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YOU ALL.SO, SO WE'RE OFFICIALLY STARTING
[ TOWN OF GREENBURGH CONSERVATION ADVISORY COUNCIL AGENDA MEETING TO BE HELD VIA ZOOM-ENABLED VIDEO CONFERENCE THURSDAY, September 24, 2020 – 6:30 P.M. ]
THE C A C MEETING.UM, I NOTICED IN THE MINUTES THAT YOU HAVE THE RESOLUTIONS THAT MIKE SUGGESTED, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE VOTING INFORMATION.
UM, AS TO FIRST, DO WE NORMALLY PUT IN WHO, WHO FIRST? I, I THINK I SAID NO, I DIDN'T PUT IN THE VOTE, BUT I SAID THEY PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S GOOD ENOUGH.
I THINK IT'S IN THERE RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING.
SO DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY OTHER CHANGES OR ANYTHING COMMENTS ON THE MINUTES? NO.
SO WHAT I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT NEXT, I THINK SO IS THE ANNUAL, UM,
DID I RECEIVED A CHANGE FROM MARGARET AND I RECEIVED SEVERAL CHANGES FROM MIKE.
DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY CHANGES TO THAT? I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT IT.
SO, BECAUSE, SORRY, IT'S SORT OF A PROFORMA THING, BUT YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY WANT THEM ON FILE AND I'VE BEEN REMISSED, THIS IS MY FAULT, IT NEVER GOT DONE.
SO I'LL BE, I'LL CLEAN THAT UP AND SEND IT OUT.
ONE MORE TIME FOR YOU TO LOOK AT.
I SENT OUT THE DATES WE RECEIVED FROM, UM, FROM AARON AND HE'S, IF I UNDERSTOOD HIS RESPONSE, THE TOWN HALL WILL BE OPENED ON NOVEMBER 11TH, SO WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO MOVE THAT MEETING.
IS THAT MIC TRYING TO GET IN SOMEBODY'S GADGET? IT'S FINE.
SO AT ANY RATE, UM, THE ONLY CONCERN I HAVE, I HAD ASKED IF YOU GO LOOK AT AND YOU FIND THERE'S, UM, SOME SORT OF RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY THAT I'VE MISSED, UH, BECAUSE THAT'S ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T, WE DON'T WANNA MANAGE TO SCHEDULE, UM, SOMETHING ON A HOLIDAY THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE IS OBSERVING AND AM I, I CAN'T, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY? I CAN DO THE CHRISTIAN HOLIDAYS, I CAN DO SOME OF THE JEWISH HOLIDAYS.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT BACKGROUND RAZA IS.
SO I FIGURE THAT'S EVERYONE THAT KIND OF LOOK AT IT AND SEE IF I'VE MISSED SOMEBODY'S HOLIDAY BECAUSE THAT'S ALWAYS
SO THAT, THAT LOOKS LIKE THAT'S GOOD TO GO.
UM, LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION ABOUT, UM, CARLSON'S NURSERY.
THERE WAS A MEETING TUESDAY NIGHT AT THE TOWN BOARD ON CARLSON'S NURSERY AND
WHERE, WHERE IS THAT? TERRY TON PARK? NO, NO JOBS FERRY ROAD.
IF YOU WERE COMING DOWN DS FERRY ROAD AND YES, YOU WERE COMING, GOING TOWARDS NINE A GOING TOWARDS LEY ON DS TOWARDS, TOWARDS ELMSFORD.
SO YOU KNOW HOW DRIVING RANGE IS AND THE CHELSEA UP FROM THAT? YEAH, A LITTLE, LITTLE NURSERY, RIGHT.
LITTLE NURSERY HAS A LOT OF IT.
UM, WHOLESALE ALSO HAS A LOT OF GREENHOUSES IN BACK.
UM, REALLY, DOES IT, UM, SERVICE THE CEMETERY THERE OR IS THAT THE OTHER ROAD? THAT'S SECOR, IT'S THE OTHER ROAD IS SECOR.
NO, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, UM, THEY'VE BEEN THERE FOR YEARS.
THEY, UM, ARE TIRED OF BEING IN THE BUSINESS.
THE FAMILY JUST, I THINK THEY'RE PROBABLY ALSO TRYING TO SETTLE THE ESTATE FATHER DIED, BUT THE STUFF WAS WONDERFUL.
I WOULD BUY GIA FOR CHRISTMAS AND THEY'D BE BLOOMING IN MARCH STILL.
THAT'S HOW, I MEAN, JUST, YOU KNOW, ABSOLUTELY TOP QUALITY, UM, PLANTS.
SO THEY'VE BEEN TRYING TO SELL THE PLACE AND UM, ONE OF THE SUGGESTIONS WAS A SELL STORAGE FACILITY THAT CAME IN.
THEY WERE SUGGESTING DURING, EXCUSE ME,
SO AT ANY RATE, WHAT'S COMING IN NOW IS, IS A, UM, ALSO A NURSERY FARM STAND.
UH, THEY'RE UP IN, UM, CORTLAND, THEY'RE GONNA KEEP EVIDENTLY THE CALLON NAME AND ACTUALLY EMPLOY A COUPLE OF THE CALLON FAMILY WHEN THEY OPENED AS A TURNOVER.
SO THE THING THAT WAS INTERESTING ABOUT THE MEETING WAS, UM, WHEN THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT SELF STORAGE, THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT, OH, WE CAN DO A FLOATING ZONE.
SO THE ISSUE WAS RAISED WITH THE PEOPLE WHO WERE COMING IN.
THEY WERE SHOWING THE PICTURE OF THEIR FACILITY IN CORTLAND AND THERE WAS OBVIOUSLY A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF GROCERY.
SO THE QUESTION WAS HOW MUCH OF, WHAT IS
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THIS GOING TO BE NON NURSERY ACTIVITY, YOU KNOW, WHEN WHEN DOES, WHEN DOES THE, WHEN DOES THE NURSERY BECOME A GROCERY? WHICH WE DON'T WANT.OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T WANT, AND WE DON'T WANT THE PRECEDENT ON THAT.
SO, UM, GARRETT'S RESPONSE WAS, WELL, UH, WE'LL HAVE TO DO A SPECIAL PERMIT AND WE HAVE TO BE SURE WE TAKE CARE OF THAT IN THE SPECIAL PERMIT.
SO HE WAS NO LONGER TALKING FLOATING ZONES.
WE WERE TALKING SPECIAL PERMITS, WHICH WAS VERY ENCOURAGING, UM, TO SEE.
AND, UH, DO I HAVE ANYONE WAITING PARTICIPANTS CHAT? I THINK SHARON JUST STEPPED OUT.
AND I'M JUST CONCERNED THAT IF MIKE COMES IN, I DON'T MISS YOU.
COME ACROSS, I DON'T SEE ANYTHING HERE THAT SAYS SOMEONE'S TRYING TO COME IN.
SO, UH, SO AT ANY, THAT WAS ENCOURAGING BECAUSE IT WAS SORT OF LIKE THE THINKING HAD MOVED A BIT, UM, FROM WHERE IT WAS A COUPLE, SAY SIX MONTHS AGO.
SO I WAS KIND OF HOPING FOR MIKE TO BE ON WHEN I GOT TO WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON WITH METROPOLIS.
I WANTED TO HEAR WHAT'S HAPPENING.
DID YOU WATCH ANY OF YOU WATCHED LAST NIGHT'S MEETING? OKAY.
SO WE CAME OUT OF THE MEETING WHERE RIGHT THE NIGHT BEFORE OUR LAST C A C MEETING WEEKS AGO.
AND THERE WAS THIS LITTLE STUDY GROUP PUT TOGETHER OF, UH, THE CHAIR OF THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, THE VICE CHAIR OF THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, MYSELF AND MIKE, AND THEN THE PAST HEAD OF THE EDGEMONT ASSOCIATION, BOB BERNSTEIN, AND ERIC, UH, ZINGER, WHO'S HEAD OF THE HARTSVILLE ASSOCIATION, WHICH ARE TWO BIG ASSOCIATIONS AND TWO PEOPLE ALSO WERE FAMILIAR WITH, WITH CODE, YOU KNOW.
SO WE GOT TOGETHER AND WE STARTED MEETING AND, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK AND FORTH AND, YOU KNOW, PUTTING TOGETHER, WELL HOW DO WE APPROACH THIS AND SEPARATING OUT THE ISSUES OF THE TYPE OF LEGISLATION FROM WHAT THE LEGISLATION CONTAINED.
'CAUSE THEY'RE TWO REALLY VERY DIFFERENT ISSUES.
UM, AND HOW DO WE FOCUS THE TOWN BOARD SO THAT THEY FOCUS THAT WAY.
SO THE FIRST ONE IS LIKE, WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT'S REALLY KILLED THE BIGGEST DRAGON IN THE ROOM, WHICH IS THE TYPE OF LEGISLATION BECAUSE THAT COULD HAVE THE GREATEST TOLL.
BUT THEN THE ISSUE BECAME, AS YOU TALK THROUGH THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF LEGISLATION, THERE WERE REALLY SEVERE PROBLEMS WITH THIS LEGISLATION BECAUSE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND THE EXCESSIVE BED COUNT, IMPERVIOUS SURFACE.
AND THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WAS THAT ONCE YOU PASSED IT, THEN YOU REALLY COULDN'T GO BACK AND CHANGE IT.
SO THIS IS, SO EVERYONE'S LIKE, OKAY, SO IF MY MEMORY SERVES ME RIGHT, BOB BERNSTEIN POPS UP AT SOME POINT AND SAYS, NO, I, I'M SITTING HERE, YOU KNOW, IF THIS REALLY WERE EIGHT ACRES, THERE WOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM.
WE'D GET DOWN TO THE SAME KIND OF METRICS WE HAVE THE ASSISTED LIVING.
SO THEN IT WAS, WELL, IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT USING ONE ACRE, PUTTING IT ASIDE ON, ON THE GOLF COURSE, WHY NOT THREE? LET'S ASK.
SO THEN THERE'S THE BACK AND FORTH.
COULD YOU REALLY ASK FOR THAT? AND OF COURSE, WOW, MIKE AND I ARE THE ETERNAL OPTIMIST.
AND I SAID, WELL, MY MOTHER ALWAYS SAID, JUST ASK, WHAT CAN THEY SAY? NO
SO WE CONTINUED TO WORK AND THERE WAS A HUGE AMOUNT OF GOING BACK AND FORTH, UM, WITH, UH, THE, UM, ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UH, THE LEGAL RAMIFICATIONS OF A FLOATING ZONE, UM, AN OVERLAY ZONE, WHICH WAS WHAT FRANCIS SHEEN WAS PUSHING AND THE SPECIAL PERMIT.
AND OF COURSE THERE, YOU KNOW, BLESS MIKE AND BOB BERNSTEIN AND, AND YOU, THEY WERE LOOKING UP ALL THESE COURT CASES AND WHATNOT, AND THERE'S A LOT OF TREMENDOUS BACK AND FORTH ON IT.
UM, AND I THINK IN THE END, THE REALIZATION SEEMED TO BE THAT NO MATTER HOW YOU LOOKED AT IT, THERE REALLY WAS A VERY NO REAL SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN TERMS OF WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN LEGALLY AFTER THE FACT.
IN OTHER WORDS, YOU HAD THIS SORT OF THE SAME, WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT WAS NOT NO RISK OR, OR RISK.
YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT DEGREE OF RISK AND THAT WAS SUBJECTIVE.
SO THAT SORT OF BECAME, YOU KNOW, WHY PICK THE, UM,
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THESEMIKE, ARE YOU THERE? UHHUH? YEAH, I JUST, SORRY, YOU GUYS, I I JUST CAME ON.
I CLICKED HIM IN, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED.
SO
AND WE BASICALLY AS A GROUP PUT FORTH OUR IDEA THAT WE REALLY FELT STRONGEST THAT IT SHOULD BE A SPECIAL PERMIT, AND THAT WE REALLY FELT IT SHOULD BE EIGHT ACRES AND THAT WOULD PROVIDE THE ABILITY TO BRING THE METRICS DOWN IN THE LINE WITH WHAT WE HAVE FOR SYSTEMS, SYSTEMS LIVING, WHICH IN ANY WAY HAVE US THEN STUCK WITH A A A C C F LORE THAT WAS GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, ALL THIS IMPERVIOUS SURFACE.
AND, UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THEY WENT OFF AND IT WAS DECIDED THAT FRANCIS AND GARRETT WOULD MEET WITH THE APPLICANT AND THE APPLICANT'S LAWYER.
AND WE HEARD PRIOR TO THE MEETING, AND IT WAS DISCUSSED AT LAST NIGHT'S MEETING, THAT THEY DO NOT FIND THAT SOMETHING THAT CAN'T BE CONSIDERED.
AND THEY'RE LOOKING VERY SERIOUSLY AT IT.
AND IT SEEMS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST THING.
AND NOW IT ALMOST SOUNDED RIGHT, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THE ONLY THING THAT SEEMED TO BE SOMEWHAT IN ABEYANCE WAS GETTING THE OFFICIAL APPROVAL FROM THE MEMBERSHIP OF METROPOLIS TO GO FORWARD WITH THIS, WHICH WOULD MEAN THAT THAT WOULD BE LOOKING AT ENACTING A SPECIAL PERMIT WITH THE METRICS BROUGHT DOWN BECAUSE IT WOULD BE ON EIGHT ACRES.
WAIT, IT'S LIKE TWO EXTRA FUZZY ACRES THAT ARE THERE, BUT NOT REALLY THERE.
WELL, THERE'S REALLY, YOU KNOW, AND THERE'S THREE ACRES.
BUT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, IF YOU HAD AN EIGHT ACRE C C F, OKAY, IT'S PRIVATE PROPERTY, YOU CAN'T WALK ON THE PROPERTY.
SO WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW, WHAT THEY'RE SUGGESTING, BECAUSE IT HAS TO DO WITH GIVING METROPOLIS THE USE OF IT, IT'S GOING TO BE PROTECTED.
AND IF AT SOME POINT METROPOLIS SELLS THEMSELVES OFF, THEY GO OUT OF BUSINESS, THE ACREAGE WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO BRIGHTVIEW.
BUT UNLIKE ACREAGE ON A NORMAL C C F, THIS IS GOING TO HAVE THE OVERLAY ON IT THAT IT CAN NEVER BE DEVELOPED.
