About this page: We well recognize the importance of newspaper reporting, and we strongly encourage everyone to subscribe to one or more papers. On our NEWS pages we post articles, ads, and news releases that we believe will be of interest, and use, to people in the Town of Claverack and the Village of Philmont. We do this to ensure that everyone can be kept apprised of goings-on, and so they can have an easily accessible means of reading about what's happened and what's been said. In no way can what's posted here fulfill an individual's personal civic duty to keep abreast of the news.

 
 
In the news, July—September '05:

 Top

Panel offers tips on moratoriums
Sponsors hope to help local planners decide whether and how to suspend development

By KENNETH AARON, Staff writer
Times Union First published: Wednesday, September 28, 2005

ALBANY -- Altamont just started doing it. Glenville wants to do it, and Rotterdam and Ballston Spa just stopped.

It is a holding up development through a moratorium.

And this Friday, a panel sponsored by the Bond, Schoeneck & King law firm will discuss the practice, which has gathered steam in the Capital Region over the past few years.

"More and more municipalities are considering it," said attorney Robert H. Feller, who will share the panel with Robert F. Bristol, a principal in Saratoga Associates, a planning and design firm. "Most local officials understand that it is an extreme measure and they want to be on as firm a ground as they can be, to understand what the rules of the game are."

At a similar session held two weeks ago, about a half-dozen people involved with town governments and the real estate industry heard basic advice about moratoriums -- such as when they're appropriate, what they should accomplish and how to avoid heading back to the drawing board in the future.

Feller said his firm planned the session because a lot of people in this area are not full-time professionals.

Many smaller towns face growing development pressure, but their all-volunteer planning and zoning departments can get overwhelmed by change.

Plans for technology development in the Capital Region, such as at the Luther Forest site in Malta and at the Harriman State Office Campus in Albany, bring the promise of rapid growth. And that means even small towns might want to make sure their regulations can handle the possibility of growing, too.

"If you're even close by, you'd be real remiss not to take those proposals seriously," said Bristol, who also is chairman of Saratoga Springs' Planning Board.

But that doesn't necessarily mean installing a moratorium, Bristol and Feller said. Other mechanisms, such as growth caps or limiting developers' use of town water and sewer lines, could accomplish the same goals.

But if communities do choose to put a halt on development, Feller and Bristol say it need not be all-encompassing -- moratoriums that go too far are overkill.

One official attending the last session, Altamont Mayor Jim Gaughan, said the conversation helped validate the village's decision earlier this month to impose a yearlong moratorium.

The last time the village updated its master plan was 1984. The forum reinforced his commitment to gathering as much public input as possible to make the revised plan reflective of community sentiment. "Which is consistent with our philosophy, but it now takes on an added importance as we go through this," he said.

Having a clear expectation of what the moratorium should accomplish is important to its success, Bristol and Feller said.

"Usually, a thinking community will figure out ahead of time where the endgame is," Bristol said.

"Thank goodness that we have growth going on," he said. "It's a nice problem to have."

Bond, Schoeneck & King will sponsor another session about moratoriums on Sept. 30 at the Gideon Putnam Hotel in Saratoga Springs. For information, contact Toko Moyo at (800) 339-8897 or tmoyo@bsk.com. The $15 fee includes breakfast.

Kenneth Aaron can be reached at 454-5515 or by e-mail at aaronk@timesunion.com.

 Top

Democrats celebrate opening of new headquarters; candidates speak
Register-Star, September 26, 2005

PHILMONT -- Close to 100 Claverack Democrats celebrated the opening of their new Philmont headquarters Sept. 18 with speeches from the candidates, music from Philmont's one-man-band Paul Slusar and Claverack's Abby Lappen, and homemade refreshments from members.

Town Chair George Rodenhausen introduced candidates Max Dannis for town supervisor, Katy Cashen and Cyndy Hall for Town Board, and Jenny Post for town clerk, all of whom spoke to a crowd that overflowed onto the sidewalk.

After outlining her campaign promises, Hall added that she would do her best to "bring our town together. Let's end this talk of us vs. them, newcomer vs. old-timer, outsider vs. local. We are all local. We all live here. And we are all human beings, each with special and unique talents. We all want the same thing -- to live the best life we can, in the town we love."

Among those attending were Denise King, chair of the state Democratic Party's executive committee and past Democratic county chair; current First Vice Chair Phil Giltner; Democratic Board of Elections Commissioner Ken Dow; Operation Unite Executive Director and newly appointed Democratic Columbia County Civil Service Commissioner Elena Mosely; and Stuyvesant Democratic candidates Peter Donahoe, Lee Jamison, Sandra LoPresto and Rhonda Granger.

The headquarters at 104 Main St. in Philmont are stocked with campaign and voting materials including applications for voter registration and for absentee ballots. It will be open to the public from noon to 7 p.m. nearly every day until the Nov. 8 election.

"We want Claverack citizens to be able to come by and be informed about our platform and our intentions for the future of Claverack," said Dannis. "This is the most important election in this town's history."

The new Philmont headquarters supplements the Claverack Democrats' virtual headquarters, which opened two years ago at www.claverack.org.

The headquarters can be reached at 518-697-0212.

 Top

Dems to hold weekly forums
Register-Star, Monday, September 26, 2005

A weekly series of open forums for citizens and Democratic candidates titled "What's On Your Mind?" will begin Wednesday at the Claverack Democratic headquarters at 104 Main St. in Philmont.

The forums, meant to encourage communication between citizens of Claverack and Philmont and the Democratic candidates for town government, are sponsored by the Claverack Democratic Committee. They will be held 7 p.m. every Wednesday at the new headquarters.

"Certainly we candidates all have our own ideas about what Claverack needs, but we also want to know about all the ideas the rest of the people in town have," said Max Dannis, Democratic candidate for town supervisor.

"The only way to find out is to ask," added Katy Cashen, candidate for Town Board.

The forums are open to all, and although the first evening will be open to any topic, subsequent forums will focus on a single pre-announced issue—such as development, affordable houses, kids, open government, etc.

"We're going to walk the walk of open government even before we get into office," said Cyndy Hall, the other Democratic candidate for Town Board. "It will be an opportunity to meet neighbors, and to share refreshment as well as concerns. Just come and talk to us."

 Top

Committee to seek out input on use of school building
By Bryan F. Yurcan, Register-Star, September 25, 2005

CLAVERACK -- The Hudson City School District Facilities Committee will be identifying a list of potential stakeholders to offer input on what to do with the Claverack School when the committee expands in November.

The committee has already been engaged in preliminary discussions about the school, and has deemed the building to be surplus property.

The stakeholders could include officials in the town of Claverack, PTA groups, representatives from the Hudson Teacher's Union, and a few members of the public at large, said Board of Education member Peter Rost, the board's liaison to the facilities committee.

