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Questions on the East Fishkill Master Plan
for Public Hearing May 23, 2002 - by John Romeo

(To see the video go to http://farmstudio.com/ef.html)

Define high quality business

Romeo: I have one question to ask the town board. How does the town board define high quality business?

Idema: It’s more than one definition obviously, but what we’re trying to attract to the town is a business that will pay you a salary that enables you to live in The Town of East Fishkill. That’s, that’s one definition; something that does not add a, I want to put it, lot of unnecessary downstream impacts that affect the quality of life. I don’t think that we need a distribution center at the intersection of 376 and RT 82, a, so those are, I guess, two of the , two of the definitions, if you ask for an of the top of the head definition.

Romeo: Okay, so then how would you define a low quality business?

Idema: A low quality business would be something where you have to import the workers from Peekskill, Newburgh or the City of Poughkeepsie, because they couldn’t afford to live in the Town of East Fishkill. A, I think we need to attract more jobs so our, our sons and daughters and a, grandchildren can afford to live in the town. So we a, and we had several, as you know, proposals to come into the town which the town board has said no to.

Romeo: And you don’t believe that is highly discriminatory?

Idema: NO

(Many comments from audience are made)

Audience Member: We can’t hear the question.

Idema: That’s what zoning is for.

Romeo: To discriminate

Idema: No, to insure that the appropriate use of the land, is, I don’t what to get into a debate with you . If you disagree with function of the master plan, or a section of the master plan or a law, that you can comment on.

Romeo: You answered my question. I have one more question.

Audience Member: If you answer the question, would you please repeat the question?

Idema: Yes I will.

Romeo: Local law N talks about a 100 ft. buffer for property along the Taconic Parkway and Route 84. Where did this come from? This was not discussed at Architectural Review Committee meetings that were held.

Idema: Local law N has attempted to do two things. Protect people from purchasing property right, right along there that are unaware of that. We have had several of those issues.

The second thing…I’m sorry…

(Ethel Walker Interrupts)

Walker: Isn’t that addressed in the overlay zone?

Idema: No we don’t have an overlay. The overlay zone is part, the other thing is to protect the scenic vista for people who are traveling, back into the Town of East Fishkill. It’s not purvey with the Architectural Review Board. Law Changes and Laws are matters for the town board. I do not want to keep this debate going.

Romeo: One more comment …

Idema: Okay. If it’s one more

Romeo: There was an Architectural Review Committee formed, about this property, our property , The Farm Studio, and suddenly now you’re looking to put a buffer, of a 100, up to 125 ft. along the Taconic Parkway and Route 84. I have a house that sits right in that buffer.

Idema: Anything that sits before the law was passed is grandfathered in and is not affected by the law.

Romeo: But there was a moratorium for all this stuff to be reviewed, you can’t just arbitrarily, now come and add something.

Idema: There was a proposal on your property for a scenic overlay.

Romeo: No… nothing, there was nothing…

Idema: It was an issue…

Romeo: The Architectural Review Committee disbanded….

Idema: Their was a proposal that was considered by the town board, at one time, that Council Woman Walker, brought it up, was a scenic overlay zone at the intersection of the Taconic State Parkway and the Route 84 corridor, so that you wouldn’t get the same type of thing that was on the, a, South West corner, that you see on the North East corner. That’s what’s being referred to here as the scenic overlay. There is a Local Law N, provides for a buffer of a 100 ft back from the property line of the Taconic State Parkway along Route 84, trying to protect the scenic aspects of the, a, road of the traveling public, and that’s what we are discussing here. So there are two issues. Mr. Romeo, who is currently speaking, owns The Farm Studio. And if you don’t know where that is, that is the building at the end of Jackson Road, is it. Umm, at the intersection of the Taconic State Parkway and Route 80…Route 84. So I will mark down that you object to the 100 ft. set back. Thank you. Anything else ….Okay.


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