Opposition Grows... Again
Sierra Club Joins New Coalition Aimed At Shrinking Resort One More Time

Phoenicia Times
11/8/2007 By Paul Smart

Just when it looked like developer Dean Gitter was ready to make his final push towards getting his was ready to make his final push towards getting his Belleayre Resort approved for building on lands adjacent to the state-owned Belleayre Ski Center, opposition to his mega-development has again raised its head. And despite a pronouncement by state Senator John Bonacic that any new protests wouldn’t be enough to stop the long-stalled project, which gained the support of Governor Elliot Spitzer and a host of national and regional environmental organizations in a compromise deal announced in September, it seems the new opposition is growing stronger by the day.

In a town with a reputation of unruly public sessions, the civility of the event, led by the League of Women Voters, did not go unnoticed.
Jane Todd, candidate for town Supervisor, joked that perhaps the League of should run town meetings. Then again, the current Deputy Supervisor who insisted on speaking about the town’s need to be lead, rather than share leadership processes, was also the only candidate to bring up the idea of negative campaigning… as if she had been expecting attacks at the event.
Todd was joined by Democratic opponent Peter DiSclafani and Independent opponent Frank Nazzaro, who is running on his Genuine Shandaken Party line.
Asked if they had an economic development plan, Nazarro said the town board should promote business and faulted the current administration for being “anti-business.” Todd agreed that business has not been welcome in Shandaken and said that the town should consider changing local zoning codes if the current ones stand in the way of businesses.
Asked about public participation in town government, DiSclafani faulted the current administration for shutting residents out. He promised there would be more dialogue between the town board and the public. Nazzaro said government should be open. “I’m going to open it up 100%,” he said.
Todd said she would get resolutions out to the public sooner than has been the case under current Supervisor Robert Cross Jr., but stopped short of agreeing with the others about public participation. While there would be public participation, Todd made it clear that the town board is also responsible for leadership.
“What the town needs is an enema and I’m just the man to administer it,” said Nazzaro, drawing the event’s biggest laugh.
Jack Jordan and Vince Bernstein, the two official Republican candidates (although Bernstein seems to have gone out on his own for his campaigning). Democrats Tim Malloy and Peter DiModica, and Independents Lynn O’Brophy and Jerry Pearlman, all of whom are running for the two board seats up for grabs this year, were asked to share views on the town’s pressing issues such as the lack of cell towers, the Phoenicia sewer question, development, open government and what can be done to make sure the Onteora School District keeps the Phoenicia Elementary School open.
The candidate’s responses were remarkably similar given the divisiveness in town. All agreed that a sewer for Phoenicia is a good idea, but that New York City should be convinced to pay for it. Town government should listen to the public, and all pledged to do so, just as all pledged to do whatever they could to keep the Elementary school open.
Jordan, who was Interim Superintendent of the Onteora school district last year and is currently acting High School Principal, separated himself from the crowd on the school issue, saying he would attack any closure efforts on merit.
“It makes absolutely no educational sense,” he said.
O’Brophy also showed personal understanding of the school issue, noting that as Director of the local head start program, which operates on Phoenicia School property, she is very aware of the need for a school in that portion of the sprawling district.
While all agreed cellular service is needed, only Dimodica and Pearlman criticized the current plan to build a tower on town property. DiModica said there should have been a town wide plan for cellular communications before making a deal on just one tower. Pearlman called the tower plan “arbitrary” and “a mistake.”
Development was a topic where the candidates spoke more freely. Bernstein wants to see it happen in the existing hamlets. DiModica fears that large development now proposed in town may, if built, may set up the town for stronger restrictions on development elsewhere within town borders. Jordan noted that there were “legal limits” to what a town board could do about development. Malloy also felt growth is best suited in the hamlets and commented how a recent Oktoberfest at Belleayre Ski Center, in his opinion, took business away from Phoenicia on Columbus Day weekend… a sign of just how sensitive the local economy is.
Pearlman mentioned the proposed Crossroads Ventures resort, saying he did not think the community can support the consequences of large scale development.
Bernstein spoke about holding listening meetings in the town’s firehouses and other community centers to draw in more public involvement, and not less.
All running for town council felt that the town’s 2008 ambulance budget, slated to increase about $30,000, needed to be reviewed. Malloy, Bernstein and Pearlman all think the ambulance budget can be trimmed. Jordan suggested going down the proposal line by line and deciding afterwards. O’Brophy said it wouldn’t to look for savings but was committed to making sure the services are not reduced.
For Highway Superintendent, incumbent republican candidate Keith Johnson noted several times that he was doing the best job he could, and seemed uncomfortable being faced by the public. Conservative Ken Berrryann appeared somewhat glib, tending to agree with Johnson and suggesting chemicals be used to remove snow instead of sand and salt. Eric Hofmeister, running as a Democrat, spoke about instilling green technology, including solar panels, at the highway garage and working towards future savings.
For Town Clerk, 20-year incumbent Laurilyn Frasier spoke about her years serving the town but seemed ill-at-ease addressing any changes for the future. Her Democratic challenger, Carol Shaleaw, suggested the clerk’s office doing more public relations to increase Shandaken’s tourism profile, along with other business-like upgrades she picked up in a high-power hospitality industry management career.
For Town Assessor, all three candidates seemed uncomfortable before the public, although Republican John Horn, a former Westchester County mayor who admitted being “a fanatic” for assessment facts and figures, spoke strongly in favor of a townwide revaluation of all properties. Heidi Clark, presently the assessor office’s clerk, talked about doing a good job, no matter what it entailed. Rotella addressed people’s needs not to see their taxes going up.
Perhaps the evening’s most telling matter of difference between candidates, or at least types of political viewpoints, came when one candidate repeatedly misused the word “Diversified” for “Divisive.” Combined with several comments about what was being lost in the demographic changes affecting the town and region, the gaffe ended up highlighting the sense that for some of the candidates, change was something to be feared and fought against, whole others it should be welcomed as part of a community’s lifeblood.
Yet those distinctions never became overt and by meeting’s end, everyone was shaking hands and speaking about the wonders of democracy.
On, now, to the voting booths on Tuesday, November 6, open from 6:00 am to 9:00 PM.
We’ll be letting you know what happens…