea of the master plan because he thought that no changes could be made to it and he welcomed a dialogue. He said he would not be opposed to meeting with the zoning and planning boards to begin to address issues. “It would be nice if this was more a reflection of the trustees,” Gioia said. “and could include quality of life issues that I think are important.”
The master plan committee members were appointed by former mayor Ed Moulton, including Barbara Gosda, before she was elected trustee.
On Monday, one member of the public, Tom Gordon, asked trustee Gosda why she hadn’t used her position on the board to be more of an advocate for the master plan. Gosda explained that the master plan document is very involved and would require a lot of time to delve into. “There’s been a time lapse because of other issues being in the forefront,” she said. “We’re not backing up, we’re moving forward.”
Mayor Gross later said that his chief concern is about the cost of reviewing the plan. He said $20,000 in legal fees had already been incurred while drafting the plan and he noted that he has asked the village attorney to do an estimate of future legal and consulting costs. “We need to have a better understanding of where the money is going,” the mayor said in a phone interview. “The notion of making a snap discussion is a thing of the past. It takes time.”
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