The last time New Paltz Town Council members didn’t reappoint a planning board member who wanted to stick around, he ended up becoming village mayor. Mike Calimano does not live in the village, but as of December 7, he joins Tim Rogers in the pile of members told “thanks, but no thanks”to their offer of additional service.
Marty Irwin and Jeff Logan sought to retain Calimano. Irwin spoke of his 20 years of service on the planning board in two stints, and the experience he had at the job. He called the decision not to reappoint evidence that his colleagues do not support diversity, and prefer to apply the “litmus test” deputy supervisor Dan Torres spoke of in the wake of a vote not to require an environmental impact statement for the CVS application. The so-called CVS proposal calls for the titular drug store, as well as a Five Guys Burgers and Fries, to be placed on the 5.6-acre parcel bounded by the Thruway, Route 299, and North Putt Corners Road, with a third potential pad site to be developed at a later date. Calimano voted in favor of the negative declaration.
Logan, already agitated from earlier meeting business, said he was “deeply disappointed” that his colleagues would not support differing views. He was asked if he voted to reappoint Rogers in 2014, and said, “Abs—” before checking himself, and instead said he did not because Rogers was, at the time, running for mayor.