The committee will wait until a report on the district's buildings is completed in November by Rhinebeck Architecture & Planning.

The Claverack School has been home to the district's administration and receiving departments, which have out-grown the school. The committee had previously identified one option as adding a wing to the high school to house those departments.

At the committee's most recent meeting, Rost said they discussed the idea of building a new science and technology area in the potential new wing and moving the administration and receiving departments to the old science and technology area.

"We'd like to bring them into the 21st century," Rost said of the school's current technology equipment.

Rost repeatedly stressed that these were preliminary ideas and that "any decision the board makes would not increase the budget."

The board would ultimately decide whether to sell the Claverack School, after receiving a recommendation from the committee, and the public would have to vote on a referendum to sell the school.

Rost said the committee also discussed several district buildings that are not completely in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. He mentioned as examples John L. Edwards Elementary School, which has no elevator, and access problems at Greenport School.

"These need to be addressed," he said.

 Top

Claverack Garden Club celebrates 60th anniversary
Register-Star, Wednesday, September 21, 2005

CLAVERACK -- Barbara M. Campbell, president of The Federated Garden Clubs of New York State will be the featured speaker at the Claverack Garden Club's 60th anniversary celebration 3 p.m. Thursday at the Reformed Dutch Church in Claverack.

The organization of the Claverack Garden Club began in 1935. Meetings were held in the Claverack Library and the members undertook programs of horticulture preservation and conservation.

The artistic interests of members were brought to life in flower arrangements which were displayed in private homes, at meetings and at flower shows. The members' love of landscaping and gardening was evident in strategic locations through out the hamlet of Claverack.

In May 1945, Mrs. Charles Ziesenitz, presided as president over a meeting at the Claverack library. Eighteen members werepresent. The motion was made that the Claverack Garden Club join the Federated Garden Clubs of New York State and become a Federated Garden Club.

The vote was taken, the motion passed, and with a rap of the club's gavel by Ziesenitz, the Claverack Garden Club moved into a new era.

The new era gave the Federated Claverack Garden Club a solid base on which to grow.

The club, in becoming a Federated Garden Club, did not lose its identity or its autonomy. By joining the Federated Garden Clubs of New York State, the club received documentation and affirmation of work accomplished prior to 1945, and the club, as a Federated Club, would continue to receive affirmation of work and projects completed for as many years as the club continued to meet, and to aid in many ways with the protection of the beauty and natural resources of the community.

Also at that time, the club became affiliated with National Garden Clubs Inc., which is the largest gardening organization in the world.

On Thursday, the Claverack Garden Club members, their friends, representatives from community organizations, businesses and town government, all of whom have supported the Claverack Garden Club, will gather to celebrate the successes and accomplishments experienced during the past 60 years.

Although the celebration begins at 3 p.m. with refreshments, a brief program will commence at 3:30 p.m.

Ellen Thurston and Dr. Norman Posner will present a short program entitled Garden Humor.

Anyone who has an interest in the Claverack Garden Club, or who would like to be a guest, can call 518-828-7884.

 Top

Post office proposal moving forward
By Kate Kirschenheiter, Hudson Valley Newspapers, Register-Star, September 16, 2005

CLAVERACK -- The post office project has not been forgotten, Town Supervisor James Keegan recently assured residents at a Town Board meeting.

"The legal notice will be in the paper any day now," he said. "It tells what interior space they need, parking lot requirements and terms."

After many years with the post office being located at the corner of Route 23 and Route 9H, plans are finally under way to move the office to a more accessible and better suited location.

"The preferred area is in the hamlet," Keegan said Monday. "Or as close to the existing building as possible."

Attempts to find a new home for the town post office were made about 10 years ago, according to previous accounts, but were thwarted when a stop was put on new post office projects throughout the country.

"It is moving ahead," Keegan said. "It will take a little time. There are some sites that people are corresponding with us about already."

Previous boundaries set for the location of the post office, when the town went through the process 10 years ago, were along Route 9H between Old Lane Extension to just south of the present post office and Route 23, out to about Van Wick Lane, according to a previous story.

"I think this is a good project and it will go through," Keegan said.

Besides the parcels mentioned during the last foray into moving the post office, across from the Claverack School and the site of the old Mary's Claverack Diner, there is talk that the Molaski's property has also been thrown into the mix.

"At one time we were also thinking of the Bristol property on 9H," Keegan said. "There was some grumbling about getting in and out on 9H. Those are the only ones I've heard of so far."

 Top

In brief
Dem's HQ to open Sat.
Register-Star, September 15, 2005

CLAVERACK -- Democrats for Claverack 2005 to Open Philmont Headquarters on Saturday.

The Claverack Democratic Committee will kick off this fall's election campaign by celebrating the opening of its campaign headquarters at 104 Main St. in Philmont 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday.

The celebration will feature light refreshments as well as entertainment by Paul Slusar, Philmont's multi-talented one-man-band.

All residents of Claverack and Philmont are welcome regardless of party affiliation or voter status.

Democratic candidates will be introduced, including Max Dannis, running for town supervisor, Katy Cashen and Cyndy Hall, running for Town Board and Jenny Post, running for town clerk.

Applications for voter registration and for absentee ballots will be available.

For information, call campaign headquarters at 518-697-0212, or Virginia Martin, director of operations for Democrats for Claverack 2005, at 518-851-5191.

 Top

Register-Star, September 15, 2005, Letters to the editor
Save the school

To the editor:

At a recent Hudson City School District Board of Education meeting, board member Peter Rost presented a Facilities Committee report, which informed the board that preliminary discussions were being held on the feasibility of selling the former Claverack School on Route 23B in Claverack.

It has long been rumored that the Claverack School property would go on the market to help reduce district expenses if space within district buildings could be found for central administration offices. It looks like the BOE is serious about moving ahead with that idea.

Claverack School holds a special place in the hearts of generations of local residents. Not only did Claverack students receive a first rate education there, but the building and grounds served as the meeting place for community events, baseball games, concerts, tennis and summer programs for kids. The building also has great historical significance for the town and is worthy of preservation for future community use.

For purposes of community discussion, I would like to suggest that Claverack town officials investigate the feasibility of purchasing the school for a Town Hall and Community Center. The building could accommodate all town government offices, including Town Court, under one roof in a location convenient for all Claverack residents.

There is ample room for parking and enough space in the building for town board meetings, senior citizen gatherings, theater productions, teen activities, garden club meetings and a whole host of other possibilities.

The land behind the building would continue to be used for community activities such as baseball and tennis and maybe a community garden or park might be developed over time.

The village of Philmont has been trying to find a place for a youth center.

Why not use the existing town office building as a youth and seniors center for Philmont?

The Claverack School property is too important to lose to a developer who would likely tear down the school and develop the land. I would encourage the Town Board to open a dialogue with the school board for the purpose of saving Claverack School for Claverack residents.

