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Zoning code reform, sewer & bridge infrastructure top Majestic’s 2020 priorities for Gardiner

by Frances Marion Platt
January 13, 2020
in Politics & Government
0
Marybeth Majestic seeks reelection as Gardiner town supervisor

Gardiner Town Supervisor Marybeth Majestic (photo by Lauren Thomas)

Gardiner Town Supervisor Mary Beth Majestic. (Photo by Lauren Thomas)

On January 1, Marybeth Majestic commences her third term as Town of Gardiner supervisor, reelected without opposition in November 2019. Issues that most urgently need addressing in 2020, in her view, begin with fixing the gaps, contradictions and vague terminology in the Zoning Code that have hindered town officials’ ability to regulate short-term rentals and other tourist accommodations, as well as replacing a decrepit, dangerous bridge on Clove Road and scoping out how to enhance the capacity of the sewer infrastructure in the Gardiner hamlet.

As town supervisor, what are your immediate priorities that you want to see addressed early in 2020?

We need to adopt the amendments to Chapter 200 and Chapter 220 [of the Zoning Code] and lift the moratorium on tourist-related land use accommodations, as well as adopt a local law regulating short-term rentals. We also need to begin the Inflow and Infiltration study in our Sewer District and take the necessary steps to mitigate the problem, which would increase our capacity at the sewer treatment plant. We need to work diligently to replace the Clove Road Bridge with the funding we have secured.

What else is on your wish list to complete or initiate by the end of the year?

This spring we are planning to complete the work required in the Pole Barn at Majestic Park that will allow us to rent the facility out to residents. We need to implement a system in our Building Department to monitor the conservation easements that the town holds or owns. We will continue to support the requests of our volunteer boards.

What should Gardiner residents be aware of that’s likely to become an issue for them in 2020, or where their input to town leaders would be especially valuable?

Residents should be aware that the use of their real property may be governed by the town Zoning Code and they should contact the Code Enforcement Officer with any ideas they have, from installing a deck to short-term rentals. When residents attend Town Board meetings and ask clarifying questions or suggest specific actions or solutions, we often find a productive dialogue follows. We learn from residents, and I am certain it helps residents to understand the broader context of issues. The interests of our residents drive what issues the Town Board will undertake.

Everyone in public office occasionally faces unanticipated challenges and has to get creative. Has there been any takeaway lesson from such a situation in the past that you feel will be helpful to you in coping with future challenges? 

The scope of issues and opportunities before the Town of Gardiner requires creativity and patience. It is often unknown to others the amount of research and analysis required to bring worthy projects before the Town Board. Public discussion of these projects or concepts is invaluable because of the perspectives others bring to the topic. Yet the challenge can be creating understanding among the diversity of perspectives, especially if the recommendations of some or many don’t prevail. Judgment must be applied by the five people who must vote, and some are satisfied while others are not. The takeaway: Be clear and forthright and let the chips fall where they may.

Join the family! Grab a free month of HV1 from the folks who have brought you substantive local news since 1972. We made it 50 years thanks to support from readers like you. Help us keep real journalism alive.
- Geddy Sveikauskas, Publisher

Frances Marion Platt

Frances Marion Platt has been a feature writer (and copyeditor) for Ulster Publishing since 1994, under both her own name and the nom de plume Zhemyna Jurate. Her reporting beats include Gardiner and Rosendale, the arts and a bit of local history. In 2011 she took up Syd M’s mantle as film reviewer for Alm@nac Weekly, and she hopes to return to doing more of that as HV1 recovers from the shock of COVID-19. A Queens native, Platt moved to New Paltz in 1971 to earn a BA in English and minor in Linguistics at SUNY. Her first writing/editing gig was with the Ulster County Artist magazine. In the 1980s she was assistant editor of The Independent Film and Video Monthly for five years, attended Heartwood Owner/Builder School, designed and built a timberframe house in Gardiner. Her son Evan Pallor was born in 1995. Alternating with her journalism career, she spent many years doing development work – mainly grantwriting – for a variety of not-for-profit organizations, including six years at Scenic Hudson. She currently lives in Kingston.

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