Podcasts about planning board

PB90 - Planning Board 6/26/25

PB91 - Planning Board 7/10/25

This session shares my conversation with Town Clerk Nancy Danello and Deputy Town Clerk Dyan Fitzgerald about the 2025 Biennial Election to be held on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. Our conversation covers:Candidate nomination papers available as of August 4 during office hours in Clerk's OfficeAppointment requestedCandidate nomination papers due back by Sept 15Withdrawal if needed, completed by Sep 22Last day to register to vote is October 25Early voting schedule to be published laterOffice closed on Tuesday November 4 to run the election at Franklin High School gymnasiumNovember 4 election voting hours from 6 AM to 8 PMUnofficial results expected around 9 PMNovember election for a 2 year term of office for the Town Council and School Committee. For a 4 year term: Town Clerk, Planning Board, Board of Assessor, Board of HealthOur conversation recording runs about 25 minutes, so let's listen in --------------Town Clerk page -> https://www.franklinma.gov/333/Town-Clerk-Elections-DivisionNovember election timeline -> https://www.franklinma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/6245/Important-dates-to-remember- Seats up for election in November -> https://www.franklinma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/6240/Seats-Available -------------We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial. This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.How can you help?If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighborsIf you don't like something here, please let me knowAnd if you have interest in reporting on meetings or events, please reach out. We'll share and show you what and how we do what we doThrough this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/ or www.franklin.news If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot comThe music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana" c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.I hope you enjoy!------------------You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

In Episode 165, Scott Piehler's topics include: A major discrepancy in political donations. The Planning Board approves an eight-story project. A mystery from 2008 is solved. Encouraging results from a chemical removal test. An Alameda rower breaks a dry spell for the USA. Plus arts and the outdoors.Support the show• AlamedaPost.com • Podcast • Events • Contact •• Facebook • Instagram • Threads • BlueSky • Reddit • Mastodon • NextDoor • YouTube • Apple News •

Post for Cold Spring firm promises 'sexy girls' A spa that opened on Main Street in Cold Spring earlier this year and another in Beacon are promoted on adults-only websites with language that implies prostitution. Good Life Wellness Spa, at 145 Main St. in Cold Spring, and Rose Eliza Spa Beacon at 4 Eliza St. in Beacon, are each advertised in posts on sites such as LoveEscort, Bedpage, Rubsguide and XEscortHub. The latter includes a typical legal disclaimer that escorts "do not necessarily involve sexual services." The owners of Good Life Wellness told the Cold Spring Planning Board last year in an application for a change-of-use variance for its rented space that it would offer acupressure, reflexology, skin treatment and skin care. Its phone number and Cold Spring address are promoted on sites with ads that promise "unique massage techniques with sexy girls bring you pleasure. Makes you happy quickly." A similar posting on Bedpage said "two new Asian girls" in "good shape" with a "desire to please you" had joined the Cold Spring location. "Our alluring companions are available for engagements" and "open to all your desires and fantasies," it said. The Rose Eliza Spa promised in an ad that it had "new sweet girls" who are "open-minded" and will "treat you specially." One post features a video clip of a woman making hand motions that suggest manual sex. The spa's website does not contain similar language or images and provides a price list for standard treatments and reflexology. It was difficult to identify the owners of the businesses or to reach them. A woman who answered the phone at Good Life Wellness said she did not speak English well and declined to take a phone message for Yan Min Cao, listed on the Planning Board application as the manager. She said a request for information should be sent by text, which received no response. The spa, which is on the second floor, says in the window it is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. No one answered the doorbell on a weekday morning. A woman who answered the phone number given on the Planning Board application for Cheng Fisher, identified as a spa representative, said Fisher was not available and that Good Life Wellness had been sold. Fisher did not respond to a message sent to an email address provided to the Planning Board. The building owner declined comment and did not respond to a request for contact information for the spa's owner. Good Life Wellness Spa Inc. was incorporated in June 2024, according to state records, with Yinghua Lui as its registered agent but no contact information beyond the Cold Spring address. A woman who answered the phone at Rose Eliza said her English was not good and asked a reporter to send a text. Asked who posted the online ads, she wrote: "We don't know." She wrote that "the boss has returned to China" and "there are only workers here." She added: "We have a regular massage [business]" and sent photos of female customers whom she said were "frequent visitors." Rose Eliza Spa Inc. was incorporated in October 2023, according to state records, with Lihua Li as its registered agent, but no contact information is provided beyond its Beacon address. A message left in person with an employee at the salon was not returned. The owner of the building that includes 4 Eliza St. said in a phone call in April: "Thank you for bringing these ads to my attention. I had never seen these posts before and am appalled. It goes against our lease terms, and we will be taking immediate action." He did not respond to subsequent inquiries. Soon after the Rose Eliza spa opened last summer, a user on AMP Reviews, a website in which men discuss their experiences at "Asian massage parlors," requested "any intel on [the new] Rose Spa in Beacon (Eliza St)? I see them advertising on Skip the Games," another escort directory. A reviewer who posted in August 2024 said his experience at Rose Eliza had been "very mechanical" with "no engagement." A second user who posted in ...