I have recently attended meetings in the town halls in Ancram, Ghent and Stuyvesant.

They are wonderful buildings. Claverack deserves no less.

Claverack School has been the center of Claverack's identity for generations.

We need to decide to do this and then figure out how.

Together we can save Claverack School. So let's just do it.

Cyndy Hall
Claverack

 Top

BOE considers school building's fate
By Bryan F. Yurcan, Register-Star, September 15, 2005

CLAVERACK -- The Hudson City school board's Facilities Committee is engaged in preliminary discussions about the future use of the Claverack School, which currently houses the district's central administration and receiving department.

Peter Rost, the Board of Education's facilities liaison, said the committee does believethe Claverack School is an excess building the district doesn't need.

"We are still very early in the process and nothing has been determined as to what will happen with the building]," he said. "The decision is ultimately up to the board."

If the board decided to sell the building, there would be public hearings and district taxpayers would have to vote on areferendum to approve the sale.

The district spends about $75,000 annually to maintain the Claverack School, and Rost said the district has outgrown the building. He said the district is currently spending $15,000 per year to rent a storage facility for the receiving department since the Claverack school is too small.

Some preliminary ideas the committee discussed for housing the administrative and receiving departments if the school was sold would expanding the current high school building or constructing a free-standing building at the high school.

"It's still in the preliminary stages," Rost said. "Any suggestion the Facilities Committee brings to the board will not increase costs or add taxes to the district. We are looking to save money."

The firm Rhinebeck Architecture & Planning is currently preparing a report to give to the board in November on the state of the district's buildings. "We will put off any decision-making until then," Rost said.

Residents of Claverack have called on their Town Board to look into the possibility of obtaining the school and then transforming it into a new town hall or a community youth or senior center.

The school board's Facilities Committee will meet again 4 p.m. today at the Claverack School. Rost said the committee will be expanded in November to include members of the public.

 Top

Town contemplates skateboard park
Kate Kirschenheiter, Register-Star, September 14, 2005

CLAVERACK -- In hopes of benefiting the local youth and perhaps alleviating some of the vandalism down at the Town Park, the Claverack Park Commission is looking into the possibility of installing a skateboard park.

"We have a complete package of plans," reported Councilwoman Anne Twaddle to the Town Board Monday night. "We are investigating what we can do."

She asked the board for authorization to continue with the project and investigate the possibilities for the park, citing the success of skateboard facilities in neighboring Copake and other towns.

"We visited Copake for ideas," she said, adding that Kinderhook recently took up the idea as well.

Not only is the town hoping to benefit the youth of the town and the village of Philmont, officials hope to stop the streak of vandalism that has plagued the park.

In the past, people have broken into the park buildings and have done some damage to the facilities.

Financially, nothing has been quoted yet. "We don't have a price yet" for the repairs, she reported.

Town Councilman James VanDeusen raised the question of whether skateboarding is still as popular as it was when towns began putting parks in.

"It appears Copake's is still popular," Twaddle said. She was backed up by Councilman Clifford Weigelt, who said that the park was still well used.

The question of insurance also came up at the meeting, but according to Councilman William Blaauw, the insurance companies are more concerned with soccer, which involves more children at once, than a skateboard park.

"They had some requirements," he said of skateboard parks, "but they have less problems than they do with soccer."

Weigelt expressed hope that a skateboard park would draw the already active skateboarders off the roads in the village of Philmont.

"It would be nice to get them off the streets of Philmont," he said.

 Top

Developer outlines plans for 200-home senior community on Gahbauer Road
By Kate Kirschenheiter, Register-Star, September 13, 2005

CLAVERACK -- If Morning Star Communities has its way and gains the approval of the town and its residents, Claverack may see the construction of a senior living gated community on a parcel off state Route 9H and Gahbauer Road, just south of the intersections with Route 66.

The Town Board and assembled public heard a presentation Monday from Tommy Scharf of Morning Star Communities, who said demographic studies showed Claverack as one of the towns in New York that was in the most need of senior housing.

"I am here to present a very much-needed project for almost retired people of 55 or older," Scharf said at the meeting. ' "Affordable, single-family homes. I'm speaking about homes that will be in the area of $150,000."

Scharf, whose company is based on Riverside Drive in New York City, said, "A lot of people live in a house and find it difficultto manage, with mowing the lawn and other things. They would like to move to a community where everything is done for them."

The homes proposed by the developer would be modular, factory-manufactured homes each about 1,500 to 2,000 square feet in a variety of styles. Scharf had a number of examples in a pamphlet he handed out to the board and made available to the public.

There would also be a clubhouse for recreation or meetings, tennis courts, a swimming pool, shuffle board facilities and biking and walking trails throughout the park.

Morning Star Communities proposes to build this new senior housing development on an approximately 100-acre parcel that connects to both Route 9H and Gahbauer Road, with two points of access off 9H and one off Gahbauer.

The parcel is in the Hudson City School District.

"The first number that came tomind for total units] is that we're looking at 200 and over homes," he said. "That's probably about $1 million in real estate taxes. These people do not use the school, and it will be totally self-sufficient. They do not all get up at 7 a.m. and go to work, so it will not interfere with the traffic."

Scharf said the community would have its own sewer and water systems, as well as its own roads that would be maintained by the community, not the town Highway Department.

"There would be a lot of green space, beautiful plantings and landscaping," he said.

Town Attorney Robert Fitzsimmons, who had spoken of the proposal previously with resident William First, said that the project would have to go through full Planning Board and environmental evaluations and that it was likely to be labeled a major subdivision and might need special permitting.

A major concern of some town residents, which also seemed to concern town Councilman James VanDeusen, was the impacts that such a large community would have on the rescue squad.

"One rescue squad covers that area," he said. 'That's an awful burden on the rescue squad. If they're (the seniors in the community) playing tennis, there's going to be injuries."

Scharf said that he didn't think it would be that big of a problem in terms of increased ambulance calls. "These people aren't at the point where they need a rescue squad," he said, but added that he really didn't have an answer to how the community would affect rescue, fire and police agencies.

Resident Max Dannis asked what portion of the $1 million tax intake previously mentioned would be the town's share. "A million dollars is a nice number," he said. "But how much goes to the town and how much to the school district?"

Scharf did not have the answer to that, but Supervisor James Keegan said it would be relatively easy for someone to find out.

Resident Ian Nitschke asked whether the layout plans of the proposed park were open to revisions or if anything was set in stone and it was a "take it or leave it" situation.

Scharf said that the plans had already been altered three times and that the company was willing to make changes to them in the future. He also explained that the community along Route 9H would be behind a fence, which he described as "ornate" and as something that would be aesthetically pleasing.

Katy Cashen asked where the demographic information came from and said that she felt it would be a good idea to include a question about the need for this into a survey to the town by the Comprehensive Plan Committee to get a handle on the need in Claverack.

