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May
09
2008
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Dan Veaner
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Friday, 09 May 2008 |
It seems to me that Lansing's Town and Planning Boards actually could agree on most of the proposed changes if each would let go of one piece. The Planning Board could embrace the checklist idea, and make it work with some minor tweaks to the Town Board's proposals. And the Town Board could rethink the loosening of allowed uses, especially in residential areas. It seems to me that if the two boards could do this they could each reach their goals, despite neither having everything they want.
The Town Board has proposed using a checklist for new projects. Strict triggers would be set. Fall below the triggers and you get an in-house review by the Planning Department, and a permit without having to go before the Planning Board. Hit one or more benchmarks and your case is automatically referred to the Planning Board. The main objections to this idea are 1) It takes authority from the Planning Board, 2) It doesn't give neighbors a chance to protest projects that don't set off a trigger until they are done deals, and 3) The Planning Board needs to see the big picture, and this approach would create missing pieces of that picture. 4) All projects would not be treated the same.
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