To the Editor:

In the Feb. 28 Enterprise interviews with candidates, Altamont Village trustees Michelle Ganance and Nicholas Fahrenkopf were both reported as saying the comprehensive plan should be updated. Perhaps it should be.

However, it is ironic that their comments came after their votes on the Stewart’s rezone that many Altamont residents saw as inconsistent with the plan. Furthermore, several authors of the plan stated that the rezone violated the plan. The comprehensive plan does not have a sunset so the passage of time does not invalidate it.

The plan makes 183 recommendations. Some have been acted upon but many good ideas remain unrealized.

I think we should look carefully at the plan we have and determine which recommendations have been carried out, which are obsolete, and develop a schedule for addressing the rest.

In the course of an open public discussion new recommendations may appear, but many sources of frustration, like traffic, sidewalks, street trees, land use, and maintenance of village character which are already in the plan have not yet been fully carried out.

The plan instructs the trustees to “reference the Plan prior to major decision-making.” Let’s do it.   

Simon Litten

Altamont

Editor’s note: Simon Litten is running for Altamont trustee with James Sullivan on the Altamont Community Party line. Incumbents Michelle Ganance and Nicholas Fahrenkopf are running on the Altamont First line.