The topic of discussion soon came around to the aesthetics of the homes within the park.

"Aesthetics are very important in this community," said resident John Keeler, who asked that the company provide detailed architectural sketches before he saw the modular homes in the pamphlet.

Keeler did not seem pleased with the homes he saw in the pamphlet and said that it was easy to put more pleasing aesthetic designs on pre-fabricated homes.

Resident Cyndy Hall asked Scharf whether he would return to the town and the

community for future discussion on the proposed community and whether public input would be allowed and encouraged throughout the process."This would be the biggest project that Claverack has undertaken," she said.

"A lot of information was given today and it would be good to go home and think about it all and if you would come back and answer any questions"Scharf said yes he would return to the town many more times in the future to discuss the project.

"Basically we will build what the people want," Scharf said. "The main thing here is [that the homes are] affordable."

Senior living communities such as the one proposed by Morning Star Communities, Scharf said, are prevalent in Florida, and residents interested in knowing what this would entail could use those as an example.

He also said that the community would take approximately five years to complete, should it be approved, because just 30 to 40 homes would be built per year.

 Top

Register-Star, September 7, 2005, Letter to the editor
MY VIEW
Claverack residents, this is your last chance to be heard
By Morgen Bowers, Richard Cross, Enid Futterman, Carlos Loret de Mola, and Virginia Martin
for Neighbors for Claverack

Claverack has, so far, been spared the subdivision mania that is sweeping towns and counties all around us. Even so, Claverack is experiencing its own version of sprawl, as measured by building department permits for single-family dwellings, which have gone from a few per year in the '90s to a few dozen per year more recently.

But Claverack has had few major subdivisions outside the hamlet and Philmont. Until now. A subdivision known as Old Barrington Estates has been proposed for land bordered by Route 23 and Old Barrington Road. If approved, it would set many precedents, and is, therefore, a test case for Claverack.

Claverack is responding. Nearly 200 citizens, over 80 of whom live in the immediate neighborhood of the subdivision, have signed a petition objecting to the subdivision as proposed by the developer. However, neither the petitioners nor the group sponsoring the petition, Neighbors for Claverack, are seeking to stop the project. Indeed, a group of neighbors met on numerous occasions with the developer to discuss alternative layouts that would keep roughly half of the land as open space and wildlife habitat. It would also shield the new homes from busy and scenic Route 23.

When the developers became adamant and unyielding, neighbors turned to the Claverack Planning Board for help. Although the Board has accommodated public comment generously and even characterized public reaction as unprecedented, it seems unmoved by the many arguments made for a closer look. This, at a time when the Claverack Town Board has rejected a citizen-initiated proposal to adopt a temporary moratorium on major subdivisions, saying that Claverack's subdivision and building codes would protect our town from the wrong kind of development. Worse, public comment just seems to anger the Planning Board. In fact, one Planning Board member has twice angrily addressed citizens as "you people," a civil rights era insult that has no place in a public forum.

As a group, Neighbors for Claverack is working to help maintain Claverack’s rural character. All of us have driven through areas not far from here where conventional cookie-cutter subdivisions stand cheek-by-jowl with silos, barns, and farmhouses and have thought, "what a shame." Let's be smarter than that here.

We believe that the Old Barrington Estates project could proceed without serious impact on its neighborhood, if only the Planning Board would require the developers to mitigate the visual and other impacts of their suburban-style layout.

It's not too late for the Planning Board to require the developers of Old Barrington Estates to modify their plan. The Board has numerous legal grounds upon which it can require mitigation and reasonably request modification. In addition, the Board has enormous public support. Most important, it's not too late for the Planning Board to mend its fences with the scores of Claverack citizens who have petitioned the Board to consider the broad impact on the community, including the fact that it will set a precedent for future development that leads our town in the wrong direction.

If you live in the Town of Claverack and you care what happens here, please plan to attend the Planning Board's next meeting Thursday. The Board is expected to make a decision on Old Barrington Estates and it is your last chance to be heard.

 Top

COARC turns 40 and throws itself a party
By: ROBERT MITCHELL, The Independent, 09/06/2005

MELLENVILLE—In 1965, a handful of parents gathered together at a church in Philmont to discuss whether the needs of their mentally and physically challenged children were being met by the public school system.

Today, the organization they created, COARC based in Mellenville with facilities around the county, has more than 350 employees, a budget of $16 million and serves more than 600 Columbia County disabled citizens of all ages.

On September 10, at the Waterfront Park in Hudson, COARC will commemorate its 40 years of service to those in need.

The seven-hour celebration will run from 3 to 10 p.m. The rain date is September 11. The event will feature the Iron Eagles Aerobatic Team, musical headliner The Refrigerators and a sunset cruise. In addition to the music and other entertainment, there will be food, drink, dinner and a silent auction.

Tickets for the event and for the cruise can be purchased at COARC on Route 217 in Mellenville, the Columbia County Council on the Arts office at 209 Warren Street, Key Bank in Fairview Plaza and National Union Bank of Kinderhook in Kinderhook.

COARC Public Relations Specialist Andrea Colby hopes the community will turn out Saturday. "This is a great opportunity for the community we serve to come and celebrate with us," she said.

"The individuals we serve are not only part of the community but also active in the community," said Mrs. Colby. They are volunteers for Meals on Wheels and the Salvation Army soup kitchen, and they hold jobs too, with employers like Crazy Daisy Florist, Price Chopper and Mountainview Animal Hospital.

"We are a really forward-thinking organization working with individuals on a daily basis to give them the opportunity to live the fullest life they can experience," said Mrs. Colby.

As for many families in Columbia County, COARC holds a special place in the heart of Betty Young. "I would not be able to do what I do if it had not been for COARC," she said recently.

Mrs. Young is Taghkanic Town supervisor and a retired nurse. Her son, Bill, will be 48 this year and is in a COARC residency program.

Mrs. Young is chairwoman of the Board of Supervisors Social Services Committee and is a member of the Board of Supervisors Health and Mental Health Committee.

A long-time COARC board member, Mrs. Young was there almost from the start.

The parent group grew in size and moved from the church in Philmont to meet at John L. Edwards Elementary School in Hudson in the classroom of special education teacher Kathryn Caswell. Mrs. Young's son, about eight at the time, was in this class.

Mrs. Young said Jim Van Alstyne, J.L. Edwards principal at the time, was "one of our biggest supporters."

Mr. Van Alstyne was "extra special" for her, said Mrs. Young. This was a time when Bill could not have remained in school because he could not get up and down the stairs, she said. "Jim carried him up and down."

The sentiment that created COARC in 1965 is still with the organization today, said Mrs. Young. These are the same kinds of people who sat around in a room all those years ago planning a Christmas party for the kids, she said. "They have the same cares and concerns as when we started 40 years ago."

