Warren Wiegand for Gardiner Town Board (Post #2)

I have been working to save Gardiner’s farms and open space since 2004. We have accomplished a lot so far, but there’s much more to do to protect the town’s special, rural character and its unique, natural environment.Warren Cropped

In 2005 and 2006, I was a member of the committee which wrote Gardiner’s plan for protecting farms and open space. Next, I worked with town board member Nadine Lemmon to draft Gardiner’s open space law. Then in 2007 I was selected as the first chair of the open space commission, which identified the Kiernan and Hess family farms as the most important properties to be protected from development. Over the next 5 years, I worked with the Open Space Commission, the Open Space Institute, the New York Department of Agriculture, and private foundations to raise the money to save these working farms.

Both farms, totaling over 200 acres, now are protected by conservation easements, which prohibit any future development. This was accomplished without any increase in Gardiner’s taxes.

But there’s much more to be done. we should begin by restarting the Open Space Commission, rebuilding relationships with Gardiner’s farmers and other large land owners, and reviving relationships with funding sources.

Vote for Warren Wiegand on November 7 to protect Gardiner’s farms and open space, and its unique, rural character.

Warren Wiegand
Gardiner, NY

Warren Wiegand for Gardiner Town Board (Post #1)

I am a candidate for the Gardiner town board in the November 7 election.

I’ve worked for the people of Gardiner for more than 15 years. first, I was a member of the board of assessment insuWarren Croppedring that taxpayers’ property assessments were fair. Next I started Gardiner’s effort to protect open space from development, resulting in the Gardiner’s first open space law and saving two farms and over 200 acres from development. Then, I was the chair of the new library’s fund-raising campaign, which resulted in the construction of Gardiner’s new library which has become the center of our community.

I served 8 years on the town board, where I was chosen to be the deputy supervisor by my fellow town board members. while on the town board, I focused on keeping Gardiner’s roads, bridges, and highway equipment up to date and keeping taxes affordable, especially for seniors and young families. Additionally, I worked to protect Gardiner’s assets, including the sale of the old library for $100,000 and the recovery of $129,000 from a settlement of a series of law suits. And, for the last 1 ½ years, I have served on the planning board, protecting property owners and open space.

I hope you will support me in November, so I can continue to serve our community.

Warren Wiegand
Gardiner, NY

Lindsley Talks to the New Paltz Times

Lisa Lindsley, Candidate for Gardiner Town Supervisor, outlines her view of Gardiner’s challenges and what she intends to do about them:

What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the Town of Gardiner at present?

Our town is at a critical point in its development.  Gardiner’s elected officials must foster responsible economic development while preserving our rural character.  I want to ensure that our water, wildlife, land and the natural resources that make Gardiner unique are not exploited by predatory financial interests that are not part of our community.

The institutions, policies, processes and professionals that govern land use no longer serve the long-term Lisa head shot croppedinterests of Gardiner residents.  I will work for more effective implementation of Gardiner’s master plan and open space plan, and an update of the town laws to be consistent with these plans.  I will initiate a process to review, get community input, and update these two plans – each over a decade old – in light of the experience and trends of development in Gardiner.

The boards and committees that influence development in Gardiner – planning, zoning, open space, environmental – require dedicated impartial volunteers.  Recruiting and training those volunteers will be a priority.

What, in your view, is Gardiner’s most threatened resource? Most underutilized resource?

Gardiner’s irreplaceable natural beauty is its most threatened resource, followed by Gardiner’s small-town charm, its water supply and its wildlife.  Development projects in various phases of approval could threaten these precious resources.

Gardiner’s parks are its most underutilized resource.  In a town whose children attend schools in three different school districts, parks are an important resource for building a sense of community.  Gardiner is blessed with ample public parks with unfinished and decaying infrastructure.  Our town’s skateboard park could be complemented by a finished pole barn and revamped pavilion, soccer fields, and perhaps eventually an ice skating pond.  The town would earn revenue from renting these structures, and there could be many more recreational programs for residents of all ages.

If (re)elected, what would be your top-priority action to take as supervisor/Town Board member in your first year of the next term? 

I will make town government more accessible and transparent, and improve communication with Gardiner citizens by updating the website, use of email and social media, communications about board meetings, and publication of minutes.  I will explore streaming or videotaping of meetings, and hold office hours that enable people who commute to access the Supervisor.

Another top priority will be to design and launch a process to update Gardiner’s Zoning Code, Open Space Plan and Master Plan so that they take into account existing and expected land use issues and so that they are consistent with each other.