SO IT ESSENTIALLY, IT WE'RE OBTAINING BIZARRE.
IT EASEMENT THE E YEAH, IT'S THE WAY IT'S BEING DONE.
WE'RE GONNA LAND UP WITH THREE ACRES THAT WILL NEVER BE DEVELOPED.
IT'S GONNA BE A CONCEPT, YOU KNOW, YOU CONSERVATION EASEMENT ON IT.
SO IT, IT'S ALMOST IRONIC, YOU KNOW, IT SOUNDS LIKE A FUNNY WAY TO DO IT, BUT, AND THERE'S NO FINANCIAL ISSUES WITH BRIGHTVIEW HAVING TO PAY FOR THAT EASEMENT AT SOME POINT OR MAKING A DEAL.
NOW THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
SO LET ME JUST ASK A QUESTION IS ARE, IS THE SPECIAL PERMIT GOING TO SPECIFY THE METRICS THE WAY THE DEVELOPER WROTE THEM OR THE, OR MORE IN LINE WITH THE EXISTING A L F METRICS MORE IN LINE WITH THE EXISTING A L F METRICS.
THEY'RE GONNA SPECIFY 'EM IN THE WAY THE WORKING GROUP WROTE THEM.
THEY WILL SAY, WELL, WHEN DO WE GET TO SEE WHAT THE WORKING GROUP WROTE? UH, WHEN, UH, OH, WE CAN SEND, UH, I CAN SEND YOU THAT.
DO WE HAVE, WE DON'T HAVE THE METRICS YET THOUGH.
FOR THE NUMBER OF BEDS IN THE, IN THE, IN THE IMPERVIOUS SURFACE, MUCH NUMBER OF BEDS IS GOING TO BE, UH, 25 AN ACRE, JUST LIKE, UH, ASSISTED LIVING.
THE, UH, PRINCIPAL BUILDING IS GOING TO BE, UH, OR THE TOTAL IMPERVIOUS SURFACES IS GONNA BE 40, JUST LIKE ASSISTED LIVING.
THE PRINCIPAL BUILDING IS GOING TO BE 15 INSTEAD OF 12 FOR THE PRINCIPAL BUILDING IMPERVIOUS SURFACE.
UM, BECAUSE IN A, IN A, UH, C C F, THEY PUT IT ALL IN ONE BUILDING, THE METRICS ARE GONNA BE EITHER IDENTICAL TO ASSISTED LIVING OR GOING TO BE JUST MARGINALLY MORE.
BECAUSE THEY, SO, SO IT'S THE SAME BUILDING, WE'RE JUST CARVING OUT A LARGER LOT AROUND IT.
BUT, BUT THE THING IS, BY HAVING THE LARGER PROPERTY AND CHANGING THE METRICS, ANY OTHERS THAT
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HAVE BUILT WILL NOT BE ANY BIGGER THAN THAT.AND, AND THE REAL PRO, THE REAL PROBLEM IS THE FUTURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE BASIC RULE, THE THREE BASIC RULES IN ZONING TO BE HAD IN ORDER TO ZONING TO BE FAIR, CANNOT I BE ARBITRARY? CAN I BE CAPRICIOUS AND CANNOT I BE DISCRIMINATORY AMONG SIMILARLY SITUATED APPLICANTS? SO THE REAL PROBLEM IS DISCRIMINATION OR DISCRIMINATORY AGAINST SIMILARLY SITUATED APPLICANTS BY WHAT HAPPENED.
AND, AND WE DO NOT HAVE A BAD PRESS BECAUSE WE, YOU KNOW, THE BIGGEST THAT WE EVER REQUIRE FOR ANY TYPE OF SENIOR HOUSING IS 10 ACRES.
AND THAT'S THE CRCS THAT, UH, PETER HAD HAD WRITTEN ABOUT.
AND, UM, ASSISTED LIVING IS FOUR.
SO WE'RE GETTING AN ASSISTED LIVING SIZE BUILDING WITH ONE EXCEPTION, AN ASSISTED LIVING SIZE BUILDING ON DOUBLE THE ACREAGE OF A L R.
THE ONLY THING, WHAT'S THE EXCEPTION, MIKE? THE HEIGHT.
THE HEIGHT, THE HEIGHT, THE HEIGHT.
NOW THE HEIGHT STATED NOT TO BE FOUR STORIES, BUT THE HEIGHT IS STATED TO BE THREE STORIES WITH DISCRETION IN THE PLAN, APOLOGIZE WITH DISCRETION IN THE TOWN BOARD TO GO TO FOUR STORIES, DEPENDING ON TOPOGRAPHY AND SCREENING AND, AND SIMILAR FACTS.
WHAT ABOUT, WHAT ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE APPLICANT SO FAR HAS REFUSED TO PRODUCE THE SITE MODEL THAT KEN JONES ASKED FOR AND THE APPROPRIATE, UM, SITE SECTIONS SO THAT WE CAN SEE WHETHER THERE'S A, A, UM, A, UH, UH, WHETHER THAT'S AN EXCEPTION THAT'S GOING TO COME INTO PLACE HERE? THE EXCEPTION IS GONNA COME INTO PLAY,
WELL THAT DOESN'T, I MEAN, THERE'S GOING TO BE A PUBLIC HEARING ON IT, RIGHT? UH, YEAH, SURE.
SO, SO, SO IF PEOPLE SEE THAT, UM, FOR THE TOWN BOARD TO THEN PASS AND SAY THAT THE, UM, THAT THE, THAT TOPOGRAPHY PLAYS A ROLE, THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME WAY FOR THE APPLICANT TO DEMONSTRATE THAT, RIGHT? UH, APPLICANT SAID IT, THEY HAVE THE APPLICANT.
WHAT THEY HAVE AN EXPERT, I FORGET HIS NAME,
AND THIS IS OF COURSE THE SAME EXPERT.
SO THERE'S A COMPARABLE TO THIS, TO WHAT THEY WERE DOING WAS USING THE SHOPPING CENTER TWO MILES WIDE.
BUT THEY HAVE AN EXPERT THAT SAYS IT, IT LOOKS OKAY.
SO, SO I, SO I GUESS MY QUESTION MIKE THEN, IS YOU SAY THAT NO BAD PRECEDENTS ARE BEING SET, BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT THE APPLICANT DOESN'T HAVE TO PROVIDE ANY EVIDENCE OR SHOW OR DEMONSTRATE TO ANYBODY THAT THIS, UM, ADDITIONAL STORY THAT THEY'RE GETTING ACTUALLY IS OKAY BECAUSE OF SITE TOPOGRAPHY.
THAT'S A NE THAT THAT SEEMS TO BE, I MEAN, SOME APP, SOME EXPERT IS GONNA TESTIFY TO THAT.
I MEAN, THESE ARE VISUAL THINGS.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE DEMONSTRATED THROUGH DRAWINGS AND MODELS ALL THE TIME IN EVERY JURISDICTION IN THE WORLD.
UM, WHEN THERE'S A, WHEN THERE'S A, UH, A, A A, AN ISSUE LIKE THIS.
SO, SO PEOPLE NEIGHBORS DON'T GET TO DECIDE IF IT LOOKS OKAY OR NOT.
IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH NEIGHBORS REALLY.
IT HAS TO DO WITH, IT HAS TO DO WITH THE, WITH THE LAW, RIGHT? THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN.
HOW DOES, HOW IS, WHAT IS THE STANDARD OF THAT THE, THAT C A C AND THE, AND THE WORKING GROUP ARE REQ ARE REQUIRING FOR DEMONSTRATION OF THE EXCEPTION ON THE ADDITIONAL FLOOR.
I THINK WE REALLY, TO ME THERE ARE TWO ISSUES HERE.
I THINK THAT WE HAVE GOTTEN SO MUCH MORE THAN I EVER DREAMED WE WOULD GET.
MIKE SAID, LEMME FINISH, LEMME FINISH PETER.
BUT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW THEY DEMONSTRATED WOULD NOT BE PUT IN THE ZONING LAW.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE ZONING COURT, THAT ISN'T WHAT HAPPENED.
WHAT THAT IS IS PRACTICE AND AT THE START OF AN APPLICATION, AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S INCREASINGLY STARTING TO EVOLVE, AND WE JUST HAD TO KEEP PUSHING
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TO HAVE IT HAPPEN, BECAUSE IT DID HAPPEN WITH ELMWOOD WHERE THERE WAS A STUDY GROUP, BECAUSE PAUL AT SOME POINT HAD A MEETING WITH DOREEN AND MYSELF AND SAID, OH YEAH, WE HAVE TO START.AND THEN WE SAID, WELL, YOU SAID THAT TWO WEEKS AGO, SO LET'S START TO HAVE THE STUDY GROUP.
IT IS FOR THE MINUTE, THESE APPLICATIONS CHARGE FOR THE DEMAND TO BE MADE FOR THE TYPE OF THING YOU'RE ASKING FOR.
THIS WHOLE APPLICATION IS AN EMBARRASSMENT BECAUSE IT MOVED ALONG AND NOBODY PAID ANY ATTENTION TO WHAT WAS HAPPENING OR THE IMPLICATIONS OF WHAT THEY WERE AGREEING TO.
WELL, CAC DID, WE PAID THE CAC IS THE ONLY GROUP THAT SEEMED TO BE OUT THERE SAYING, ARE YOU, DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU ARE DOING OTHER THAN US? AND IT MUST SAY IT WAS REALLY, I I I MADE THE COMMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, REALLY THE THING I THINK THAT GOT THE PLANNING BOARD TO START TO LOOK IS WHEN THEY REALIZED THEY HAD BEEN LIED TO, AND THEN THEY SAID, WELL, WAIT A MINUTE, IF WE WERE LIED TO ON THAT, LET'S GO BACK AND TAKE A SECOND LOOK, AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, IT, IT, IT SHOULD NEVER HAVE GOTTEN TO WHERE IT WAS THE WAY IT IS
BUT TERRY, I'M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THIS FACILITY, THIS FACILITY.
BUT MIKE SAID THERE'S NO BAD PRECEDENT BEING CREATED.
AND WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT IF YOU ACCEPT AS A STANDARD OF PROOF, SOMEBODY SAYS IT, INSTEAD OF ACTUALLY BE SHOWING IT IN A MODEL OR A DRAWING OR SOMETHING, THEN YOU HAVEN'T, YOU, YOU HAVEN'T CLOSED THE DOOR ON BAD PRECEDENT.
YOU'VE CREATED A BAD PRECEDENT.
IT NOW MEANS THAT ANYTIME, I BET YOU THIS DEVELOPER WILL BE BACK FOR A NEW FOUR STORY BUILDING WITH THE SAME EXPERT TO TELL YOU THAT OF COURSE, TOPOGRAPHY ALLOWS US TO, UM, PUT IN AN ADDITIONAL STORY.
THIS IS, THIS IS A MAJOR, I THINK, I FEEL THIS IS A MAJOR GAP IN THE CLOSE
HAVEN'T THEY GIVEN US DRAWINGS, PETER? HAVEN'T THEY GIVEN US DRAWINGS? WE HAVEN'T SEEN DRAWINGS, WE HAVEN'T, WE HAVEN'T SEEN ANY DRAWINGS THAT DEMONSTRATE WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO SHOW THAT THE, THAT THE BUILDING IS ENOUGH BURIED IN THE GROUND, IN, IN THE ASPECTS, YOU KNOW, IS ENOUGH, UM, SHIELDED SO THAT IT ACTUALLY APPEARS TO BE THREE STORIES INSTEAD OF FOUR STORIES.
AND WASN'T SAW DRAWINGS, PERSPECTIVES.
WE SAW PERSPECTIVES, WE SAW PERSPEC, WE SAW, NO, I MEAN, NOT DIFFERENT, IT'S NOT EVEN PERSPECTIVES.
WE, WHAT WE SAW WAS MAKE BELIEVE.
WE SAW THAT, WE SAW, WE SAW, UH, DDI UP RENDERINGS WHERE YOU CAN'T SEE THE BUILDING BECAUSE OF ALL THE FOLIAGE AND THE TREES IN FRONT OF IT.
IT'S JUST THE KIND OF B******T RENDERING THAT DEVELOPERS DO ALL THE TIME WHEN THEY DON'T, HE'S RIGHT, HE'S RIGHT.
WHEN THEY WANNA HIDE THE IMPACT STREET, HE'S RIGHT.
SO PETER, I'M JUST SAYING MIKE UP, WHAT I'M SAYING IS, PETER, YOU SHOULD CLOSE THE DOOR.
PETER'S RIGHT, YOU CON YOU'RE A CONFL.
I PETER, PETER
THEY'RE, THEY'RE RELATED, BUT SEPARATE.
THE, THE STATUTE HAS NO ADV, NO FUTURE ADVERSE IMPACT.
THE STATUTORY, RIGHT, THE STATUTE YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT THE, YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT THE JUDGMENTS MADE UNDER THE STATUTE.
ALL OF THE, ALL OF THE STATUTORY CRITERIA IS GONNA BE ASSISTED LIVING ON EIGHT ACRES, WHICH IS, WE SAID IS TWO ACRES LESS THAN CRCS AND TWICE AS MUCH ACREAGE AS A S AS ASSISTED LIVING.
IF, IF THE TOWN BOARD SAYS TOPOGRAPHY AND OTHER FACTORS PROVIDES SUFFICIENT SCREENING, HOW WILL THE TOWN BOARD DECIDE, YOU KNOW, FINISH, I'VE HEARD YOU NOW.
YOU CAN'T DRAFT A STATUTE TELLING THE JUDGMENT MAKER WHAT TO DO.
THAT'S IN THE JUDGMENT OF THE TOWN BOARD.
THERE'S NOTHING MORE YOU CAN DO IN THE STATUTE UNLESS WE'RE GONNA PUT THREE STORIES IS THE MAX.
AND IF WE'RE GONNA PUT THE STORY MAX, WE DON'T HAVE A FACILITY OR WE DON'T HAVE THE BENEFITS OF THE REVENUES COMING FROM THE FACILITY.
BESIDES, THAT'S NOT OUR, THAT'S NOT OUR JURISDICTION.
WE DON'T GET TO DECIDE HOW BIG BUILDINGS ARE.
THAT'S NOT, WELL, THAT'S NOT TRUE.
LEMME JUST FINISH AND SAY ONE MORE.