How can undergraduate research prepare students for civic engagement in a complex world? How should associations respond when the work of their members is under attack?In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Lindsay Currie, Executive Officer of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR). Lindsay discusses:CUR's mission to expand access to undergraduate research and its proven long-term impact on student success, graduation rates, and civic engagement.The current challenges facing CUR members, including political and funding pressures on research and higher education.The organization's new strategic plan, CUR 2030, which features three major goals and includes cross-cutting themes: broadening participation, organizational sustainability, and communication.The decision to shift from “DEI” language to “broadening participation” to maximize inclusivity and participation, while still preserving the core values.CUR's investment in a board coach to help shift from a “doing board” to a “strategic board” culture, and how that coach continues to foster executive and board collaboration.A rigorous and confidential nominations process that improves the quality and alignment of board candidates, avoiding the pitfalls of popularity contests.A layered onboarding process for new Board members, including coaching, board retreats, and annual reorientation to ensure all board members are aligned and equipped to lead strategically.CUR's emphasis on data, standards, and recognition to position itself as a leader in undergraduate research across higher education institutions.A comprehensive rollout strategy for the new plan, starting with CUR's 300 elected volunteers and culminating in a Fall 2025 campaign for the broader membership.References:CUR WebsiteLindsay Currie's Previous Episode on Associations Thrive from October 2022ASAE's ForesightWorks Framework

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In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with newly appointed Dover Rotary Club President Cathy Beaudoin about the organization's century-long commitment to community service. Beaudoin discusses how the club, now in its 101st year, raises approximately $100,000 annually through weekly bingo operations to support local charities and community projects. She highlights the club's diverse initiatives, including providing milk and egg coupons for food pantry users, supplying shoes and boots to students in need, creating mittens for the unhoused, and sponsoring scholarships. The club meets twice monthly at 121 Broadway and seeks new members from all backgrounds, dispelling outdated perceptions about membership requirements.Parker then speaks with Brian Early and Erin Bassegio about July's City Council and Planning Board activities. Early reports on council approvals for groundwater monitoring contracts, additional funding for the Fifth and Grove reconstruction project, and budget adjustments, including rescinding authorization for the sports complex design and Fire Rescue South station projects. He also mentions the council receiving a housing needs report and a donation from Mr. Handyman of Dover for trail improvements.Bassegio covers Planning Board approvals for lot line adjustments, conditional use permits, and a 16-unit housing development at Dover Point Road. She also updates listeners on Energy Commission discussions about solar projects and Arts Commission achievements, including a new mural at Park Street Park and sculpture installation at Central Avenue.

This session of the radio show shares our “Town Council Quarterbacking” with Town Council Chair Tom Mercer. We had our conversation via the Zoom Conference Bridge on Monday, July 28, 2025. Our conversation condensed the Town Council meeting of July 23, 2025.We focus on two questions:ok, what just happened? What does it mean for Franklin residents and taxpayers?Discussion items: Fire Department - Swearing In of New Firefighter / Paramedic i. Jeffrey Wolcott, a backfill for an existing & funded positionAnnual Reappointments and New Appointments of Boards and Committees Members i. See “Committee Appointments” in packet for member namesABCC TransactionsNew Section 12 Restaurant All Alcoholic Beverages License and Approval of Xiao Xia Zhang as the Manager - Kojo Asian Fusion LLC d/b/a Kojo, Located at 28 East Central Street, Franklin, MA 02038.License Modification - Change of Location of a Section 15 Wine and Malt Beverages Package Store License: The Little Shop of Olive Oils Inc. d/b/a The Little Shop of Olive Oils,, Located at 5 Main St., Franklin, MA 02038Legislation for ActionResolution 25-27: FY26 Community Preservation Appropriation of Funds - Capital. Friendly 40bResolution 25-49: Franklin Town Council Support for Proposed GL Chapter 40B Affordable Housing Project at 202 Washington Street Pursuant to DHCD's Local Initiative Program (LIP)Residential Commercial Kitchensj. Zoning Bylaw Amendment 25-938: Residential Commercial Kitchens - A Zoning Bylaw to Amend Chapter 185, Section 3 of the Code of the Town of FranklinZoning Bylaw Amendment 25-939: Residential Commercial Kitchens - A Zoning Bylaw to Amend the Franklin Town Code at Chapter 185, Attachment 8, Use Regulations Schedule Part Vii: Accessory Uses - Referral to the Planning BoardNew Service FeeBylaw Amendment 25-940: A Bylaw to Amend the Code of the Town of Franklin at Chapter 82, Fees, Municipal Service, by Adding a New Service Fee: Residential Commercial Kitchen - First Reading. Moved to 2ndResolution 25-50: Adoption of Local Initiative Program “Friendly 40B” Policy, Motion to Amend, fails 4-5Motion to table and deliberate at a future meeting, Seconded. Nondebatable - Via roll call, passes 5-4 to be tabled for later date (Yes - Sheridan, Frongillo, Pellegri, Hamblen, Mercer; No - Cormier-Leger, Chandler, Jones, Dellorco)Crossing Neighborhood Zoning DistrictZoning Bylaw Amendment 25-929: Creation of the Crossing Neighborhood Zoning District - A Zoning Bylaw Amendment to the Code of the Town of Franklin at Chapter 185, Section 4,Districts Enumerated - Referral to the Planning Board Motion to referral, second Next 6 votes all relate to this one, all 6 moved to Planning Board, to return to Council likely in SeptemberEV Charging StationsBylaw Amendment 25-936: A Bylaw to Amend the Code of the Town of Franklin at Chapter 73, Departmental Revolving Funds (EV Charging Stations) Bylaw Amendment 25–937: A Bylaw to Amend the Code of the Town of Franklin at Chapter 82,Fees, Municipal Service (EV Charging Stations) Acceptance of GiftsResolution 25-51: Acceptance of Gifts - Senior Center ($1,646), Veterans' Services ($400), Fire Department ($1,025), Police Department ($1,000), Recreation (AED)TOWN ADMINISTRATORS REPORTResearch forthcoming on alcohol license handling. Options for other than the Council Local aid cut $231,000 from final State budget; Further pressure next year, Aug 11 Finance CmteRaeleen Gallivan has a new...

