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Editorials
Amherst Supervisor Satish Mohan has enraged the town unions, the police, the business community, developers, several of the Amherst Town Board members and even residents in town who have the means to pay whatever for services provided regardless of cost and program abuse just so that their quiet community doesn’t get any bad press.
Fortunately Sir, you have the support of the majority of Amherst residents who voted you into office with a mandate for reform and government transparency, and residents in other municipalities would like to have a Satish Mohan in their government.
Attending Lancaster town and planning boards meetings regularly, I can well imagine the rancor set upon you for daring to challenge a status quo system that is not in resident and environment best interests. Then again, join the crowd. Residents who do likewise in other municipalities as well as Amherst are considered anti-development and/or anti-business and are labeled NIMBY’s, Cave Dwellers and worse.
How dare you attempt to support “smart growth” principals that would diminish the influence of developers to build out the town the way they see fit and abetted by past bad governing policies and procedures? Past governing that favored developer plans and “property rights” policies over best interest of town residents and the environment.
How dare you fight to instate “smart growth” principals when you are not a seasoned politician and have little insight as to the “workings” of the political process and how your town should be developed? After all, you are but one step away from being an ordinary tax paying citizen who is supposed to just empty your pocketbook for the interests and agendas of the political class and public sector workers.
How dare you challenge the IDA agency for giving away monies for constructing more office buildings when vacancy levels are high in already developed commercial buildings? Oh, and regarding the AIDA never exercising “claw back” provisions for getting back monies that were allocated to companies that fell short on their promised job and revenue requirements, just “forgid aboud it.” Its only taxpayer money.
As in Amherst, Lancaster is having the same developers coming into out town, buying swamplands and having their “hired gun” attorneys arrogantly tell our town board and residents that they can get the necessary permits to destroy or fill in wetlands any time they want. “Sinking homes”, structural damage, not their problem, they got the necessary regulatory permits.
To this very day developers petition federal and state regulatory agencies for permits to build in wetlands and soils not conducive for building on, thinking only of their profit and not concerned with homeowner consequence. Recently, for the third consecutive year, the State Assembly passed a bill that would allow the Department of Environmental Conservation the jurisdiction to oversee regulation of wetlands one-acre or more in size, instead of the set minimum size of 12.4 acres. Once again, Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno would not allow the bill to hit the senate floor for a vote.
Developers still refuse to provide disclosure that the prospective homeowner’s property may sit on a filled in wetland.
Developers are playing a new game in creating associations for subdivisions that have “wet ponds” for stormwater retention. The towns are refusing to accept conveyance of these ponds because of maintenance costs, so pass it on the homeowners. Gee, why is it individuals who know better have such little regard for developers.
How dare you Mr. Mohan require the police union to justify the hiring of three police officers to fill vacancies in one of the safest towns in America? How dare you challenge their contract packages and the abuses within the programs? After all, that’s the way its always been and its only taxpayer money, not yours.
Mr. Mohan, you and I both know what irks your opponents most. You are 70+ years of age, have no personal agenda, were voted in by your constituents against all odds (money, party support and business influences) and owe no allegiance to anyone but the voters who gave you a mandate to bring government transparency to the forefront and seek reform where possible.
You yourself have stated on many occasions that you are not against development and business enterprise. Many of us support that position. However, there has to be balance and fairness when growing a town to ensure residents and the environment’s best interests are served.
Unlike Amherst’s Town Supervisor, Lancaster’s supervisor has openly stated he wants to build out the town, unfortunately with little regard to the adverse impacts associated with the growth. If the regulatory agencies are okay with the site plan information provided by a developer, that’s good enough for the town of Lancaster.
Recently an attorney representing an applicant who wants to develop the Wendell Commons Patio Homes in Lancaster was asked whether there were wetlands on the site. He answered that there were none. Shortly thereafter a correspondence came to the town from the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) that stated that according to the federal wetlands maps 90 percent of the site is located on wetlands. Even after that letter was introduced to the developer’s attorney at the next meeting, the project engineer answered that he was not a soil expert, but did not believe there were wetlands on the site.
Come on guys; just do the right thing for the taxpayer for a change. After all we pay your salaries. If growth is so good for us and our municipal governments are acting so appropriately, why are our property and school taxes skyrocketing?
Mr. Mohan, your opponents will try hard to shut the doors you have opened to let some fresh air in. They will ostracize you and take pleasure in featuring negatively every action you take that runs counter to their agenda or best interest. The hell with them! Let the public be your judge!
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