Shandaken officials held what one Town Board member called an “unprecedented” meeting Wednesday night at which members of the Town Board and Zoning Board of Appeals jointly interviewed two candidates for a Zoning Board vacancy.
“You are all part of history,” said Town Board Member Kevin VanBlarcum as he addressed dozens of residents who attended the public meeting. “This is the first and likely last time we will do it this way.”
The unorthodox proceeding followed an outcry from residents and Zoning Board members over the Town Board’s attempt earlier this month to appoint Frank Cuevas to the Zoning Board after Henry Williams’ term expired in December. Zoning Board members criticized the Town Board for not including them in the interview process. While town law doesn’t require Zoning Board input when appointing new members, that courtesy had historically been extended.
After tabling a resolution to appoint Cuevas, the Town Board agreed to allow Zoning Board members to participate in interviewing both Williams and Cuevas at Wednesday’s meeting, and to submit a recommendation following the interviews.
Williams clashed with town officials throughout last year during contentious hearings surrounding a proposed Verizon cell tower and a denied bid by The Leeway Motel to start hosting weddings. Dozens of his supporters, on Wednesday and at the Jan. 4 Town Board meeting, accused the Town Board of scapegoating Williams for those controversial decisions.
Supervisor Barbara Mansfield said in an interview that the town had received an “intent to file” notice from The Leeway, signaling plans to move forward with an Article 78 appeal of the Zoning Board’s ruling. Verizon, according to Mansfield, is still exploring new locations in Shandaken for its proposed tower.
On Wednesday, Mansfield and Town Board members VanBlarcum, Kyle Steen and Elizabeth Kneissl joined Zoning Board members Christian Lynch, Allen Vella, and Gary Guglielmetti. Members of each board took turns questioning each candidate while the other waited outside the room.
Zoning Board Chair Mark Loete was unable to attend, as was Deputy Supervisor Robert Drake, who had been the lone “no” vote when the Town Board tabled its resolution to appoint Cuevas.
Questions ranged from the candidates’ views on staying current with state-mandated annual training for Zoning Board members—an issue Mansfield and Drake had previously accused Williams of shirking and one he denied—to their perspectives on whether community character or economic development should take precedence in future rulings. Williams said he would err on the side of community character, while Cuevas said it would depend on the specifics of the proposal.
After the interviews, Vella, Lynch and Guglielmetti voted unanimously to recommend Williams. The Town Board is expected to vote in February on whether to appoint Williams or Cuevas.
Lynch, who is in the final year of his five-year term, said he will probably be replaced when his term ends. He questioned whether Wednesday’s meeting was largely symbolic.
The Town Board “is interested in placing new members on the ZBA that will offer little resistance to what they want to do,” Lynch said. “They say this is for the benefit of the town, but they are only thinking about the economic benefit.”
Shandaken, like many rural towns, has long struggled to balance business development with preserving community character. Mansfield, who took office earlier this month after defeating incumbent Peter DiSclafani in November, said the town can do better on that front. She rejected criticism that the Town Board is seeking to favor new businesses at the expense of residents.
“We have to make sure the board represents both home owners and business owners fairly,” Mansfield said. “The idea that we have an agenda is just false.”
“I have an open door policy,” she said. If critics want “a real substantive conversation, my door is always open.”
Cuevas, who previously served as an alternate on the Zoning Board, said he was unfazed by the unusual interview process.
“There are passionate people here,” he said. “I was excited to see that. Everyone is interested in the same thing: benefitting the community.”
Williams said in an interview this month that this would be his final term, regardless of the Town Board’s decision. Reached at his home Thursday, he said he wasn’t optimistic about being reappointed.
“There is an outside chance, but it just looks like they are appeasing the townspeople who support me,” Williams said. Whatever happened on Wednesday, “they were always going to appoint the same individual.”
Jim Rich is a senior reporter for The Overlook. You can reach him at jim@theoverlooknews.com.