Again closing the public hearing should not be viewed by the public as an approval of the project…. The public is urged to forward any information or letters of concern to the planning board.
We, on the planning board, are charged with balancing the needs of the community, the rights of the property owners and the impact on our resources. We should also consider, as Abraham Lincoln said at his second inaugural address “to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan.” For example….what will happen when disabled veterans begin to come home and, depending on circumstances, may need subsidized housing? Are we going to tell them sorry, no room at the inn? Certainly Ms. Ciarlante does not suggest the planning board discriminate against a class of people?
In the meantime I urge all of you to ‘google’ SEQRA forms and read the information for yourself and then consider if the planning board is doing their job or not. Don’t take any letter to the editor, including this one, as the whole truth and nothing but the truth as you need to research the information yourself and not rely on half the facts or half the story. There is an order to things and closing the public hearing was the right way to go in this instance, in my opinion, and in the opinion of at least three other members on the board. We’re all in this together.
Respectfully,
C.Howard Post, Chairman, Town of Saugerties Planning Board
