Open Letter to the Howard Post, Chair
Saugerties Planning Board,
Since we members of SACRED (Saugerties Assertive Citizens for Responsible Economic Development) and other private citizens attend all of your monthly meetings we have been ordered to keep quiet when we had serious concerns while you and some others on the planning board appear to be serenaded by the staff of Preatorius and Conrad Engineering firm. In August you decided to eliminate public oral comment and restrict it to written comment however, we have not received one response from you about the written concerns which have been given to you. I should not have been surprised to read in Mr. Post’s interview by Ariel Dangler in which you say, “They pretty much have all their paperwork submitted; the developer, at this point, is simply adjusting its site plan to include recommendations from the Planning Board. Post said the recommendations were for minor changes, like marking the location of fire hydrants.”
We the people of Saugerties depend on your best judgment when approving the construction of projects. Nor does it appear that you seriously considered the reports from the Ulster County Planning Board. Rather you rely on what project engineers and the developer tells you. When Planning Board member Mike Tiano questioned the developers plan for the safety of fire trucks driving on pavers you silenced him and the question was never answered.
It now public knowledge that land owner, Mike Vallarella has beenthreatening law suits to some who oppose his plan to sell this pristine land to Reagan Development Corporation. Who can blame him for selling with no regard for the town while Larry Regan adds another link to his chain of developments and continues to get richer while the town residents pay the price. Some homeowners who have been here for generations will lose their homes due to the higher taxes caused by Dickinson Keep. His threat seems to have had some impact in silencing our elected and appointed officials.
On April 4 many of us attended in Kingston the Ulster County Planning Board review of this project. The report generated from their review and the verbal report given by the project engineer were quite different yet, Mr. Post, you asked no questions or made no comments of any significance that would even show you had read the Ulster County Panning Board’s report.
Therefore after receiving the Ulster County Planning Board’s report I will outline them for you and the reading public and perhaps you begin to take some appropriate action and avoid rubber stamping the destruction of our town: When the project was introduced to that board, Ulster County’s urban planner, Burt Samuelson said it is a “very different project from what was proposed in 2006.” So you see from the get-go they were able to recognize differences which you and your board have not or if you have then decided to gloss over them rather than considering this as a whole new project.
1. The county’s report states there are no details about lighting in
their proposal; a phometric plot plan is required with detail for all luminaries and lighting needed alone all roadways;
2. Landscaping plans are absent;’
3. Details about utilities were absent with no plan as to the location of water, or sewer lines, fire hydrants and storm water catch basins;
4. Water pressure ; there was no water supply study in the informationsubmitted to the Planning Board; and low water pressure is a fire safety issue;
5. The county Planning Board points out that there needs to be an emergency access road and suggests a driveway owned by a private homeowner be explored;
6. The County Planning Board suggests that the road (which sometimes Regan Development says will be pubic and other times says it is private) needs to have 2 nine foot lanes;
7. The County Planning Board requires a traffic circulation study to determine locations of lights
8. Architectural Elevations are absent from the plans submitted.
Several months ago, Pete Petramale brought to the attention of the town planning board that the building plans state the buildings are 42 feet high. That is several feet higher than the Glasco Fire Company‘s equipment can reach.
9. The Ulster County Planning Board states that phasing details areneeded. The UC board emphasizes the need a common area. Now Mr. Post, please remember that Larry Regan abandoned his Rosendale project and the Town had to dismantle it.
10. Storm water Pollution Prevention Measures need to be upgraded and should also have soil and erosion control measures before beginning any work
11. Fire Safety- Building Elevations and layout need to be approved by the local fire department. Do you have a report that addresses this from the Glasco fire District and what does it say?
12. Accommodation of School Age Children: the latest enrollment figures were based on a 2005 publication which was based on the 2000 US census data from New Jersey. The impact of children on rec facilities, school bus access and overall project impact need to be considered. An analysis of the number of school age children in this region needs to be done.
SACRED member Jim Uhl has pointed out the need for bonding on these types of projects to help avoid further damage to the town when this chain developer decides to abandon. Yet we here no follow up from our community leaders on this sound idea to protect out town. We are monitoring your premature decisions and apparent lack of due diligence on this project.
