93- Affordable Housing Committee - 4th of 4 comments

Before the Woodstock Affordable Housing Committee determined that the land behind Bradley Meadows was the best for affordable housing, they looked at a parcel in Zena. David Corbett, now on the Planning Board, led a group called Concerned Citizens of Zena. This group prepared a list of questions to the Town Board on Sept 2, 2003. I will reproduce some of the questions here, with comments.

10. What alternatives to this proposal have been explored to provide affordable housing? (For instance, why doesn't the town encourage renovations of existing buildings into low income apartments by offering tax incentives? Or buy properties that have been assumed by the county due to tax default and then recycle those into low income housing?)

Comment: Well, I would probably choose a word other than "recycle," but apart from that, good question, well stated. I wonder why David Corbett is no longer asking this question. Oh yeah, because RUPCO was invited to Woodstock to provide housing in the town's "last chance" for affordable housing. Seriously, what happened to these two other alternatives? And why are they even called alternatives? These three types of affordable housing are not mutually exclusive. Answers still pending, I guess.

19. How does the town plan to address the profound impact of such a large and congested development in an outlying area on our already hard-pressed town services?

20. Subsidized housing will still require full town services but by definition, not be taxed at a rate to cover them. Will the other taxpayers of Woodstock be required to make up the difference?

Comment: These two questions certainly sound as though David and his group are not in favor of affordable housing's consequences on them as Woodstockers. Magically, these are no longer concerns once the project is moved away from their neighborhood.

Final Question: Doesn't this require some sort of vote?

Comment: This question is obviously visceral, not based in any knowledge of procedure? It is a desperate reach for control. Now that the project is no longer in David's neighborhood, and he is on the planning board, guess whose seven votes are the only ones that matter.