In Episode 164, Scott Piehler's topics include: A pipe bomb shuts down traffic. Alameda PD adds patrols and shares the latest crime statistics. The Planning Board to discuss an eight story structure. Local golf, boating, and baseball in the news. Great events for the younger set. Radio Day by the Bay is a success. And, if you think it's been cold lately, you're right.Support the show• AlamedaPost.com • Podcast • Events • Contact •• Facebook • Instagram • Threads • BlueSky • Reddit • Mastodon • NextDoor • YouTube • Apple News •

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This episode of Title Nerds featured three of Riker Danzig's summer associates and one of our title insurance associates, who expounded on principles of law in cases they had researched and reported on. First up, Co-Host Mike O'Donnell interviewed Noah Wilk of University of Maryland Law School, who discussed Oclar Prop. LLC v. Atl. View Cemetery Assn., Inc., No. A-0834-23, 2023 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 746 (App. Div. May 6, 2025), which concerned a deal to purchase property for single family residences in which municipal Planning Board approval was required.  The Seller ultimately terminated the contract while awaiting Planning Board approval by the Buyer.  The Buyer alleged breach of contract and breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing. The case ultimately was decided by the New Jersey Appellate Division. Next, Co-Host Bethany Abele engaged Meghna Gohil of Wake Forest Law School in a conversation about Keily v. Iler, Mon-C-8-19, 2025 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 621 (App. Div. Apr. 17, 2025), a recent decision from the New Jersey Superior Court, Monmouth County, Chancery Division.  The case involved a contentious dispute between members of a limited liability company and, among other things, interpretation of the LLC's operating agreement and actions taken by two of the LLC members without the knowledge of the third member. Carla Ko of Seton Hall University School of Law then discussed with Mike the Murray v. Newrez LLC case, 24-cv-6160, 2025 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 75676 (E.D.N.Y. Apr. 21, 2025), heard in federal court in New York.  This case involved the question of damages for servicing of a mortgage under RESPA without actual, quantifiable harm. Finally, Riker Danzig associate Matthews Florez joined the podcast to provide insight on Grabowski-Shaikh v. Conn. Atts. Title Ins. Co., 2025 WL 35522 (Vt. Dist. Ct. Jan. 6, 2025), a case out of federal court in Vermont. As discussed with Mike, the case decided a title insurer's duty to provide coverage to an insured when the insured claimed title to a disputed parcel of property based on adverse possession. Riker Danzig's Title Insurance Group also produces a “Banking, Title Insurance and Real Estate Litigation Blog,” available here.