COARC Executive Director Ken Stall has been with the agency for 22 years, the last seven years as director. "Without a vast array of talented individuals, we would not have been able to reach this anniversary," he said.

He attributes the growth of COARC to improved identification of those in need of services and support.

COARC has seen more people diagnosed with autism, said Mr. Stall. Many younger people coming into the programs have a related disorder, he said. "There is a much greater awareness of developmental difficulties in general and these issues are identified at younger ages."     

 Top

40 years of progress at COARC
MELLENVILLE—Here's a brief look at COARC's growth through the years:

 Top

Church shares space with homeless parish
By: DEBORA GILBERT, The Independent, 08/26/2005

CHURCHTOWN—On Sunday, August 7, when the new Catholic Parish of St. John Vianney held its first service at the Lutheran St. Thomas Church in Churchtown, close to 200 expectant parishioners showed up for the first Mass.

By the time the service started the choir loft was filled and many stood behind the pews and in open doorways. To amazed Lutherans, accustomed to a congregation of 36 regulars, the unprecedented number of cars parked around the church "made it look like a shopping mall."

Inside, windows and doors were open and ceiling fans kept the high-ceilinged historic church surprisingly cool. One Catholic worshiper was overheard saying, "Thank God there are no kneelers here."

St. John Vianney formed when the congregations of Sacred Heart Church in Philmont and the Church of the Holy Cross in West Taghkanic decided to merge.

After careful examination of their priorities, the two churches decided the need to build a strong community that could grow and thrive in the future was more important than holding on to structures that may have outgrown their usefulness. Shrinking attendance and a scarcity of priests were two motivating factors. And because the two churches were both led by the Reverend Raymond Ethier and Deacon Warren Dorsch, they already had much in common.

"Our church buildings are like part of the family," wrote Fr. Ethier in a church publication. "Many sacred moments were shared in these beautiful worship spaces over the years. Lovers married there. They worshiped week after week and baptized their children there. They raised them with the Sacraments and they buried their dead there. It is so very hard to let go when we have such powerful memories."

The five buildings to be vacated—including two churches, two parish houses and a parish hall—will remain in service for church functions until church officials find buyers. Fr. Ethier said that his parish is open to a variety of future uses for the churches, citing a restaurant in a former church in Rhinebeck, a performance space in Mellenville, and the number of former churches used by artists as both living and studio space.

The parish would not like to see the churches occupied by a bar or nightclub.

St. John Vianney has purchased 36 acres on the west side of Route 9H in Claverack from Hawk Orchards where it plans to build a new church, but that is expected to take several years. In the meantime, the congregation needed to find a neutral space where the two groups could grow into one. St. Thomas, which is equidistant between the two former parishes, emerged as the solution.

The name of the parish also represents a compromise by not reflecting either of the former churches. Thomas Vianney was a priest in the small town in rural southern France in the early and mid-1800s. He was canonized in 1925 and is the patron saint of all Catholic clergy.

"The fact that our two denominations will be sharing the same worship space is a profound example of how contemporary Christians are recognizing their common faith in Jesus Christ in word, faith and action," said St. Thomas' pastor, Jack Wilder. He also shares St. John's, the Hudson Lutheran church where he also officiates, with a Southern Baptist congregation.

St. Thomas is one of the oldest Lutheran churches in the United States and is in the midst of celebrating its 275th anniversary this year. Located at a crossroads, where county Route 27 meets Miller Hill Road, Bell's Pond Road and the Churchtown-Taghkanic Road, the site has been occupied by a church since before 1750.

The first, log-cabin-style church burned down in 1894, and construction began on the present edifice the following year. One large grave marker, which stands perpendicular to the others, marks the altar of the first church under which one of the first pastors, John Reis, was buried.

Nestled in a valley and surrounded by trees, the classic white clapboard church embodies a sense of grace and history. But the latest ecumenical chapter almost didn't happen.

Prior to the agreement to use St. Thomas, parishioner Tom Alvarez had made arrangements for the new parish to hold services in the Churchtown firehouse.

"We were satisfied with that arrangement, although we would not have been able to hold Saturday night services, as we do now, since the firehouse often has functions that night," said Fr. Ethier.

But word spread, and Florence Merrifield, a lifelong member of St. Thomas, talked over the situation with Shirley Mullins, the St. John Vianney church secretary; their children went to school together. "When she asked about St. Thomas, I said: Why not? I said we're here to serve the community and it might be possible," said Mrs. Merrifield.

Soon Ms. Mullins and Jackie Jefferson, pastoral associate of the now-merged Sacred Heart and Holy Cross parishes, met with Pastor Wilder of St. Thomas to see the church.

Again, the response was "Why not?" said Pastor Wilder. "We had no problem with the idea of letting them come in here. We thought it would be a terrific thing to do," he said.

"Building community is an important part of our ministry," said the pastor at a recent St. Thomas church council meeting.

"We have spirit, we're open, friendly, and we all get along together even though we come from different backgrounds," said St. Thomas congregation member Eunice Goodemote, who was born in nearby Glencoe.

Pastor Wilder, whose family came to America from England in the 1700s, is proud of his racially and culturally mixed congregation. "We don't even think about it," he said, "but we hear Norwegian accents, we have some members descended from the German Palatines [original settlers of the Churchtown area], and some Hindi, Dutch and Scots. We're a cross section of America."

"We're doing some things that the bigger churches aren't doing, we're more ecumenical," he said, citing the church's many joint activities with other denominations. He has scheduled a rabbi as guest speaker for an upcoming Sunday, and plans to invite Fr. Ethier to speak to the congregation.

Jackie Jefferson, who was impressed by the Lutheran healing service, asked if the two congregations could conduct one together.

The first opportunity for the Lutherans and Catholics to get together was the barbecue held by St. John Vianney to fete their hosts right after their first Mass. "We had planned to throw a party for them, but they beat us to it," said Pastor Wilder.

Close to 300 parishioners showed up at the pavilion behind the Churchtown firehouse—many sporting red St. Thomas anniversary T-shirts and just as many wearing new white St. John Vianney t-shirts—to feast on fried chicken, hamburgers, corn on the cob, and a variety of salads and homemade desserts, prepared by members of the Catholic church.

A band played and people danced. Hugh Weaver, who lives nearby, brought his horses and cart and gave rides to the children, and the afternoon ended with a huge round of applause.

Like many churches, St. Thomas is searching for ways to increase membership and attendance. "We're faced with a changing community. It's a big challenge, but we're surviving. We'll make it," said Ms. Goodemote. When asked how the church Synod has reacted to St. Thomas' new relationship with St. John Vianney, Pastor Wilder said that Bishop Marie Jerge, who spoke at a service at St. Thomas this May, approves. "She's very excited about it," he said.

