Residents Expect Accountability From Town Officials, Appointed Boards
Over the past several years I have witnessed some poor decisions by our elected officials and volunteer advisory boards, and the results have caused serious financial harm to Yorktown taxpayers and the ability of our Parks & Recreation Department to maintain our parks adequately and safely.
Poor Decision #1: Dorchester Glen Subdivision. Approving the developer’s request to take 12 acres of undevelopable land in lieu of the recreation fee ($16,000). The Planning Board, without considering the financial implications (taxes, maintenance) and against the recommendation of the town’s Parks & Recreation superintendent and the Recreation Commission, approved the request. Had they just said no, the developer would have had to keep or sell 12 undevelopable acres and pay the taxes on them.
In any event, with the town taking ownership in lieu of parks and recreation fees, it incurs the burden of paying school and county taxes, loses town taxes and assumes maintenance responsibilities for the property. The Planning Board could have just said no. The Parks & Recreation superintendent and commission have made it perfectly clear, on many occasions in recent years, that they need funding to maintain what they have and don’t need additional land that they cannot maintain. Why isn’t anyone listening?
Poor Decision #2: Underhill Farms. I have followed the Underhill Farms development for the past several years and raised concerns over the developer presenting a plan with walkways, benches and a pond open to the public that, as far as I can tell, was not requested by any town official or advisory board. Many suspected, as I did, that this was the beginning of a campaign by the developer to attempt to justify requesting the waiver of the $4,000-per-unit parks and recreation fee ($592,000 in total).
I was shocked, as many others were, when at a joint meeting of various town boards, Planning Board member Aaron Bock asked the developer if they were expecting to request the fee be waived by installing walkways, benches and a pond. The answer was an unwavering yes.
I would have expected over the two-plus years this project has been in the works that the Planning Bard would have asked the commission what their position was and directed the developer against going down that road. By failing to address this early in the process it gives the appearance that the developer was being encouraged to pursue this.
Responsibility for waiving parks and recreation fees should be with elected officials who can be held accountable. Alternatively, the responsibility can be delegated to the commission and superintendent who are the most informed and knowledgeable people relative to the needs of the department. Not listening to and accepting the expert advice and recommendations of the Recreation Commission and superintendent should be the exception, not the rule.
Bob Giordano
Former member of the Yorktown Planning Board
President/founder, Friends of Yorktown Parks and Recreation
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