Last week’s Times Union ran a story about North Greenbush receiving a $36,000 State Grant to revitalize existing brownstone buildings along the Main Avenue Corridor. The grant was applied for in May 2006 after much work by town resident Steve Kirk, a professional planner, Richard Fennelly as then Chair of the Comprehensive Plan Committee and then town staffer CB Smith. The grant was first brought to the attention of the town by Alan Michaels through his association with Mr. Kirk.
Did we say that CB worked on this one? Yes we did, in fact he delivered the final signed product to Albany on the deadline in May for submission. It seems the town supervisor was slow in affixing his signature to the application. But doesn’t that make the Supervisor look a wee bit silly when he claims Smith had a no show job?
Those lies will catch up with you. So too will the failure of this blank check development town board majority to adopt the Comprehensive Plan and in effect politicize the document by stacking the committee with political supporters and relatives. Seems the State Grant was awarded in large part because of the town’s stated commitment to adopting the Comprehensive Plan upon its completion. In fact, the town’s application clearly states that “the Plan will play a significant role in the development of the three phases of the town’s BOA project”.
Without that commitment to the plan as stated in the application, the town could not receive the grant. Better yet, this is just the beginning of what is likely to be hundreds of thousands of dollars needed to clean up pollution sites along Main Avenue which are critical first steps to revitalizing main avenue as a principle economic corridor of the town as identified in the comprehensive plan.
Here is an excerpt from the town’s application:
Did we say that CB worked on this one? Yes we did, in fact he delivered the final signed product to Albany on the deadline in May for submission. It seems the town supervisor was slow in affixing his signature to the application. But doesn’t that make the Supervisor look a wee bit silly when he claims Smith had a no show job?
Those lies will catch up with you. So too will the failure of this blank check development town board majority to adopt the Comprehensive Plan and in effect politicize the document by stacking the committee with political supporters and relatives. Seems the State Grant was awarded in large part because of the town’s stated commitment to adopting the Comprehensive Plan upon its completion. In fact, the town’s application clearly states that “the Plan will play a significant role in the development of the three phases of the town’s BOA project”.
Without that commitment to the plan as stated in the application, the town could not receive the grant. Better yet, this is just the beginning of what is likely to be hundreds of thousands of dollars needed to clean up pollution sites along Main Avenue which are critical first steps to revitalizing main avenue as a principle economic corridor of the town as identified in the comprehensive plan.
Here is an excerpt from the town’s application:
3. COMPLIMENTARY PROJECTS
The Town of North Greenbush currently does not have a Comprehensive Plan in place.
The most recent attempt to introduce a Comprehensive Plan took place in 1997. The Plan attempted to identify and assess community and economic development needs while trying to maintain a rural quality of life. The Plan was never adopted by the Town Board and has remained dormant for many years. A copy of the first effort has been included in the appendix of this application.
The Town of North Greenbush currently does not have a Comprehensive Plan in place.
The most recent attempt to introduce a Comprehensive Plan took place in 1997. The Plan attempted to identify and assess community and economic development needs while trying to maintain a rural quality of life. The Plan was never adopted by the Town Board and has remained dormant for many years. A copy of the first effort has been included in the appendix of this application.
The Town Board introduced a new effort to complete a Comprehensive Plan for the Town of North Greenbush. In February of 2006, the Town created the Comprehensive Plan Committee, a group of residents that have been selected to represent all of the voting districts within the Town.
The committee has accomplished a great deal in laying a base for the creation of a Comprehensive Plan. The committee designed, distributed and collected community survey forms that were designed to glean opinions from residents regarding a variety of issues, including housing, business and commercial development and related concerns. The committee is now in the process of analyzing this data.
The recent comprehensive plan effort dovetails nicely with the proposed BOA project. The committee has already identified the Main Avenue corridor as an underutilized zone that can be developed into a neighborhood commercial area that will boost the economic presence of the entire town.
The Town is committed to adopting this comprehensive plan upon its completion.
Certainly the comprehensive Plan will play a significant role in the development of the three phases of the Town’s BOA project.
So continue to sit on the Comprehensive Plan Mr.’s Evers, Spain, Desso and Kern. Risk all that money coming to clean up Main Avenue so you can help out your developer buddies.
Certainly the comprehensive Plan will play a significant role in the development of the three phases of the Town’s BOA project.
So continue to sit on the Comprehensive Plan Mr.’s Evers, Spain, Desso and Kern. Risk all that money coming to clean up Main Avenue so you can help out your developer buddies.
Board Meeting Footnote: Last night, the Evers Four managed to vote 4-1 to prevent a vote to consider adopting the Comprehensive Plan. They displayed a wealth of misinformed, inaccurate information which they presented as if they actually knew how to spell. Special mention must go to Councilman Ernie Kern, man of a thousand unkept pledges including support for the Comprehensive Plan, for his totally off the wall recitation of non facts as reasons he does not support the plan. Gee, he is special!
We'll have more on the board meeting Monday after we get a full accounting of the ayes and nays.
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