“We have to pass the 'Bill' so that we can find out what's in it”! We all know where that is getting us.
When government sacrifices process for progress the cure becomes worse than the disease. It doesn't have to be healthcare and it doesn't have to be national. Development in the Town of Ulster has a process. The public, the developer and the town need to work together in an honest and transparent manner. When followed, the process insures that new development works to benefit everyone concerned.
When a project is designed the developer is required to research the impact it will have on the town, i.e.: the landscape, the residents, traffic and schools, in general the 'quality of life' of everyone and everything it will affect. Only when the town and its residents have had their concerns addressed or 'mitigated' and their questions answered can a project move forward.
In the past, elected officials of the town have given resident's good reason for skepticism. Closed door meetings and 'questionable' tax pilots and arrangements have benefited favored developers at the expense of the town residents. The results have been bad for the town and bad for its residents.
In direct contrast to supervisors of the past, James Quigley has opened the process to the public. Informational meetings at Town Hall regarding 'Ulster Garden's', the latest 'new project' being presented to Ulster resident’s offers insight and input to the proposed development.
Cloaked and hindered by prior administrations, such open meetings give residents the opportunity to meet the developer. It makes partners out of adversaries and insures any development will be beneficial to the town as well as profitable for the developer.
Mr. Quigley understands residents have been shut out of the process in the past. By attending the meetings residents were able to ask questions and present their concerns before the project is officially presented to the Town Planning Board for its recommendations.
Ulster Garden's, a 162 unit development consisting of 112 senior housing units and 52 affordable housing units presented by The Chazen Co. with the hope of Planning Board approval has begun to address the concerns of local residents. Questions of standing water and traffic are just two of the issues of concern addressed by Chazen’s director of civil engineering, Peter Romano, Jr..
Representing the developer, Jonah Mandelbaum, principle owner of Warwick Properties, Mr. Romano understands that the town will have to live with Ulster Garden's long after the developer is gone.
Additionally, Warwick Properties offers town residents an alternative to Steve Aaron's Birchez Associates and Chambers Properties. Something that recent issues between Aaron and the City of Kingston regarding his default of payment of taxes and his attempt to use it as a tool in getting a better tax deal serve to prove.
It is not uncommon for competing real estate developers to try and sabotage each other’s projects with allegations of wrong doing and lack of benefit to the community. With this in mind one has to ask who benefits if this project is not built?
Like Mr. Potter of the movie, 'It's a Wonderful Life', Mr. Aaron has been the only game in town for seniors hoping to find housing that is both desirable and affordable. Although Warwick Properties is no Harry Bailey, issues between Chambers and the Town of Ulster demonstrate the necessity for good alternatives. In short, we need more Bailey Parks and fewer Potter’s Fields.
After what Aaron has tried in the city of kingston, I'd be happy with a developer and landlord who live up to their contracts and stop crying about wanting a better deal. Sure the economy has gotten worse but Aaron is still getting his rent, should the city (or the town), get it's taxes?
ReplyDeleteAnd really, this Ulster Garden project is a far better development that that overblown Ulster Manor that Woerner was pushing for before he was voted out of office.
At least Quigley opened the doors to the public.
$330k in back taxes and this crook wants to negotiate a new tax deal and insults the good people of the city of Kingston by offering a settlement of $50k while he demands more consideration.
ReplyDeleteIf the city grants him approval for another project they are either in cahoots with him or they are just plain dumb and should be in office.
BTW is Sotile getting a job with Aaron?
It is reassuring to see Quigley doing what is proper and expected. I give no bonus points for doing what is right, why shouldn't he? Comparing any activity to the way that crook Woerner ran things is superfluous. Anyone or any activity that is done the right way is in contrast to the way he dis business.
ReplyDeleteI hope that the owners of the property are allowed to develop the site however they want within the zoning and town laws.
5:49, Sometimes politicians need to understand the difference between right & wrong, it is ingrained in their character, I find it refreshing that Quigley has character unlike most politicians today!
ReplyDeletedid anyone check out the Ulsterreport.blogspot.com blog, what a flaming a-hole this guy must be, rhetoric instead of reality, smear in place of substance. but it's good for a laugh!
To the issue of Ulster Garden's:
ReplyDeleteThe developers plan seems to be appropriate for the site, there may be some issue with traffic, I think it will be resolved in a positive manner, there seems to be an issue with storm water, a real problem for residents on Ledge Rd. If the engineer did his due diligence the ideas presented will work.