Both parishes realize that they are at the beginning of a relationship that may prove important in ways they can't anticipate. "Warren Dorsch told me that the energy present on Sunday will spread to our parish," confided Pastor Wilder.

Fr. Ethier also acknowledged the bond the two churches have formed, saying, "Even after we have moved into our new church, we will maintain that relationship, and we will offer to share our resources with them."

Bishop Howard Hubbard of the Albany Diocese is also eager to lend his support to the bold step taken by St. John Vianney. He will celebrate Mass this Sunday, August 28, at a single 11 a.m. service at St. Thomas'. A reception will follow, providing another opportunity for the Lutheran and Catholic congregations to enlarge their acquaintance.

 Top

Florist closes as growth lags
By: ROBERT MITCHELL, The Independent, 08/23/2005

CLAVERACK—The sign seems to say it all. "Closing August 31st-50 percent off."

What the sign on the door at Barnard Florist does not say is that three generations of the Barnard family have sold flowers at the same Route 23 location in Claverack since 1895.

When Charles E. Barnard began his flower business at the close of the 19th century he had many greenhouses and orchards, his grandson Charles E. Barnard said recently.

To make ends meet, there was a Tydol gas station, a soda pump, and he sold ice cream, too.

Mr. Barnard, 81, took a few minutes last week to talk about the family business. He said he has worked in flowers since "I had a pair of pants big enough with a pocket to put a jackknife in. I was supposed to be my father's [Abram Barnard's] helper and I was supposed to know what he wanted before he wanted it."

Mr. Barnard has always walked to work. He lives next door in a home that has been in the family since 1685.

His grandfather started as a flower wholesaler and, at the time, he grew and sold bunched violets, which were then shipped to Manhattan's flower district on West 28th Street. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, violet bouquets were a very popular, said Liz Wadman, who has been arranging flowers for Barnard Florist for 35 years. Lily of the valley was a big seller back then, she said. If you want to get lily of the valley year-round you can get them from France, but you might pay $3 for one stem, she said.

Around 1930 the business became a fully-fledged florist, opening a shop and joining FTD, said Mr. Barnard. FTD was founded in 1910 and originally stood for Florists' Telegraph Delivery; today it stands for Florists' Transworld Delivery.

Mr. Barnard was one of FTD's first members, said Ms. Wadman. There is a plaque in the shop that commemorates the family's long association, some 70 years, with FTD.

Mr. Barnard said after his father died in 1954, the family grew fewer flowers, and by 1965 the greenhouses were gone. It is very hard to compete in the area of flower growing because of the climate in the Northeast, he said.

These days he buys flowers in Albany from all over the world from sources that make them available year round. He buys flowers grown in California, Europe and from South American countries like Columbia, where the capital, Bogotá, is known for its roses. In many locations below the equator, flowers are grown year round, said Mr. Barnard.

To grow flowers here, a grower needs heat and sun, and neither is always available, he said. He also cited labor costs and transportation as making it difficult for U.S. growers to compete with growers abroad.

He is finding it difficult to compete in another way, too, which is why he is closing, he said.

It used to be that if you wanted flowers you went to a florist, Ms. Wadman explained. Anyone can sell flowers today; grocery stores are competing, she said.

And the volume of work, primarily funerals and holidays, is not there anymore, said Mr. Barnard. The largest number of "pieces"—pieces is the term florists use for all kinds of floral arrangements—he had for a single funeral was 95, he said. "You don't see that now, maybe eight or 10 pieces," he said.

People are becoming more private; they don't feel a funeral needs to be a display, said Ms. Wadman. Donations to causes are more popular now, she said.

Although the shop is closing at the end of the month there will be staff on hand until everything is gone, said Ms. Wadman.

Mr. Barnard said he has no plans for the building.

 Top

Capitol Profile: Monica Kreshik, Environmental justice coordinator and associate counsel at the state DEC

Times Union, Monday, August 8, 2005

36, Schodack
Personal: Married to Andrew; has a cat and a golden retriever
Hobbies: The culinary arts, including baking gourmet cakes and pastries; gardening, scuba diving and yoga

What she does: Directs environmental justice office, a program that deals with negative environmental impacts on minority communities. Advises staff throughout agency. Day-to-day duties include giving legal advice to staff regarding case law. Works with grass-roots communities, helping them to get good information, hold government accountable and put together proposals for esplanades, parks and other open spaces.

How she got there: Received a bachelor's degree from State University at Binghamton and a law degree from Albany Law School of Union University. While in law school, interned at DEC and then worked there after graduation for five years, mostly in waste enforcement. Has worked as chief of environmental justice office since it was created in 1999.

Do minority and low-income communities in New York continue to suffer environmental harm disproportionately? "It's getting better to the extent that attention is being paid. There are still a lot of issues with siting, which is often a local government issue. There are still health issues. There's still a lot of work to get to our ultimate goal: environmental justice, where everyone has equal access to environmental benefits, like open space and parks. Negative impacts do still exist, but it's getting better, in part because of the things we're doing and the things that grass-roots groups are doing. Locally, there are many great groups, like Arbor Hill Environmental Justice and the W. Haywood Burns Environmental Education Center."

How does the DEC incorporate environmental justice concerns into its work? "Our permitting process provides for the ability for community groups to participate, to provide comments, but oftentimes low-income and minority communities have not participated as much as other communities. So we've focused on reaching out directly to them, rather than just having a small blurb in the newspaper. We do things that draw those communities in and allow them to participate.

Some other things are looking at environmental violations in these communities: If we're pursuing a violator, and we settle on some type of enforcement order, we have the ability to do environmental benefit projects directly related to the violations. If they are the ones suffering the impacts, then putting the money right back into the community is a huge benefit."

People who live near facilities like chemical plants often complain they have higher rates of illnesses like cancer, but health studies typically say they don't. How do you address a community's concerns? "We try to provide correct information. Sometimes fears are based in reality; sometimes they are based in misinformation. The first thing is to provide accurate information to the communities so they have good data on which to follow up, so they can effect positive changes. We try to focus on specific cases, rather than generalities.

Part of environmental justice is not only to consider health, but also the socioeconomic impacts. When we talk about the environment, the definition is very broad. It talks about the air and water, and it also talks about community character, about health and aesthetics."

-- Matt Pacenza

 Top

Residents seek additional review of subdivision
Board doesn't ask developer for additional info

By Joe Prout, Hudson Valley Newspapers, Register-Star, Friday, August 5, 2005

CLAVERACK -- Neighbors opposed to the Old Barrington Estates subdivision and housing project would have the Claverack Planning Board believe there are many more details that should be reviewed before the project is approved.

But the key matter of contention in the project's review seems to be the review process itself.

