By Rebecca Martin
The Town of Ulster (ToU) Town Board will meet on Thursday, January 22nd at 7:00pm.
It was REPORTED that the new deadline for the Chazen Companies to submit a draft scoping document for Niagara was to occur on 1/22/15 which is tomorrow. Although at the last ToU Town Board Meeting Supervisor Quigley stated “We have no notice from Chazen of a delivery date of the scoping document” (VIEW the recorded meeting that starts at 30:15) the public anticipates tomorrow as a deadline as there hasn’t been any formal communication otherwise.
The ToU has released tomorrow evenings AGENDA where nothing regarding Niagara is noted. That doesn’t mean that it will not be added sometime tomorrow, and we will keep you updated.
According to the SEQR TIMELINE that the Town of Ulster posted on their website, it states that the ‘Projected publication date of the draft scoping document‘ was to be December 22nd and that the date “May be extended by Town Board Resolution“. That did not occur last month. We are hoping to learn the Board’s course of action tomorrow evening in this regard.
As a reminder, the public may speak at the front of the meeting on matters that are on the agenda, and then allotted time at the end of the meeting to speak on anything else. If Niagara is not on the agenda, be prepared to step up to the podium when Supervisor Quigley invites the public to address the board later in the evening. Their meetings run on time, and are brief – so if you intend to come, place be prompt.
WHAT TO REQUEST? A draft scoping document IS submitted:
1. 60 Day Public Comment Period
Last December, KingstonCitizens.org generated a letter to the Town of Ulster as lead agency requesting a total of 60 days for public input during the public portion of the scoping process. This was due in part to the process start date being December 22nd – January 22nd and in the midst of three major holidays.
As the date was reported to be moved to January 22nd, giving The Chazen Company a total of 60 days to deliver their scoping document.
The public, in turn, wishes for the same courtesy.
In addition, for as long as it takes The Chazen Companies to deliver their draft, the public will request the same amount of time.
2. Additional Hearings/Locations to Allow Public Input on Draft Scope
Because the proposed project is a complex and multifaceted one that has the potential to impact multiple communities and environmental resources, the public should ask the Town of Ulster to consider more than one public hearing on the scoping document to include locations in Kingston, Woodstock and Saugerties. Additional time and hearing locations in communities that will be potentially impacted would allow for greater public participation and input on the proposed environmental review laid out in the applicant’s draft scope.
FOLLOW: SEQR Pos Dec Review Timeline on Facebook.
WHAT TO REQUEST? If a draft scoping document IS NOT submitted:
1. That the Town Board Initiate and Pass a Resolution on Submission of Draft Scoping Document for the Amended SEQR Timeline.
In the SEQR Timeline that the ToU posted on their website, it states that the ‘Projected publication date of the draft scoping document‘ was to be December 22nd and that the date “May be extended by Town Board Resolution“. The Town Board did not do so to extend the change in December to January. Request that the ToU be transparent and follow their own protocol so that the public has the information that it needs to continue to track this process.
BE PREPARED.
We ask that all residents prepare a statement in advance to be no more than 3 minutes in length and to please show respect to municipalities where you are a visitor.
Town of Ulster meetings are generally audio taped, however we will be on hand to to film the event thanks to Clark Richters of Kingston News.
If you have any questions, please contact me at: rebecca@kingstoncitizens.org
Thank you.
TOWN OF ULSTER
TOWN BOARD
WHAT
Town of Ulster Town Board Meeting
WHEN
Thursday, January 22nd, 2014
7:00pm
WHERE
Town of Ulster Town Hall
1 Town Hall Road
Lake Katrine, NY
AGENDA
Click on this LINK