What practical measures can the supervisor/Town Board take to help the Planning and Zoning Boards cope with the recent deluge of large-scale development proposals, many of which are controversial?

Creating a deep bench of candidates for all of the town’s volunteer boards will be one of my priorities as Supervisor, as will ensuring that board members receive the training they are required to have in order to successfully perform. I will work to ensure that these boards, as well as the Environmental Conservation Commission, Open Space Commission, and Ethics Commission have the tools and staffing that they need so that the members of each board may collaborate and that the boards may easily disseminate to the public relevant documents regarding what is happening with these projects.  The professionals who advise these boards must be clear that their role is to support deliberation and decision-making, as opposed to steering the boards down a predetermined path.  I would also encourage the boards to exercise their prerogative to hire independent professionals, at the expense of the developer, to evaluate analysis provided by the developer’s experts.  I will work to secure a sound system that will ensure all attendees at meetings and hearings are able to hear what is being said, and explore adding video of key meetings, which can be done inexpensively.  A pause in the approval of development projects may be warranted as a tool for easing the burden on Planning and Zoning Boards.

What needs to be done on the municipal level in order to make/keep Gardiner an affordable place to live?

I will work to keep Gardiner affordable, and to maintain the quality of life that Gardiner residents currently enjoy. One component of preserving Gardiner’s rural character is to keep farmers on their land, and I will support efforts to do that through the Open Space Commission and alternative financing vehicles for farms. The most significant proportion of the taxes paid by Gardiner residents are levied not by the town but by the school districts.  While it is tempting to assume that residential land development will help our tax base, the opposite is often true when it comes to school taxes. Thorough analysis of the impact of residential development on our taxes should be a component of evaluating new projects.

I am passionate about providing affordable housing to our residents with low or fixed incomes.  I believe more study is needed to evaluate the demand in our town for this type of housing, as well as the alternatives for building and financing affordable housing that are economically and environmentally sustainable and consistent with our development priorities.

What background, experience, skills or approaches do you feel make you the most qualified candidate for the elected office you seek?

I love Gardiner and have been coming here for 25 years.  No I was not born in Gardiner – I chose to live here. I am willing to listen and learn from fellow elected officials and residents alike.  I’ll be a responsible steward of our town’s financial resources and tax dollars, applying my 30+ years in finance, my knowledge of municipal finance, and my managerial acumen to the operations and opportunities of Gardiner.   I have a track record of leadership, from global organizations to activist groups to a local skydiving team. And I’d like your vote on November 7!

 

David Dukler’s Vision for Gardiner

My name is David Dukler and I am running for a second term on Gardiner’s Town Board.   All candidates do their best to distinguish themselves by taking certain positions on the issues of the day, but what is relevant today may not be a priority in the future.  What guides us in decision-making is an approach, a lens through which we view the responsibilities of our service.

Growing up in New York City and choosing to come to Gardiner, I am acutely aware of what a precious resource our community is.  I think of Long Island and the transformation it has undergone in the past 70 years.  From being a land of potato, daiDave cropped 2ry and vegetable farms, of small towns and rural roads, it has become the poster child for congestion and overcrowding, long commutes, malls and big box stores.

This transformation informs us that it can happen here if we let it.  I take the long view: what do we want our town to look like in 200 years?  Our Master Plan lays out a vision that combines open space development, concentrated development in a few areas, limits on big stores and our best attempts to retain the rural atmosphere which we have today for future generations by charting a build-out plan for residential housing.

Some want Gardiner to stay the same as it is today.   That will not happen.  There must and will be more development but at some point, limits will be reached.  As a community, we have chosen to delineate that point by creating our Master Plan.  We decided not to let the “market” decide.  We have seen the results of that too often.  The Master Plan resulted in a new code (which we are beginning to update).  It is apparent that there are gaps in the code, situations that we did not anticipate.  It is in these grey areas and those to come that I use my 200-year timeline to help me think about to move forward.  What kind of regulations should we have? How do we view new trends not foreseen in 2006? How do we protect existing residents and property rights? What resources should we be developing?   Trails?  Sidewalks?  Parks?  Small business? Concentrated development?  Theme parks?  Glamping resorts? Solar farms? Motor tracks? Theaters?  The list goes on.

Rockland County has become more and more congested since I first worked there in 1975.  That is not my 200 year vision for Gardiner.  In the future, I know that locals will treasure having Mohonk Preserve and Minnewaska in their backyard, being able to access its beauty and tranquility, in a world which we cannot yet imagine.  To the greatest extent possible, I want residents to have that feeling about the Gardiner we leave them, one filled with rural roads, open fields, vistas, farms, local shops and businesses, low-density housing, vineyards, apple orchards, housing, parks and trails.  We should not leave them another Levittown, another Spring Valley.  We will have failed in our responsibility to our descendants if that is the result of our time here.