Marshall and Mitchell Winston proposed Old Barrington Estates on a hillside parcel situated between Route 23 and Old Barrington Road. The proposal has seven lots ranging in size from 5 to 8.68 acres. Seven houses are proposed, six of which would have driveways on Old Barrington Road.

Site distances, the condition of the dirt road, drainage, brush clearing, loss of scenic viewshed, road engineering plans, proposal completeness, plan availability to the public, cluster housing, and unanswered questions on pesticide infiltration were all issues raised on the project during more than three hours of discussion. The Planning Board didn't request any changes to the plan after hearing the public's concerns.

The crucial missing factor, however, was that the project hadn't been reviewed by the Columbia County Planning Board. Town Planning Board attorney Robert Fitzsimmons said the town code says the project has to be reviewed by the county panel, and if there was a lawsuit challenging the Planning Board's decision on the matter, a court would toss any approval because the county board didn't have a look, which the law requires.

Typically, similar subdivision projects are determined by the county Planning Board to have no inter-community impact, and Claverack wasn't in the practice of sending such projects for review. But Fitzsimmons said if the step wasn't taken, then a court would reject any approval, and the project review process would have to restart.

Fitzsimmons also spelled out his stance on whether more details were needed. The lawyer said the developer proposed a code-compliant plan. He said the Planning Board could ask for more detail, but board members felt comfortable with what had been proposed thus far.

Two of the most frequently raised issues by the public were Barrington Road safety and loss of Claverack's character. Richard Cross raised the road safety issue both at the meeting and in letters to the board chair.

Cross believes the only way to determine whether sight distances on Old Barrington Road are adequate is to provide a profile drawing of the driveway cuts and the road itself, with elevations and road features that could impact sight distance. In his written comments, he states if the Planning Board doesn't address road safety, it would be up to the town Highway Department to bring up the matter with the Town Board.

"Failure by the Town Board to act would open the Planning Board, the Town Highway Department and the Town Board to negligence-based legal actions should anyone suffer injury as a result of the town's failure to heed warnings in this matter," Cross stated.

Cross drafted documents that gave the Planning Board notice of the dangerous conditions he feels they are leaving unaddressed. "Speaking of negligence, I have been advised that my raising these issues at a public meeting and in subsequent written and verbal communications increases the town's potential legal liability in the event of an accident or injury on [Old Barrington Road] near or adjacent to the proposed subdivision," Cross stated.

"I have also been advised that I should formally tell you that the town is on notice that it will be held liable for any injury or property damage that results from its failure to perform due diligence or to completely apply and enforce the subdivision code with respect to the proposed Old Barrington Road project. Depending on the circumstances, this could include personal liability for town and Planning Board members," he added.

During the meeting, Cross said without plans for the roads the proposal is incomplete. "Itseems that in this regard and other regards it is not finished; he told the members.

Carlos Loret de Mola, Ian Nitschke, Dena and Dick Moran were among several residents who complained about the project's aesthetic impacts and potential detriment to community character. There were complaints raised that the Planning Board failed to consider the concerns of the residents currently in Claverack, and it appeared the members were catering to the needs of the developers' target market for potential customers. noted as being second-home owners.

Board Chairman Jay Brousseau said it's not the board's job to tell the developer how to manage the character of its land. He said he believes Highway Superintendent Louis LaMont can handle any issues of drainage or sight distances on Old Barrington Road. The board similarly believes LaMont can handle sediment control if there were related erosion issues raised by improving sight distances on the road.

The board additionally believes LaMont can handle the task of installing driveway culverts to mitigate drainage in front of properties.

When audience members pressed for more detail -- specifically in relation to the environmental review process, Brousseau told them the board was satisfied with what it has. "I think that we covered everything that we needed to, that was brought up and brought to light," he said.

The developers were disappointed that the county Planning Board matter wasn't raised earlier. They were looking for a vote at Monday's meeting. The developers also noted they cut into their potential profits by proposing 5-acre parcels instead of the 1-acre parcels that would be allowed on this property under zoning laws.

 Top

Concerned Women of Claverack donate to library
Register-Star, Wednesday, July 27, 2005

CLAVERACK -- The Concerned Women of Claverack conducted their fourth-annual tag sale recently to benefit local community groups. A check for $1,500 was presented to the Claverack Library board.

Sally Alderdice, director of the Claverack Library, said, "We greatly appreciate the donation, which will enable us to expand our children's programming. More special events can be scheduled throughout the year."

CWC is an organization of more than 200 Claverack citizens concerned with quality of life issues in the community. Donations were also made to Friends of Hudson, Columbia County Land Conservancy, Philmont Free Library and the HCSD Booster Club.

For more information, or to join CWC, may call Cyndy Hall at 518-851-7980.

 Top

Register-Star, Sunday, July 24, 2005, Letter to the editor
MY VIEW
Labeling people just pits neighbor against neighbor

By Jim Cashen, Claverack

Earlier this month, the Register-Star published a "My View" commentary by Albert Wassenhove related to land ownership. The author had just attended the second of two Community Forums held in Claverack and Ghent. The commentary railed against "special interests" (which were defined as "out-of-town folks"), groups that allegedly wanted to severely limit the ability of long-term residents of Columbia County and local businesses to exercise their property rights.

I attended the same Ghent Community Forum attended by Mr. Wassenhove. The forum audience consisted mostly of permanent residents of the county, many of whom have owned their homes here for years. (My family has lived on and operated a dairy farm, which is now a vegetable farm, for over 55 years.)

Most of us had a "special interest" in the discussed subjects, but that interest related to how we as local town residents could intelligently exercise our rights relative to the various types of local land development and the impact of large land developments on land taxes and property values.

What Mr. Wassenhove's commentary did not mention was what we heard at the Philmont and Ghent Community Forums: That large-scale housing developments under existing local zoning and development laws can lead to significantly increased real estate and school taxes for all of us in our existing homes. The new developments can drive up school costs and demand for municipal services far more than the tax revenues those new residents provide.

Together with many residents of Ghent and Claverack as well as other villages and towns in the county, I believe we need to understand these and other likely outcomes. We need to be able to share our concerns with members of our town boards and planning boards and, where appropriate, advocate changes in local town and county laws governing land development, without being branded "outsiders."

The presenters, including a representative of the New York state Planning Federation, to which many local towns belong, provided facts, information and opinions valuable to the audience in better understanding the long-term impact of large-scale land development.

Contrary to Mr. Wassenhove's commentary, there was no "bashing" of local town planners, but rather an attempt to help everyone understand what may result from large-scale development, by way of the needs for immediate increased educational expenditures and of new road, sewage and fire services.

All of us informed citizens need to understand the impact of this development on existing local public policies and laws, to develop strategies and through informed discussion with local officials, urge appropriate changes in local law and policy to minimize the adverse impact which can result from large-scale development in localities not prepared for such development.

Community forums like the ones held in Claverack and Ghent, open to all town residents, can help us develop appropriate local public policy.

