Letter to the Editor

Save the town’s money, just deny zoning change to Summit Greenfield now

April 4, 2008
by Charles Poret

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Dear Editor, 
My family and I have lived in Chappaqua for 34 years, and have seen it
change from an uncongested rural area to an increasingly over-built
community with ever increasing traffic, deteriorating infrastructure and a
marked decline in the quality of life which drew people to move here and
pay the significant town and school district taxes. The proposed Greenfield
Summit development would only make conditions far worse.
The New York Court of Appeals has recently reconfirmed that towns have the
power to enforce their own zoning ordinances and deny non-conforming
development plans. Greenfield Summit purportedly bought the Readers Digest
property under zoning conditions that they agreed to. Based upon 37 years
of litigation experience, I am willing to bet that the developers’ paper files
and electronic files show that it intended even before it purchased the
Readers Digest property to come back for permission to put up a massive
housing complex. If so, its original purchase and application for a limited
zoning change to allow more office tenants was, to say the least,
disingenuous.
The roads in New Castle are falling apart. Drive along routes 117, 120 or
133 and you will readily see massive potholes and a crumbling road base.
Rather than spend town resources on consultants, planners, lawyers, etc.,
the town should just deny the Greenfield Summit application now.

Charles Poret