Important Town Board Meeting Tomorrow!

October 2, 2017Gardiner Town Hall

Dear Fellow Democrats,

On Tuesday night (tomorrow) at 7 P.M at Town Hall, the Gardiner Town Board’s agenda includes a discussion of the request for a building moratorium by a group of Gardiner citizens. The Town Board will also discuss the current zoning code.  We strongly urge you to attend this important meeting.

Deep- pocketed developers, some from as far away as California and others as close as Wall Street, have discovered the irreplaceable beauty of Gardiner.  They believe they can roll over small town planning boards and compliant small town governments. “Save the Ridge” was a huge victory, but another struggle is just beginning.  Currently, Gardiner is dealing with at least 3 developments that we are aware of: Shaft Road; Heartwood; and the 208 development. There are also 200 acres on the Ridge belonging to developer John Bradley that is for sale.  Talk is that a hotel chain is interested in developing that land.

Gardiner Democratic Committee Supervisor Candidate, Lisa Lindsley will be in attendance.  Take the time to meet with and talk with Lisa.  Lisa has been an active  member of the group opposing the development of the wetlands adjacent to  Shaft Road in Gardiner. She will provide the leadership Gardiner needs to balance maintaining our town’s rural character and unique natural environment with the demands of economic development. She is passionate about parks, open space and smart development for Gardiner as well as professionalism and sound financial management for town government.  With 30 years of professional experience in financial services and a track record in union organizing and local activism, Lisa has the experience and passion to serve Gardiner well.

Your presence at Tuesday’s meeting will send a message to the Town Board: we citizens of Gardiner are counting on you to protect our interests, not the interests of out of state developers.  See who on the Town Board will vote to protect what makes Gardiner the place we choose to live in.  See who believes “fairness” to developers is the priority. Let your voice and your priorities be heard!

The Gardiner Democratic Committee

 

 

 

Make Misogyny Great Again

Our Make Misogyny Great Again president rails at the pleas of San Juan Mayor, Carmen Cruz, as she begs for help for her people and he golfs – again. Ironically, this unqualified, ignorant, corrupt, racist and destructive “man” accuses her of “poor leadership.” The tragedy is personal, political and moral. As people die, Trump squanders our nations’s moral authority and destroys our reputation as a compassionate people.  Shame!

James Fallows on this topic

Ways To Assist Our Fellow Americans in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

September 30, 2017

Dear Gardiner Democrats,

We are all aware of the desperate situation in Puerto Rico. The following links provide suggested opportunities for offering some relief to the men, women and children who are without electricity, food and water, medicine, mUSVI FLAGedical care, their homes, their businesses and their jobs. These suggestions come from a family who are residents of the island.

USVI Recovery

United for Puerto Rico (spearheaded by the First Lady of Puerto Rico)

Center for Popular Democracy 

Hispanic Federation’s “Unidos” page 

International Medical Corps puerto-rico-flag

Catholic Relief Services

Americares

Direct Relief

Save the Children,

Global Giving has a $2 million goal for victims of Hurricane Maria

Thank you for continuing to be the people who can be relied upon in time of need

The Gardiner Democratic Committee

Gardiner Planning Board Continues Its Misbehavior

Background On the Fight Over Development of Gardiner’s Open Spaces

For those who are new to Gardiner or are not “plugged -in” to the local political scene, a long-standing dispute in town surrounds the issue of development of lands within the town’s borders.  Local Democrats and environmentalists always seem to be fighting with contractor-dominated groups and Republicans about protecting (or not) the open-space in Gardiner and the town’s rural character.  Proponents of “smart development,” including the current Democratic Town Board and Supervisor candidates, fear a day when Gardiner looks more like Paramus than Gardiner.  Here’s a little recent  history.

In the early 2000’s there was a battle-royal over the proposed development, on 2700 acres of one of the most pristine and iconic sections of the Shawangunk Ridge, of a massive project of expensive homes.  The grassroots “Save the Ridge” campaign was organized and, in the end, prevailed in protecting the land.  The lion’s share of that land is now part of Minnewaska State Park.

2008 brought the Great Recession and pressure for development in Gardiner eased somewhat.  Now that the economy has rebounded, local land owners and developers are more eager to cash in on turning acres of open-space into lucrative business opportunities.  Perhaps more ominously, outside business interests are buying up Gardiner land and putting up high-end housing and resorts.