These civic spirited efforts are more beneficial, I believe, than the name calling, unsubstantiated assertions and insinuations of elitism found in the Register-Star commentary by Mr. Wassenhove.

In closing, I note that I sat next to this gentleman during the Ghent Community Forum and observed that he never engaged in the spirited public discussion with the speakers after the presentations. Rather, he waited to the end of the forum to read aloud his written statement, and then immediately left the meeting.

I hope that in the future, those who speak out on public issues can address the merits of issues, and not simply label their opponents as "out-of-towners" or "weekenders," and themselves as "long-term residents." For one thing, it just isn't true. For another, all it does is pit neighbor against neighbor based on the number of years lived here. Let's base opinions on the merits of a given issue, not on how long the person who presented the comment or information has lived here.

 Top

Concerns raised over project's aesthetic impacts
By Kate Kirschenheiter, Register-Star, Friday, July 15, 2005

CLAVERACK -- The fate of the Old Barrington Estates subdivision proposal before the Planning Board is still up in the air after a two-hour meeting earlier this week led to another continuation.

The only voting was to classify the project an unlisted action under State Environmental Quality Review Act and designate the town of Claverack Planning Board as lead agency for the environmental review.

Discussion began by addressing a letter from town resident Virginia Martin questioning procedural issues the board routinely follows.

Town Attorney Robert Fitzsimmons addressed the letter, saying that the board habitually allows for public comment throughout the process and this can lead to some difficulties.

"When you have large applications like this and they have engineers and attorneys making presentations, it's difficult to schedule that if there isn't a set public hearing," Fitzsimmons explained. "There needs to be a final rendition for the public to comment on. Your board's process has always been to take as much comment as possible."

Martin, who was in the audience at the meeting, seemed satisfied with the decision of the board to more closely follow regulations.

A public hearing on the seven-lot Old Barrington subdivision has been set for 8 p.m. Aug. 1 at the Claverack Town Hall on Route 217.

Following this hearing, the board could approve a preliminary conceptual plan or "plat."

So far, a number of steps in the subdivision process have been completed including a site visit, declaring the project a major sub-division and reviewing the developer's SEQRA form.

Town Engineer Joe Romano commented on questions he had formulated on the SEQRA, including requests for correspondence from the New York state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation in regards to landmark or historic designations on the land; the state Department of Environmental Conservation for any endangered or threatened plant or animal species, as well as information on wetland delineation, pump capacity of the wells and acreages of disturbed lands.

"They sent a revised form on June 9," Romano reported, adding that all of his questions and requests had been addressed.

However, the Neighbors for Claverack group enlisted the services of Ecosystem Strategies Inc. to review the applicant's SEQRA form and address community concerns.

Ecosystems President Paul H. Ciminello spoke on his requests for clarifications on the Environmental Assessment Form, however, SEQRA material that the Neighbors had obtained through a request for information under the Freedom of Information Law was not the revised form, and most of his comments coincided with Romano's. Ciminello stressed that it was the responsibility and the obligation of the Planning Board to raise questions and to get as much information as they could on the proposed actions.

"The purpose of this letter is to recommend you broaden your view of environment," he said. "Look at aesthetics, community character."

Ciminello also brought up the issues of pesticide, prior land use, the Route 23 viewshed and traffic increases on Old Barrington Road.

"You should question the prior use of the property with respect to agriculture or pesticide uses," Ciminello said, arguing that pesticides could remain in the soil or groundwater of the property from its time as a farm.

Engineer Eric Bernardin, representing the developers, said that his firm had done a Phase One Environmental Assessment, which included walking the property and speaking to the farmer who used to work the land.

"The results of the phase one were that no further tests were warranted," Bernardin reported.

Romano explained that typically corn and hay fields rarely use as much pesticides as orchards. But he did ask that a notation be placed in the SEQRA land use section noting the prior farm use.

Brouseau voiced his opinion as well.

"Personally, I feel it's not required," he said. "Its farmland that hasn't been farmed in a long time. We do request that the phase one assessment is given to everyone."

In addition, the federal wetlands on the property have been flagged, and a new map was supplied to the board.

In light of the new maps, Brouseau felt that there should be no action on the application's acceptance or dismissal.

"We got a newly revised map with wetlands today, it would be remiss of the board to make final approval," he said. "This is the first time I've been officially told there are wetlands on this property."

On traffic issues, there was agreement that there would be a significant increase in the traffic volume, but that would not result in a significant impact, because it would not require additional road changes.

Town Highway Superintendent Louis LaMont has already reviewed and approved the curb cuts for the subdivision's driveways.

There was some argument from the public, however.

Resident Richard Cross pointed out that if Old Barrington Road were to be built today it would not meet town requirements.

His comments were fervently shot down by board member Peter Hotaling, who asked Cross if he wanted all the town roads brought up to current specs and the town's taxes to go up as a result.

The visual impacts of the project were another big issue. Romano commented from an official standpoint.

"What is proposed is consistent with allowed zoning of the town," he said. "Based on the plans provided and having been out to the site, I think that should be enough for a visual impact determination."

Ciminello was of a different mind. "I disagree," he said. "I think that Route 23 is a very important viewshed in Claverack. What the subdivision looks like is the way people are going to see the town of Claverack."

He suggested requesting a visual representation of what the houses would look like.

Bernardin said all that would come out of that type of conceptual design would be a rendering of "several houses on a hillside."

One board member wanted to see an architectural view of what the houses would look like, and another wanted to know if the 1970s Master Plan listed Route 23 as a viewshed.

Three others, including Brouseau, felt it was unnecessary. "We don't need to go through it," he said. "If you drive down Route 23 at 60 mph, it's not easy to see. You see it for maybe 30 seconds."

One audience member pointed out that he didn't drive by at 60, and he felt it would be worthwhile to ask for an architectural rendering.

During public comment, Neighbors for Claverack spokesman of the night Carlos Loret de Mola presented a list of 64 neighbors of the property and 50 residents of Claverack who were opposed to the plan as it stands today.

 Top

Postal Service gets ready to go to bid
By Kate Kirschenheiter, Register-Star, Tuesday, July 12, 2005

CLAVERACK -- At a special public meeting Monday night, a real estate specialist for the U.S. Postal Service discussed the process the town would soon embark on to replace the post office in the hamlet of Claverack.

The post office is currently located near the intersection of Routes 9H and 23.

USPS Real estate specialist Paul F. Tyburski explained to the packed meeting room what requirements would have to be met by the developer or property who wants to submit a bid to construct the new facility.

"In two weeks," he explained, "you will see a newspaper advertisement and a solicitation in the post office. The advertisement will seek a new location within the physical boundary of the hamlet [for the facility]."

The building, he explained, will be 3,000 square feet of net interior space, making it approximately 3,600 square feet total with