Dozens benefit from workforce program Denise Lahey's roots in Beacon are decades deep. Her grandfather, Dennis Lahey, served 62 years with the Beacon Fire Department; her father, Dennis Lahey Jr., is the assistant chief and her sister, Kari, became the city's first full-time female firefighter in 2020. However, those ties to the city were no match for the rental prices Lahey faced in 2019, when a relationship ended, along with half the rent for the two-bedroom unit she shared at Hudson View with her then-boyfriend and son. There were plenty of good reasons to stay in Beacon, she said: keeping her son in the city's schools and staying close to her family and job as a mail carrier in White Plains rather than moving farther away to Poughkeepsie or Wappingers. "I was stuck," said Lahey. "Luckily, this happened." What happened: a $1,400-a-month one-bedroom found through Beacon's Workforce Housing Program, which has rescued dozens of residents from rental purgatory: They earn what are generally considered to be decent salaries, but too little to comfortably afford rents that have skyrocketed in Beacon, particularly since the pandemic fomented a wave of transplants from New York City. Adopted by the City Council in 2017 as a revision to Beacon's affordable housing law, the program requires new housing developments with 10 or more rental units to set aside 10 percent at below-market rates for households earning up to 90 percent of the Dutchess County median household income, which is about $97,000 annually. For condos and townhouses for sale, it's up to 110 percent of the median income. Priority is given to volunteer emergency responders who have served five years or longer, as well as municipal and school district employees. Hudson River Housing manages the list of people who have been approved for the program, which so far has created 46 units for rent and nine condos and townhouses that have been purchased, said Chris White, Beacon's city administrator. Rents range from $1,412 to $2,809 depending on the complex, the size of the household and the number of bedrooms. Lahey's apartment at the Beacon HIP Lofts, where a studio starts at $2,100, has "made everything easier," she said. Her son, now a teenager, has the upstairs and its dedicated bathroom as his domain and Lahey has a bedroom and bathroom downstairs. Amanda Caputo, Beacon's clerk, pays $1,350 for a one-bedroom apartment at The Beacon at 445 Main St., which houses the Beacon Theater along with the rental units. The apartment is a launching pad for walks to work, the riverfront and Mount Beacon, or strolls along Main Street, where friends work. "It's helped me grow in my position and stay in the community," she said. Caputo and Lahey's rents were calculated, based on Beacon's guidelines and the area median income for Dutchess County, by Lashonda Denson, the director of homeownership and education for Hudson River Housing. When units become available, Denson consults the list of people who have expressed interest and met the income guidelines. If the units are available, the applicants contact the property managers or landlords directly, she said. People call Hudson River Housing daily looking for Beacon housing through the program, said Denson. "This is one of the few programs that offers some kind of reduction in the rent," she said. "Some people have been waiting for a couple of years, and then it happens." White described the program as "critical to ensuring that new construction provides opportunities for those who cannot afford the escalating rental costs." In addition to the HIP Lofts, and The Beacon, units exist at 7 Creek Drive, 344 Main, 121 Rombout Ave., The Arno beside Fishkill Creek and the Edgewater complex on the city's waterfront. Dozens of units are awaiting Planning Board approval or completing construction, said White. Such projects "help to ensure that the city remains home to people of all incomes and backgrounds," he said. Caputo, a SUNY New Paltz gra...

Owner seeks more time for approvals The long-awaited demolition and reconstruction of the dilapidated Dutchess Mall building along Route 9 in Fishkill will have to wait at least six more months. On July 10, the Fishkill Planning Board approved two new 90-day extensions requested by Hudson Properties LLC as it works to meet conditions imposed more than two years ago, in February 2023, in the board's preliminary approval of the project. Hudson Properties would like to demolish the mall's remnants and construct a 350,000-square-foot distribution facility. After getting a 90-day extension in March, Hudson Properties completed the requirements of the board's conditional approval to subdivide the property, said Christopher Fisher, an attorney for the project, in a June 25 letter to the board. With that extension expiring on July 28, the company had not completed a set of conditions from its site plan, including a stormwater-management agreement with the town and a letter of credit for $15 million in site work, such as grading, erosion control and sidewalks. Hudson Properties, which initially had until February 2024 to obtain a building permit, has been "working diligently" on the remaining conditions, said Fisher. "We look forward to getting that project underway," Jonathan Kanter, the Planning Board chair, said on July 10 after its members approved the latest extension. As approved, Hudson Properties' plan called for partnering with commercial developer Crow Holdings Industrial to build the warehouse on 28.9 acres of a 39.3-acre parcel along the south side of Home Depot. The facility would include 209 standard parking spaces, 78 loading docks and parking for 30 tractor-trailers. Under the partnership, Hudson Properties would retain ownership of the remaining 10.4-acre lot, which fronts the property on Route 9. The board required that Hudson Properties, by August 2023, obtain approvals from the state Department of Transportation for a new entrance and other upgrades along Route 9; the Dutchess County Department of Health for sewer and water upgrades; and the state Department of Environmental Conservation to build near wetlands. As that date approached, Hudson Properties notified the board that Crow Holdings had backed out and requested the first of what would become multiple extensions. Redeveloping the property has been a priority for the town. Dutchess Mall opened in 1974 as the county's first indoor shopping center. Tenants included Jamesway, Lucky Platt and Mays department stores, RadioShack and Waldenbooks. But the opening of the Poughkeepsie Galleria and other retail centers along Route 9 siphoned customers, and the mall closed in 2001. Home Depot opened in 2006. Seven years later, Dutchess Marketplace, an indoor/outdoor flea market, opened in the former department store space north of Home Depot but shut down in 2019. Two years later, Dutchess Community College opened its Fishkill campus in the building.

