Big News

Guess who passed the "bat-shit crazy" pro se petitioner test?  This guy! [two thumbs pointed at chest]  Much more to come shortly, but I have some work to do.

A New Year

Above: A reader's comment on Jack Kahn's letter to the ZBA.

Gentle reader:

The new year brings us many new and exciting opportunities to present our concerns with the proposed new development heard with the town.  It's important that we leave both verbal and written comments on the public record regarding all of the concerns we have; from parking to environmental; from the quality of life considerations to the detrimental impact on the character of the neighborhood and its unique steep slopes.  Did I mention parking concerns?

Mr. Strachan brings up some interesting points.  Additionally, it is important to note that Shrub Oak Lake Estates (SOLE) still retains ownership of the wetland parking area via permanent easement recorded in the deed conveyed to Faith Bible Church.  I'm to lazy to expound on it in this post, but it's true. 

The deadline for filing an article 78 petition challenging the Yorktown Zoning Board of Appeals' decision approval of the zoning variances are fast approaching.  If legal action is taken, the required documents will most likely be filed this week.

Chairman Gregg Bucci Didn't Read The Deed For The Wetland Lots

A quick snippet from Yorktown Zoning Board of Appeals meeting minutes, June 2011.  

“Chairman Bucci told him [editors note: that would be me!] that if that is true, such uses are with the permission of the owner and that unless the parties using the applicants property have some sort of legal contractual arrangement or legal ability to claim some sort of ownership interest in that property, that’s done with the permission of the owner. It has nothing to do with whether the owner owns the property or makes arrangements to allow people to park there.”

 I'm a SOLE man.  More on that later.  

Merry Christmas. 

A Brief Intermission

I hope you are having a good holiday season.  News of the Yorktown Zoning Board of Appeals' approval of all of the zoning variances is disheartening, for sure.  However, make sure to check back in after all the holiday hectic-ness ends.  I promise you exciting new developments.  Not only will there likely be a planning board hearing or working session, but we may even see some litigation.

Sewers

The new development requires a sewer connection to get planning and environmental approvals.  They have graciously offered the surrounding community a "dry" sewer pipe that would parallel their private sewer line.  We still need a site for the tank and pump house required to make it actually work.  This is something the church is not responsible for, nor should they be.  It is an opportunity to open a dialogue with the town about our sewer situation. 

 The vast majority of the community that surrounds the proposed new development has no sewer service.  We do, however, pay a sewer tax.  I understand that we "voted" ourselves into a sewer district.  They ran into trouble finishing the system and here we are today with no plan to ever finish the project.  Yet they gladly keep taking our tax money to pay for a service we are not provided.  I'm sure there's a lot of nuance in the law, but that smells like taxation without representation, if you ask me. 

If we, the Mohegan Lake community, are wise, we should lobby the town to at least formulate a plan.  A 5, 10, 15, 25? year plan to get us set up with modern sanitary services--THAT WE PAY FOR ALREADY.  The proposed new development provides us a golden opportunity to get some kind of commitment and the church's gracious offer provides us a foot in the door.  Even if it's just lip service, I think it's important the town recognize the issue formally.

Write the town board.  Write the town engineer.  Write the town supervisor.  Let them know this issue is important to you.