The following is scanned text of a March 16, 1999 letter from CGCA Chairman Danny Gold to Stephen Lopez, Commissioner of Community Development and Conservation.
21 Shaw Lane Stephen Lopez, AICP Dear Mr. Lopez: The Council of Greenburgh Civic Associations has received and discussed your letter of February 1, 1999 regarding the October 20, 1998 minutes of the CGCA. We appreciate your interest and would like to comment on a number of issues. Westchester View Lane Subdivision Mr.
Lopez: "That [the condition] seems very clear to me." Therefore, the CGCA cannot understand why Town officials continue to obscure the conditions for development for Westchester View Lane. Such tortured interpretations undermines the Town's planning and enforcement process and undercuts the community's faith in the legitimacy of the Town's Subdivision approval process. Route 9A Development - Waived Site Plan Conditions
The CGCA also agrees that your statement is technically correct that "...Sam's, the Ice Skating Rink and Westy's were never granted site plan waivers for any exceptions from approved plans." However, the fact remains that provisions of the approved site plans were "waived" regarding two of these sites. Westy's Storage. The site plan-subdivision-code change application for the Westy's site included a Tree Preservation Plan which was reviewed by the community and adopted by the Planning Board. Hundreds of trees were to be saved, and that is one of the reasons why the community had no major objections to this project. The community is quite disturbed about the wholesale destruction of trees that were included on the Tree Preservation Plan. Clear-cutting of these trees was not necessary! The enormous Westy's building can now be seen from a mile away. No explanation has ever been given other than the applicant requested and was granted permission to remove the trees. What is the purpose of presenting a Tree Preservation Plan with a site plan application if there is no requirement that the applicant will adhere to the plan and can have conditions "waived" by applying for a tree removal permit? The community's faith in the site plan approval process has been compromised. The knowledge that a site plan waiver was not issued offers little solace. Sam's Membership Warehouse. Your letter notes that negotiations to achieve changes to the landscaping plan on the Sam's property were very difficult due to an ownership change. However, there were problems regarding the landscaping at the former Elmsford Drive-In property from day one.The original developer (The Robert Martin Company for PACE Club) did not plant in compliance with the landscaping plan that had been approved by the Planning Board. Substitutions were made by the developer without approval. In addition,. a number of plants did not survive the winter of 1993-1994 and were not replaced. It took numerous, repeated complaints from the community before any steps were taken to try to improve the problem. What is the purpose of presenting a landscape plan during site plan review if an applicant can make substitutions without approval or fail to replace dead trees without consequences? The knowledge that a site plan waiver was not issued does little to bolster the community's faith in the site plan approval process or the enforcement process. /very truly yours/ /Danny Gold/ |