Help sought for Cortlandt Lake bacteria Philipstown Supervisor John Van Tassel agreed on July 10 to help arrange a meeting with Cortlandt and Putnam Valley officials over the fecal coliform levels that have forced the closure of the beach at Cortlandt Lake in Continental Village. Putnam County announced last month the closure of beaches at Cortlandt Lake and 13 other water bodies due to the presence of bacteria and harmful algal blooms. Most of Cortlandt Lake is located in Philipstown and Cortlandt, with a small section in Putnam Valley. Jesse Lubbers, a member of the Continental Village Park District board, told the Town Board that the Putnam Department of Health, during testing before Memorial Day, found fecal coliform levels at 30 times the limit considered safe for recreational use. Water discharging into Cortlandt Lake from Canopus Creek and Spy Pond also tested high for fecal coliform, at 10 times the limit, but the contamination "was concentrated at the beach where people go," said Lubbers. Health officials believe that Cortlandt Lake's bacteria levels are caused by failing septic systems at homes around the lake, said Lubbers. Many of those homes were built as summer cottages but are now used year-round, he said. "I have been soliciting advice from the Hudson Highlands Land Trust and others to see if we can get in a room" to discuss the source of the contamination and how it can be fixed, he said. Hudson Highlands Reserve The Town Board held off on giving its consent to the Hudson Highlands Reserve Sewage Works Corp., a private entity created to operate the sewer system serving 23 residences and a community space at the development off Route 9. Philipstown's consent is required under state law. Van Tassel said he wanted the town engineer, Ron Gainer, to review the plans. The town attorney, Steve Gaba, noted that private systems are often "set up to fail and the town winds up having to go in and take over a water system or a sewer system. That's an expensive and difficult proposition." Horton Road LLC, the developer, received Planning Board approval in March to construct homes on a 210-acre property located between Horton Road and East Mountain Road North, with 79 percent of the land set aside as open space. The homes will be clustered on 31 acres, along with two existing residences, and will be accessed from a new road. Route 9D sidewalks Van Tassel said he met with state and local officials about adding sidewalks to Route 9D between the Village of Cold Spring line and Little Stony Point Park. He noted the blacktop that begins north of Haldane's tennis courts is in "rough shape." One of the agencies represented at the meeting, the state Department of Transportation, said it lacks funding, and Van Tassel said the response from a state parks representative "disappointed" him. The Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail was invited but no one attended, he said. "We did get some ideas for grants, but solutions are a long way off," he said.

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On this weeks episode, we are talking about homelessness, an issue that is unfortunately prevalent in Sonoma County. Fortunately, there is a lot of support for homeless individuals including the Lived Experience Advisory and Planning Board, or LEAP. The board is comprised of diverse people with lived experience of homelessness, with an emphasis on racial and ethnic diversity. The purpose of the LEAP Board is to advise Sonoma County on homeless-related programs, policies and how to spend money targeted for homeless services. Here to talk about all of this is the Chair of the LEAP Board, Rebekah Sammet.

Seeks to annul approval for Route 9 project The Revolutionary War is over, but a preservation group is continuing its battle over a hotel and retail project planned for Route 9 on a part of a historic site used in the late 18th century as a supply depot for the Continental Army. Friends of the Fishkill Supply Depot and two of its members, Brenda and William McEwing, filed a lawsuit on June 27 in which they asked a state judge to nullify the Fishkill Planning Board's approval of Continental Commons. The lawsuit names the town, its building inspector, the Planning Board, the Planning Board chair and GLD3 LLC and Snook-9 Realty, development companies owned by Domenico Broccoli. As proposed, Continental Commons would combine a 90-room hotel with a restaurant, visitors' center and a replica barracks that would house a museum devoted to the history of the Fishkill Supply Depot. Established under Gen. George Washington, the 74-acre Revolutionary War encampment stretched from Philipstown to the Village of Fishkill and parts of what is now Beacon. The 10.5-acre site, which contains a Speedway gas station owned by Broccoli and a burial site that Friends of Fishkill Supply Depot say may contain the remains of war dead, is across Route 9 from Dutchess Mall and across Snook Road from the Van Wyck Homestead, a former headquarters for the supply depot and current home of the Fishkill Historical Society. The plaintiffs contend that the final site plan signed by the Planning Board chair in April is invalid because the developers failed to fulfill two conditions from the preliminary approval in December 2023 - a work permit from the state Department of Transportation and a letter confirming required excavation. They also claim the site plan and a special-use permit issued to the project have expired because the developer failed to meet a deadline to apply for building permits within a year of site-plan approval. The Planning Board granted the developer multiple 90-day extensions, the most recent of which expired June 12. Among the exhibits submitted with the lawsuit is a May email from the state Department of Transportation, in response to a Freedom of Information Law request, stating that the agency had yet to issue a final work permit. According to the lawsuit, the plaintiffs have made multiple requests to the Planning Board under the Freedom of Information Law for evidence that the conditions of the preliminary approval have been satisfied. Friends of the Fishkill Supply Depot and the McEwings also appealed a state judge's decision in 2020 to reject their attempt to overturn the Planning Board's determination that Continental Commons would not have a "significant adverse impact" on the environment or historical resources. Judge Maria Rosa said she did not have the power to "substitute her judgment for that of the agency." The appeal, filed in May 2021, is still active. Broccoli has also gone to court. In March, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit he filed accusing members and supporters of Friends of the Fishkill Supply Depot of conspiring to "devalue" the property so they could buy it for "pennies on the dollar." That same month, Broccoli alleged in a lawsuit that statements made in 2023 by Louise Daniele, a former member of the Fishkill Town Board, caused him "reputational harm, substantial emotional distress and humiliation and damage to his key business relationship." In a motion filed May 8, Daniele denied that she defamed Broccoli when she said that Board Member John Forman should recuse himself from votes involving Continental Commons because he rented office space from Broccoli's cousin and the developer donated to Forman's 2012 state Assembly campaign. In June, Daniele filed a motion to dismiss the case.

