The Trailer Park Is Still Front And Center
By Thaddeus Flint
A much-contested trailer park in Stephentown is going forward with occupying the homes there, it was heard at the October 15 Stephentown Town Board meeting.
The developer of the park, Tom Hanson, said that there are currently no legal reasons stopping him from letting new residents move in. “We have no litigation with the Town and the Town has no litigation against us,” said Hanson. The park, just off Browns Road, has been mired in controversy since pretty much day one after one abutter to the property, attorney Brian Baker, protested the project on grounds the new construction would not meet current Town zoning requirements.
“The only litigation is Mr. Baker’s Article 78 to the Town which has always been misrepresented here,” added Hanson without explaining how it is being misrepresented and by whom. At any rate, Hanson declared that there is no “Stop Order” in effect, and the park has a Certificate of Compliance from the Town and a Certificate of Compliance from the Health Department so he sees no reason not to go forward. And just in case Stephentown does issue a Stop Work Order, water and sewer have been tied together in just such a way that doing so would affect not just the new parts of the park, but “all the existing residents” as well, said Hanson. “So I’m just letting the Board know how this is moving forward on our part.”
“Lies,” was Baker’s response. For one, Hanson “brought an Article 78 against Stephentown and against me,” said Baker. And while Hanson might have all those certificates listed above, Baker said he believes each of the new homes need separate Certificates Of Occupancy. “So to go ahead now and do something that he has no right to do, because there is no C of O other than the ones that have been grandfathered in, is on him. It’s not on me, it’s not on you,” said Baker, adding that if a Judge finds in favor of the Town “then he’s going to have to get them out of there. He’s only opening another can of worms and he’s flaunting this in this Town.”
“Whatever Mr. Hanson does, he does at his own volition, his own peril,” responded Town Supervisor Larry Eckhardt. “We can’t say he can’t…it’s beyond our scope of power.” The only thing the Supervisor did say they could do was alert the Code Enforcement Officer.
“The Town has the right to go to court to enforce its own laws,” replied Baker, who then went on to declare that the CEO might have been “playing cribbage with these people” for a year and a half now.
Hanson, in response to being called a cribbage player, said that Baker was missing some of the facts. One such omission is that the Town doesn’t issue certificates for mobile homes, only the slabs they sit upon. Hanson also declared that it is because of Baker’s actions (defending his property against what he believes is illegal encroaching development by a neighbor) that the residents of Stephentown are now faced with monster legal bills.
For those keeping score at home, Stephentown added only $325 to its legal budget line since last month, none of which involved Baker, Hanson, trailer parks, or any such misrepresentations of those subjects one might make as well. The Town’s total overage for that account should now be $57,163.11
If residents think that taxes are going to skyrocket because of a trailer park dispute, they will be happy to hear they are wrong on that. The Supervisor announced the expected increase in taxes is probably around “three point something or other.” As that includes the usual expected increases in fuel, energy, and health care costs, it’s pretty much what could be expected of any Town in upstate New York, monster legal bills or none. Eckhardt declared that budget discussions had been “just a barrel of laughs” trying to predict what might come expense-wise in 2019. “We plan for the worst and hope for the best,” he added.
One unknown budget item will only be known after election day. On the ballot this year will be a question asking residents if they would like to have the Stephentown Memorial Library budget increased from $48,546 to $95,000 yearly. Councilwoman Pam Kueppers noted that full funding of libraries is “the norm” for pretty much the rest of the United States outside of New England.
The outlook in regard to future costs for trash pickup at the Transfer Station, is still grim, reported Councilman Bill Jennings. China doesn’t want our recyclables for the foreseeable future and so the latest price for their removal is $125 a ton, about twice what it costs for garbage removal. The solution other towns are finding is to dump everything in the garbage just like the old days back when nobody cared about the planet. There is, though, still a year left on Stephentown’s contract with ERCSWMA before the new prices would go into effect locally. “We will just hope things are better a year from now,” said Jennings.
“There is some good news though,” pointed out Jennings. Dave’s Market is now open. The shelves are still being stocked and it will take some time before staff there come up to speed with cash registers and things like that. Some will be happy to know that the market’s liquor license is expected just in time to help soften the upcoming winter gloom. Dave’s is also taking suggestions at their website www.daves-market.com for what locals might like to see on the shelves. “Stop in,
advised the Councilman. “If you want a place that stocks fresh produce in Stephentown then you need to support them. “