Residents weigh in on hamlet plans

AMENIA — While it looks like it may be a while before the Town Board comes to any decision, a multitude of residents weighed in on what hamlet plan the town should go with during Thursday night’s Town Board meeting.

In December, at a Town Board meeting, hamlet planner Harry Dodson presented three concept plans for future growth in Amenia. The plans were based on suggestions and ideas made by residents at meetings Dodson held throughout October. Dodson added a fourth plan in February based on further suggestions and ideas.

Almost seven months after they were originally presented, the plans were a hot button topic last week during the public comment portion of the meeting.

Darlene Riemer, chairwoman of the Waste Water Committee, recommended the first hamlet plan to the board, which has the least amount of development and is recommended by both Dodson and the town's Planning Board.

"The result of new business in town will help offset costs to homeowners for the wastewater system," Riemer said. "This will be able to allow residents to stay in their homes especially since some of them are on fixed incomes. The Town Board should not select any other option. It just seems reasonable for the board to take the advice of professionals. Let’s develop downtown, this is the last chance for the town to do it."

Her husband, Bob Riemer, said he is concerned about the politics surrounding any decision.

"For some reason we seem to get sidetracked, whether it's due to personal animosity or dislike of individuals," Riemer said. "We don’t listen to professional people. [Planning Board member] Nina Peek [at a Planning Board meeting] said the first plan would be the least costly to the taxpayers to Amenia. At the meeting, we kept coming back to what happened in the past. Once the Ames Plaza was established, downtown Amenia became derelict. It’s a no brainer. It completely devastated downtown Amenia."

Riemer went on to say that he hopes the town attracts businesses that offer careers to young people.

Court Clerk Dawn Marie Klingner, who worked at Ames Department Store when it was in business, was not happy with the criticism of the shopping area and the political division in the town.

"To me, the plaza was a great thing," Klingner said. "I worked there in management for six years and it bettered me. A majority of you shopped there and no one has said, ‘Gee, I’m glad Ames is closed.’ Everyone has said that they miss Ames. Now I’m hearing that Ames was the worst thing to happen to Amenia. I disagree. Without Ames, I have to drive 45 minutes to buy my children diapers, underwear and clothing. I have to drive a distance to buy necessities at a reasonable price. If you want to bring development to Amenia, all of us have to work together. We have to bring back out melting pots and stone soup."

Klingner said she wants affordable stores to be brought to the area.

"I know we’re all saying the same thing, but let’s not fight about it," Klingner said.

While she did not recommend a plan, Elizabeth Whaley said development needed to be encouraged.

"We need to develop the hamlet, not forsake it," Whaley said. "It’s been forsaken for too long. There are empty storefronts. We desperately need a sewer to revitalize the hamlet, but don’t sell the town’s soul to the devil just to get a sewer."

Lou Cesa was the next in line to recommend plan one to the board.

"I believe it’s important that we do develop the downtown area to bring it back to life," Cesa said. "Especially with the way the price of gas is. We need a walkable town where people can go to small shops and where we can develop a small, close-knit business community."

Cesa added that he is concerned that any decision on the plan made would not be made in the best interest of the town, but in the best interest of people who own property on Route 22.

"I know [town Supervisor Wayne Euvrard] owns some property on Route 22 North and I wonder if you’re going to be voting in the best interest of the town?" Cesa asked Euvrard.

"I’m probably going to be putting a McDonald’s on my place," Euvrard joked.

Cesa then said that Councilwoman Victoria Perotti’s son, Stephen Perotti, owns a piece of land along the route.

"That’s not true, he represents his father [John Perotti, Victoria’s ex-husband] and his uncle and he’s selling it for them," Perotti said.

"That piece of interest may not be perceived as the best thing for the town," Cesa said. "I would like to ask that you would both recuse yourselves from changing the zoning on Route 22 North."

While Euvrard laughed at Cesa’s suggestion, later in the meeting, Perotti announced that she would recuse herself from any decision on a hamlet plan.

"I have deliberately not involved myself in comments or discussion with the hamlet plans," Perotti said. "That is because I fully intend on abstaining on voting because of a perceived conflict of interest on my part."

It was not discussed at the meeting when the board would be making a decision on the hamlet plan.

At previous meetings, Euvrard said that he is against plan one because it is "too restrictive" for the town.

Copies of the plans may be viewed at Town Hall during regular business hours and online at www.ameniany.gov.