Tuesday, January 26, 2021
Subscriber Login
SpotlightNews
  • Home
  • News
    • Business
      • Spotlight On Business
      • Spotlight on Finance
    • Community
    • Covid-19 Updates
    • Crime
    • Environment
    • Government
    • Milestones
    • Obituaries
  • Sports
  • The Spot 518
  • Hot Spots Calendar
    • Calendar Listings
    • Submit Your Event
  • Opinion
    • Blogs
    • Our Opinion
    • Point of View
    • Your Opinion
  • Family Now
  • Classifieds
    • Classified Listings
    • Advertiser Login
  • Subscribe
    • Subscriber LogIn
    • Join us – Subscribe Today
    • Renew Subscription
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Business
      • Spotlight On Business
      • Spotlight on Finance
    • Community
    • Covid-19 Updates
    • Crime
    • Environment
    • Government
    • Milestones
    • Obituaries
  • Sports
  • The Spot 518
  • Hot Spots Calendar
    • Calendar Listings
    • Submit Your Event
  • Opinion
    • Blogs
    • Our Opinion
    • Point of View
    • Your Opinion
  • Family Now
  • Classifieds
    • Classified Listings
    • Advertiser Login
  • Subscribe
    • Subscriber LogIn
    • Join us – Subscribe Today
    • Renew Subscription
No Result
View All Result
Spotlight News
No Result
View All Result
Home Opinion

LETTER to the EDITOR: ‘Save’ says there is more to do in Colonie

Spotlight News by Spotlight News
January 9, 2019
in Opinion, Your Opinion
0
Letter to the editor: Bethlehem Grange #137 is in great need
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

#LetterToTheEditor #YourVoice #SpotlightNews

Since its inception in 2016, SAVE Colonie has been working to help bring Colonie residents’ views into the town’s development process.

While the organization counts some successes — the town’s Comprehensive Plan process is well underway, the Neighborhood Coalition is stronger and more involved than ever before, and the Planning Board regularly asks developers to consider and protect existing natural features of a site — much remains to be done.

SAVE suggests the following five easy and cost-effective steps the town can institute to make the development review process more user-friendly for ALL:

1. Encourage developers to reach out to neighbors, early in their project planning. It is common for neighbors of land under development to be leery of change. Neighbors also may have specialized knowledge of site characteristics, or particular local issues of use to a developer. Early involvement may calm neighbors’ concerns and allow a cooperative relationship to develop, which would be beneficial to all.

2. Provide access to all project documents online, throughout the review process. It is unfair to residents that project documents (including Town of Colonie staff, town designated engineers and other agency comments) are unavailable except through a FOIL request; even posted plans disappear after the Planning Board meeting date. Other municipalities maintain complete online files which are readily available to the public. This eliminates time-consuming and costly town FOIL responses, and readily provides the public what it is entitled to, anyway.

3. Post Planning Board agenda information. Developers know well in advance when their project will be reviewed by the Planning Board. Residents deserve as much notice. Rather than merely posting agendas a few days in advance of a meeting, the town should maintain a public schedule of Planning Board meeting agendas as they are being formulated. Also, the Planning and Economic Development Department website should provide a current list of all projects which have undergone Development Coordination Committee review, with links to the relevant files.

4. Encourage public comment at sketch plan review. Frequently, neighbors are much more familiar with a site and its characteristics than the Planning Board when a project comes before them for sketch plan review. The board can learn valuable information and better assess a project’s impacts if residents are allowed to raise issues at sketch plan review, as well as at concept. Earlier input offers a better opportunity to resolve difficulties before a developer is heavily invested in a particular plan.

5. Electronically project documents under review to allow public access during meetings. The current antiquated system for displaying project documents at Planning Board meetings hampers public and Planning Board access, and frustrates the public. Even elementary schools in Colonie have better visual technology. We look forward to improvements that have been promised.

Susan Weber

SAVE Colonie

Tags: Letter to the editor
Previous Post

Colonie Town Board makes appointments, re-appointments

Next Post

LETTER to the EDITOR: Time to clean house in Colonie

Next Post
Letter to the editor: Bethlehem Grange #137 is in great need

LETTER to the EDITOR: Time to clean house in Colonie

Leave Comment

Stay Connected with Us

  • 7k Fans
  • 4.6k Fans
  • 608 Fans
  • 357 Subscribers

Recent News

Financial awareness increases during the pandemic

Financial awareness increases during the pandemic

January 26, 2021
Decision on ‘high risk’ sports up to county health departments

Decision on ‘high risk’ sports up to county health departments

January 26, 2021
Another potential candidate for Colonie supervisor — Tom Nardacci

Another potential candidate for Colonie supervisor — Tom Nardacci

January 25, 2021
SPOTTED: Bethlehem gymnasts get by Shaker

SPOTTED: Bethlehem gymnasts get by Shaker

January 25, 2021

Hot Stories This Week

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
POLL: 75 percent plan to get vaccinated; nearly half say Sen. Schumer will have a positive impact as majority leader

POLL: 75 percent plan to get vaccinated; nearly half say Sen. Schumer will have a positive impact as majority leader

January 20, 2021
Moriah Formica debuts new all-female band, Plush

Moriah Formica debuts new all-female band, Plush

January 22, 2021
Demolition of Tobin’s First Prize to start soon

Demolition of Tobin’s First Prize to start soon

January 21, 2021
James Sheldon, Jim’s Tastee Freez’s namesake, has died

James Sheldon, Jim’s Tastee Freez’s namesake, has died

January 20, 2021
Financial awareness increases during the pandemic

Financial awareness increases during the pandemic

January 26, 2021
Decision on ‘high risk’ sports up to county health departments

Decision on ‘high risk’ sports up to county health departments

January 26, 2021
Another potential candidate for Colonie supervisor — Tom Nardacci

Another potential candidate for Colonie supervisor — Tom Nardacci

January 25, 2021
SPOTTED: Bethlehem gymnasts get by Shaker

SPOTTED: Bethlehem gymnasts get by Shaker

January 25, 2021
Spotlight News

Spotlight News, The Spot 518 and Capital District Family Now are divisions of Community Media Group, LLC. Our local offices are located at 341 Delaware Ave, Delmar, NY 12054. You can contact us at 518.439.4949.

Browse

Follow Us

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact the Editor
  • Employment
  • Our Team
  • Privacy & Policy

© 2021 Community Media Group, LLC - 341 Delaware Ave. Delmar, NY 12054. 518.439.4949

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Spotlight On Business
    • Spotlight on Finance
  • Sports
  • The Spot 518
  • Hot Spots Calendar
  • Opinion
  • Subscribe
  • Log In
  • Classifieds
    • Advertiser Login

© 2021 Community Media Group, LLC - 341 Delaware Ave. Delmar, NY 12054. 518.439.4949