Westchester buyer to pay $1.8 million for Mase station Beacon officials have entered into a contract to sell the city's decommissioned Mase Hook & Ladder fire station for $1.8 million. The buyer, Michael Bensimon, signed an agreement on June 24 to acquire the property at 425 Main St., including the three-story brick firehouse that has stood there since 1911. Bensimon, who lists a Port Chester, New York, address on the agreement, made a down payment of $180,000. According to the sale contract, which was provided to The Current, he has a 45-day due-diligence period during which the sale can be canceled and the down payment refunded. City Attorney Nick Ward-Willis said he expects the transaction to close by the end of August. Bensimon and his attorney each declined to comment. Dutchess County records show that an LLC with the same Port Chester address owns 475 Main St. in Beacon, next to the Howland Cultural Center. Although Dutchess records incorrectly combine three parcels - the Memorial Building at 423 Main St., Mase at 425 Main and the adjacent municipal parking lot - into one, Bensimon plans to purchase only the fire station property. It is in Beacon's Central Main Street zoning district; Planning Board approval would be required to bring a commercial or residential use to the building. The city will retain the parking lot, which it intends to restripe for a more efficient layout. Bensimon will receive three spaces. Verizon Wireless will retain its lease to place an antenna on the firehouse roof and equipment in a fenced area behind the building. The site is also part of Beacon's protected historic district, which means that substantial exterior changes to the building would require a "certificate of appropriateness" from the Planning Board. According to the contract, Bensimon must apply for permits to begin interior renovation of the building within six months of closing, and obtain certificates of occupancy, compliance or other municipal approvals within 18 months. Mase and the former Beacon Engine Co. firehouse at 57 East Main St. were listed by the city for sale in May. Both became surplus after a $14.7 million centralized fire station opened near City Hall last fall. Accessory dwellings Homeowners earning up to 120 percent of the Dutchess County median household income ($97,273) can apply beginning Monday (July 14) for grants of up to $125,000 to create or upgrade an accessory dwelling unit (ADU). Beacon and nine other municipalities in Dutchess County were awarded $6 million earlier this year through a state program designed to help low- and moderate-income residents build ADUs. The program is being administered locally by Hudson River Housing, a Poughkeepsie nonprofit. See hudsonriverhousing.org. The City Council on July 7 also adopted amendments meant to simplify regulations of accessory apartments. The law now permits ADUs in all zoning districts but only on lots with a single-family residence. One of the structures must be owner-occupied, and the ADU cannot be used for short-term rentals such as through Airbnb. A maximum size was removed from the law, but Planning Board approval will be required if the unit is greater than 1,000 square feet and its floor area is greater than 50 percent of the primary building's floor area. No off-street parking is required. Capital plans The City Council on Monday (June 7) unanimously adopted a five-year capital plan that details $29 million in equipment purchases and infrastructure upgrades for 2026 to 2030. The plan authorizes $6.5 million in spending for 2026, a year that will be highlighted by the renovation and greening of the southwest corner of Memorial Park, estimated to cost $400,000. The city plans to resurface the basketball courts, install pickleball courts, construct a softball batting cage and renovate the bathroom at that end of the park for public use. The adjacent skateboard park has been repaved, with new skating elements and an "art wall" installed. Phase 2 o...

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In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Margaret Joyce and Jed Allen from the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce about the upcoming 39th annual Cochecho Arts Festival. The festival features a diverse lineup of Friday night headliners from July 11 through Aug. 15, including The Coastals, Moon Boot Lover, New Norde and Donaher, Harsh, Toby McAllister and the Sierra Sounds, and Wheel of Awesome.The festival maintains its tradition of free admission to all events, funded through generous sponsors, including the Orpheum Co-Work apartments as the main underwriter and the Rotary Club of Dover sponsoring the Friday night series. New features this year include a redesigned logo, $10 buttons offering free water and restaurant discounts, plus entry into a kayak raffle, built-in rain dates (Aug. 22 and 29), and family activities like lawn games and a t-shirt slingshot during intermissions.The children's series runs Tuesday mornings starting July 8, featuring performers like BJ Hickman, Wildlife Encounters, and magician Wayne Moulton. Additional programming includes a Saturday afternoon creative arts showcase in Henry Law Park and weekly artist booths at Friday night shows. The festival emphasizes supporting local talent while paying all performers fairly, embodying Dover's commitment to accessible community arts programming.Parker then speaks with Erin Bassegio and Brian Early for their monthly recap of June activities. Brian covers the City Council's approval of $18 million in bonding for the Dover High School athletic complex project, additional waterfront development funding, and the renaming of the Washington Street Bridge to honor fallen Marine Capt. Jack Casey. Erin reviews Planning Board activities, including approval of a major residential-commercial overlay district off Littleworth Road and various subdivision and site plan approvals.

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The Town of Clarence's Planning Board has granted two key approvals to a long-term redevelopment of Eastern Hills Mall. Supervisor Pat Casilio tells us more.

