HAVE YOU HEARD
THE LATEST UPDATE ON THE
ORANGE AVE PROJECT?

Dear SOS Members and Supporters, I wanted to give everyone an update regarding the Orange Avenue Project. On September 10th when the meeting opened for public comment, Deputy Mayor Dagan LaCorte led off by proposing a recommendation to the Planning Board to remove Blocks 2 & 3 from the Orange Avenue Project and to reduce the maximum building height of Block 1 to 6 stories from 7 above grade.

As the meeting progressed, attendees continued to voice their opinions on a number of concerns surrounding the proposed Orange Avenue Project. Opposition to the project persisted, despite the Deputy Mayor's recommendations. Opposition outnumbered proponents of the plan concerned about Downtown revitalization. Attendance was extremely high and it was very gratifying to see the process working and driven by constructive public input from all sides.

When the public hearing closed, the Planning Board Chairman, Paul Gdanski read a previously written statement and motioned to adopt the Orange Avenue Project with modifications recommended by Dagan LaCorte. This gave some attendees the impression that the outcome had been previously crafted regardless of what the public had to say.

The big surprise came when Board Member Steve Christopher motioned to make additional recommendations to the Board with regards to Block 1.

A vote to approve the motion was cast with a required majority vote (3-2 with Paul Gdanski & Robert Apple opposed to hearing additional recommendations). Subsequently the following recommendations were made by Steve Christopher:

• Lower MR-70 zoning to MR-50
• Lower max height from 6 to 4 stories
• Eliminate the use Eminent Domain

There was a second motion to approve these additional recommendations. John McDerrmott voted YES. The next and critical vote came from Steve Jaffee who remarked that he simply could not accept Eminent Domain and voted YES. Then Steve Christopher expectedly voted YES to approve his own recommendations. Paul Gdanski and Robert Apple again voted NO and lost the majority vote of 3-2.

AN AMAZING WIN FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAVE WORKED SO HARD TO FIGHT THIS PLAN! THE PEOPLE SPOKE, & THE MAJORITY OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS AGREED AND NOW IT'S UP TO THE MAYOR, DEPUTY MAYOR AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

Next Steps: The recommendations to modify the Orange Avenue Project will go back to the Board of Trustees at which time they will have to consider the recommendations and present a modified plan to the Village Board. Then we get to do this all over again until it passes or is rejected by the Village Board and moves on to the Zoning Board.

I want to thank each and everyone of you who took part in the process and dedicated themselves to affect change. We have made great strides to provide valuable community input and opinion to the future and character of our village. Although it's not over yet, everyone deserves to be congratulated on their efforts. I am certain that future projects will be better communicated and that our elected Officials will more carefully consider the opinions and concerns of Suffern residents BEFORE acting. The lesson here should be that open and honest communication to residents is a critical part of any proposal.

I also want to thank Dagan LaCorte for proposing a compromise and for listening to the different perspectives of the community which he serves.

Although SOS stands strong against Eminent Domain, we understand the need for SMART DEVELOPMENT of our Downtown District and will continue to support them.

See map of original plan.

Village Residents SPOKE OUT and delivered a stunning upset to the proponents of the original plan and against eminent domain.

We anxiously await the modified plan from our Trustees.

We cannot allow eminent domain to take our private property, and we cannot allow any overbuilding to take place and destroy the character of our Village.