One project under consideration is threatening to develop an 86-acre property owned by Philadelphia investors between Shaft Road and South Mountain Road into a ten-lot major subdivision.  The land is a sensitive and ecologically-unique wetland.  A second project, Heartwood, consists of 141 acres, sandwiched between Route 44/55 and the Shawangunk Kill, directly adjoining the western boundary of the Tuthilltown Spirits property.  The developers, a Wall Street couple with California investors, want to build a 70-unit year-round ecotourism resort.  Neighbors, fearing noise, groundwater and other problems, have organized to oppose the project.  (You may have seen the “Stop Heartwood” lawn signs near the area.)

The Gardiner Planning Board

The approval of these and all proposed developments in town is done by the Gardiner Planning Board.  The nature of this body is such that it attracts membership (seven members and one alternate) that have a vested interest in development.  For as long as anyone can remember, the Planning Board has been dominated by the construction industry and large land owners in town who have a direct interest in approving development projects.  Its current chairman is Paul Colucci, the owner of the largest construction company in Gardiner.  The board’s other seven members include two more contractors and a hydrologist.  Gardiner Dems have succeeded, despite the bitter opposition of the current Town Supervisor, in having two environmental attorneys appointed in recent years to bring more balance to the board. However, environmental interests are still outnumbered and their concerns are frequently ignored and, worse, mocked by the contractors and their allies on the board.

Two letters, set to appear in the New Paltz Times this coming week, center on an especially controversial Planning Board meeting last Tuesday, September 19 during which the Board voted to approve a negative declaration on the development of the Shaft Road property.  The authors of these letters, David and Barbara Sides, were both in attendance at that meeting of the Planning Board. David is a volunteer member of the Gardiner’s Environmental Conservation Commission, which weighs in on projects like this.  Barbara is Vice-Chair of the Gardiner Democratic Committee.  Both are long-time Gardiner residents.

Shame on You!

Shame on the perpetrators.  Shame on the enablers.  Shame on the Gardiner Planning Board (PB) for shirking their responsibility to the citizens, the environment, and common decency to their own peers and the public regarding the Shaft Road development.  Special shame on board member John Friedle, who once again demonstrated his ignorance, misogyny, arrogance, condescension, and just plain nastiness.  PB members as well as the public were intimidated and bullied into submission yet again.  At one point the harassment became so bad that a member of the audience shouted out for it to stop!

What happened?  To explain I need to back up a bit…

First there was a “secret” meeting.  While minimal notification was made in the Middletown newspaper, normal posting on the Gardiner website was not.  Therefore, most residents were not informed and the meeting was poorly attended.  It appears that these sneaky tactics were used to make an early decision on the Shaft Road project without any public opinion.

Fast forward to this week’s public meeting.  The PB ignored their own hired experts, including their paid advisor, attorney Dave Brennan.  They ignored the town’s Environmental Conservation Commission’s (ECC) reports.  They ignored their own Master Plan’s water and habitat preservation clauses.  They ignored numerous residents concerned about the degradation of their environment.  They ignored fellow board member Carol Richman, an environmental attorney, who pleaded her case to consider the correct map.  Friedle even went so far as to accuse her of “doctoring the map” to make her case.  They ignored the facts.  Instead they listened (as usual) to Jim Freiband, the Town Planner, who for many years has followed his own agenda to the detriment of our town.  Clearly all but the ecologically conscious had already made up their minds at the “secret” meeting.

According to the experts, the ECC, and many local residents the Shaft Road development should be pared down to mitigate the water and habitat issues due to sensitive wetlands on the property.  This is not about stopping all development.  It is about reasonable and responsible development which enhances our town as opposed to damaging it.  In fact, removing one lot would have helped considerably.  However in spite of the facts, the PB pushed to a vote for a “Neg Dec”, which “is a determination that an action will not result in a significant adverse environmental impact…”

As a volunteer member of the ECC, partner with Riverkeeper, climate tracker at the Mohonk Preserve, and someone who truly cares about our town, I take great offense at having our carefully researched reports summarily disregarded.  Shame on you, Gardiner Planning Board!

David Sides, Gardiner

To the Editor:

Several years ago current Supervisor Marybeth Majestic’s controversial project to construct a driveway to property up on the ridge was before the Planning Board. Chairman Mike Boylan threatened to have police remove then Gardiner Environmental Conservation Commission Chair Carol Richman from the meeting.  Carol was attempting to deliver a required report to the Planning Board making the ECC’s case for further environmental scrutiny of the proposed driveway. The driveway was being constructed on the most ecologically sensitive, “protected” and iconic land in the Town of Gardiner.

