Two Neighbors, Two Opposing Views

Last Thursday, at the Planning Board public hearing for ZRA 113, one of the four members of the general public who actually got to testify was Stephen Meskin. Stephen is a member of the Town Center Village Board and a resident of the Town Center neighborhood of Vantage Point. Stephen told the Planning Board that he while was “impressed with GGP’s efforts to mollify the masses” he is strongly opposed to ZRA 113. He called Wells + Associates traffic studies he called “mistaken and optimistic.” He railed against “threats to historic lakefront buildings.”

I was sitting next to former Columbia Association president Padriac Kennedy. I asked Pat if the buildings at the Columbia lakefront were considered historic what would that make us?

“Prehistoric,” he quipped.

In the same audience was Stephens Vantage Point neighbor, Jud Malone. Jud did not get the opportunity to testify last Thursday but I was able to get a copy of his written testimony. Jud is a former Columbia Councilperson representing Town Center. Jud and the organization he was representing, Columbia Tomorrow, “strongly support the adoption of ZRA 113 including the proposed density for housing, and for commercial and retail space.”

Columbia Tomorrow is also suggesting that Columbia Association “should transfer ownership of Symphony Woods to the County to be held in trust for the public.”

That’s one way of getting around CA and its dysfunctional board.