Master Plan: Stony Point needs to better publicize public meetings

To the editor,

We applaud Supervisor Geoffrey Finn’s effort to kick start the review of proposed amendments to the Stony Point Comprehensive Plan – a review that has been plodding along, stop and go, for more than seven years during the terms of three town supervisors.

However, town board pubic hearings need to be better publicized and important documents must be made available to the public. The public hearing was opened at the last town board meeting on Tuesday, February 26 but was never publicized by the town on its website or in the press. While SPACE has reviewed the plan and submitted written comments, the town supervisor has the responsibility under NYS law to involve the public to the greatest extent possible. The town should better publicize its meeting. Some towns hold “town hall meetings” to inform the public of its plans. Sending a media release, placing a display ad in the local newspaper, posting a notice and making documents accessible to the public on the town website are necessary and would all be in keeping with the spirit and purpose of the New York State Open Meeting Law.

SPACE has provided written comments that support certain aspects of the plan and we oppose more controversial proposals, such as townhouses in rural zones and a weakening of the town’s tree protection laws – which seem more like a gift to developers than anything that would benefit our town residents.

Get more information by downloading a copy of the town’s proposed amendments and SPACE’s written comments at www.stonypointer.orgt and plan to attend the continued public hearing at Rho building on Tuesday, March 19 at 7 p.m.

George Potanovic, Jr.
President, SPACE
Stony Point Action Committee for the Environment
845-429-2020

[Note – a previous version of this article stated that the public hearing was on March 12. Stony Point board meetings are usually the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month, but this month there is only one meeting and it is on March 19]