Joins Fishkill supervisor to ask for more involvement
Beacon Mayor Lee Kyriacou and Town of Fishkill Supervisor Ozzy Albra asked this week for increased representation on the Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail’s Visitation Data Committee, an eight-member group tasked with analyzing the projected impacts of the trail.
Earlier this month, five members from Cold Spring, Nelsonville and Philipstown expressed concerns about the ongoing data effort and last week the mayors of Cold Spring and Nelsonville and the Philipstown supervisor publicly opposed plans to start the trail in Cold Spring.
In a statement on Tuesday (April 23), Albra noted that while the committee has only one member from Beacon and one from Fishkill, 80 percent of the proposed trail would run through those communities. He and Kyriacou said their municipalities strongly support the project and called for “completion of an objective analysis of potential impacts” to be reviewed by the full committee.
Kyriacou said at the City Council meeting on Monday that construction could begin in Beacon if there are concerns to address on the other end.
It’s nice to know how strongly Lee and Ozzie beat their drums for a project being heavily marketed by Scenic Hudson, which is far more interested in urbanizing wild areas than it is in preserving them. After all, more development means more taxes for city coffers, more tourism, more high-end real estate, etc. Everyone wins. Except for the remaining wild areas along the Hudson, which will continue to disappear under the guise of “access for everyone,” including excessive traffic, erosion, litter and loss of habitat for many species of plants and animals. But never mind all that. Let’s focus on what’s really important: Money.
In the spirit of when SH/HHFT cannot dazzle you with quality, they overwhelm with quantity, I have gone to its website to read and study as much of the marketing propaganda that I can stomach. The VDC now shows the minutes of six meetings held. The Beacon rep attended four meetings and made two statements near the beginning of the effort in full support of HHFT personnel being at most meetings with the independent consultant.
The Fishkill rep is yet to have attended a meeting. Guess increased rep for the Fishkill supervisor would be starting to attend. Willing to bet more meeting minutes will miraculously appear that show Fishkill rep trail, as is, support in attendance. Also, if 80 percent of the HHFT is in the Fishkill/Beacon jurisdiction, can we expect the taxpayers of the city and town to cover the revenue to operating expense shortfall/deficit when the Trail is completed?