Report on joint Town/Village Board Work Session

March 1, 2007

Dear Members of ARRG,
Greetings. May I share with you what I think is some very good news? Ever since our good neighbors had the keen sense to create this group, it has been a growing and deepening force for the good of us all. It's a beautiful thing to see people, a community, stir from complacency to organized, expressive thinking, sharing and working together.
On February 27, 2007, I had the pleasure and privilege of attending the joint work session of the combined Town and Village Boards. As you know, I was thinking zoning, the Martin farm, Russo, and aquifer. You will understand my mixed feelings upon reading the meeting agenda: disaster planning, noise pollution on Broadway, update master plan(s), police services.
Fortunately I stayed for the entire meeting. Perhaps it was somewhere around the midway point that I slowly came to realize how important this dynamic process was. I had checked with Bud Milligan before the meeting, and he confirmed for me what I pretty much knew for the last 20 years€”"The Village and the Town do not talk to each other."
This was a first – a breakthrough – we are talking together!
It occurred to me that the Village and the Town were starting to acknowledge and deal openly with the fact that we have many interests in common. One of the most insightful remarks by our own Supervisor was, "Disasters and emergencies do not respect political boundaries." How true. There is only one fire company which we all think of as our own. And they are primary first responders in both the Town and the Village.
The discussion on noise pollution on Broadway, interestingly enough, was about the sound of idling tractor trailer trucks in the Tops parking lot. As perhaps you know, the new Tops property is partly on Village property and partly in the Town. So it becomes very clear that a problem in the Tops lot is of concern to both Village and Town. This discussion dovetailed very well with that of police services. Interesting.
I kid you not. There was consideration of Town and Village sharing the cost of police protection. Wow! Just like they do it next door in Lancaster! Who woulda thunk!
The discussion about updating Master Plan(s) had its humorous moments, as different people tried to remember this or that date, activity, and whether we were talking about Plan A or Plan B. As Dear Abby says, "I couldn't make this stuff up if I wanted to."
Can you imagine having one contractor remodel the outside of your home and another doing the inside, and they never spoke to one another?!?
The discussion actually dared to consider that there is wisdom in simultaneously dovetailing the Master Plan work of the Town and the Village in concert. Imagine that!
So now, back to ARRG. Suddenly it hit me: this agenda is OUR agenda!! Responsible growth. Perhaps we can learn that Alden is Alden is Alden.
This is exactly the kind of meeting we want to attend! These are the ideas and discussions we want to encourage and participate in. Healthy growth, as well as decline, affects all of us, regardless of which side of the line you are on. If Walmart eliminates jobs, it would be in both the Town and the Village. Those businesses which have supported pro-Walmart petitions need to be educated—we should visit them and write to them. Give them information on Walmart's negative effects on local businesses, which is well-documented. And yes, both the Town and the Village want to see successful economic activity in the old Ames Plaza. What could the Town/Village do together to encourage existing businesses to expand into larger available spaces? Perhaps it would be easier for newer business to begin in smaller spaces. I see only good coming from growing contact and communication between the Village and the Town. United we stand, divided we fall. As we continue to work on the inappropriate designs of Mr. Russo for our neighborhood, let us also grasp and support the opportunities of the new "Team Alden."
Sincerely,
Paul G. Loehr