To the Editor:

Over the last few weeks, I have read with increasing dismay the numerous letters in The Altamont Enterprise, expressing anger and frustration over any and all proposals entertained by the Knox Town Board or the town supervisor depending upon whose side the person is on.

The result is a stalemate; the town garage remains in its dilapidated condition, business is discouraged, our hamlet center is deserted. It reminds me of what is happening in Washington. We’re better than that!

Councilwoman Amy Pokorny has led a multi-year effort to develop a comprehensive plan that included outreach to every member of the community; she has sought to lessen the burden on taxpayers by applying for grants that could lead towards larger grants to be used for such purposes as restoring the town garage.

Vas Lefkaditis, who was voted our town supervisor because the residents wanted change, has proposed measures that would make it easier for business to locate here, and has tried to open government up to more residents by actively seeking talented people from many walks of life and with differing points of view to serve on the various town committees and boards.

One letter suggested that Mr. Lefkaditis has a conflict of interest because he purchased the old dilapidated, ugly building in the center of the hamlet, tore it down, and constructed a new building that will hopefully be filled with the kind of services we would all use and enjoy.  Mr. Lefkaditis purchased the land prior to his election and waited until the town created a business district in that area before he built a building to be used for commercial businesses.

Why did he wait?  Because the original building was abandoned for more than six months, no one could use the building for any purpose other than a residence. The space was no longer able to be used as a commercial space.

Why did he build that building?  He had a dream of bringing back services that our community needs.

While it was alleged that our community won’t support a “nice restaurant or general store,” I would point out that we have had both for many decades in the not-too-distant past and that there are restaurants still flourishing in the Hilltowns.

Our town zoning ordinance, however, has made it difficult, if not impossible, for any business to locate within the town. The recent designation of one business district within the town is a good start but there are still issues within the ordinance that should be reexamined to make Knox more business-friendly. The appeals board cannot ignore the ordinance.

I applaud the town board for opting to hold a public hearing to consider five new business districts rather than dismiss consideration of any of them outright. One of the proposed districts is located on Route 156 in the vicinity of the Mountain Woodshop and former Highland Farms Restaurant. In one or two of the letters I read, it was stated that anyone wanting to open a business, say a new restaurant at the former site of the Highland Farms Restaurant, could simply apply for a special-use permit.

The town ordinance is pretty clear: No restaurant can be located in a residential area. While in the past, when there were no business districts, a special-use permit was occasionally granted based upon a nonconforming use operating prior to the existence of the zoning ordinance.

Now, if the town dismisses an area from consideration as a business district, especially one that is as limited as this particular proposed district, the zoning board wouldn’t be able to justify the issuance of a special use permit for a restaurant on the site of Highland Farms. The same would be true of the area on Route 146 in the vicinity of the Town Garage and the Township Tavern.

Once the owners of the tavern close their business, unless a new operator was found within six months, the town’s last remaining restaurant would be gone unless a business district were created. Moreover, the building isn’t really suitable for a residence so it may simply be another abandoned building.   

When a business district is created, a business does not automatically have the right to locate in the district. Most businesses still need to be issued a special-use permit. Any proposed business would be subject to a public hearing and review by either the planning board or the zoning board of appeals or both.

Many types of business are prohibited regardless and these are identified in sections 45 and 46 of Article IV of the ordinance. The town could specify whether it would allow light or heavy industry within a particular business district, make it a retail business area, or permit professional offices within the area.

In considering whether a business could locate in the district, the town would have to look at the impact of the proposed use upon adjacent properties, the character of the existing and approved future development, public health and safety, traffic congestion, adequate water and sewage, adequate parking, and environmental impacts among other things.

While the town conducted visioning sessions several years ago, it might be worthwhile to focus simply on the types of business that would be desirable within the existing district, and what types of businesses might be desirable in future districts.

Our new planning board member suggested that we should support an economic-development strategy that can leverage (snowmobiling, hunting, agriculture, fishing, timber, geology). Do we really want a lot of people coming here to snowmobile, hunt, or fish and, if we do, will they come if there is no place available to get a bite to eat or use restroom facilities?

Many of our residents are aging and would like to live here in their senior years, but require services such as a convenience store, a doctor, or a restaurant to make that happen.  

To quote Ronald Shiffman, a former executive director of the Pratt Institute Center for Community and Environmental Development: “Our…problems are a very intricate web of issues, and you can’t just tug on one strand; you really have to look at how that woven fabric comes together and how we patch it, how we intervene, and how we revitalize it.”

There appears to be a lot to discuss.

Gayle Burgess

Knox

Editor’s note: Gayle Burgess served on the Knox Zoning Board of Appeals for nine years, resigning at the end of her term this past December. While working at the state’s Department of Transportation, one of her assignments was to represent the department on the Quality Communities Interagency Task Force.