What They're Saying in Greenport

The road that O&G and Holcim are proposing, from the quarry to the deep-water dock along the path of the old railroad bed, is currently undergoing site plan review by the Greenport Planning Board--at least the part of it that's in Greenport, from the quarry across Route 9 to Route 9G. Last month, the Planning Board requested various things: current traffic statistics, sight distances, specific plans for the road, information about the proximity of the road to Greenport's aquifer. Last night, Patrick Prendergast was back with all those things, hoping for approval from the Greenport Planning Board so he could move on to the County Planning Board. He didn't get it. The Greenport Board wants a traffic light where the proposed truck route would cross Route 9 and wants the Department of Transportation to approve it. Last month, it was agreed that the Planning Board would write a letter to DOT requesting the traffic light, but that didn't happen because the Planning Board had not received an escrow payment from O&G. Last night, it was agreed that O&G would make a escrow payment and write the letter.

Some interesting things were said at last night's meeting. Prendergast was very dismissive about Scenic Hudson's challenge to the permit issued by DEC, implying that the Freshwater Wetlands Appeals Board was not to be taken seriously since, according to Prendergast, it had only met twice in the past ten years. He also said he'd talked with the mayor of Hudson and someone from the Hudson Planning Commission and anticipated that there would be no need for site plan approval to use the "causeway."

It is puzzling--and a matter for concern--that O&G, which has since November 24 been making regular appearances before the Greenport Planning Board, has yet to appear before the Hudson Planning Commission. O&G was expected to make a presentation to the Planning Commission back on December 9, but, because of an unexplained conflict, they never appeared. Perhaps, though, it isn't so puzzling, given this statement, which appears more than once in the draft LWRP: "The City supports plans proposed by Holcim (US) and its tenant to reroute dump truck traffic from the Holcim mine in Greenport, New York to the deep water port via the South Bay causeway."

The next meeting of the Hudson Planning Commission is on Wednesday, March 10, at 7 p.m. Even if O&G doesn't show up--and there's no reason to think they will--Eric Galloway is expected to present his latest plans for the corner of Fifth and Warren streets.