Thursday, October 3, 2024

Zoning Board Mass Resignation

 January 3, 2013

Woodstock Town Board

Town of Woodstock, New York 12498

Members of the Town Board

Please be advised that I am tendering my resignation as of this date, January 3, 2013, as a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals.

The years that I have spent on the Zoning Board of Appeals have been enjoyable and although we have had differences of opinion, we are all in agreement about what is good and legal for the Town according to the Zoning Law.

Recently though, in has become increasingly difficult to do our “job” due to the lack of follow up by the Zoning Enforcement Officer and also the Town Board’s political intrusion into our cases and decisions.

The last straw was your decision last night to remove from the ZBA a volunteer who has worked tirelessly for the Town for many years and replace him with someone who has no experience simply because some members of the Town Board do not like past decisions.

It has been a labor of love for me to work as a volunteer for a town in which I have grown up and lived in for over 65 years and I will miss the friendships I have made.

Joanne Anthony

 January 7, 2013

Town of Woodstock

J. Earley, Town Clerk

Dear Jackie,

I am submitting my resignation as a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals effective today after serving for nine years on the board.

After writing several long drafts of resignation letters, I have decided to just submit this formal yet brief letter. I no longer wish to serve at the bequest of the Town Board which has lost faith and confidence in the ZBA over the past 1-2 year time frame when we as a board would not submit to popular political opinions and pressures and yet stuck by our faith and understanding of the Town of Woodstock Zoning Law.

I can not longer operate under these parameters.

Please accept my resignation.

Tony Padalino

 January 3, 2013

Town Board of the Town of Woodstock

45 Comeau Drive

Woodstock N.Y. 12498

It is with regret that I hereby submit my resignation from the Zoning Board of Appeals for the Town of Woodstock.

I have served for 2 years now and during that time I have been impressed with the dedication of all the other members and the chairman to carefully administer their responsibilities.

We have sought to hear all cases according to the Zoning Law as written in order to protect the town and insure fair treatment of applicants. It is embarrassing to find that the recent action of the Town Board to not reappoint Chairman Harris indicates a belief that we have been acting otherwise.

Yours truly

John Wasylyk

 To:  Woodstock Town Board

Town of Woodstock, New York 12498

 Members of the Town Board;

Please be advised that I am tendering my resignation as of this date, January 3, 2013, as a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals.  It appears that the Town Board has lost confidence in the ZBA as a team and so I am resigning from the ZBA. 

Sincerely,

Lynn McCormick

 2/3/2013

Sent to the Woodstock Times

As a former member of the Zoning Board of Appeals, I was horrified by the news that Howard Harris was not invited back for another term. If I were still a member I’d have resigned too.

Claudette Covey

January 04, 2013

Dear Joanne, Lynn, John, and Marie,

 Although I have not met you in the flesh, I feel I have come to know you

as good people who work hard to do what is best for their beloved community.

 As I have listened to ZBA meetings over time, I have been impressed with your fairness and intelligence.  It is beyond sad to me that you will not be on the Board, assuming that what I have just read is correct.  However, I admire your principled stand against what to me is the incredibly shabby treatment of a fine man.

 I am appalled that our wonderful Chairman was so shamelessly and undeservedly removed from his position.  I think him among the finest people I have known. How his hard work and unquestioned integrity are not fully appreciated by everyone is beyond me. 

 I suppose it is too much to hope for, but I cannot help but wish that somehow, by black magic if necessary, you could all be back at the ZBA immediately, with Howard where he belongs, at the helm.

 Best Wishes to you all,

 Eileen Fay  She wrote the minutes of every ZBA meeting

Sunday, April 2, 2023

This is the design that you allowed, by voting for the construction bond, to be used to build the addition to the Comeau Building, a building for which, long before the addition’s construction, the Town Historian applied to receive a “historic designation” with the State Historic Preservation Office. One would think that the design of the addition would therefore complement the Comeau Building, rather than, as this design does, ignore its historic aesthetics. 

A lavoir (wash-house)                                 
Source: Wikipedia                                                 Source; Pinterest   
  
                                               


  

    
   






Friday, April 8, 2022

 

            Did you know that cutting down certain trees planted within 20 feet of either side of any properties ,fronting on or contiguous to or located within 20 feet of New York State Highway Route 212 between the point where Plochmann Lane intersects  Route 212 to the point where Route 212 intersects the Bearsville-Wittenberg Road in the hamlet of Bearsville, is not allowed unless a permit is issued by Woodstock’s Town Board ?

Thursday, October 28, 2021

 

Makes no sense

      As opposed to other types of roofs, a shed roof has a single slope that can vary in steepness depending on its design. That is the type of roof chosen by the architects for the proposed Comeau addition.

     Woodstock annually gets about 48 inches of rain and 51 inches of snow; 10 inches of melted snow or one inch of rain equates to .64 of a gallon of water per square foot of roof, so that the runoff from a 2,800-square-foot roof would amount to approximately 1,800 gallons of water. What do you think would be the overall effect of the rain and snow runoff since the addition is only 10 feet away from the Comeau building and the roofs slant towards each other?

 

Sunday, October 24, 2021

Comeau Building Renovation

           Based upon the article in last week’s issue of HV1, it appears that the Comeau building has a good chance of qualifying for National Historic Register status. A status “which would give the town a lot of money to handle the renovation.” Which would save us taxpayers approximately $840,000 as well as the cost of maintenance and upkeep. However, the Comeau addition project as proposed “will kill any chance of our qualifying” for the funding. If you have any questions / comments please respond.

Monday, May 10, 2021

ADA Consciousness

Jacqueline Manganaro, an ADA advocate is quoted in HV1 as saying “The Town of Woodstock seems to be ignoring a large community of people with disabilities. I’ve made attempts for three years on an advocate level. ……I took many pictures of broken, dangerous and/or lack of sidewalks in our town. These are dangerous obstacles for the community of people with disabilities. I’ve spoken to our town supervisor….. What I’m told is, “The town is only responsible for certain sidewalks and the store-owners are responsible for their own sidewalks.” Is there a plan in the works to correct this condition.

On another note, what about the Comeau addition whose current design, it appears, is not in compliance with ADA regulations ,will that be addressed prior to its construction. What is currently being foisted upon us, aside from CCD issues, are 48 inch wide hallways/corridors that according to the following source and an ADA attorney does not comply with ADA regulations.

https://legalbeagle.com/7829693-ada-hallway-requirements

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Wednesday, May 5, 2021

Housing

 

Our Zoning Law -  Obey it - Change it - Enforce it - but don't violate it


Are you concerned that there are not enough buildable lots?  

Woodstock's 1965 Zoning Law allowed, in the R-A and R-1 districts which covered the majority of the town, “one family per 2 acres. “

A possible solution would be to change the current Zoning Law to allow the subdividing of a property to create an undersized lot . There would be a minimum required size of the lot as well as compliance with other standards, and restrictions so as not to diminish the character of the neighborhood.  This would not only provide buildable lots but also increase the Town’s tax base.

Stay tuned for more . . .