The 111 South Liberty Drive project is interesting on many levels. A developer buys a piece of property and wants to wring every possible dollar he can out of it. He’s out to make money. That’s his job. We should expect that.
But we should also expect that our town leaders will protect us from ill-suited projects, projects that erode our quality of life and projects that don’t fit into the long range plans for the future of Stony Point.
One speaker at the recent Planning Board meeting pointed out that Stony Point isn’t a suburban community, it’s a rural community. Close to half our town is Harriman State Park, we’re the gateway to Bear Mountain, West Point, and the Hudson Valley. How does a four story apartment building fit into this environment?
It doesn’t!
And that’s why the public has reacted the way it has.
But what about our town leaders? How did they let this project get as far as it has? Why are they granting and/or considering variances to existing zoning laws to accommodate it?
The 111 South Liberty Drive project brings into focus our lack of a real plan for the future of Stony Point. As was pointed out at the June Planning Board meeting our Master Zoning Plan is almost 30 years old.
You and I know that the issues we’re facing today aren’t the issues we were facing 30 years ago.
Are our leaders simply reacting to issues as they occur or are they getting out in front of them proactively?
What’s the five year plan for Stony Point? What goals do we have as a community? Are there any action plans? If so, what are they? How are we measuring our progress?
These, and others, are the questions that a healthy community addresses together.
These aren’t questions that a few people in charge should answer without input from those who put them in office and who they’re supposed to be serving.
Imagine you’re out to dinner and your waiter, who should be serving you, doesn’t bother to give you a menu and decides what meal you’re going to get without asking you.
No one would accept that.
So where’s the menu for Stony Point? What’s the plan?
If, as I suspect, there isn’t one, then let’s come together as a community to get started on creating it!
Pete