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ABOUT
KNGG
FOR A BRIEFER OUTLINE OF KNGG HISTORY
CLICK ON "ACCOMPLISHMENTS"
KNGG HISTORY (A Historical Outline 2004) OCTOBER 13, 2004 - Special KNGG Meeting called to ask membership for feedback to pursue an Article 78 Action against the ZBA (and Widewaters) for not following prescribed procedure in the issuance of a variance to Widewaters to permit them to build a 67,000 Sq. Ft. building with a flat roof which is against the Town Zoning Code. The feedback was positive to go ahead.
SEPTEMBER 23, 2004
KNGG sincerely believes that what we experienced at
Town Hall on September
23rd was a sham and
unjust - not because we did not get what we wanted
- but
because the process was
grossly flawed.
AA Filing Article 78 will show our public officials that they must enforce our zoning code, and to recognize that the bucolic, rural and historic beauties of Kinderhook are an asset to our Town that need taking care of. We are very much aware that there is a need for growth, but it must be good growth, smart growth, growth that makes sense for our community , our way of life and not just for the developer's deep pockets.SEPTEMBER 2, 2004 - ZBA PUBLIC HEARING KNGG attorney, Jeff Baker battled it out with Widewaters' attorney John Hoggan for three hours over Widewaters application for a variance for a flat roof. The determination is to be made at the next meeting.
AUGUST 19, 2004 The Kinderhook Town Planning Board, having reviewed the Widewaters project for 2 ½ years, approved the project's site plan inclusive of the questionable and controversial roundabout. Just because Widewaters presented all the data that was asked for doesn’t mean that this project, the largest ever for the Town of Kinderhook, won’t have any adverse impacts on this rural historical town.
How this
project will adversely change the this rural town's character to a suburban
character was never taken into consideration by this board. KNGG believes that
this board did not vote its conscience but got caught up in all the technical
aspects. The
dot sent representatives to meet with the Town Board and the Planning
Board. Howard McCulloch’s
presentation was nothing more than a sales pitch for roundabouts. He did not answer many of the questions,
Gerard Minot-Scheuerman and other Planning Board members had about the
roundabout and how it would effect the US9 and NY 9H Corridor. So
it is beyond our comprehension how Minot-Scheuerman and the others could vote in
favor of this project. Safety
factors of the roundabout were left up in the air by the DOT like having an
unsignaled intersection across form a 2000 pupil school system. As we see it, the planning board members, Gerard Minot-Scheuerman, Don Gaylord, Mary Ellen Hearn, Ed Simonsen, Richard Anderson and Jim Egnasher sat through 2 ½ years of KNGG findings and many public concerns aired by the community at public hearings. Ed Simonsen, Chairman, often said that the public must be given its chance to be heard. But if the Planning Board members did not listen and digest the facts.
MAY 10, 2004 - KNGG tells Kinderhook Town Board it recommends a moratorium on
commercial development. Based on her research, KNGG Board Member Meg
Moran presented reasons to the Town Board why it should implement a
moratorium on all commercial development on Routes US9/NY 9H in Kinderhook
until such time a corridor study could be completed and implemented with changes
to the zoning. The intersection of US9 and NY 9H is stressed and is
nearing failure.
April 26, 2004 - KNGG Celebrated
two years of service to the community at The McNary center, St. Paul's Episcopal
Church - Village of Kinderhook.
March 4, 2004
- 40 KNGG members spoke against the Widewaters'
strip mall proposal at the Planning Board's public hearing on the site
plan. Among those speaking for KNGG were
attorney Jeff Baker who reminded the Planning Board that because the DOT
recommended a roundabout, it was no reason why they should feel obliged to
approve it. KNGG Board member Meg Moran, spoke for 27 minutes questioning
Widewaters' traffic counts and their projected date of failure of the roundabout
with hard facts and figures. January 8, 2004 - At the Town Planning Board, the site plan review is in progress and Widewaters has presented their FDEIS (Final Draft Environmental Impact Statement which is being reviewed. Dunkin' Donuts has returned to the Planning Board with plans and drawings for a restaurant at the intersection of Routes 9, 9H and State Farm Road, just across from the proposed Widewaters strip mall site. Issues: traffic, set back and lot coverage.
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