Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

Fourth - I have every intention of serving out my entire term.  No amount of threats, personal attacks and attempts to blackmail or intimidate me will cause me to leave even one day short of that term.

We'll see about that ... I like a challenge!

Quoted from 147

We'll see about that ... I like a challenge!

going on my "bucket list"............

SO all of those screen shots of his Youtube of Turkish gay movies and Steam Room Stories won't change his mind?

The real issue at hand was whether or not to allow a commercial zone to encroach upon a residential neighborhood. Truth is, there shouldn't BE any residential development on Curry Road at all. It should all be mixed use with retail/business on the ground level...and along the same lines, the First Class Printing parcel should be either the same or zoned residential. BOTH the run-down building that is there now and First Class were mixed use, with business and residential. In truth, that's probably what should go there again. But like so many other areas in Rotterdam, years upon years upon years of dirtbag developing and spot zoning has left the town in an untenable situation.

so true....said that a long time ago.....and I am just plain folk and can see the mish mash of development...

Quoted from Hack

The real issue at hand was whether or not to allow a commercial zone to encroach upon a residential neighborhood. Truth is, there shouldn't BE any residential development on Curry Road at all. It should all be mixed use with retail/business on the ground level...and along the same lines, the First Class Printing parcel should be either the same or zoned residential. BOTH the run-down building that is there now and First Class were mixed use, with business and residential. In truth, that's probably what should go there again. But like so many other areas in Rotterdam, years upon years upon years of dirtbag developing and spot zoning has left the town in an untenable situation.

I don't disagree with you -- but should clarify that all of Curry Road from the railroad bridge to 4 Corners has been zoned retail business for years .. so "spot zoning" wasn't really needed except for the adjacent residential parcels behind (facing one of the parallel side streets).

There are a number of places in town that have been  zoned retail business and light industrial for years but currently being used for residential housing or even agricultural purposes (or at least were being farmed until just recently but are now just vacant).

There is a very real need to UPDATE THE TOWN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN,   UPDATE THE ZONING MAPS TO REFLECT THE NEW COMP PLAN  and  UPDATE THE ZONING LAWS TO REFLECT THE NEW COMP PLAN.   All 3 must be done in an a coordinated effort  -- this could be done within 6 to 12 months if there was a commitment to getting the task done.

Until this is done, the town will have a difficult time attracting good developers and will continue to have clashes between neighbors and potential developers.   It is unfair to BOTH potential developers and the residents/property owners to continue to work under a hopelessly outdated comp plan, outdated zoning map and outdated zoning laws.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

Until this is done, the town will have a difficult time attracting good developers and will continue to have clashes between neighbors and potential developers.   It is unfair to BOTH potential developers and the residents/property owners to continue to work under a hopelessly outdated comp plan, outdated zoning map and outdated zoning laws.

So are you stating that there are not enough locations availalble for businesses that want to locate in Rotterdam other than locations that will encroach on residential neighborhoods?  I have a hard time believing tht.  Bottom line that drives companies like CVS to choose the location they did is direct competition....they want to be closer to their competition whenever possible. Concept is that traffic from one will benefit the other. This is the same model followed by Home Depot/Lowes for a long time.  It is the same thing with grocery stores....EXCEPT Price Chopper, who locates their stores in an area with a commitment that no others will be located within a certain distance.

I think a return to the mixed use for that corner is a perfect solution.

Ya see folks.....this is what happens when favors are performed by the ones in administration.....

That's why the Town is like it is.....everyone has different ideas.....and different favors for friends...especially the ones with the big

bucks.....let's face it.....it's who you know......botttom line....

Let's stop walking on eggs.....it's political because of the tunnel vision in Rotterdam......so let's not put the blame to anyone else

but who, what was allowed, and who was in charge.....it's a proven fact time and time again...

going by the 4 corners can't imagine a CVS in that area.....there are changes  BIG TIME to be made...and be consistent...

Planning Board should take heed.....and research, research, research....before you plan any more building in Rotterdam...

Pretty soon the quality of life here won't be "IT'S A NICE PLACE TO LIVE".....

Mixed use,  for real?  Would you want to live on 4 corners?  Remember the quality of people who lived in that building?

Quoted from Stringer

Mixed use,  for real?  Would you want to live on 4 corners?  Remember the quality of people who lived in that building?

It could be built smartly to be used as mixed use.  Would it be something that would be appropriate there?  Maybe.  If the residential portion had access to the back and the business had access in front, maybe.  It's worked for years on Mariaville Rd / Phillips St, but that's not as busy an area.  And that doesn't even have a possibility for a back exit like 4 Corners does.  Maybe that's what actually MADE it a success.