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Erin Bassegio from the Planning Department about Dover's 2025 Land Use Chapter update to the Master Plan. Bassegio explains that this critical chapter, one of two required by the state, hasn't been updated since 2014 and encompasses much more than just land use, including demographics, economic development, housing, and community character.The city is working with Resilience Planning and Design, the same consultant from the previous update, who has completed an existing conditions summary showing that Dover's growth has been consistent and sustainable, matching earlier projections well. The steering committee includes diverse representation from the Planning Board, City Council, public members, Open Lands Committee, Industrial and Business Development Authority, and Community Housing Needs Committee.Parker and Bassegio discuss Dover's approach of updating Master Plan chapters in "bite-sized chunks" rather than comprehensive overhauls, which allows for focused expertise and community engagement. They note the connectivity between the recently updated Vision Chapter and this Land Use Chapter, with the vision serving as "pillars" and land use as the "foundation."The project is currently in the outreach phase, with the existing conditions report available on the city website. Public engagement will intensify over the summer through surveys and educational opportunities. A draft chapter is expected in fall 2025, with Planning Board review scheduled for October-November. Bassegio emphasizes the importance of educated public participation in this strategic planning process. More on the Land Use chapter can be found here: https://www.dover.nh.gov/government/city-operations/planning/master-plan/land-use-analysis-/In This Week in Dover History, we learn about Dover's 1927 Flag Day celebration hosted by the local Elks Lodge, featuring patriotic ceremonies, music, and speeches that drew a full house to commemorate American unity and citizenship.

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PB82 - Planning Board 4/7/25

In Episode 158, Scott Piehler's topics include: Alameda joins the No Kings protests. EBMUD raising rates. The Planning Board approves extended hours for a gas station. City Council to vote on the Pacific Fusion sale. The Estuary shuttle is adding more service. How much do you know about pelicans? Remembering Weezie Mott. And, weekend events. Support the show• AlamedaPost.com • Podcast • Events • Contact •• Facebook • Instagram • Threads • BlueSky • Reddit • Mastodon • NextDoor • YouTube • Apple News •

In Episode 157, Scott Piehler's topics include: A water quality update. Changes in the Master Fee Schedule. A Planning Board preview. Alameda and the current administration. New members of the AFD Dive team. Crime statistics. A look at real estate sales. Tennessee Williams at Altarena. Plus lots to do with Fido this weekend. Support the show• AlamedaPost.com • Podcast • Events • Contact •• Facebook • Instagram • Threads • BlueSky • Reddit • Mastodon • NextDoor • YouTube • Apple News •

In Episode 156, Scott Piehler's topics include: Sinking ships and sick pets-bad news from the water. The District Attorney drops charges in the Radius Recycling Fire. The Planning Board addresses affordable housing. A look ahead to the next City Council meeting. Congratulations to our local Special Olympians. Alameda is one of the top Entrepreneurial cities in America. Plus weekend events. Support the show• AlamedaPost.com • Podcast • Events • Contact •• Facebook • Instagram • Threads • BlueSky • Reddit • Mastodon • NextDoor • YouTube • Apple News •

Scientific Sense ® by Gill Eapen: Prof. Tirthankar Roy is professor in economic history at the London School of Economics.His books include the co-authored Law and the Economy in Colonial India (2016) and Law and the Economy in a Young Democracy (2022).Dr. K. Ravi Raman is an Expert Member of the Kerala State Planning Board. He is the author of Global Capital and Peripheral Labour (2009) and Political Ecospatiality: Livelihood, Environment, and Subaltern Struggles (2024).Please subscribe to this channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/ScientificSense?sub_confirmation=1

In Episode 155, Scott Piehler's topics include: Alameda Police on the job, and at City Council. The Planning Board sets their budget. An apartment fire displaces residents. Added security for Ferry commuters. An unexpected change at the Coast Guard. Alameda Health System gets some good news. The latest real estate sales. Activities for your holiday weekend. Congratulations to a local high school thespian. And a change to a local favorite brew.Support the show• AlamedaPost.com • Podcast • Events • Contact •• Facebook • Instagram • Threads • BlueSky • Reddit • Mastodon • NextDoor • YouTube • Apple News •

In Episode 153, Scott Piehler's topics include: The CARE Team is renewed. The Planning Board and Nuclear Fusion. The Alameda Rent Program had a busy 2024. Real estate sales and rules. An honor for some local boaters. Another Post story picked up by San Francisco media. Getting to WNBA games just got easier. New CHP cruisers might not catch your eye. Plus, activities for your Mother's Day Weekend, including an art show for a great cause. Support the show• AlamedaPost.com • Podcast • Events • Contact •• Facebook • Instagram • Threads • BlueSky • Reddit • Mastodon • NextDoor • YouTube • Apple News •

In Episode 152, Scott Piehler's topics include: The Planning Board grapples with short term rentals. The latest crime statistics. Tunnels and traffic. The car show that wasn't. The Real ID Deadline is upon us. Canine helpers at Alameda Hospital. A preview of the next City Council meeting. Your chance for free ferry tickets. Weekend events, and get ready for some blustery weather.  Support the show• AlamedaPost.com • Podcast • Events • Contact •• Facebook • Instagram • Threads • BlueSky • Reddit • Mastodon • NextDoor • YouTube • Apple News •

