After the public hearing on the proposal was closed, acting town attorney Ken Dow read the lengthy resolution, which, among another things acknowledged that the project entailed the demolition of the Farrand House, once known as "The Pines," which the State Historic Preservation Office has determined to be eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.
When a roll call vote was taken, only one member of the five-member Planning Board voted against approving the project. That lone dissenter was Peter Tenerowicz, who read a statement that detailed how the project would have significant negative impacts on the neighborhood, having to do with traffic, noise, light pollution, density of use, which could not be mitigated. The other four members of the board--Sandy Kipp, Michael Grisham, Ed Stiffler, and Robert MacGiffert--voted to approve the project, each acknowledging that it was not an ideal location but justifying their action by saying the town's comprehensive plan identified the "Route 9 corridor" as the place for retail development, congratulating themselves for doing a thorough review, and thanking the applicant for being cooperative. MacGiffert concluded, "The board should be proud of the way we all worked hard to make it as good as it could be."
Meanwhile, across the street in Fairview Plaza, owned by TRG, the developer for this new project, KD Hallmark is closing, and there seem to be more empty stores there than there are occupied stores. One of those stores, of course, is a former supermarket.
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It's worth noting that every penny spent in those corporate stores leaves our local economy and ends up in the pocket of investors elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteI could be wrong, but I believe all franchises, to qualify to continue their partnership, must upgrade their property within a short window of opportunity. The new upgraded restaurants are vastly different from before.McDonald's Restaurants Ltd. pays its employees an average of $9.35 an hour. Hourly pay at McDonald's Restaurants Ltd. ranges from an average of $7.65 to $13.58 an hour."
ReplyDelete"Eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places",even tho eligible will it be demolished regardless?
ReplyDelete" as good as it could be" - like the traffic circle by the Rip Van Winkle? Sad and disappointing.
Mr. Tenerowicz, it seems, is the lone voice of reason on that board. They can congratulate themselves all they want, but it's a really, really bad idea. Instead of renting out already existing space, they are tearing down historic structures to make more commercial development in an already overdeveloped strip of Route 9. That is a bad corner to add more traffic to, and it's very poor planning all round. Typical of Greenport, which has created the classically undesirable urban sprawl, and continues to make it worse.
ReplyDeleteThis is sad and a nightmare for those poor people living next to what will become yet another giant asphalt mess, another heat sink to accelerate the warming planet. People everywhere should be planting trees and plowing up as much asphalt as possible, not creating more. This is also totally unnecessary as there is a large amount of unused commercial property right across the street. The old shoprite, family dollar, and a few other empty spots in that plaza-- But it is more money in the pockets of developers.
ReplyDeleteBe forewarned Hudson of anyone using the word "development". Take a trip to Long Island or New Jersey to see where this leads. There should be a moratorium on any new construction until every existing empty building is put into service.
The application of asphalt also needs to be regulated. New asphalt lots should not be permitted without environmental review and simultaneous planting of enough trees to offset the heat sinking impact of the tar. Existing asphalt lots should be redesigned to allow for islands and rows of trees to mitigate the heat absorption.
The closing of stores in Fairview Plaza gives lie to the claim of "Route 9 corridor" as the place for retail development. Question: did Greenport get Performance Bonds from the owners of these abandoned buildings to prevent them from becoming eyesores?
ReplyDeleteAldi's plaza will be empty then too, adding to the dereliction on Fairview. Really bad planning, but then Greenport.... Indeed that intersection will be one big mess. Goodbye "The Pines". Historic eligibility is not enough. Sad
ReplyDeleteReally good comments. There are so very many vacant store fronts at every imaginable portion of this nondescript, poorly planned (if any) retail commercial district. It's simply a mess. It looks depressing which doesn't do anything to encourage shoppers. A fairly newer CVS is closed! Those large vacant messes could be reimagined if Greenport had any sense at all. Instead of a new Aldi center and a tear down of the historic house, their focus should be conversion development. ShopRite occupies prime real estate (and way too much treeless asphalt!). The group of stores across the street are all vacant too. Just that area alone could hold so much promise in revitalization with vision. Greenport history is one defined of no vision. This weak spot is what the board needs to address before any developments are in the works. Well designed much needed housing could be created. Even spaces for creative workshops and retail. Vision. I hope someone's listening.
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