Treat Millerton Overlook with an even hand

Millerton Overlook, the affordable housing complex proposed for the village at the intersection of routes 22 and 44, is getting plenty of attention these days. It was the focus of two separate meetings last week — on Wednesday the village Planning Board began working on the Environmental Assessment Form (EAF) for the project and on Thursday the Town Board received a thorough report from Attorney to the Town Warren Replansky about the application thus far (that’s since its inception in 2005).

At both meetings large audiences were eager to learn where the application lies and how the two municipalities are dealing with the many delays and requests that have come from Housing Resources of Columbia County, the not-for-profit agency behind the application.  It was encouraging to see so many people come out to participate in the process. That is exactly how open government should work.

At times one could sense hostility from the crowd concerned about how an affordable housing complex will affect their hometown, their environment, their local ecosystems and surrounding habitats, their property values, their taxes and their way of life. Although it’s not good to operate from fear, it is understandable that people want to know what’s going on and how it will impact their lives.

At other times one could also sense hostility from some of the board members themselves, who seemed angered by those very same concerns and frustrated by the many years it has taken the applicants to get their ducks in a row and proceed with the planning process. Their frustration is understandable. What was unfortunate was that depending on which  board meeting one attended, some of our local leaders seemed to lose all sense of aplomb and all but bared their teeth at Housing Resources for daring to attempt to bring affordable housing to Millerton.

It should be remembered that the town of North East was the one that actually approached Housing Resources to come into the community to build affordable housing in the first place. That was done because it is sorely needed, especially for seniors, according to a survey conducted by the town’s Housing Committee. It was also the town that took out the $108,000 mortgage backed by a  block grant award from the county, so Housing Resources could purchase the property. Since then, however, there have been many ups and downs.

No, the project is not perfect, by any stretch of the imagination. It is embarrassingly late. It is already over budget (with serious questions arising last week about where hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent). There will likely be a lengthy environmental review process. So much more needs to be known before the project can or should be given final approval — there’s no question about that.

In the meantime, the municipal boards need to continue to encourage the community to attend their meetings and provide space for all who do. (Space was an issue at both meetings last week). Board members should feel free to express their opinions, yes, but they also need to impartially deal with the application. The majority of those on the boards are doing exactly that, and they are working diligently to represent their constituents while treating the applicant appropriately.

The bottom line is that the Millerton Overlook application needs to be given fair and equal treatment throughout the review process.