PB80 - Planning Board 3/24/25

PB81 - Planning Board 3/27/25

Sitting on a frontage road perched above the interstate, hemmed by roads and nondescript government buildings near the Capitol, 12th and Robert streets in St. Paul isn't much to look at. But in 1903, this was the place to be if you loved baseball. There, the St. Paul Saints and the St. Paul Colored Gophers — two of the city's historic baseball teams — played at the Pillbox, sometimes called the “Downtown Ball Park,” a popular venue almost laughably small for baseball."It was a tiny ballpark,” said Stew Thornley, a local baseball historian who's seeking approval this year for a plaque to commemorate the Pillbox and its history in St. Paul."Even if you hit a ball over the fence, right down the line, it was worth only two bases,” he said. “There were another set of poles out to left and right center field. You had to get it more to center field and over the fence for it to be considered a home run."Home plate faced northwest, at what would be the site of the state Capitol, which was completed in 1905, two years after the Pillbox opened.While the Saints history is well-known, historians say the Colored Gophers were key to the history of Black baseball in Minnesota and across the country. They played a decade before the formation of the Negro Leagues."They are probably one of the greatest baseball teams, white or Black, in Minnesota history,” said Frank White, who wrote a book about Black baseball history in Minnesota. "And in terms of Black baseball, they are, for sure, the team.”  MPR News The history of black baseball in Minnesota Starting in 1907, the St. Paul Colored Gophers wrapped up a four-year run with a 380-89-2 record — winning more than 80 percent of their games — under legendary team owner Phil “Daddy” Reid, according to the Center for Negro League Baseball Research.Reid sought the fastest ball players he could find from around the country and paid them. The result was dominance, White said. The team beat the Saints in a 1907 unofficial state championship. In a series that was called the Black World Series by some, the Colored Gophers hosted Chicago's Leland Giants, one of the best Black baseball teams in the country, for a five-game series at the Pillbox, with Minnesota winning the series three games to two.Among the notable players on the Gophers were "Steel Arm” Johnny Taylor, William "Big Bill" Bill Gatewood and Bobby Marshall, who had played football for the Minnesota Gophers. Marshall happened to be one of the most famed Minnesota athletes at the time.Telling ‘the hidden history of Black baseball'After the 1910 season, Bobby Marshall bought the St. Paul Gophers. The team changed its name to the Twin Cities Gophers. The ballpark on Lexington Avenue near University Avenue became more popular and the Pillbox soon closed. It's such a distant memory that it has been forgotten by most.But not by Thornley. He has applied to put up a memorial plaque next to the Minnesota Department of Health laboratory where the park once stood."It's got greater significance than just to somebody like me who loves baseball, loves the old ballparks,” he said.“The chance to tell the story, the story of baseball, the story of the ballpark, but especially with the hidden history of Black baseball … many people here in Minnesota have been digging that history out and telling those stories. And this is one more way to do that,” Thornley said.He and others have worked to get plaques up at other baseball sites around the Twin Cities. But the application for the Pillbox site is more time-consuming than most. That's because it sits on the Capitol complex and has to go through the Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board. On top of that, it is the first application received since the board created a new multistep application procedure.The new process was put into place after the Christopher Columbus statue outside the Capitol was torn down by protesters in June 2020. The new process was put into place to make sure there is ample opportunity for public input on things being added or removed to the Capitol grounds. The staff at the Capitol architectural board say the application process for the marker for the Pillbox could take six to eight months, or longer."It's definitely a more involved process,” said Tina Chimuzu, a planning fellow at the CAAPB. She says the board considers many factors in applications, including whether it has public support.“Documented public support for the artwork, and the artwork has to have lasting statewide significance for Minnesotans,” she said. “And then the artwork has to be respectful of the diversity of Minnesotans. And then, does viewing the artwork provide a rich experience to broaden the understanding of Minnesota-shared history, heritage and culture?"Erik Cedarleaf Dahl, executive secretary for the Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board, said the team works to confirm and fact-check everything in the application. The goal is to learn as much as possible about it in their own research. "With limited space on the Capitol Mall, we want to make sure that what we're putting there is totally accurate, especially if you're going to go through this,” he said. “To ask taxpayers dollars to spend this time on this … we want to make sure that it is accurate and the process is effective."Public input on the application for the Pillbox field plaque is open until May 5.If all goes as planned, the plaque could be up this fall, although it still has several more fences to clear.

In Episode 149, Scott Piehler's topics include: APD busts a fencing ring. AUSD's Teacher of the Year. A preview of the Planning Board and the City Council. The Hands Off Rally draws 1,000 protestors. Mayor Ashcraft named to the national Mayors Institute on Pedestrian Safety. A few changes to the ferry schedules. National Poetry Month. Altarena Playhouse is honored. And another Alameda restaurant says goodbye.Support the show• AlamedaPost.com • Podcast • Events • Contact •• Facebook • Instagram • Threads • BlueSky • Reddit • Mastodon • NextDoor • YouTube • Apple News •

PB79 - Planning Board 3/13/25

PB78 - Planning Board 3/3/25

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In Episode 143, Scott Piehler's topics include: The Planning Board addresses accessibility and reviews RESHAP. Mia Bonta unveils her legislative agenda. California looks to end the deny and delay insurance cycle. FAAS is setting up shop, and offering help for grieving pet owners. Plant some trees, and a variety of events to choose from this weekend. Support the show• AlamedaPost.com • Podcast • Events • Contact •• Facebook • Instagram • Threads • BlueSky • Reddit • Mastodon • NextDoor • YouTube • Apple News •