| Author | Message | ||
     Silvio Dante Citizen Username: Silviodante Post Number: 6 Registered: 8-2003 |
Uh - when the Village Administrator is [involved] with one of the Trustees, he loses his impartiality and his willingness to crticize, no? But, supposedly, there is no Conflict of Interest....yeah, right! post edited by admin Thurs 11/13/03 2:39pm | ||
| Howard Levison Citizen Username: Levisonh Post Number: 2 Registered: 10-2003 |
Just another project under development that is frustrating because of a lack of communication to the community. I have been watching the development of the Pulte project at the old Kernan Quarry and am in wonderment that we now have where I had assumed to be upscale single family homes a “commercial” sales office with a paved parking lot! My wonderment is that I never heard discussed this usage as part of the presentations at the Planning Board or provided from the Building Department through information requests that permits had been issued for this development. I am concerned with how these properties will be rated for tax purposes. Has there been conditional zoning for these properties? Is this part of the unpublished development agreement? | ||
| mayhewdrive Citizen Username: Mayhewdrive Post Number: 523 Registered: 5-2001 |
Howard, I'm sure the answer you will be given is that this sales office is "temporary" & will be removed & eventually replaced with the MULTI-FAMILY townhouses. However, I often wondered why the Village didn't "encourage" the developer to utilize one of the many empty storefronts downtown as a sales office to drive more people downtown. I guess, perhaps the appearance of our downtown would not help fuel the sales of $900,000 townhouses. Or perhaps, "there are no empty storefronts" as was claimed during the last election. (????) | ||
| woodstock Citizen Username: Woodstock Post Number: 486 Registered: 9-2002  |
Howard, I haven't seen the site you're talking about, but it seems to be common practice for developers to put up a sales office (and eventually a model home) before any other significant construction takes place. Usually the sales office is a trailer, but for larger or more affluent communities, a real office might be built. I don't know what they eventually do with it. You post seems to indicate, though, that the sales office is for commercial space. Is that what you gathered from it? I can't imagine that any commerical space will be situated in the quarry, and I'm pretty sure (though I haven't checked) that the development is zoned for residential use only at this point. Waiting For The Electrician, Or Someone Like Him | ||
| Howard Levison Citizen Username: Levisonh Post Number: 3 Registered: 10-2003 |
I meant "commercial" to raise the dialogue. I understand that they would need an office but this should have been part of the development plan/presentation/permitting. This office is on Harding spread across three planned single family home sites. Does this mean that these sites will not be developed for another two-three years? What tax revenue is lost? | ||
| Guesswho Citizen Username: Guesswho Post Number: 63 Registered: 9-2003 |
You meant "commercial" to scare the readers. | ||
| peteglider Citizen Username: Peteglider Post Number: 347 Registered: 8-2002 |
you can be sure if they have a buyer for one of those homes --- that trailer will move in an instant! i've bought new homes in developments 2 times -- in each development the sales office was moved multiple times as construction progressed. i would imagine there will also be a construction trailer or two on the site, and probably the same for materials storage. maybe you said it tongue in cheek about using a storefornt in the village -- but that really isn't practical is it? i would hope that Pulte will work to maintain good relationships during the construction phase with the existing neighbors in terms of keeping the roads clean, parking, noise, etc. in my experience the builders want all the good will they can get in the neighborhood. pete | ||
| mayhewdrive Citizen Username: Mayhewdrive Post Number: 524 Registered: 5-2001 |
Keep hoping, Pete. | ||
| Guesswho Citizen Username: Guesswho Post Number: 65 Registered: 9-2003 |
Good relationships have to go both ways..and it is obvious one side refuses to cut the other any slack. Everything that Pulte does is bad, bad, bad. What a bunch of sore losers/  | ||
| mayhewdrive Citizen Username: Mayhewdrive Post Number: 526 Registered: 5-2001 |
I'm afraid we are all the losers in this one, Guesswho. | ||
| vermontgolfer Citizen Username: Vermontgolfer Post Number: 197 Registered: 12-2002 |
