HOLLAND AVE SPOT ZONING BLUNDER:RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT

Holland Ave Spot Zoning Blunder  Retrospect and Prospect 

In retrospect: the rezoning of 3.5 acres of  land on Holland Ave at Hackett Blvd should never have happened. It would not have, had the sponsor of the zoning change measure, Shawn Morris, then Ward 7 Alderwoman and Common Council President, had withdrawn the resolution as advocated by Lonerangeralbany during last years city elections, and just prior to it's passage at the December 19, 2005 Council meeting. (See numerous posts this blog).

Shawn Morris and the Council Members elected with Working Family Party endorsement bear the burden of this blunder. It is politically damaging to the WFP-Liberal Democrat Coalition. 

The Albany Common Council remains an ineffective, divided legislative body that represents, on the one hand, allies of the Mayor, and on the other, the WFP-Liberal Democrats who sought to unseat the Mayor last year, and to gain control of the Council. The Coalition has failed on both counts and has failed the citizens of this city.

The Prospect?

Albany needs a Comprehensive Land Use Master Plan. Unfortunately  both factions of the Albany Common Council , by their eleventh hour passage of what is clearly Exhibit A as a worst case of Spot Zoning ( Highway Commercial on a major emergency vehicle routeway to Albany Medical Center - and one that will result in a big box retail drug outfit undercutting and driving  existing neighborhood pharmacies out of business) have shown themselves to lack credibility to devise such a plan.

Who can trust them to develop and enact a Comprehensive City Land Use Plan and a revised City Zoning Code that will truly benefit remaining residential city neighborhoods, particularly those neighborhoods that pay the lion's share of the property taxes that support city government and the city schools?

Shawn Morris and the new Council Majority Leader, McLaughlin, have shown they lack the judgment and ability to lead the Common Council. (McLaughlin voted for the rezoning).

So, as Bill O'Reilly often asks: "who's looking out for us" (In Albany). The answer is NO ONE.  Four more years of more of the same politics as usual.

 Can the WFP-Liberal Democrat Coalition muster the 12 of 15 votes to rescind therezoning. Highly unlikely!

The end result? No confidence in the Coalition! No confidence in the Albany Common Council!

                                                                                           J P Sullivan

    * See TU, today page B1