LETTER: Diamond explains Collington Pointe vote

To the editor:

I think the town of Lysander when viewed against neighboring communities can be judged as truly unique. We’re only minutes away from many retail locations, yet we don’t share the congestion and development pressure that is experienced in these neighboring towns.

A common concern that I have heard from our residents is a fear that overdevelopment will change the character of our town. Once open land and green space are developed, there is no going back. I am not opposed to development and I believe that if it’s done strategically it can be a benefit for our taxpayers without having to compromise the qualities we value.

Since incentive zoning was introduced into the town of Lysander in June 2015 as part of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP), the town board has seen several different development proposals which have concerned me. The primary purpose of incentive zoning as stated in the CLUP is “the preservation of farmland, scenic viewsheds, water resources, forests, meadows, geologic features, environmentally sensitive areas, significant plants and animal habitats, and important ecological resources.”

The concern that I have had was that the proposals didn’t appear to protect enough open space. What they would have done instead was increase development in specific areas and offer the town a cash sum and some other amenities to address existing issues.

Fortunately, I haven’t been alone in voicing these concerns to the public. Since the adoption of the CLUP, Councilor Bob Geraci has spoken out consistently about the danger of losing open space and its potential negative effect on the character of this community.

During the public hearing phase of the Collington Pointe East development project, however, I saw a developer genuinely listening to the feedback residents provided. The developer then met with our negotiating committee and changed their original proposal from 122 houses to 89, he included funding for improvements for Patchett Road, and he will set aside half of the land to be preserved as forever wild. I supported this application because of these reasons and the resolution was passed unanimously by the town board at our last meeting. As your town councilor, I promise to continue to fight and advocate for what makes the town of Lysander the truly great place it is.