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NOW, THE ISSUE OF HOW, THE ISSUE OF WHAT PROOF THE DECIDER REQUIRES IS A DIFFERENT ISSUE.YOU CANNOT WRITE THAT INTO A STATUTE AND THEN YOU AGREE BECAUSE IT'S TOO AD HOC, IT'S TOO SITUATIONAL.
NOW, AS A PRACTICAL MATTER IN THE FUTURE ON MAJOR PROJECTS LIKE THIS, I THINK, I CAN'T GUARANTEE IT, BUT I THINK YOUR COGENT OBSERVATION THAT WOULD, DIDN'T GET THE RIGHT TYPE OF INFORMATION HERE, DIDN'T GET THE RIGHT TYPE OF MODELING HERE, YOU KNOW, HAS TAKEN SOME TRACTION.
I THINK EVERYONE ON THE CAC BELIEVES IT.
I THINK, UH, THERE'S AT LEAST ONE MEMBER OF THE TOWN BOARD THAT BELIEVES IT.
AND I BELIEVE IN THE FUTURE ON THESE PROJECTS AS A PRACTICAL MATTER, THE C A C IS GOING TO BE, UM, UM, UM, CONSULTED, UH, UH, WAY, WAY EARLIER THAN, UH, UM, SO MIKE, CAN I MAKE A SUGGESTION? SURE.
SO WHY CAN'T THE C A C AGREE WITH I, I UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE STATUTE, ALTHOUGH YOU CAN, THERE ARE TONS AND TONS OF STATUTES THAT GIVE, UM, THAT LIST THE REQUIREMENTS, UM, FOR PRESENTATION AND PROOF OF A, OF A, UH, YOU KNOW, TO, TO DEMONSTRATE A CLAIM.
UM, EV THE WHOLE, ALL NEW YORK CITY ZONING CODE IS FILLED WITH THEM WHAT THE DEVELOPER HAS TO DO TO DEMONSTRATE IT.
IS THE C A C WILLING TO WRITE A SEPARATE LETTER SAYING THAT IN ORDER TO DEMONSTRATE IT ON THIS PROJECT, THE C A C BELIEVES THAT THE APPLICANT SHOULD PRESENT EVIDENCE OF IN A TERM IN TERMS OF, WELL, IT'S JUST AN ADVISORY LETTER.
IT'S NOT PART OF A STATUTE, IT'S JUST AN EXPRESSION OF THE CA'S DESIRE THAT THE, THAT THEY SHOULD PRESENT EVIDENCE THAT THEY ARE MEETING THE REQUIREMENT THAT AN ADDITIONAL STORY MEETS THE TOPOGRAPHIC EXCEPTION.
UH, I'LL LET TERRY RESPOND, BUT SEE, OKAY.
I GUESS, I GUESS MY RESPONSE, PETER, IS THAT I THINK THERE'S TOO MUCH AT STAKE HERE.
AND I WOULD SAY WHEN THEY COME NEXT TIME AROUND DE DEMAND EVERYTHING.
BUT RIGHT NOW, I DON'T WANNA CLEAR THIS DEAL
I'M JUST SAYING NEXT TIME AROUND, TERRY, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS IS THAT I THINK THERE'S, UM, A RECEPTIVENESS TO, AND, AND IS THAT WE AND WALTER AND YOU AND ACTUALLY, UM, ERIC AND BOB ARE ALL SAYING, YOU KNOW, LET'S HAVE THIS STUDY BECAUSE MAYBE REALLY THE PLA WE NEED TO REDEFINE THESE IF THEY GO OUT OF THE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND QUITE TRUTHFULLY, OUR SOLUTION MAY BE, WHICH WILL BE MORE ATTRACTIVE TO THE BUILDERS OF THESE, IF WE CAN FIND A WAY TO CITE THEM ON THE COMMERCIAL CAR, IT IS.
WHICH WOULD HAVE A SMALLER LAND REQUIREMENT, WHICH WOULD BE PREFERABLE TO THE PEOPLE WHO RUN THEM AND FOR US WOULD GET THEM OUT OF OUR RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO I THINK WE'RE LOOKING AT SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS JUST, AS I SAID AT THE VERY BEGINNING, NO, I UNDERSTAND HOW THIS AND KNOW FROM THE GET GO BECAUSE THE STANDARD THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT WAS THAT C C R C COMMUNITY THAT WAS ON 10 ACRES, WHICH IS MUCH MORE RIGHT KNOWLEDGE AS TO WHAT THEY'RE BUILDING IN THE C C S.
WE'RE LUCKY WE'RE GETTING IT TO LINE UP WITH THE ASSISTED LIVING FIGURES.
I KNOW, KNOW, I JUST, ALL I'M SCARED ABOUT TERRY IS THAT THE NEXT TIME THAT THIS DEVELOPER OR THE NUT OR ANOTHER DEVELOPER OF THE SIMILAR TYPE FACILITY COMES ALONG AND SAYS, I WANT BUILD FOUR STORIES, AND I SAT AND I HAVE THE, I HIRED THE SAME EXPERT THAT, UM, UH, BRIGHTVIEW DID, AND HE WILL TESTIFY THAT WHATEVER LITTLE HILL OR REAL OR WHATEVER IS A SUFFICIENT, UM, TOPOGRAPHIC FEATURE TO ENABLE ME TO HAVE ANOTHER STORY BY NOT CLOSING THE DOOR, YOU KNOW, ON THIS ONE, YOU'RE GOING TO LEAVE YOURSELF OPEN TO A DIS A A DISCRIMINATION, UM, UH, CLAIM FOR THE NEXT GUY.
BUT, BUT THAT'S WHAT I'M, THIS A PLANNING BOARD ISSUE.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN CAC CS ALREADY C WE CAN'T JUST SHOW UP AND SAY DON'T BUILD THINGS.
WE JUST SHOW UP AND MAKE IT BETTER.
WELL, I THINK THERE'S TO GIVE EVIDENCE BETWEEN THAT,
[00:30:01]
BOTH OF THOSE, I THINK BECAUSE WE HAVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE AS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE, WE CAN OPINE ON.AND I, YOU KNOW, AND I, I THINK THE RISK, PETER, ON WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS YOU CAN ALWAYS GET AN ALTERNATE EXPERT IN THE, ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THIS PROJECT WHERE IT GOT TO BE THAT SIZE WAS THERE WASN'T IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORHOOD COMPLAINT.
AND EVEN THE PEOPLE LIKE A BLOCK OVER WHOSE HOUSES ARE QUITE PRICEY, THEY DIDN'T COME IN AND SAY, YOU'RE BUILDING THIS MAMMOTH THING DOWN FROM MY HOME.
I JUST SPENT A MILLION DOLLARS FOR RIGHT, UH, A YEAR AND A HALF AGO.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS, THE REALITY IN THE TOWN IS IF THE IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORS STARTS SCREAMING, IT HAS A BIG, WE HAVE REAL PROBLEM BECAUSE THE NEIGHBORS WERE NOT WILLING TO MAKE US THINK ABOUT IT.
OKAY? I LISTEN, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, I'M NOT AGAINST THE DEAL THAT'S BEEN STRUCK HERE FOR THIS DEVELOPER.
I THINK IT'S A VERY GOOD ONE AND A REASONABLE ONE.
I'M ONLY CONCERNED THAT WE ARE CREATING A PRECEDENT AND IT'S A NEGATIVE ONE AND IT'S DANGEROUS.
AND I HOPE IT DOESN'T COME BACK TO HAUNT US.
IT'S NEVER GONNA PETER, IT'S NEVER GONNA END.
THE DEVELOPERS ARE GONNA JUST KEEP COMING BACK AND IT'S NEVER GONNA END.
AND ALL WE'RE GONNA EVER HAVE TO DO IS TRY TO MAKE IT BETTER.
THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO GET IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME.
PETER, PETER, THE, IN TERMS OF PRECEDENT, THE FACT THAT THEY DIDN'T ASK FOR A MODEL HERE AND ACCEPTED, UM, UH, THE APPLICANT'S EXPERT'S WORD, UH, THEY, THEY, AS YOU REMEMBER, THEY DID THREE VERY MINOR THINGS THROUGH TO THE ROOF.
UH, AND THE APPLICANT SAID YOU DID THESE THREE VERY MINOR THINGS.
I DON'T RECALL WHAT THEY'RE RIGHT NOW, BUT IF YOU DO THESE LITTLE TUNNEL YEAH, I REMEMBER THEY GOT RID OF A CORNER AND I DON'T KNOW, WHEN IS THIS GONNA BE IN HEARING MIKE? LEMME FINISH.
THE, THAT IS NOT THE TYPE OF ISSUE THAT I THINK IS WHAT IS MEANT WITH ZONING DISCRIMINATORY.
I DON'T THINK THAT PREVENTS THE TOWN BOARD FROM SAYING TO ANOTHER APPLICANT.
WE WANT YOU TO GIVE US A MODEL HERE, EVEN THOUGH WE DIDN'T ASK YOU BEFORE.
NOW WE'VE BECOME A LITTLE MORE SOPHISTICATED IN HOW TO EVALUATE THESE.
I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER SEEN A CASE.
I JUST, WHAT I'M SAYING IS YOU SAID YOU'RE, YOU'RE ALLOWING SOMEBODY SAY SO JUST LIKE STEIN METZ A SAY SO THAT YOU HAD TOTAL DISCRETION.
IT'S ANALOGOUS THAT YOU'RE ALLOWING AN EXPERT SAY SO TO TAKE THE PLACE OF REAL EVIDENCE OF SHOWING HOW THE TOPOGRAPHY IMPACTS THE PROJECT IS.
PETER, AN EXPERT, AN EXPERT'S OPINION IS REAL EVIDENCE.
UM, UH, NOW IT CAN BE DISPUTED OF COURSE BY OTHER EXPERT OPINIONS OR BY MOTHER MIKE.
THEY MAKE THESE, THEY MAKE THESE MAKE-BELIEVE DRAWINGS AND THEY SHOW YOU, OH, THIS IS WHAT IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE WHEN THE TREES COME IN.
BUT THEY DON'T PLANT THE TREES AND IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THAT.
I GUESS THE THING, I THINK THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAY IS THIS WHOLE THING OF OUR BEING VIGILANT AND DEMANDING ACCESS TO INFORMATION AT THE VERY START OF A PROJECT.
'CAUSE THAT'S THE WAY WE CAN HAVE THE MOST IMPACT IN TERMS OF GUIDING THE PA PROJECT AND, AND MARSHALING THE FORCES TO HAVE THE KIND OF DEMANDS FOR THINGS LIKE MODELS.
THE DEMANDS FOR YOU CAN'T GO THAT HIGH, BUT WE, WE WERE PRETTY EARLY ASKING FOR A MODEL.
WE, TIM, TIM ASKED FOR THIS MONTHS AGO.
I I KNOW WE DID, BUT I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT JUST DIED.
I THINK, I THINK THIS HAS BEEN A LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR THE TOWN BOARD.
BECAUSE THEY WERE CAUGHT IN A RATHER EMBARRASSING POSITION BECAUSE THEY REALLY HADN'T GONE THROUGH WHAT WAS GOING ON.
AND INTERNALLY, THEY, I THINK THEY REALIZED THAT THERE WAS SOME PROBLEMS INTERNALLY THAT THEY GOT TO A POINT WHERE THERE WAS SOME SIGNIFICANT UNTHOUGHT OUT CONSEQUENCES OF WHAT THEY WERE GONNA SUPPORT.
BUT YOU DON'T VERBALIZE THOSE, BUT YOU HOPE THAT GOING FORWARD YOU TAKE THE ADVANTAGE OF IT.
AND AS MIKE SAID, WE PROBABLY HAVE A BIGGER VOICE NOW THAN WE DID TERRY, DO YOU THINK THAT THE PLANNING BOARD IS CHASTENED BY ALL OF THIS?
[00:35:01]
I THINK THAT THE, WELL THE CHAIR IS A VERY THOUGHTFUL PERSON.SO I THINK HE HAS, AND I DON'T THINK NECESSARILY HE HAS THE EASIEST GROUP TO MARSHAL.
HE'S GOT SOME, A FEW PERSONALITIES ON HIS BOARD THAT HE HAS TO DEAL WITH.
I I, I THINK I HAVE A MUCH EASIER BOARD TO WORK WITH
NO, BUT YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE NOT THERE.
THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE THERE THAT ARE REALLY INAPPROPRIATE AT TIMES IN THE WAY THEY BEHAVE.
I MEAN, YOU'RE NOT, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND IT'S ONE THING TO HAVE PASSION AND TO HAVE, HAVE AN OPINION.
IT'S ANOTHER THING TO JUST MAKE ARBITRARY STATEMENTS THAT SOMETHING ISN'T SO, OR WHATEVER, RIGHT? SO I THINK THE PLANNING BOARD, AT LEAST I THINK WALTER AND I ALSO THINK YOU ARE GONNA GET A LOT MORE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT STUFF BECAUSE I THINK THERE WAS A REALIZATION THAT THEY LET SOMETHING THROUGH THAT THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE.
AND, YOU KNOW, WELL, I HOPE SO.
WE CAN SHIFT OUR, WE CAN SHIFT OUR PEOPLE HERE.
LIKE RIGHT NOW WE REALLY PAT OURSELVES ON THE BACK AND WE'RE ALSO OBSERVING TWO YEARS FROM NOW, THIS, THIS, THIS COUNCIL COULD BE MADE UP OF TOTALLY DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND WOULD NOT NECESSARILY BE AS EFFECTIVE.
I MEAN, WE JUST, THAT THAT'S THE, THE, YOU KNOW, THE LUCK OF THE DRAW ON WHO'S AROUND WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENS.
NO, I, LISTEN TERRY, I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB IN GETTING THE C A C A VOICE IN WHAT ARE, IN WHAT WERE ESSENTIALLY, UM, ZONING ISSUES AND PLANNING BOARD ISSUES.
I MEAN, AT THE BEGINNING WHEN THIS CAME UP, I, I RAISED THE CAUTION THAT MAYBE THIS WAS NOT TERRITORY WE SHOULD GET INTO.
CLEARLY SEEING THE, THE, UM, THE FAILURE OF THE PLANNING BOARD TO FLAG WHAT WAS ACTUALLY GOING ON AND TO, AND TO DO SORT OF THE MOST RUDIMENTARY HOMEWORK IS JUST ASTONISHING.