The footprint is much smaller than the previous Ulster Manor project, less intrusive to the natural landscape, but Ulster manor was one of the worst planned for the community but the most profitable for the developer.
So far I'm happy with the Ulster Garden Proposal, I am willing to hear more. I hope Jim Quigley keeps the issue out in front of the residents.
I also agree with the blogger, we need an alternative to Aaron, the town cannot afford to be his profit margin any longer.
So I went to this new blog, ulsterreport.blogspot.com, what's up it's invite only, anyone have some insight?
ReplyDeleteIt asked me to ask the author, who's the author?
Is it worth following up?
No the blog SUCKS, whoever took the time to create that piece of shit wasted a lot of his time and enough of everyone else's time.
Delete4:13, It will die a slow death, or is dead already. It now requires people to sign in even though they remain hypocritically anonymous.
ReplyDeleteOOPS he must have heard the critics, it's back up with a new post but this one makes less sense than the earlier posts and the comments all deride the blogger. It's either Woerner or Secreto, I can't think of anyone else that dumb!
ReplyDeleteSteve Aaron is spreading so many inaccuracies regarding the Ulster garden Development, could he be that scared of competition, typical of him isn't it?
ReplyDeleteHe should watch out, there are a few things about his projects that are not exactly above board, he should take a look at the survey statement for his Chambers site, it's not 10 acres, but he's filling the heads of Fox Run residents with zoning restrictions for senior housing. Then there is always the question about the Kingston Housing Authority and the $100K that is still missing some 7 years and counting. Let us not forget about $330k in arrears in his tax debt to the City of Kingston and all the court battles and costs and PILOT renegotiations he has done while screwing the taxpaying residents of the Town of Ulster, not to mention that less than 10% of the residents in CHambers were ever taxpaying residents of the Town to begin with.
Then there is the $50k he is offering the City of Kingston to prompt them to open negotiations for a new deal PILOT and a second PILOT and on top of this he has the balls to seek approval on yet another project built on the taxpayer dime and he is taking the CIty to Court costing the taxpayer more money for a case they surely will win.
January 20, 2012 12:01 PM
reprinted from Ulsterreport.blogspot.com
Someone over there has it right
After talking to a few of the residents of Fox Run I can understand their angst regarding Ulster Garden's, in past administrations projects were jammed down the throats of residents regardless of it's quality, zoning regulations were either changed or ignored to help developers, (Steve Aaron & Chambers comes to mind), that had heavy connections to then supervisor Woerner, Ulster Manor was no different, Town Planner Dave Schuster did the bidding of Woerner and when the law got in the way then town attny Zweben got in the way of the law, then it went into closed door session and the decisions were told to the pupblic. Isn't it funny that Aaron is behind most of the rumors and negative sentiment toward Ulster Gardens, The project seems reasonable and the engineer and developer seem honest and sincere and seem to be taking resident's concerns into account and show a genuine desire to accommodate them.
ReplyDelete6:56, I agree, but if you think Woerner and Co. were, you should have been around when they were developing the 2 worst sites in Ulster, Dunkin Donuts/Taco Bell/CVS and Walmart/Lowes/Boston Market. Now there are 2 projects that should have never been allowed to be built as is because of the traffic patterns and parking. Shuster was the planner then too. There was no such thing as open meetings, all of the decisions were made behind closed doors and declared during town board meetings.They did put on a good show though, Fred and his boards were good at that. The developers gave political contributions all around to those in office and whoever they were directed to.
ReplyDeleteThe bottom line is this, once you let the sun in and open it up, the people's business is done out in the open, as it should be.
Wasn't it the Woerner team that pushed thru the Hampton Inn, Dunk'n and TB/CVS? woerner was also the supervisor while the QUIKCHEK projects were being developed, they contributed heavily to his failed bid in 09'!
ReplyDeletei seem to remember a few $1000 contributions they handed Woerner's campaign!
DeleteI tried Ulsterreport.blogspot .com today and found the author removed about 14 comments, he primarily left the ones that side with him, don't detract from Woerner and lie as much as the original post. He'll now be monitoring the comments before posting, which is ok if you're concerned with vulgarity but wont sit well when they get edited for negative content. The next thing to happen is the blog will disappear. One of the things I like about UIYTT is that they have the courage to post all comments and when one is pulled the blogger posts as to why and request the commenter reword his detractions.