Quoted from joebxr

So are you stating that there are not enough locations availalble for businesses that want to locate in Rotterdam other than locations that will encroach on residential neighborhoods?  I have a hard time believing tht.  Bottom line that drives companies like CVS to choose the location they did is direct competition....they want to be closer to their competition whenever possible. Concept is that traffic from one will benefit the other. This is the same model followed by Home Depot/Lowes for a long time.  It is the same thing with grocery stores....EXCEPT Price Chopper, who locates their stores in an area with a commitment that no others will be located within a certain distance.

I think a return to the mixed use for that corner is a perfect solution.

NO - what I said is exactly what I wrote --- the  Comp Plan is outdated, the zoning map is outdated and the zoning laws are outdated.  

The way the zoning laws are written - it is extremely difficult to limit what can be built --   4 Corners is an excellent example ---   if we had an updated set of zoning laws .. with more concise and specific zoning language ... it would be possible to  zone 4 Corners specifically for  smaller retail stores in a strip mall without opening it for development for a larger store or some other use which the nearby residents do not want.

And I was making the point that most residents are not aware of areas that have ALREADY been zoned "retail business" or "light industrial" for years.   Areas that are seemingly in purely residential or in a few cases  residential/agricultural areas.    In those situations, a developer would NOT even have to get a zone change .. they would just have to present a site plan that meets all the town ordinances and codes and doesn't have major issues (SEQR, traffic, etc) or addresses those issue.

When is the last time you or most residents have actually looked at the zoning map?  Do you know the zoning status of all the properties in your neighborhood or do you just assume -- there is a house there so it has to be zoned residential ???


As for my comment about fairness -    we need to have an updated comp plan, zoning map and zoning laws to be fair to BOTH residents and developers.    Fair to the residents so that they know what to expect while they live in a property and what they can reasonably do with their property, etc    Fair to  developers so that they have some reasonable way of knowing that  -- "ok, this where XYZ type of development is wanted" and "this is where XYZ type of development is NOT wanted".

its a good thing they got rid of that critical impact legislation

This CVS issue is a result of decades upon decades of POOR PLANNING in rotterdam. Sure curry road homes are zoned business.But how stupid was that? Curry road is nothing more than a 2 lane street that is jam packed already. Can anyone just imagine what would happen to the traffic flow if most of those homes sold and became businesses? OMG! Not to mention that the back yards of those homes on curry road butt up against someone else's which would cause the same argument CVS met.....and rightfully so!

The critical impact legislation was the best thing to ever hit rotterdam. It was the first step in trying to protect and encourage new and existing development/expansion.

I find it quite amusing to say the least that the two major parcels in rotterdam (Exit 25 and I8 that are considered PRIME PROPERTY are not being entertained. And please let's not hear about sewers as the never ending excuse!! Why isn't CVS looking west? Do they have sewers where they are now at 5 corners???

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

NO - what I said is exactly what I wrote --- the  Comp Plan is outdated, the zoning map is outdated and the zoning laws are outdated.  

The way the zoning laws are written - it is extremely difficult to limit what can be built --   4 Corners is an excellent example ---   if we had an updated set of zoning laws .. with more concise and specific zoning language ... it would be possible to  zone 4 Corners specifically for  smaller retail stores in a strip mall without opening it for development for a larger store or some other use which the nearby residents do not want.

And I was making the point that most residents are not aware of areas that have ALREADY been zoned "retail business" or "light industrial" for years.   Areas that are seemingly in purely residential or in a few cases  residential/agricultural areas.    In those situations, a developer would NOT even have to get a zone change .. they would just have to present a site plan that meets all the town ordinances and codes and doesn't have major issues (SEQR, traffic, etc) or addresses those issue.

When is the last time you or most residents have actually looked at the zoning map?  Do you know the zoning status of all the properties in your neighborhood or do you just assume -- there is a house there so it has to be zoned residential ???


As for my comment about fairness -    we need to have an updated comp plan, zoning map and zoning laws to be fair to BOTH residents and developers.    Fair to the residents so that they know what to expect while they live in a property and what they can reasonably do with their property, etc    Fair to  developers so that they have some reasonable way of knowing that  -- "ok, this where XYZ type of development is wanted" and "this is where XYZ type of development is NOT wanted".

that's why there IS NO GOOD PLAN.....too many ego cooks in the kitchen.....with bad taste

OMG    what a mess.....chaotic......irresponsible......and it will keep on going.....

I rest my case...