AND I'M GLAD, I'M GLAD WE HAVE A GREATER VOICE.
AND I THINK IT'S A, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A GOOD THING.
IT'S A GOOD THING THAT A BOARD THAT'S, UM, MOSTLY CONCERNED WITH ENVIRONMENTAL THINGS ACTUALLY NOW HAS A VOICE IN THE PLANNING PROCESS THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE BEFORE.
AND THAT WE'VE SHOWN OURSELVES WELL HERE.
I THINK SO PETER, THE THING IS FOR ME IS, UM, I THINK IN MY HEART I'M ANTI-DEVELOPMENT, BUT THAT'S NOT WHERE YOU, THAT'S NOT WHERE YOU GO.
THAT'S NOT WHERE YOU GO LIKE AS A CS LIKE A PERSON THAT'S, AND HAS AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE.
YOU CAN'T JUST BE LIKE, DON'T BUILD THIS.
NO, I'M, I'M NOT ANTI DEVELOPMENT.
I'M ACTUALLY, I BELIEVE IN RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT.
I THINK DEVELOPERS DO GOOD THINGS.
THEY DO GREAT THINGS FOR TOWNS.
THEY BRING IN A LOT OF REVENUE.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT, I'M NOT HORRIFIED BY THIS PROJECT.
I'M, I AM CONCERNED BECAUSE IT'S A RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT THAT THIS IS A, THAT GIVE A DEVELOP, LET A DEVELOPER STICK HIS TOE IN THE DOOR AND HE'LL NEXT HE'LL HAVE A PRY BAR IN THERE.
HE'LL COME WITH A I I GOT THAT.
THAT WAS, THAT WAS WHY HE HAS SUCH TREMENDOUS CONCERN.
NO, I THINK IT WAS REALLY, REALLY GOOD.
YOU KNOW, UM, WE HAD, I THINK YOU ALL, DO WE HAVE ANYTHING MORE TO SAY ON THIS ONE OR ARE WE I DO, I DO.
DONNA, DO YOU WANNA SPEAK THAT? SO HAVE TO SAY YES.
UM, MIKE, YOU MENTIONED NOT, YOU MENTIONED THAT THE RESTRICTIONS, THE DEVELOPMENT RESTRICTIONS WILL BE SIMILAR TO, UM, ASSISTED LIVING.
BUT I KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT WERE THE SETBACKS FOR BUILDING AND PARKING.
AND I, I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT'LL GET RESOLVED.
WE LOSE, THAT DIDN'T GET RESOLVED.
IT DID GET RESOLVED, BUT NOT WELL, IT CAN'T, IT CAN'T.
WITH THAT PARCEL, WITH THAT PARCEL, THAT'S A PROBLEM.
BUT I WAS GONNA SAY, THAT DOESN'T PREVENT IF ANOTHER ONE COMES IN ON THE EIGHT ACRES FOR THE COMMUNITY THROUGH COMMUNITY PRESSURE TO CHANGE THOSE SETBACKS AND PUT IT MORE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE EIGHT ACRES.
BECAUSE, BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S A SPECIAL, IT'S A SPECIAL PERMIT.
HAVE SPECIAL PERMIT PERMIT AS OF RIGHT.
BUT, BUT, BUT AS WITH NEIGHBORHOOD PRESSURE, HEY, PROBABLY GET THEM TO MOVE SOMETHING.
LET ME, PETER, WE GOT TWO THINGS IN THERE THAT ARE NOT, THAT ARE NEW, RIGHT? IN ADDITION TO GETTING, UM, UM, IN ADDITION TO GETTING, UM, DENSITY
[00:40:01]
PRINCIPAL BUILDING IMPERVIOUS SURFACE AND TOTAL IMPERVIOUS SURFACE AND F A R EITHER EXACTLY ASSISTED LIVING STANDARDS OR VERY CLOSE ASSISTED LIVING STANDARDS, WE HAVE IN THERE THAT THERE CAN BE CONDITIONS TO MAINTAIN TO, TO PRESERVE THE CHARACTER OF THE COMMUNITY, TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE THE CHARACTER OF COMMUNITY.SECONDLY, WE HAVE IN THERE THERE CAN BE CONDITIONS TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE THE ENVIRONMENT.
AND THIRDLY, THE APPLICANT HAS TO DEMONSTRATE NO ADVERSE HARM TO THE TOWN.
THESE ARE THREE THINGS THAT WERE NEVER IN THERE BEFORE THAT, UM, UH, TERRY AND I GOT IN THERE.
SO WE HAVE ON FUTURE PROJECTS SOME FOOTHOLD TO DEAL WITH THE ISSUES THAT DONNA'S TALKING ABOUT, WHETHER WE'RE WINDOWS OR NOT, YOU KNOW, WHO KNOWS? WELL, I JUST, I'M, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA BRING MY OBJECTIONS TO THIS.
I KNOW YOU GUYS WORKED HARD TO GET AS GOOD A DEAL AS YOU CAN, BUT THIS IS MY LAST, THIS IS MY LAST SORT OF THING ON THIS.
'CAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE TO MOVE ON.
I THINK ON SOME LEVEL, IT, IT BOTHERS ME A LITTLE BIT THAT C A C IS PART OF THE DEAL MAKING AND
UM, I THINK ACTUALLY THE C A C AS A, AS AN AS, THE ONLY ORGANIZATION IN THE TOWN THAT'S THERE TO DEFEND THE ENVIRONMENT SHOULD BE IN A POSITION OF TAKING A FIRM STAND ON THIS STUFF AND LET THE TOWN BOARD VOTE, DO THE POLITICS AND VOTE, AND TO IGNORE THE C A C.
BUT IT PUTS THE PRESSURE ON THE POLITICIANS.
IF THERE'S A STRONG STATEMENT, IF THERE'S A, IF THERE'S A, UM, AN ORGANIZATION, A TOWN BODY THAT SAYS THIS IS A BAD THING THAT YOU'RE DOING, THEY HAVE TO, THEY HAVE TO IGNORE THAT.
AND IN PUBLIC HEARINGS, PEOPLE CAN REFER TO A POSITION THAT THAT PUBLIC BODY TAKES AND SAY, YOUR OWN CAC SAYS THIS IS A BAD DEAL.
SO, I MEAN, THIS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
I KNOW THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT VISION ABOUT WHAT THE CA'S ROLE IN TOWN POLITICS IS THAN YOU GUYS HAVE.
BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE WHEN, WHEN PEOPLE GET UP IN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND ARGUE AGAINST THIS, BECAUSE THE, BECAUSE THE ROADWAY IS 10 FEET FROM SOMEBODY ELSE'S PROPERTY AND THE BUILDING IS 50 FEET AWAY INSTEAD OF 200 FEET AWAY, THEY COULD, THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT GONNA, THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THE, YOUR OWN C A C SAID THIS WAS A NOT WAS ENVIRONMENTALLY UNSOUND AND A BAD, BAD PRECEDENT TO SET.
WE ARE GONNA BE COMPLICIT IN THE CREATION OF THIS SPECIAL PERMIT THAT HAS THE DEFICIENCIES THAT DONNA'S POINTED OUT AND THAT I'VE POINTED OUT.
AND I JUST THINK THAT'S SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT FOR THE C A C GOING FORWARD.
I REALLY APPRECIATE, I'M READY TO MOVE ON.
I THINK IT'S, IT'S APPRECIATED AND I THINK IT'S, IT'S A, UM, IT'S A VIEWPOINT WORTH CONSIDERING.
I THINK THERE, IT'S, IT'S, AND I GUESS FOR US IT WAS SITUATIONAL.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS BEFORE WE WOULD GO ON WITH THIS, WHICH FOLLOWING ON THIS IS
ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK MIKE AND I WOULD LIKE IS OUR, OUR THE ENDORSEMENT TO GO FURTHER ON THIS, BECAUSE THERE WILL BE PROBABLY A LITTLE OF MOVING AROUND OF SOME OF THE DIFFERENT REASON, UH, CLAUSES AND THAT ARE GONNA GO INTO THE WHAT LANDS UP BEING THE ACTUAL DRAFT LEGISLATION.
SO I THINK WE'D LIKE TO HAVE A CONTINUATION OF THE AUTHORIZATION WE RECEIVED AT THE LAST MEETING, SINCE THIS SEEMS TO BE THE WAY THEY'RE EVOLVING.
THIS IS BY GOING BACK TO THIS GROUP OF, OF SIX TO SAY, WHAT DO YOU THINK? AND SO FAR, YOU KNOW, AND THE GROUP OF SIX HAS HAD ITS ITS OWN DISAGREEMENTS AS WE'VE GONE ALONG.
IT CERTAINLY WASN'T SMOOTH SAILING.
UH, THERE'S ENDLESS EMAILS INVOLVED.
UM, SO I WOULD ASK THAT SOMEONE MAKE IF POSSIBLE, A, A PROPOSAL TO CONTINUE THAT CONVERSATION FOR MIKE AND I TO ACT ON BEHALF OF THE CAC, SOMEONE TO SECOND IT.
AND I THINK IT'S PERFECTLY FAIR IF SOMEONE DOESN'T WANNA VOTE FOR IT, NOT TO VOTE FOR IT.
SO THAT'S ONE THING MIKE AND I WOULD ASK THAT WOULD HAPPEN.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR IT AGAIN.
[00:45:01]
BUT STEPHANIE HAS A QUESTION.STEPHANIE, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW ABOUT THE, I THINK IT'S, UH, ON UNDERHILL ROAD, UH, THE SPRAIN BOOK, THE OLD SPRAIN BOOK NURSERY.
AND FOR YEARS, I'M NOT SURE IF THE CAC HAS DONE ANYTHING, BECAUSE I'M PRETTY SURE IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR LIKE 10 YEARS.
BUT THEY'RE MY NEIGHBOR, SWEETIE.
STEPHANIE, CAN WE JUST HOLD THIS TILL WE FINISH THE VOTE? STEPHANIE, WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR THAT WE, WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
I WAS GONNA ASK DARREN, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? YES, I'D LIKE TO HEAR THE MOTION.
THE MOTION IS FOR THE TERRY, UH, TERRY, WE, WE HAVE AN EXISTING MOTION, UH, SHARON FROM THE LAST MEETING THAT AUTHORIZES, UH, TERRY AND I TO, UM, TO REPRESENT, REPRESENT THE C I C TO FORWARD OUR, UM, OUR OBJECTIVES IN THIS REGARD.
AND, AND TO, TO AGREE TO CHANGES THAT ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE POLICIES.
I REMEMBER THAT, WHAT WE'RE DOING, IT'S JUST A CONTINUATION OF THAT.
ALL IN FAVOR? CAN WE HAVE THE ROLL? CAN WE THE, BY THE, CAN WE CALL BY? AND BY THE WAY, THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT BECAUSE DO YOU WANNA A ROLL CALL? VOTE VOTE PETER? YES, PLEASE.
OKAY, SO IT WASN'T THE MATTER
JUST BEFORE WE GO, BEFORE WE GO ON, UM, STEPHANIE, LEMME JUST SAY ONE THING.
SOMETIMES I'M, SAY ONE THING, JUST WHAT YOUR DIFFERENT VIEW OF WHAT THE ROLE OF THE C A C SHOULD BE.
MY VIEW IS, IS, AND I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR I GUESS 12 YEARS, UM, AND KNOWING I MIGHT DISCONNECT.
SORRY,
WELL, WHAT HAPPENED? I'M SORRY, I KNOCKED THE GLASS OF WATER.
CAN WE GET YOU A WET MOP OR SOMETHING?
YEAH, I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR ABOUT 12 YEARS AND KNOWING WHAT THE ROLE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS THE WEIGHT GIVEN TO C A C RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE PAST.
I'VE COME TO THE CONCLUSION MYSELF, THE TWO WAY, THERE ARE TWO WAYS TO DO THIS, AND YOU'VE IDENTIFIED IT.
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN EITHER WORK WITHIN THE SYSTEM AND TRY TO GET THE BEST YOU CAN, OR YOU CAN KINDA BE NOT EXACTLY OBLIVIOUS TO THE SYSTEM, BUT KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST STAND UP AND, AND SAY KIND OF, YOU KNOW, PURE POLICY AND, UH, PURE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY.
FOR ME, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO GET MORE PROTECTION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND MORE PROTECTION FOR, UM, THE RESIDENTS IN TERMS OF ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, UH, THINGS WORKING WITHIN THE SYSTEM, ALBEIT IS NOT GONNA BE PERFECT PROTECTION THAN, THAN STANDING UP AND, UH, AND SAYING THIS IS NOT ENVIRONMENTALLY GOOD.
UH, NOT, AND, UM, THAT, THAT'S MY PERSONAL JUDGMENT.
BUT I, WE HAVE OTHER THINGS TO TALK ABOUT.
AT SOME POINT IN TIME WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT THIS.
I, I'M NOT AT ALL, DON'T ALL DISAGREE, WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT IT.
YEAH, I, I BELIEVE IN WORKING IN THE SYSTEM TOO, MIKE AND I JUST SEE THAT C A C COULD HAVE A DIFFERENT ROLE IN THE SYSTEM.
SHARON WOULD LIKE TO TALK GUYS.
I, ONE THING ABOUT THE, UH, PROPOSAL THAT WAS PASSED LAST WEEK, PART OF IT WAS THAT WE'RE GOING TO KEEP US ABREAST OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING.
AND I DON'T RECALL ANY, ANY INFORMATION COMING FROM YOU GUYS ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING.
I, WE, WE, WE DROPPED THE BALL ON THAT, SHARON.
BUT IF YOU EVER SAW THE AMOUNT OF EMAILS AND TIME THAT WAS SPENT, IT WAS RIDICULOUS.
I MEAN, EVERY TIME I WALKED AWAY FROM MY COMPUTER, WHEN I CAME BACK, THERE WAS ANOTHER 12 EMAILS TO READ.
UM, THE, OUR ACCOUNT WAS RIDICULOUS, BUT I APOLOGIZE BECAUSE WE SAID WE WOULD DO THAT AND WE DID NOT.
YOU SAID YOU'D DO IT, AND SOME OF IT, AND SOME OF IT QUITE TRUTHFULLY, UM, WE COULDN'T HAVE SHARED BECAUSE IT WAS, UM, IN
[00:50:01]
NEGOTIATION.AND THAT'S SOMETHING YOU CAN'T SHARE.