ReplyDeleteWadnola started the Hampton inn, cvs/taco bell/dd projects. Do some homework for yourself and you will see that Wadnola and his predecessors were many times worse than Woerner, and trust me Woerner is in my opinion, the worst supervisor in history.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dailyfreeman.com/articles/2005/10/02/regional%20news/15315271.txt
http://www.dailyfreeman.com/articles/2005/09/27/top%20stories/15282029.txt
Wadnola didn't start the development, the developers did, and the process was midstream whenWoerner took office, it was his planning board that made the final recomendations and aside to his credit, as well as Wadnola's it's not that bad a project.
ReplyDeleteUlster Garden's seems to be a smart project, it's a shame that the Aaron people, (friends and associates) are spreading so many rumors about the developer and lies about the actual project.
It has a small footprint, and honestly when you look at what has passed for good development in the past, this ain't that bad.
Well thought out by the developer and the engineer it address mmost of the concerns of local residents.
Wadnola was supervisor when the project came to Ulster. He was as much responsible for that project as Woerner was for any that went through while he was there. It has a crappy traffic flow, and it is way too congested, like all the others that they let through when they ran the town. Quigley would never let something like this go through today.
ReplyDeleteAnd BTW... Wadnola DID BRING AARON TO ULSTER, NOT WOERNER!
1:57 Wadnola may have brought him to Ulster but Woerner gave him the keys to the treasury. Nuff Said!
ReplyDeleteDid he? Are you sure about that? Spada-Wadnola-Aaron-Wadnola-Spada. Right in the middle of things. Nice renovations at Fred's Place wouldn't you say?
ReplyDeleteThe debate regarding Ulster Gardens has been fairly robust, the issues on behalf of detractors and supporters are getting attention, what most people don't realize though is that the detractors are mostly from the Aaron/Birchez circle of friends and are being spoonfed false information and inuendo regarding the project and the process. I suggest if anyone needs information, call your supervisor, I did and I was given the status, the relevent issues and the developers proposals to mitigate neighbors concerns. It's all above board and transparent, which, for the town is a good thing, after all the back room, closed door nonsence that went on when Woerner was supervisor, especially when Woerner was paving the way for another Aaron project. They changed zoning laws in the dark of night to let Woerner's cousin Stevie's tax dodging Chambers project proceed.
ReplyDeleteHooray for you Mr. Quigley, whether or not the gardens moves ahead, aat least you are protecting the residents by keeping the process open.
Someone directed me to another ulster blog, ulster report, I'm no genius but how long does this a hole think people will read him when he's the only one commenting on his own posts, I have posted several comments in the past 2 weeks and none of them have been posted, that was the last time I will visit, it seems to be all smear anyway, no facts just supposition and inuendo, all directed at the current supervisor. who by the way has done an admirable job to date, FAIR OPEN AND HONEST, unlike his predicessor.
ReplyDeleteThanks UIYTT for being fair minded and posting both comments from pro and con, I know sometime they must be hard to read but they are the balance that makes the information you present worthy of reading. GOOD JOB!
what's up with Aaron, what an A-hole, did he really think he could screw with Gallo, I hope he defaults, maybe we can get him out of the town, city, county and state, I think the nation is just asking too much!
ReplyDeleteIn an effort to dispel unfounded innuendo and attempt to answer questions posed above:
ReplyDeleteThe original post relating to Ulster Gardens was based on rumors being spread by a competing developer, we made an assumption that they were factual and found them not to be so. In an effort to correct misrepresentations we spoke directly to the developer and engineer and found the project to be far more positive than originally thought.
We also like the fact that competition among developers can only insure that the TOwn of Ulster gets the best the industry has to offer.
Mandelbaum and Warwick Properties have a stellar record regarding existing projects and as far as a EIS or FEIS, the property in question has been surveyed and resurveyed, the issues are the same today as they were when Ulster Manor was proposing development much more intrusive, (of a much larger scale and footprint), this developer unlike Ulster Manor has demonstrated a willingness to accomodate the concerns of local residents and to mitigate any issues of concern yet unresolved.
Because UIYTT has offered comments many times on this blog, NONE OF WHICH HAVE BEEN POSTED, you can find this comment in duplicate on UIYTT, BLABER NEWS & COMMENTARY, CAHILL FOR KINGSTON and any other blog read by local residents.
UIYTT is transparent and unbiased, GOOD DEVELOPMENT IS GOOD DEVELOPMENT, except in the case when it causes unwanted competition.