That night, Carol was shouted down and silenced. Last Tuesday night at the Planning Board meeting as in several prior meetings, it happened again. Carol Richman, environmental attorney and Planning Board member was shouted at, most egregiously by John Friedle, intimidated by other board members, and, finally, ignored.  The Planning Board issued a “negative declaration” on the Shaft Road development meaning that any action taken on that property will not result in an adverse environmental impact.  To reach this conclusion, the Planning Board ignored two of its own members, paid ecological experts, the Gardiner Conservation Commission and the town’s Open Space Plan.

The Planning Board chose, once again, to defer to its consulting planner, Jim Freiband as it has so often in the past, which brings into question its judgment as well as the integrity of its processes.

Misogyny, bullying and disrespect have no place on our Gardiner volunteer boards. We can do better!

Barbara Sides, Gardiner

Stay tuned to this space for more information on the development battles in town and the implications of the November 7 local election for those concerns.

GDC Member Excoriates Faso In Letter to Editor

GDC Members Barbara Sides, Mike Kruglinski, Glenn McNitt, Tom Kruglinski, Tim Hunter, as well as Town Supervisor candidate Lisa Lindsley, attended the Move Forward NY Faso Forum held on August 31 at the Esopus Town Hall.  Afterward, Barbara penned her reaction in a letter to the editor.

September 3, 2017

To the Editor:

At the forum in Esopus last Thursday evening, Congressman John Faso was asked if he will continue to take money from the Mercer family to finance his campaigns.  The Mercers, billionaires who have supported Breitbart and Steve Bannon to the tune of $10 millBarbara Glenn and Mikeion, also gave Faso $1 million to defeat Zephyr Teachout in the 2016 race for CD 19’s Congressional Seat.

Faso refused to answer the question.  Instead, he stated that he doesn’t read Breitbart and that Robert Mercer is not a racist.  Neither of those questions were asked.  Not only did Mr. Faso fail to condemn the far-right Breitbart news organization known for its racist, xenophobic, misogynistic and untruthful publishing, his non-answer assures us that Robert Mercer and his daughter, Rebekah, a member of Trump’s transition team and a champion of Steve Bannon, will continue to fund his campaigns.Faso has voted 87.8% of the time with Trump.  He stated again last Thursday that he believes in the “magic” of the market, not regulation.  He challenged the highly respected Congressional Budget Office’s estimate that 22 million people would lose health insurance under Trump Care – which he voted for.  By doing so, he also voted to defund Planned Parenthood.

Faso is owned by the Mercers. His allegiance is to them, not the people of CD 19. We must elect a representative in 2018 who serves the people of our district and not the purveyors of lies and dark money.

Barbara Sides

Thank You For Your Support

“All Politics is Local” – Tip O’Neill

July 18, 2017

Dear Fellow Democrats,

Thank you – for coming out this past Friday and voting to endorse the Gardiner Democratic Committee’s candidates. Because of your enthusiastic participation, Lisa Lindsley won the caucus vote 105-46 against her challenger, Marybeth Majestic. Lisa will appear on the Democratic line on November’s ballot as well as on the Working Families Party Line, the Women’s Equality Line and is endorsed by the Hudson Valley Labor Federation.

You also voted by acclimation to endorse David Dukler and Warren Wiegand for Town Board, Bob Rich for Town Justice, Michelle Mosher for Town Clerk and Brian Stiscia for Highway Superintendent. Friday’s caucus was a display of democracy at its best at the local level. Tracey Bartels is our candidate for County Legislator. Again, thank you!

29gardinerdemocratsltWe Democrats face a very tough local election in November and we are writing to ask for your financial help. Elections are expensive. The committee supports its candidates with ads, mailers, signs, events and printed handouts to encourage voters to come out and exercise their right to choose their representatives – a right that is being severely compromised on the federal level. Please help us elect candidates right here in Gardiner who reflect Democratic values. Whether the issue is town finance, taxes, the parks, open space or development, whom you elect will determine what laws are enacted on our behalf and what our town looks like now and well into the future. But we can’t do it without your financial support. We have great candidates – lets get them over the finish line!

A donation in any amount would help, but please be as generous as you can. Please use the DONATE button on our website to contribute. Or send a check payable to the Gardiner Democratic Committee to PO Box 145, Gardiner NY 12525.

Thank you!

The Gardiner Democratic Committee