AND I JUST WANNA, BECAUSE I DO WANNA GET BACK TO STEPHANIE, UM, THERE IS SOMETHING THAT MIKE WAS TALKING ABOUT.
I THINK THAT A LOT OF WHAT MIKE IS SAYING, THERE HAS BEEN A CHANGE.
THERE WAS A CHANGE FOR MYSELF FROM WHEN I JOINED.
AND IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS, AS YOU GO ALONG, YOU FIGURE OUT HOW DO I GET THE MOST OF WHAT I WANT? AND IT'S, IT'S, I GUESS IT'S PART OF LIFE, BUT THAT'S NEITHER HERE NOR THERE.
BUT STEPHANIE, TO GET BACK TO YOUR THING ABOUT SPRINGBROOK, WE WERE VERY INVOLVED.
UM, SPRINGBROOK WAS BROUGHT FORTH, AND IT WAS BROUGHT FORTH IN AN AREA THAT WAS IN CONFLICT WITH THE EXISTING ZONING.
AND WHAT HAPPENED WAS THE ZONING BOARD GAVE A VARIANCE THAT WAS JUST PLAIN BIZARRE.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS, THE CODE IS BEING CHANGED NOW IS RATHER THAN HAVING IT BE X AMOUNT OF FEET FROM A STATE ROAD, IT HAS TO BE THE FACILITIES.
AND THEY'RE DOING THIS FOR FUTURE, ALL FUTURE FACILITIES, NOT JUST THE, THE LIVING ONES HAS TO ACTUALLY BE ON THE STATE ROAD.
AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS A LITTLE BIT OF LEGAL EASE.
THE ZONING BOARD CAN ONLY MAKE CHANGES ON THINGS THAT ARE MEASURABLE.
AND WHEN YOU SAY 200 FEET, THEN THEY CAN SAY 500 FEET, OR IN THIS CASE, ALMOST 2000 FEET.
WHEREAS IF THE LEGISLATION SAYS ON THE ROAD, THE ZONING BOARD CAN'T CHANGE THAT.
AND THAT'S WHERE ALL OF THE CONFLICT HAS COME WITH SPRINGBROOK.
AND IT HAS BEEN IN LITIGATION FOR YEARS BECAUSE THE, UH, SURROUNDING COMMUNITY MARGARET, UH, ARE VERY UPSET ABOUT THIS.
AND IT, IT'S, IT'S CONTINUING IN LEGISLATION.
THAT'S WHY IT HAS NEVER BEEN BUILT BECAUSE
AND, UM, WE USED TO HAVE A LOVELY LITTLE, YOU KNOW, NURSERY WITH A BEAUTIFUL GREENHOUSE, AND NOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE A FIVE STORY, UM, ASSISTED LIVING, YOU KNOW, AND THEY'RE GONNA, MY KIDS ARE JUST GONNA PUT ME IN A WHEELCHAIR,
AND THEY'LL BE LIKE, ALL RIGHT MOM'S.
SO, BUT ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS I WANTED TO TOUCH ON TONIGHT, BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA KEEP EVERYBODY LATE, IS I THINK WE, IT WAS CIRCULATED, UH, THAT LARGEMONT PASSED A BLOWER LAW, WHICH ACTUALLY WHEN WE GOT THE CODE FROM AARON, UM, IS A CHANGE TO AN EXISTING LAW.
IT WASN'T AS THOUGH THEY WENT FROM ZERO TO BANNING.
YEAH, THEY ALREADY HAD SOME RESTRICTIONS.
NOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT BOTHERED ME WHEN I SAW IT, THERE HAD BEEN ONE UP IN BEDFORD WHERE THE PERSON IN BEDFORD WAS CLEANING GASOLINE BLOWS CAUSED CANCER, WHICH IS LIKE THE TYPE OF THING.
IT'S LIKE, I DON'T CARE WHICH SIDE OF ANY ARGUMENT IS WHEN YOU GET THE, GET THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE UP SCIENCE, UM,
BUT THIS PARTICULAR CAC C HAS DONE A GREAT DEAL OF RESEARCH BOTH, UM, TWO YEARS AGO, A
AND THEN THERE CERTAINLY THE RESEARCH THAT PETER DID THIS YEAR IS PHENOMENAL.
AND ONE OF MY CONCERNS IS, IS THAT WHEN I READ THE LARGEMONT ARTICLE, AND THEN I SUBSEQUENTLY TODAY I READ THE LAW IS MY THOUGHT IS, SO ALL OF THE LANDSCAPERS ARE GONNA GO OUT AND BUY ELECTRIC OR BATTERY PACK BLOWERS, AND YOU REALLY HAVEN'T SOLVED THE PROBLEM.
SO THERE IS THIS GROUP, SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE SIGNED ONTO IT, I KNOW I SENT YOU THEIR STUFF AND WHEN THEY REACTIVATED IT, I HAD SENT EVERYONE THE INFORMATION TO BECOMING A MEMBER OF IT.
IT'S CALLED ELLA, I THINK IT'S E L L A.
AND SO THEY, THESE FOLKS, YOU KNOW, IT IS A SORT OF A CENTRALIZED PLACE FOR DISCUSSION AND OFFERING COURSES TO CONSERVATION ADVISORY COUNCILS AND PEOPLE INTERESTED IN CON CONSERVATION.
I THOUGHT THAT WE SHOULD SUBMIT ALL THE RESEARCH THAT MARGARET DID AND PETER DID TO SHARE WITH OTHER MUNICIPALITIES THROUGH THIS VEHICLE TO SAY, WE APPLAUD, YOU KNOW, CONTROLLING THE USE OF BLOWERS AND RIGHT.
YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE CURRENT STATUS OF ELECTRIC AND BATTERY PACK BLOWS VIA THE,
[00:55:01]
THE GASOLINE THAT YOU REALLY, IN TERMS OF NOISE AND PROTECTING THE GROUND AND ALL THESE OTHER ELEMENTS, YOU'RE NOT GONNA MATTER.THERE REALLY ISN'T A DIFFERENCE.
AND YOU REALLY HAVE TO FOCUS ON BLOWERS, NOT WHAT THE FUEL SOURCE FOR THOSE BLOWERS ARE.
UH, IT'S JUST PEOPLE JUST DON'T LIKE THE NOISE.
HOW YOU GETTING THE NOISE WITH THE ELECTRIC? I MEAN, FROM WHAT PETER'S RESEARCH SHOWS, IT'S, IT'S NOT LIKE THE NOISE GOES AWAY WHEN YOU USE AN ELECTRIC BLOWER.
AARON, IS AARON ON? THAT'S TRUE.
AARON, WOULD YOU MIND TAKING, UH, YOU, YOU HAVE A, UH, HANDY A PENCIL PAPER? SURE.
UM, I, I'D LIKE TO GIVE TO AARON IF HE DOESN'T MIND, UM, LIKE THREE, THREE POINTS THAT I THINK EXIST IN THE LARGEMONT LAW.
IT'S NOT NEARLY AS CLEAR AS LAWS THAT LIKE THE CAC RIGHTS.
UM, AND BECAUSE IT, IT DOES REFLECT A LITTLE, I THINK WE SHOULD DO WHAT TERRY IS SAYING.
WE SHOULD SEND, UH, THE WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL WORK THAT MARGARET DID SEVERAL YEARS AGO AND THE WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL WORK THAT PETER DID THIS YEAR TO, FOR DISTRIBUTION TO ALL OF THE, UH, UH, CACS IN, UM, IN WESTCHESTER.
BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW OF ANYONE THAT'S DONE THIS, YOU KNOW, QUALITY OF WORK, UH, AS COMPREHENSIVE AND AS AS AND AS FOCUSED ON, ON ON THE REAL ISSUES.
UH, BUT I, I WONDER, I THINK THERE, IT, IT, I DO WANT TO CLARIFY EXACTLY.
ERIN, IF, IF YOU HAVE TIME, COULD YOU TALK TO PEOPLE IN, YOU KNOW, YOUR COUNTERPARTS IN, UM, IN LARGEMONT AND SEE IF THIS IS ACCURATE.
'CAUSE THEIR LAW IS NOT WRITTEN REALLY AS WELL AS WE WRITE OUR LAWS.
I THINK IT SAYS ONE, UM, NEVER ABSOLUTELY NO GAS YEAR ROUND, NO GAS.
TWO, I THINK IT SAYS NO ELECTRIC EXCEPT THE MONTH OF APRIL AND OCTOBER.
OCTOBER 15 THROUGH DECEMBER 15TH.
NOW, ALRIGHT, THOSE TWO THINGS.
IF IT SAYS THAT NEVER, NEVER GAS AN ELECTRIC ONLY MONTH OF APRIL AND OCTOBER 15TH TO OCTOBER, UH, TO DECEMBER 15TH, I'M, I'M ASSUMING THAT YOU COULD CONFIRM THE THEORY OF THAT.
THAT'S THE SPRING CLEANUP AND THE FALL CLEANUP WILL DO.
AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, I WOULD THINK THAT IS CONSISTENT WITH WHAT MARGARET'S RESEARCH WAS AND WOULD, UM, AND WE WOULD NEVER, IT MAY, RIGHT? AND WHAT MARGARET, UH, IT'S OKAY WITH ME THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD WORK WITH ME
AND WE WOULD HAVE TO THINK THROUGH WITH PETER WHETHER WHAT, HOW WE WOULD WANT THE DECIMAL LEVELS TO WORK BASED ON THE 300, UM, FLOWS HE LOOKED AT IN THAT.
UM, I GUESS THERE'S WHAT, UH, IS THERE ALREADY A LAW IN THE BOOK? MIKES 12.
A LAW ALREADY SAYS 75 DECIBELS.
OKAY, SO, SO IN THOSE 12 WEEKS, IS THAT, IS THAT YOU ARE A MATH MAJOR, MARGARET, IS THAT YES.
UM, SO, UM, UM, WHETHER, YOU KNOW, WE COULD MAKE A RECOMMENDATION ON THAT.
WE COULD, WE COULD, WE SHOULD BETWEEN NOW AND NEXT MEETING.
IF, IF ERIN COULD, YOU KNOW, IT'S TWO WEEKS OR THREE WEEKS.
WHEN'S OUR NEXT MEETING? IT'S TWO OR THREE WEEKS FROM NOW.
IT WOULD BE TWO WEEKS, TWO WEEKS AND TWO WEEKS FROM NOW.
IF, IF, IF AARON COULD LET US KNOW, WE COULD MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TWO WEEKS FROM NOW THAT WE AGREE WITH THE ENLARGEMENT LAW, IF IT COULD BE DRAFTED A LITTLE CLEARER THAT, UH, NEVER, NEVER GAS AN ELECTRIC FOR EIGHT WEEKS IN THE FALL.
I GAS MIKE, I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT.
YOU PUTTING A BURDEN AND THAT'S WHAT THE ARGUMENT YOU'RE GONNA GET IS A PUSHBACK, A BURDEN.
I HAVE AN, I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH NO GAS BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA GET A PUSHBACK THAT YOU'RE PUTTING AN UNNECESSARY BURDEN ON THE LANDSCAPERS.
I ALSO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH JUST
[01:00:01]
ONE MONTH IN FOR THE SPRING CLEANUP, BECAUSE THE SPRING CLEANUP SCHEDULE IS VERY DEPENDENT UPON THE WEATHER AND LEMME FINISH AND YOU'RE NOT INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF USAGE BECAUSE THE GUYS COME TO YOUR HOUSE AND DO THE SPRING CLEANUP USUALLY IN ONE DAY.THE QUESTION IS WHEN DO THEY DO IT? IT'S NOT LIKE IN THE SUMMER WHEN PEOPLE HAVE THEIR PLACES BLOWN EVERY WEEK.
THE SPRING CLEANUP IS A SEPARATE ACTIVITY.
THE, AND THE GARDEN ISN'T GONNA COME BACK AND BILL YOU FOR A SECOND SPRING CLEANUP.
HE'S GOT A BILLION FOR ONE SPRING CLEANUP, AND HE IS GONNA COME TO SOMEBODY'S HOUSE SOMETIME IN THAT MARCH THROUGH ALMOST THE END OF APRIL PERIOD.
AND SOMETIMES THEY DO IT IN MARCH, SOMETIMES THEY DO IT IN APRIL.
THAT'S VERY DEPENDENT ON THE WEATHER WHEN THEY START DOING IT.
AND SOMETIMES IF THERE'S A LOT OF RAIN, THERE'S AN OVERLAP BECAUSE THEY CAN'T GET TO DO IT.
SO I WOULD OPEN THAT WINDOW UP ON A MORE, RATHER THAN HAVING IT JUST ONE MONTH BECAUSE YEAH, WE DID THAT, THAT, THAT WAS OUR SUGGESTION.
CAN I SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THE BURDEN ON THE GARDENERS? I, YOU KNOW, IN MY LITTLE LOCAL CRUSADE IN THE, IN THE, MY IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORHOOD, I TALKED TO A DOZEN GARDENERS AND, UM, MOST OF THEM WERE PROFESSIONAL OUTFITS.
YOU KNOW, NOT A ONE TRUCK GARDENER GUY.
ALL OF THEM HAD ELECTRIC BLOWERS IN THEIR TRUCKS.
THERE WAS NO BUR THERE WAS NO ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL BURDEN FOR ALMOST ALL OF THE LANDSCAPERS THAT I WOULD CAME IN CONTACT WITH IN ORDER TO MOVE TO ELECTRIC.
I'M NOT, I'M NOT ARGUING THAT THEY'RE ELECTRIC OR BETTER THAN, THAN, THAN, UH, THAN GAS NECESSARILY.
BUT THE IDEA THAT THIS IS SOME KIND OF HUGE FINANCIAL BURDEN, YOU KNOW, THE PRICE, THE PRICES OF THE, OF THE BLOWERS IN THE DATABASE ARE ALL $300, THREE TO $400.
THESE ARE, THIS IS NOT A MASSIVE BURDEN ON ANYBODY.
WELL, I GUESS MY OTHER PROBLEM IS I CAN'T SEE ENCOURAGING AND MAKING IT JUST BE GAS BECAUSE I DON'T SEE THE RATIONALE.
AND I DO THINK WHEN YOU SWITCH TO ELECTRIC, YOU GET INTO A LOT OF BATTERY PACK ONES AND THERE IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL DOWNSIDE TO A BATTERY PACK BECAUSE THE BATTERY HAS TO BE DISPOSED OF AT SOME POINT.
