A - Efforts to protect our community from big-box over-development
remain a priority issue in your evaluation of candidates for Town Board.
During these past two years, I and Councilpersons Dan Mackay and Doug
LaGrange have sought to pass an effective retail development size
cap, and move on to focus on the next phase of planning and zoning
revisions that will deliver the scale and type of development our
community desires. These past two years, we’ve been one vote shy
of securing the protection our community has called for while those larger
and more extensive zoning revisions occur – which is why we are supporting
Pat and Bill for Town Board.
State law requires that when a protest petition is filed by a percentage
of landowners impacted by a proposed zoning change (in this case, a size
cap on retail store size in the commercial zone), a supermajority vote of the
New Scotland Town Board is required to pass those zoning revisions.
Despite our community’s call for elected officials to represent the clear will
of many, many citizens in town, that fourth vote has not been forthcoming.
The results of the 2011 election are so critical to our efforts to finish this job
and move forward. If elected, Pat Snyder and Bill Hennessey are sincerely
committed to joining us to deliver the outcome our community has so clearly
called for. They will support an effective size cap on retail building size,
allowing us to bridge the gap to zoning revisions. They will bring significant
planning and zoning experience to a town board team that will be need to
be committed to and focused on critical revisions to our Comprehensive Plan
and zoning laws in 2012.
Residents of New Scotland are ready to move forward. We need (at least)
a fourth vote to do so. We also need creative, energetic, and knowledgeable
input from all five Town Board members to assure we pass zoning and planning
revisions that send a clear, consistent and positive message about the type,
form, and scale of development that will benefit our community character and
tax base.
So please review Pat and Bill’s qualifications and experience for the two Town Board seats.
Look for them campaigning door-to-door and reach out to them with your questions
about these critical planning needs and other issues before town government in the years ahead.
We are confident you will be impressed by their experience and commitment to serving
our New Scotland community.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Do you have a question you would like to ask Team New Scotland candidates? Please post a comment here and we will repost your question with an answer in a new post promptly. Thank you.