pete/guesswho, You're forgetting where you're posting, this is M/SO on line, where the only good post is a negative post. Seriously, that's not a true statement and probably unfair since many here have very valid concerns and critisicms, but from what I've seen there is always going to be a certain segment that finds something wrong with whatever anyone does. | ||
| mayhewdrive Citizen Username: Mayhewdrive Post Number: 528 Registered: 5-2001 |
VG, You mean like YOUR repeated criticism of Bill and Hillary Clinton on other threads?  | ||
| vermontgolfer Citizen Username: Vermontgolfer Post Number: 198 Registered: 12-2002 |
Yeah, something like that! | ||
| Howard Levison Citizen Username: Levisonh Post Number: 4 Registered: 10-2003 |
I am glad to see that there is a dialogue. I am not against the development. We have a "planning board" process that allowed all sides to "communicate" resulting in an acceptable plan with a level of expectation. But I think there has been a lack of communication since that approval. I was not aware that this usage for these sites nor have I seen any communication about the developers agreement - did we (public) obtain access to the openspace, also it was my impression that trees were to be retained not cut and cleared. Are these concessions that have been made after the fact and without any public comment? What may be needed is to include this project with the others on <-> The only problem is that it must be keep current. | ||
| Howard Levison Citizen Username: Levisonh Post Number: 5 Registered: 10-2003 |
It looks like the URL did not appear in the previous message - http://www.southorange.org/redevelopment_html.asp | ||
| mayhewdrive Citizen Username: Mayhewdrive Post Number: 533 Registered: 5-2001 |
Howard, I recall during the Planning Board meetings the developer saying they would TRY to keep some trees, but it certainly seemed unlikely. As for the "Open Space" (i.e. the wetlands being used as a detention basin)....the Roadway into the site has been made Private. SUPPOSEDLY, an easement was going to be granted to allow the public access to the detention basin, but nothing public has ever been discussed about this that I am aware of. Allen, Mark, Patrick - any ideas if an easement was ever completed? Also, the property was supposed to be immediately rezoned for a maximum of 69 units after the Planning Board approval (i.e. in case this development fails, they can never go back to the 198 unit zoning) Mark, Allen, Patrick - any idea if this was ever completed? | ||
| mrosner Citizen Username: Mrosner Post Number: 777 Registered: 4-2002 |
mhd: The property has not been rezoned yet. We discussed in planning and zoning the other day. Some legal hurdles still but it should be done soon (unless I am told of some other legal issue). As for the easement, that was not to be done until all construction was finished as I understand it. As of this point, I think it would not be safe to start wandering around the quarry. Drilling and blasting will probably be starting soon. | ||
| Washashore Citizen Username: Washashore Post Number: 100 Registered: 4-2003 |
WOW! 1) How can Ed Matthews STILL be on the payroll? 2) Why hasn't his malpractice insurance been tapped to pay, not only for the clean-up, but to re-pay our taxes that went to his billable hours for his malfeasance? 3) Where is the Star Ledger and N-R? There's enough food in these posts to get anyone's blood boiling - sounds like a good investigative piece to me. 4) When can we expect our Village President, in whose hands all power to hire/fire resides, step up to the plate and explain: A) why he misled the Village in his last campaign in April-May about the "coming soon" nature of the supermarket, when all of the land had not, and still is not, under Village ownership? B) how the Village Attorney who advised condemnation and purchase of the contaminated site IS STILL THE VILLAGE ATTORNEY? C) how the Village Administrator, who is also the CFO, who is also the Treasurer, who is also in Conflicts of Interest in very major ways, is still in those conflict-of-interest situations, and is still on the payroll? Do I hear a groundswell of support for all of us who are outraged by this misrepresentation, incompetence, conflicts-of-interest, and mismanagement attending the BOT meeting on the 24th to request answers???? | ||
| vermontgolfer Citizen Username: Vermontgolfer Post Number: 210 Registered: 12-2002 |
washashore, hope to see you there! | ||
| mayhewdrive Citizen Username: Mayhewdrive Post Number: 535 Registered: 5-2001 |
Mark, Thanks for the response. Please keep us posted. Wash, Good questions. Isn't there also a BOT meeting THIS Monday (11/17)? |