NOW, THESE BAT MOST OF THESE BATTERIES ARE RECYCLABLE.
SO I GUESS MY FEELING IS IT'S, IT IS A, A ENVIRONMENTALLY ALMOST LY GO DOWN DOWN.
AND I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND THE EMPHASIS ON THE GASOLINE.
IT'S THE NOISE, BUT THE NOISE IS THE NOISE IS THE NOISE.
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT THAT THEY COULD CARE LESS ABOUT WHAT IT'S DOING TO THE GROUND.
THEY DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE BREATHING IN THE STUFF.
PEOPLE JUST, THEY DONT, BECAUSE GENERALLY THEY'RE NOT WALKING BY WHEN THE GUYS ARE DOING IT AND YOU KNOW, YOU CAN, RIGHT.
ANYWAY, IT'S AN AVO, YOU KNOW, WALKING BY A GUY WHO'S BLOWING THE GROUND AND PUTTING ALL THE PARTICULATES IN THE AIR.
THAT'S SOMETHING YOU CAN ACTUALLY AVOID.
YOU CAN WALK AROUND IT, YOU CAN PUT YOUR MASK ON, WHATEVER THE NOISE, YOU CAN'T ESCAPE.
THAT'S WHY PEOPLE HATE THE NOISE.
WELL, ALL, ALL I WAS SUGGESTING WAS IF, IF AARON WOULD CONFIRM EXACTLY WHAT THE RATIONALE, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT, UH, WHAT THE LAW WAS, WE READ IT RIGHT, AND WHAT THE RATIONALE IS, THEN WE CAN DISCUSS IT TWO WEEKS FROM NOW AND WE CAN COME UP THAT WE, WE THINK WE OUGHT TO HAVE.
AND IT CAN BE, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THE LARGE AMOUNT PRESENT, WE THINK WE OUGHT TO HAVE THIS OR THIS.
AND WE CAN ABSOLUTELY DISCUSS TERRY'S TWO CONCEPTS.
ONE IS EXPANDING THE WINDOW FOR THE SPRING CLEANUP, RIGHT.
TO, UH, TO BE A, TO BE, YOU KNOW, UH, SIX WEEKS, EIGHT WEEKS OR SOMETHING THAT THEY ALREADY HAVE EIGHT WEEKS IN THE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NEVER GONNA GET A PERFECT ONE THAT'S GONNA, THAT, UH, THAT'S GONNA MEET, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S JUST EVERYBODY FOR EVERY YEAR.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE TWO MONTHS IN THE, THEY HAVE TWO MONTHS IN THE, UM, IN THE FALL EXP EXPAND.
I'M, I'M NOT AGAINST EXPANDING IT TO SIX WEEKS OR TWO MONTHS IN THE, UH, EIGHT WEEKS IN THE SPRING.
AND WE CAN ADDRESS THE OTHER TERRY'S ISSUE WHEN WE EXPAND, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER WE HAVE FOR SPRING CLEANUP AND FALL CLEAN UP.
UH, DO WE WANNA OPEN IT UP TO GAS AS WELL AS, UH, WE REALLY WON'T HAVE THIS CONVERSATION, MIKE, WITH THE TOWN.
ARE WE GOING BACK THIS DOWN THIS RABBIT HOLE? NO, WE WON'T HAVE A CONVERSATION IN TOWN.
WE'LL HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH OURSELVES FOR 45 MINUTES.
WE'LL WRITE UP A OKAY, WE'LL WRITE UP A ONE PAGER AND WE WILL SEND IT TO 'EM AND SAY, HAVE FUN.
AND THEN THEY'RE GONNA BE LIKE, CAN'T WE COME UP WITH A COMPROMISE?
[01:05:01]
PAUL WAS SUGGESTING TO, ONCE LARGEMONT PASSED IT TO HAVE A BAN TO EXECUTIVE, UH, WHAT WAS HIS EXECUTIVE HE PAUL WANTED AS, AS SOON AS LARGE.I, I SENT IT TO PAUL AFTER LARGEMONT PASSED.
NOW PAUL WANTED TO HAVE AN EXECUTIVE ORDER BANNING THIS, WHICH YOU CAN'T DO, UH,
WHY NOT OTHER EXECUTIVES DO
THIS WAS NOT AN EXECUTIVE ORDER.
UH, BUT, YOU KNOW, UM, UM, NO, THE WORK.
WE'LL SPEND 45 MINUTES, TWO WEEKS FROM NOW AFTER WE GET, UH, A CLIFF.
YOU KNOW, BE SURE WE'RE CLEAR FOOTED.
WE HAD TO DIG AT ALL THAT WORK.
I, I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF I HAVE IT ANYMORE.
AND, UM, UM, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL DO A ONE PAGE, WE'LL DO A ONE PAGE FOLLOW UP RECOMMENDATION AND WE CERTAINLY WILL CONSIDER EXPANDING THE SPRINGTIME, UH, CLEANUP PERIOD.
WE'LL CONSIDER WHETHER IT SHOULD BE ONLY ELECTRIC OR GAS AND ELECTRIC IN, IN BOTH, UM, AND, UM, IN ONE PAGE.
YOU KNOW, AND MY, MY GUESS IS WE'LL BE ASKED TO, AND THIS WOULD JUST BE TERRY AND I HAVE TO DO IT.
WE'LL BE ASKED TO, UH, UH, ATTEND A, UM, A WORK SESSION, THAT'S ALL.
AND THEN IT'S BACK IN THEIR LAP.
AND THAT, YOU KNOW, AND, AND I, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS SUCH RESISTANCE FROM A COUPLE OF BOARD MEMBERS LAST TIME THAT I, I PERSONALLY DON'T THINK ONLY FRANCIS.
IT WAS, IT WAS, THERE WAS NO BIG ENTHUSIASM THERE.
THE TOWN BOARD WON'T DO ANYTHING AT THIS POINT.
WE, WE ONLY HAVE, RIGHT NOW, WE ONLY HAVE TWO VOTES ON THE TOWN BOARD.
AND YOU KNOW, THE DEMOCRACY PEOPLE GOT DON'T GET DEMO.
STEPHANIE, STEPHANIE, LISTEN THIS DEAR PEOPLE DON'T YET DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW DEMOCRACY WORKS.
DEMOCRACY IS ABOUT COUNTING, YOU KNOW, WE LIVE IN A REPRESENTED DEMOCRACY AND THAT'S ABOUT COUNTING NOSES.
IT'S NOT ABOUT EVERYONE'S GETTING TOGETHER LIKE THIS GROUP AND DISCUSSING, DECIDING WHAT COMES OUT IN A REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY.
WELL, THAT'S A REPUBLIC, MIKE.
HUH? THAT'S REPUBLIC COUNTY NOSE IS ABOUT A REPUBLIC.
DEMOCRACY'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
BUT CAN WE, CAN WE, ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO DO, 'CAUSE WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME AND I DID NOT WANNA IGNORE IT, SHARON.
SHARON, YOU THERE? SHARON? UH OH.
MAYBE SHE KNOCKED OVER A BIG GLASS OF WATER TOO.
SO, UH, OR MY NEIGHBOR IS IGNORING THEM, ACTUALLY, I NOTICED, WELL, I'M WORKING OUT ON MY TRAINER'S PARKING LOT AND IT'S 4 55 CENTRAL AVENUE AND UP UP ABOVE IT THERE ARE SOME WOODS AND STARTING FROM THE GROUND FLOOR GOING UP TO THE TOP OF THE TALLEST TREES, IT'S FULL OF VINES.
AND I, I TALKED TO THE LANDLORD, THE OWNER OF THE BUILDING THE OTHER DAY, AND HE SAID, YES, IT'S TERRIBLE, BUT IT'S TOO EXPENSIVE TO GET RID OF AND HE'S NOT GONNA DO IT OR HAVE ANYBODY HE KNOWS DO IT BECAUSE OF POISON IVY.
AND THEN I NOTICED THAT ONE OF THE TREES LOOKED AS THOUGH IT MIGHT BE A CELL TOWER.
AND THAT RAISED THE QUESTION IN MY MIND, WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR TAKING DOWN VINES AND, AND OTHER INVASIVES ON CELL TOWERS TOWER? AND I JUST WONDER IF THERE ISN'T SOME RESPONSIBILITY, WE HAVE TO TRY AND GET NEIGHBORS AND RESIDENCES, AND PARTICULARLY NEIGHBORS IN COMMERCIAL SETUPS TO TAKE CARE OF THESE INVASIVES TO NOT PERMIT THEM.
IT, IT'S COVERING, IT'S COVERING ABOUT 10 REALLY LARGE TREES, ABOUT HALF OF THE PARKING LOT.
AND AT SOME POINT, THESE VINES ARE GONNA KILL ALL THOSE TREES AND THEY'RE ALL GONNA COME DOWN ON SOMETHING.
SO IT'S NOT JUST A MATTER OF, YOU KNOW, VOLUNTARILY SPENDING A LITTLE EXTRA MONEY ON LANDSCAPING.
AND, AND THEN THERE'S ALSO THE PROBLEM OF LEAVING THOSE TREES AS THEY ARE WITH, IF THEY'RE GRAPE LEAVES GRAPEVINES.
IF THEY'RE BITTERSWEET VINES, THEY'RE GOING TO SEED EVERYBODY, EVERY NEIGHBOR IN AN AREA.
SO HOW DO WE KNOW THEY'RE INVASIVE AND THEY'RE NOT JUST VINES BECAUSE THEY'RE KILLING THE TREES BECAUSE THEY'VE COMPLETELY COVERED THE TREES.
[01:10:02]
I DON'T THINK THEY'RE, I DON'T THINK THEY'RE KUDZU.I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT, I CAN'T SEE THEM THAT CLOSELY.
BUT YOU CAN SEE, YOU'VE SEEN THE KUDZU SCULPTURES AND THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THESE.
AND GRAPEVINES ARE GREAT AT DOING THAT.
I HAVE A BITTERSWEET THAT'S, IT'S A PERSONAL THING BETWEEN THE PLANT AND ME AT THIS POINT, I WAS GONNA, THERE'S A THING THAT LOOKS LIKE A GRAPE LEAF, BUT IT ISN'T EVEN A GRAPE LEAF.
'CAUSE WHEN IT FIRST GOT IN MY YARD, I THOUGHT THEY WERE WILD GRAPES.
I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING AS WE GO FORWARD, WE MIGHT WANNA LOOK INTO HOW WE DO THIS.
BECAUSE ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE BIG OFFENDERS ON THIS, IF ANYONE HAS BEEN TO THE CAMP IN THE VETERAN PARK, THE ENTIRE, UH, WETLANDS THERE IS FILLED WITH INVASIVE, INVASIVE VINES.
THERE ARE ORGANIZATIONS, THERE ARE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE SWAB AND GROUNDWORKS AND, UM, THE BRONX RIVER INITIATIVE THAT TAKE CARE OF, OF THE PARKWAYS OR ATTEMPT TO THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT ATTEMPT TO TAKE CARE OF THE RIVER VALLEYS.
BUT DIDN'T, WE'VE ALREADY ASKED THE TOWN TO LIKE SAY NOBODY CAN PLANT INVASIVES.
BUT THE PROBLEM IS WHEN YOU DO IT, WHEN YOU HAVE THEM, LEMME LEMME GIVE THE HISTORY ON THIS NEW, UH, AARON, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO, NEW YORK STATE, D E C DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION ISSUED A REGULATION UNDER THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION LAW SAYING THAT YOU CANNOT IMPORT OR INTO NEW YORK OR PLANT, PROPAGATE, PROPAGATE, PROPAGATE.
UM, AND WE SENT THE TOWN BOARD A, UH, RECOMMENDATION THAT THEY ADOPT A LOCAL RULE SAYING THE SAME THING BECAUSE REALLY SUPERFLUOUS DOESN'T MATTER.
IT'S THE NEW YORK, UH, DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION.
BUT WAIT, MIKE, BUT, BUT MIKE, THAT, THAT WAS JUST BASED ON LIKE, DON'T LET THE TOWN DO THIS.
NO, THAT WAS, THAT WAS FOR PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS.
DON'T LET THE IT WAS, IT WAS, I'M SORRY, MIKE, IT WAS FOR ALL, UH, IT WAS FOR RESIDENTS, CITIZENS.
NOW, NOW HAS IT EVER, WAS IT EVER ADOPTED BY THE TOWN BOARD? I'D HAVE TO, I'D HAVE TO LOOK.
WELL, WHAT I, I THINK SHARON HAS IDENTIFIED A COUPLE MORE THINGS I WANNA SAY.
I THINK SHARON HAS IDENTIFIED CORRECTLY A VERY IMPORTANT PROBLEM.
NOW, IN THE COURSE OF THE TREE LAW DEVELOPMENT SEVEN OR EIGHT YEARS AGO, UH, THE FORMER COMMISSIONER OF WHAT WAS THEN CALLED THE PLAYING DEPARTMENT, UH, I GUESS IT'S STILL CALLED, IT WAS CALLED C D N C THEN, UH, THE FORMER COMMISSIONER SUGGESTED IN THE TREE LAW TO SAY THE TOWN HAD THE RIGHT TO FORCE A RESIDENT TO REMOVE INVASIVES.
AND THAT WAS TAKEN OUT BECAUSE, UH, THAT PUT THE TOWN IN THE POSITION OF REQUIRING SOMEONE TO REMOVE SOMETHING THAT WAS EXISTING, WHICH IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE D E C REGULATION, WHICH IS, YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T DO IN THE FUTURE.
UH, I CAN'T PROPAGATE IN IN THE FUTURE.
NOW, UM, THERE'S ALSO SOMETHING THAT GOT PASSED ONCE AARON, I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS THAT ABOUT ONE PARTICULAR TYPE OF INVASIVES THAT YOU HAD TO DO SOMETHING WITH.
WE ACTUALLY GOT SOMETHING PASSED BY THE TOWN BOARD.
WELL, THERE, THERE WAS CONSIDERATION BY THE TOWN BOARD TO, UM, ENFORCE A BAMB, A BAN ON BAMBOO.
BAMBOO ACTUALLY, IF IT WAS INVADING ANOTHER'S PROPERTY AND BROUGHT TO THE TOWN'S ATTENTION, WE COULD REQUIRE THAT IT BE ERADICATED.