Gaetana Ciarlante
SACRED
Open Letter to the Howard Post, Chair
Saugerties Planning Board,
Since we members of SACRED (Saugerties Assertive Citizens for Responsible Economic Development) and other private citizens attend all of your monthly meetings we have been ordered to keep quiet when we had serious concerns while you and some others on the planning board appear to be serenaded by the staff of Preatorius and Conrad Engineering firm. In August you decided to eliminate public oral comment and restrict it to written comment however, we have not received one response from you about the written concerns which have been given to you. I should not have been surprised to read in Mr. Post’s interview by Ariel Dangler in which you say, “They pretty much have all their paperwork submitted; the developer, at this point, is simply adjusting its site plan to include recommendations from the Planning Board. Post said the recommendations were for minor changes, like marking the location of fire hydrants.”
We the people of Saugerties depend on your best judgment when approving the construction of projects. Nor does it appear that you seriously considered the reports from the Ulster County Planning Board. Rather you rely on what project engineers and the developer tells you. When Planning Board member Mike Tiano questioned the developers plan for the safety of fire trucks driving on pavers you silenced him and the question was never answered.
It now public knowledge that land owner, Mike Vallarella has beenthreatening law suits to some who oppose his plan to sell this pristine land to Reagan Development Corporation. Who can blame him for selling with no regard for the town while Larry Regan adds another link to his chain of developments and continues to get richer while the town residents pay the price. Some homeowners who have been here for generations will lose their homes due to the higher taxes caused by Dickinson Keep. His threat seems to have had some impact in silencing our elected and appointed officials.
On April 4 many of us attended in Kingston the Ulster County Planning Board review of this project. The report generated from their review and the verbal report given by the project engineer were quite different yet, Mr. Post, you asked no questions or made no comments of any significance that would even show you had read the Ulster County Panning Board’s report.
Therefore after receiving the Ulster County Planning Board’s report I will outline them for you and the reading public and perhaps you begin to take some appropriate action and avoid rubber stamping the destruction of our town: When the project was introduced to that board, Ulster County’s urban planner, Burt Samuelson said it is a “very different project from what was proposed in 2006.” So you see from the get-go they were able to recognize differences which you and your board have not or if you have then decided to gloss over them rather than considering this as a whole new project.
1. The county’s report states there are no details about lighting in
their proposal; a phometric plot plan is required with detail for all luminaries and lighting needed alone all roadways;
2. Landscaping plans are absent;’
3. Details about utilities were absent with no plan as to the location of water, or sewer lines, fire hydrants and storm water catch basins;
4. Water pressure ; there was no water supply study in the informationsubmitted to the Planning Board; and low water pressure is a fire safety issue;
5. The county Planning Board points out that there needs to be an emergency access road and suggests a driveway owned by a private homeowner be explored;
6. The County Planning Board suggests that the road (which sometimes Regan Development says will be pubic and other times says it is private) needs to have 2 nine foot lanes;
7. The County Planning Board requires a traffic circulation study to determine locations of lights
8. Architectural Elevations are absent from the plans submitted.
Several months ago, Pete Petramale brought to the attention of the town planning board that the building plans state the buildings are 42 feet high. That is several feet higher than the Glasco Fire Company‘s equipment can reach.
9. The Ulster County Planning Board states that phasing details areneeded. The UC board emphasizes the need a common area. Now Mr. Post, please remember that Larry Regan abandoned his Rosendale project and the Town had to dismantle it.
10. Storm water Pollution Prevention Measures need to be upgraded and should also have soil and erosion control measures before beginning any work
11. Fire Safety- Building Elevations and layout need to be approved by the local fire department. Do you have a report that addresses this from the Glasco fire District and what does it say?
12. Accommodation of School Age Children: the latest enrollment figures were based on a 2005 publication which was based on the 2000 US census data from New Jersey. The impact of children on rec facilities, school bus access and overall project impact need to be considered. An analysis of the number of school age children in this region needs to be done.
SACRED member Jim Uhl has pointed out the need for bonding on these types of projects to help avoid further damage to the town when this chain developer decides to abandon. Yet we here no follow up from our community leaders on this sound idea to protect out town. We are monitoring your premature decisions and apparent lack of due diligence on this project.
Gaetana Ciarlante
SACRED
