The New Scotland Democratic Party endorsed its candidates Wednesday, June 24, backing a political newcomer and a Republican Party member for November’s elections. In response to the Democrats choosing a Republican, Conservative candidate Peter Belencia has thrown his hat into the ring for a Town Board seat.
The New Scotland Democrats, unlike many other local political parties, hold a caucus when selecting candidates, rather than a committee meeting and petition signing. At Wednesday’s meeting they chose to endorse incumbent Tom Dolin for supervisor, along with highway superintendent Darrell Duncan and Town Clerk Diane Deschenes.
The party has also elected to endorse Daniel Mackay, co-founder of New Scotlanders for Sound Economic Development and Republican Doug LaGrange. Both have been advocates of a 50,000-square-foot size cap on retail buildings, and do not support big-box development in town.
Party chairman Mike Mackey said both Mackay and LaGrange garnered a good amount of support.
Mackay was virtually unanimous, he said. `We took a standing vote for LaGrange, and he received about 90 percent.`
He said close to 300 registered Democrats came out for the caucus, a number that far exceeds the norm.
`That’s an enormous turnout. Normally we have about 30 people,` he said.
He also said there were about 100 non-party affiliated observers on hand to watch the proceedings.
`The committee will be meeting to discuss things like fundraisers and working on things like the campaigns,` Mackey said.
LaGrange said he did not seek the Democratic endorsement, and that partisanship should be second to the issues the town faces.
`I didn’t seek it. I didn’t ask for it,` he said. `It shouldn’t be about Republicans or Democrats. It should be about what’s best for the town of New Scotland.`
`I’m as conservative a Republican as you can find when it comes to national issues, but there’s no relevance on the local level,` LaGrange said.
He said it is ironic that town Republicans question why he often votes in line with Dolin, since the alternative is to vote in line with other Democrats on the board.
`Am I supposed to abstain?` he asked. `I’m really lost on the logic.`
LaGrange said people who have accused him and Dolin of being under the control of special interests are `pathetic` and said it is more important to bring zoning laws into parallel with the Comprehensive Plan than make the situation `personal.`
LaGrange addressed accusations that the advocacy group New Scotlanders for Sound Economic Development have influenced the process. NS4SED has pushed for a size-cap on retail buildings since the issues was raised last year.
`NS4 didn’t hijack anything. They encouraged Democrats to come out and vote their hearts. This isn’t a conspiracy, it’s a democracy,` LaGrange said.
He also pointed out that he is concerned with overdevelopment, and stated that the Town of Bethlehem saw increases in town taxes in 2004 after a Lowe’s and Wal-Mart were built in Glenmont.
He said he is waiting for studies to come forward that show the benefit of having large retailers, but has not seen any to date.
Peter Belenchia, former Republican chairman in town and a local business owner, said he has collected enough signatures to run on the Conservative Party line and force a primary for that party.
He said he decided to run on Tuesday, June 16, and announced his candidacy on Friday, June 26.
Belenchia was the chairman from 2002 to 2005, and formerly challenged state Sen. Neil Breslin, D-Delmar, for his seat.
The Conservative Party has endorsed LaGrange and Chuck Voss, a planning board member.
Belenchia said, though, LaGrange’s Democratic nomination, not his Conservative one, was the reason he is running.
`The main impetus for it [running] was a Republican candidate seeking a Democratic nomination,` he said.
Belenchia said in a written statement that he does not support a big-box retailer in town, but he said a 50,000 square-foot size-cap is `arbitrary.`
`A size cap is the wrong way to prevent undesirable development and could stop some great ideas,` he said. `There needs to more dialogue.`
He said the Hannaford on Maple Avenue is only 30,000 square-feet and is struggling. He said if they wanted to expand, they might not be able to under the proposed 50,000 square-foot size cap.
`I would not like the see a super Wal-Mart or a Super Target,` he said. `But we have a very small commercial tax base.`
He also said other important issues, such as water, taxes and overspending need to be addressed.
Belenchia added he is supporting candidates Karen Moreau and Roz Robinson for supervisor and town board, respectively.
Dolin said he was pleased to receive the Democratic nomination and is hopeful for another term.
`I would like an additional two years to finish some of the things that I started,` Dolin said.
He also said that while the size-cap is going to be a contentious issue going into the November races, he is hopeful a solution could be reached before the election.
`I’m going to take one more stab at coming up with a proposal,` he said.
He said it is possible he will introduce Local Law E, after speaking with other members of the town board and addressing some of the concerns of the Albany County Planning Board, such as density.
He said it is likely he will bring the issue up after the Fourth of July holiday break.
Mackay said he is happy to have the support of the Democrats, and is hoping to bring change to the Town Board.
`There’s a lot at stake in this election,` he said. `We’re taking this seriously. We’re fully in this all the way through November.`
Mackay said a 50,000-square-foot size-cap on retail developments and 100,000 square-foot cap on shopping centers is still an important measure for proposed developments.
`We think it is the critical part in evaluating whether the project is too big or too small for New Scotland,` he said.
Mackay said a Planned Unit Development could also be used when an `extraordinarily beneficial` project presents itself.
“