AND IN FACT, REALLY THE RESIDENT THAT, UH, BROUGHT IT TO THE TOWN'S ATTENTION, YOU KNOW, AND WAS REALLY PUSHING FOR IT, HE CAME AND MET WITH THE C A C I REMEMBER HIM, UM, SOME YEARS BACK.
HE HAS MORE RECENTLY SENT A COUPLE OF EMAILS TO SUPERVISOR FINER.
AND, AND THEY'VE BEEN ROUTED TO ME THAT HE'S AGAIN, BRINGING THIS ISSUE BACK UP.
AND TOWN SUPERVISOR WANTS TO BRING IT, UM, UP AT A POTENTIAL WORK SESSION, PERHAPS IN NOVEMBER.
THE, THE, THE, THE TROUBLE ON STAFF'S END, JUST JUST SO YOU'RE AWARE, IS IS THE ENFORCEMENT OKAY? YEAH.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE SPREAD VERY THIN AND CHANCES ARE WE'RE GONNA BE SPREAD EVEN MORE THIN IN THE FUTURE.
[01:15:01]
UM, REMOVING BAMBOO IS NOT, YOU KNOW, CUT IT TO THE GROUND AND WALK AWAY.IT'S MUCH ABSOLUTE MORE INVOLVED IN THAT.
AND I THINK MOST OF YOU, IF NOT ALL OF YOU KNOW THAT THE SUGGESTION, THE SUGGESTION I HAVE IS A PROCESS SUGGESTION.
I THINK WHAT SHARON HAS RAISED IS A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE.
UM, AND WHAT I THINK IS A PROCESS WE SHOULD CONSIDER, AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT I'LL GET ANYTHING OUT OF IT, BUT I DO THINK IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE, IS THAT WE FORM A, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, ON THE TREE LAW, YOU KNOW, TERRY AND I DID IT ON THIS, UH, UM, UM, THING WE'VE JUST GONE THROUGH ON, UH, THE C C F TERM I DID.
WE FORM A GROUP, WHICH IS NOT TERRY AND ME
AND OBVIOUSLY IT WOULD BE SHARON AND MAYBE ONE OTHER TO LOOK AT THIS ISSUE AND, AND, AND, AND THEN WE WOULD ASK ERIN TO COORDINATE A WORK SESSION WITH THE, UH, TOWN BOARD WHEN WE'RE READY IN NOVEMBER.
PROBABLY IS PLENTY OF TIME, NOT DECEMBER.
AND LET ME, STEPHANIE, LET ME ASK YOU THIS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY TIME TO DO SOME ACADEMIC RESEARCH AS TO WHICH DOESN'T HAVE TO BE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT A 20 PAGE PAPER
AND THAT KIND OF INTELLECTUAL BASIS WAY OF LOOKING AT THINGS IS A VERY GOOD WAY OF LOOKING AT THINGS.
AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE TIME, YOU KNOW, WE UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, YOU, WELL, I, I HAVE TO DO, UM, RESEARCH ANYWAYS, FREE SCHOOL.
I MIGHT AS WELL ADD ON
AND, AND, AND, AND, UH, BUT IF YOU TWO, TWO PAGES, NO PROBLEM.
TWO PAGES ISN'T A, ISN'T A LOT
UH, THAT, UM, UM, WHY IS THIS A PROBLEM FOR, FOR US? WHY, WHY SHOULD THEY ON THE TOWN BOARD CARE ABOUT THIS? AND UM, UM, SHARON, AND IF YOU WOULD START THINKING ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, EXAMPLES OF WHERE THIS IS, WHICH ARE THE SPECIES, I'M SORRY, WHAT, WHICH SPECIES ARE WE REALLY CARE ABOUT? YEAH, BECAUSE I HAVE A SUGGESTION ON THIS.
WHAT REALLY CARE ABOUT, AND WE'LL HAVE A, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE SIMPLE BECAUSE THERE ARE TWO, THERE ARE TWO HUGE, HUGE PROBLEMS. ONE IS THE ENFORCEMENT AND TWO IS THE PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED.
THERE WOULD BE POLITICAL SELECTIVE ENFORCEMENT.
I HAVE A DIFFERENT APPROACH, MIKE.
I DON'T THINK THE APPROACH TO THIS IS A SOLUTION THAT IS LEGISLATIVE.
I THINK IT'S INFORMATIONAL AND GUILT INDUCING.
I WOULD SUGGEST THAT I'M SERIOUS ABOUT THIS.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S LIKE YOU CAN'T LEGISLATE PEOPLE GOING OUT AND READING THEIR GARDEN.
I DO THINK, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS IS, AND THIS IS WHERE SHARON AS A MASTER GARDENER, YOU CAN HAVE A LOT TO CONTRIBUTE.
AND OBVIOUSLY AS STEPHANIE CAN DO A GOOD, YOU KNOW, COLLECT THE INFORMATION, WHY THE INVASIVES ARE A PROBLEM.
I THINK WHAT WE SHOULD BE PUSHING THE TOWN TO DO IS WHEN THE SPRING AND SUMMER COMES, PARTICULARLY THE SUMMER STARTING MAYBE IN JUNE, REALLY RUNNING ON THOSE E-BLASTS, PITCHES OF THE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE REMOVED AND SUGGESTING HOW TO REMOVE THEM.
THEY'RE GONNA PUSH THAT RIGHT BACK TO US, TARA.
WELL, NO, BUT, BUT IF WE SAY THAT'S, WE CAN DO THE PITCHES, WE COULD PROBABLY DO THE WEBPAGES, DO THE, DO THE ROUGH WORK AND GO, I CAN GO OUT MY YARD AND PHOTOGRAPH THIS STUFF BECAUSE IT'S, IT ALWAYS COMES BACK.
BUT THE POINT IS A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND, FOR INSTANCE, TAKE THE BAMBOO IF YOU DO, DO AN E GLASS WITH PICTURES OF BAMBOO AND MAKE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND YOU TOOK IT HOME FROM THE NURSERY OR YOU BOUGHT IT SOMEWHERE AND OH LOOK, IT'S GROWING, BUT YOU UNDERSTAND THAT YOU CAN'T GET RID OF IT AND IT'S GONNA GO INTO YOUR FOUNDATION OR YOUR NEIGHBOR'S FOUNDATION.
[01:20:01]
YOU MIGHT HAVE MORE EFFECT THAN TRYING TO LEGISLATE THE ELIMINATION OF LAND.BUT DO THEY REALLY SELL THIS STUFF ANYMORE? AND, AND, AND THE UM, NURSERIES DON'T SELL, I DUNNO, BUT THEY EAT SUPPOSED TO AROUND.
THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO, BUT THEY, PEOPLE GET CLIPPINGS.
I THINK THE THING IS, AND I THINK WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE INVASIVE VINES, THEY START OUT AS LITTLE PLANTS.
PEOPLE NEED TO SEE THOSE PICTURES AND SAY, AND UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN'S GOTTA GO SEED, IT GOES ALL OVER AND THE BIRDS FLY AROUND AND THEIR DROPPINGS MOVE IT A HALF A MILE AWAY.
I THINK THAT THIS IS ONE, AND I'M USUALLY THE ONE WHO ISN'T FOR IN FAVOR OF, UM, THE PAMPHLETS AND THE PR THING.
'CAUSE I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, USUALLY A WASTE OF TIME.
'CAUSE YOU'RE DOING IT ON THINGS THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS.
I DON'T THINK PEOPLE REALLY UNDERSTAND THIS, HOW THESE INVASIVES REALLY ARE TAKING OVER AND YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE YOU ARE UPSET ABOUT THE VINES ON THE PARKWAY.
YOU CONTROL THAT, PULL THOSE OUT, TAKE THAT OFF THE FENCE IN YOUR BACKYARD BECAUSE WHAT YOU HAVE ON THE FENCE IN YOUR BACKYARD IS SPREADING ALL OVER.
THAT WOULD BE MY SUGGESTION TO GO FORWARD AND REALLY FOCUS ON DEVELOPING A PROGRAM WITH THAT THE TOWN WOULD SPONSOR THAT WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE LATE, LATE SPRING, EARLY SUMMER.
WHAT IS, WHAT DOES DONNA THINK? DONNA, YOU'RE MUTED.
UM, I,
AND SO I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NECESSARILY HAVE TO CREATE SOMETHING.
CAN YOU SEND THAT? DO YOU HAVE A COPY THAT YOU CAN EMAIL IT OUT TO PEOPLE? SURE.
MAYBE, MAYBE WE MAKE THE, THE SUPERVISOR SEND IT OUT AT THE RIGHT TIME.
PETE, PETER, WHAT DO YOU THINK? SAME PROBLEM IS PETE.
PETER, WHAT DO YOU THINK? I, YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT REALLY MY, I'M, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA SORT OF STEP ASIDE IN THE, UM, AND LET THE EXPERTS SHARON AND DONNA.
UM, I DON'T THINK I I I, I'M NOT SURE YOU CAN GUILT PEOPLE INTO WEEDING
UM, YOU COULD SEND ME, YOU COULD SEND ME, YOU COULD SEND ME, YOU COULD SEND ME SOMETHING ONCE A DAY TELLING ME TO GO OUT AND WEED AND I, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE JUST ADDING TO THE LITTER
THIS IS THE ADVOCACY SOMETHING.
BUT I THINK, I THINK CERTAINLY WHEN PEOPLE MOVE INTO THE AREA, IF THE, YOU KNOW, ALONG WITH WELCOME TO THE TOWN, THAT KIND OF THING WOULD BE GOOD.
HERE ARE THINGS, DON'T, DON'T GROW THIS CRAP IN YOUR GARDENS BECAUSE IT DOES THIS AND THAT AND THE OTHER THING.
BUT THIS IS, LIKE I SAID, THIS IS NOT MY, I'M FOR ANYTHING.
I I DON'T LIGHT UP EVER AND EVERYBODY ELSE IS TALKING OVER ME.
I THINK THE MAIN PROBLEM AND THE SITUATION THAT GOT ME STARTED ON THIS IS THE COST OF, OF REMOVING THEM ALL.
IT, IT'S A COMMERCIAL PROPERTY.
UM, BUT NOBODY REALLY GOES ON THERE AND, AND NOBODY CARES.
AND THE OWNER DOESN'T WANNA SPEND THE MONEY AND IT WOULD COST QUITE A BIT OF MONEY TO GET RID OF THEM.
I SUGGESTED THAT HE JUST GO HAVE SOMEBODY GO AROUND AND CUT THE VINES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TRUNK.
AND HE, HE SAID, NO, HE CAN'T DO THAT BECAUSE HE GOT TERRIBLE POISON IVY.
UM, MAYBE WE CAN SEND AROUND INFORMATION ON HOW TO AVOID GETTING POISON.
I HE NEEDS A, HE NEEDS THE, THE THREE FOOT THING TO CUT CLIPPER.
DO WE HAVE ANY STANDARDS, AARON, UM, THAT RELATE TO COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES THAT, UH, UM, UM, COVERED INVASIVES
THAT ARE NOT BEING USED OR SOMETHING? DO WE HAVE ANY MAINTENANCE STANDARDS OR ANYTHING? I DON'T KNOW WITH RESPECT TO VEGETATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I'VE SPOKEN WITH THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT ABOUT THIS, AND YOU'RE RIGHT, THERE IS A PROPERTY MAINTENANCE, YOU KNOW, STANDARDS IN THE TOWN, BUT THEY HAVE NOT
[01:25:01]
EXPANDED THAT TO COVER, YOU KNOW, VEGETATION OR INVASIVE VEGETATION REALLY RELATES TO, YOU KNOW, DEBRIS AND GARBAGE, UM, STREWN ABOUT A PROPERTY OR IF THE, YOU KNOW, I'VE SEEN WITH RESPECT TO VEGETATION, THE ONE THING I'VE SEEN IS IF, YOU KNOW THE GRASS IS LIKE TWO FEET TALL, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL, THEY'LL MAKE SURE THAT THE GRASS IS MOWED.IF WE CAN POTENTIALLY EXPAND UPON THAT, YOU KNOW, THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT DOES HAVE A NUMBER OF OFFICIALS WHO ARE OUT IN THE FIELD MORE OFTEN THAN ANYONE IN MY DEPARTMENT OR FOR THAT MATTER, OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
WOULD THEY WANT TO TAKE THAT ON? IS A WHOLE NOTHER QUESTION.
IS IT A POSSIBILITY? I WOULD SAY YES.
COULD YOU PLEASE, COULD YOU PLEASE, UH, SEND AROUND AN EMAIL WITH THAT STATUTE SO WE CAN ALL READ IT? THE PROPERTY MAINTENANCE? YEAH, SURE.
THIS APPLY TO RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL.
WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER OFFHAND? I DON'T KNOW.
IT CERTAINLY APPLIES TO RESIDENTIAL.
I DO NOT KNOW IF IT ALSO APPLIES TO COMMERCIAL.
I WOULD TEND TO THINK THAT IT DOES, BUT I'LL, I'LL TAKE A LOOK AND THEN I'LL FORWARD IT OUT.
DID WE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE FOR TONIGHT OR IS THIS, IT JUST WANTED TO SAY LIKE, UM, INSTEAD OF MAYBE HANDING OUT PAMPHLETS 'CAUSE UH, LIKE AS YOU MENTIONED, LIKE YOU SAID, WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE OR SOMETHING, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT THAT.
UM, MAY BECAUSE I KNOW THE BEST WAY TO CONNECT PEOPLE RIGHT NOW, ESPECIALLY 'CAUSE OF COVID IS UM, I GUESS THERE'S SOCIAL MEDIA, RIGHT? SO SOMEONE LIKE, I DON'T IF YOU HAVE A C A C ACCOUNT FOR SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT IF SOMEONE WERE TO HAVE IT AND PUT THE LIST OF LIKE WHAT'S INVASIVE AND WHAT TO DO AND HOW TO STAY AWAY FROM POISON IVY AND ALL THAT, I THINK IT WOULD BE MORE INFORMATIONAL THAN HANDING OUT PAMPHLETS.
THAT'S COMPLETELY, COMPLETELY ABOVE OUR PAY GRADE THOUGH.
THAT'S WHY I SAID PAUL'S E-BLAST.
HORRIBLE, BUT, BUT WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE MIGHT HAVE THIS ONLINE.
PAUL, WE CAN CIRCULATE THE, THE LINK TO IT.
I, I DO THINK STEPHANIE'S CORRECT, I THINK PAPER HANDOUTS, BUT I THINK THAT WHEN PEOPLE GET SOMETHING FROM PAUL, IF THEY'RE ON THE E-BLAST AND THEY SEE A PICTURE, YOU KNOW, IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS.
IT'S LIKE YOU GET, YOU GET THAT KIND OF CULTURAL CHANGE EVERY TIME YOU GET ONE MORE PERSON WHO DOES IT, YOU GET TWO MORE.
UH, STEPHANIE, DO WE, WOULD THE CAC HAVE TO OPEN UP AN ACCOUNT OR IS IT JUST ANY MEMBER OF THE CAC C COULD POST IT OR HOW'S THAT WORK? UM, WELL I THINK BEST TO DO WOULD HAVE, LIKE IF YOU WANNA CONTINUE TO CREATE MORE POSTS ON LIKE DIFFERENT TYPES OF STUFF, ESPECIALLY IF YOU WANT PEOPLE TO GET STUFF FROM C A C MEETINGS, UH, WOULD BE JUST HAVE A GREENBERG C A C ACCOUNT.
BUT I MEAN, THAT'S NOT HARD TO CREATE.
IT TAKES LIKE FIVE SECONDS DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU WANNA DO WITH IT.
AND NOTHING, NOT FOR OLD PEOPLE, NOT ALL
THAT MIGHT BE 20 SECONDS FOR US.
IF YOU HAVE YOUR OWN SOCIALS OR IF YOU HAVE EMAILS THAT YOU SEND TO PEOPLE, BLAST EMAILS, YOU KNOW ABOUT CAC, YOU COULD JUST FORWARD THEM LIKE ACCOUNT AND I'M SURE THEY WOULD FOLLOW.
WELL, I, I I THINK WE SHOULD, I THINK WE SHOULD EXPLORE WHAT STEPHANIE'S TALKING ABOUT A LITTLE MORE DEPTH BECAUSE IT'S CERTAINLY WITHIN OUR AUTHORITY UNDER CHAPTER FIVE 20 OF THE TOWN CODE COMMUNICATE, EDUCATE YOUNGER GENERATION AND, AND, AND I THINK YOU COULD GET THE WORD OUT, YOU KNOW, IF THAT PAGE OR THAT GROUP WAS, WAS CREATED THEN THROUGH THE SUPERVISOR'S E-BLAST, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SAY, UM, YOU KNOW, THE C A C HAS CREATED A FACEBOOK PAGE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN OH DE HERE THERE'S INFORMATION ON A, B AND C.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL BE UPDATING MONTHLY, YOU KNOW, WITH NEW AND HELPFUL INFORMATION FOR RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS OWNERS, UH, REGARDING, YOU KNOW, THE ENVIRONMENT.
UM, THAT MIGHT BE A WAY, AND PAUL SENDS OUT THE BLAST ALL THE TIME, SO YOU KNOW, THE UPDATES CAN GO THROUGH HIM TO DIRECT PEOPLE BECAUSE HE'S GOT, YOU KNOW, HE'S GOT 4,000 PEOPLE SIGNED UP FOR THE E-BLAST MORE OR LESS.
UM, WELL I GONNA SAY ONE OF THE, THE REASON I WAS FOCUSING ON USING HIM AND HIS E-BLAST IS THE FACT THAT HE HAS THE 4,000 PEOPLE.
BECAUSE IF YOU SET UP AN ACCOUNT, YOU HAVE TO GET PEOPLE TO THE ACCOUNT.
IF YOU CAN, IF WE CAN WORK OUT SOMETHING WITH PAUL WHERE ONCE A MONTH HE SENDS OUT SOMETHING AND WE EMBED PICTURES OR TEXT IN HIS E-BLAST, YOU'VE HIT 4,000 HOUSEHOLDS IN THE TOWN, I THINK, I THINK HE WOULD DO IT.
I THINK HE WOULD DO IT BECAUSE HE WOULD DO IT APPEAL TO HIM.
TERRY, I THINK WE SHOULD DO BOTH.
THEY'RE NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE.
[01:30:01]
YEAH, THAT'S TRUE.AND PAM, THE ONLY THING ABOUT, THE ONLY REASON I'M HESITATING ABOUT SETTING UP AN ACCOUNT OR SETTING SOMETHING UP, THAT'S A COMMITMENT THAT SOMEONE HAS TO MAKE TO KEEP UPDATING IT MONTHLY.
OTHERWISE THERE'S NOTHING WORSE THAN THE SCALE ACCOUNT.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE DOWNSIDE OF THAT APPROACH.
YOU KNOW, I, I COULD PROBABLY, AS LONG AS IT'S FINE WITH ALL OF YOU, LIKE IN WHATEVER FOR WHAT WE POST IT.
I MEAN I COULD POST IT, COULD HAVE SOMEONE POST IT EVERY MONTH OR SO AND HAVE IT.
'CAUSE I'M SURE IF I WERE TO LIKE TELL PEOPLE LIKE MY FRIENDS OR IF I WERE TO TELL PEOPLE AT SCHOOL, THEY'LL FALL AND ESPECIALLY GET THE YOUNGER GENERATIONS OR LIKE, WHICH WOULD BE WONDERFUL TO DO IT.
AND THEN THEY'LL TELL THEIR PARENTS, HEY, THAT'S LIKE AN INVASIVE SPECIES ON OUR LAWN.
MAYBE WE SHOULD GET RID OF IT AND THEY'RE MORE LIKELY OR THEY COULD JUST MAKE THEIR KIDS GET RID OF IT
YEAH, I THINK, I THINK INFORMATION, LISTEN, I, I TOTALLY SUPPORT.
I I THINK IT'S BRILLIANT WHAT STEPHANIE'S SAYING.
AARON, WHAT WERE YOU SAYING? I THINK THAT INFORMATION ON AVOIDING POISON IVY.
POISON OGLE, ANYTHING ELSE THAT MIGHT BE DANGEROUS? YOU KNOW, BEES WASPS SHOULD ALSO BE INCLUDED IN IT BECAUSE JUST TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE AND HAVE THEM DO IT A SECOND TIME, RIGHT? YEAH.
THERE, YOU KNOW, THERE MAY ALSO BE, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK SHARON WAS TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE SAWMILL RIVER COALITION AND GROUNDWORK HUDSON VALLEY AND BRONX RIVER.
I MEAN THEY MAY HAVE FOLLOWERS TOO THROUGH SOME SORT OF EMAIL LIST THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THEM AND SEE IF THEY'D, YOU KNOW, POST SOME OF THAT INFORMATION AS WELL.
JUST SO IT GETS OUT TO A BROADER AUDIENCE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST A GREENBERG THING.
UM, DEALING WITH INVASIVES, YOU KNOW, IT'S A REGIONAL, YOU KNOW, STATE AND GLOBAL THING REALLY.
SO THE MORE WE CAN DO TO GET IT EVEN OUT FURTHER, I THINK WOULD PROBABLY BE, UH, BENEFICIAL.
THIS IS SOMETHING I WOULD SUGGEST SHARE.
I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THERE WAS, SHARON SAID, AND WHAT STEPHANIE'S TALKING ABOUT AND WHAT ERIN'S TALKING ABOUT OUGHT TO BE ON A OR AND ON THE AGENDA.
WHAT'S THE DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING, TERRY? UH, OCTOBER 8TH.
AND, AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE A NEW PART-TIME, YOU KNOW, FORESTRY OFFICER ASSISTANT THAT'S GONNA BE HELPING OUT YOU GUYS.
MANY OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH HIM, HOGAN.
AND YOU KNOW, HE MAY, THERE MAY BE TIME THAT HE COULD CHIP IN TO HELP OUT AS WELL.
WITH THE, THE MASTER TREE LIST, UM, TREE THAT WILL BE PART OF, YOU KNOW, THE NEW LAW, UM, TO HELP FOLKS SELECTING, YOU KNOW.
SO I WAS GONNA ASK ABOUT THAT LAW.
WHAT IT'S, IT'S NOT IN EFFECT YET, RIGHT? CORRECT.
SO I HAVE THREE TA, THREE DANGEROUS TREES TO TAKE DOWN AND I HAVE A VERY FRUSTRATED ARBORIST WHO'S LIKE TRYING TO FILL OUT FORMS AND STUFF AND NEXT TIME WE MEET, HOPEFULLY TERRY'S GONNA SAY, OH, FIVE 10 UNDERHILL.
THEY GOTTA TAKE DOWN THREE DEAD TREES.
'CAUSE WE GOTTA TAKE THREE BAD TREES DOWN.
MARGARET, YOU'RE OVER AN ACRE.
NO, SHOULDN'T HAVE TO COME IN QUARTER ACRE.
SHE THINKS, SHE THINKS SHE, SHE THINKS SHE CALLED IN TOWN ENGINEERS AND SHE'S CARRYING ON AND SHE'S LIKE, IF I DON'T TAKE IT DOWN NOW I'M TAKING IT OFF YOUR HOUSE.
I GOT TOO BAD IT PUT HER IN TOUCH WITH ME.
I THOUGHT THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT.
UM, SHE'S LIKE BIZTOWN THAT TOWN, THE OTHER TOWN.
MARGARET, ONE OF THE THINGS MIGHT BE, ONE OF THE THINGS MIGHT BE THE LEY, I DON'T KNOW, WHATLEY'S RULES ARE, I'M NOT LEY, I'M SORRY.
I, I DUNNO, SHE MAY NOT UNDERSTAND.
ACTUALLY THE OTHER PROPERTY I BOUGHT MIGHT BE ARDSLEY AND THEY'RE TWO DEAD HEMLOCKS.
SO THAT COULD BE THE CONFUSION.
AND, AND ONE THING I WOULD SAY THAT IS A POSITIVE IS THAT PEOPLE ARE AT LEAST ASKING QUESTIONS.
I'M GETTING CALLS FROM A LOT OF THESE TREE SERVICE COMPANIES SAYING, IS THE LAW IN EFFECT, DO I NEED A PERMIT? THEY'RE ASKING QUESTIONS.
[01:35:01]
PETER, THIS IS NO, I'VE, I'VE, I'VE TOLD THEM, HEY, YOU KNOW, DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, WE HAVE PUT PUSHED OUT THE EFFECTIVE DATE.
BUT, UH, WHAT I KEEP TELLING THEM IS IT, IF THE WORK'S BEING DONE WITHIN 30 DAYS OF TODAY, YOU WILL NOT NEED A PERMIT
ANYWAY, I GOT A BAD TREE AND I'M GONNA PUT ANOTHER BAD NEWS HARDWOOD UP, BUT DANG.
BUT THE GOOD NEWS I'M TRYING TO STAY ON THE, ON THE POSITIVE SIDE IS JUST THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE MANY OF THESE COMPANIES ARE AWARE THAT THINGS WILL BE CHANGING.
THAT'S GONNA, THAT'S GONNA HELP OUT THE COMMUNITY, BUT IT'S ALSO GONNA HELP OUT TOWN STAFF BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, IT WOULD BE A LOT FOR US IF THERE WERE A TON OF VIOLATIONS, YOU KNOW, ON THE FRONT END.
BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE WORD'S GETTING OUT AND THAT'S A POSITIVE.
ACTUALLY WHAT REALLY HELPS IS THE PEOPLE
NO, NO ONE KNEW WHAT WAS HAPPENING.
NOW PEOPLE ARE, I'S GOT A POINT, YOU KNOW, OR OR TO SOME DEGREE LIVING WITH IT.
I THINK UNFORTUNATELY SOME PEOPLE ARE ARE BEING TOO CAVALIER ABOUT IT.
BUT, UM, IS THIS SOMETHING WE CAN THINK ABOUT? STARTING TO, TO PUT A REAL DATE ON THIS? UM, YEAH, SO THERE IS, UM, YOU KNOW, I STILL HAVE SOME WORK TO DO AND, AND I'M GONNA BE WORKING ON THAT NEXT WEEK AND THEN WE'LL BE MEETING, I THINK WE'RE GONNA BECOME, BECOMING VERY CLOSE, YOU KNOW, UH, TOWARDS THE MIDDLE OF THE FALL AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET THE TOWN BOARD TO ADOPT, YOU KNOW, THE MANUAL AND THE FEE SCHEDULE AND THIS AND THAT.
I COULD SEE WHERE, YOU KNOW, I SHOULD BACK UP FOR A SECOND.
I DON'T SEE TOWN HALL REOPENING TO THE PUBLIC BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.
I JUST DON'T SEE THAT HAPPENING.
AND, AND, AND VERY LIKELY BEYOND THAT, UM, I THINK WE WOULD BE IN A POSITION TO ROLL THIS OUT JANUARY ONE.
WELL, WHY DON'T A YEAR AFTER WE PASSED IT, WHY, WHY, WHATEVER.
LISTEN, WHY DON'T WE AIM FOR THAT? I MEAN, ALL YOU, THE ONLY THING WE HAVE THAT I KNOW OF THAT WE REALLY HAVE TO DO IS, UH, IS C WE'VE DONE THE BEGINNING, WE'VE DONE A, WE'VE DONE B AND ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS C.
AND UH, I DON'T SEE ANY REASON WHY YOU, THIS THING COULDN'T ROLL THROUGH WITH THE AIM TO GET IT ON JANUARY ONE.
BEFORE WE GO, I, STEPHANIE YOU HAVE A VERY CUTE PET THERE.
DO YOU WANNA SHARE YOUR, YOUR, YOUR DOG WITH US? I'LL SHARE IT.
LET ME GIVE, I GOTTA GRAB HIM A LITTLE HEAD.
STICKING UP TO END THE MEETING ON A HAPPY NOTE.
IS THAT A SWEETHEART OF A DOG? WAIT A MINUTE, IS THAT A LABRADOODLE? WHAT IS THE BEAUTIFUL DOG? HE'S A DOG.
YEAH, HE GOT NEUTERED A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, SO HE IS STILL GROWING OUT.
AND WHAT ELSE? UH, GOLDEN RETRIEVER.
SO DOES HE HAVE FURROW HAIR? HE HAS HAIR.
HE IS HYPERALLERGENIC SO HE DOESN'T OH, I LOVE HIM.
DELIVER HIM WHENEVER YOU'RE ON
WANNA GET RID OF HIM? I'M GONNA SAY GOODNIGHT FOLKS.