The Shandaken Town Board on Monday voted unanimously to appoint Frank Cuevas to the Zoning Board of Appeals, ending a month of contentious debate that included accusations from residents of “political overreach” and “hidden agendas.”
Cuevas, who previously served as an alternate on the Zoning Board of Appeals, replaced Henry Williams, whose term expired in December. At last month’s Town Board meeting, officials tabled a resolution to appoint Cuevas after nearly a dozen of Williams’ supporters, including current and former members of the Zoning Board of Appeals and Planning Board, criticized what they described as “closed-door politics” and “scapegoating.”
Williams had clashed with town officials on two controversial proposals that came before the Zoning Board of Appeals last year: a proposed Verizon cell tower and a bid by The Leeway Motel to host weddings, which the board denied.
Verizon later withdrew its proposal and, according to Town Supervisor Barbara Mansfield, is exploring alternative locations in Shandaken for a cell tower. Lawyers for The Leeway have since sent the town a notice of intent to file an Article 78 appeal challenging the Zoning Board of Appeals’ ruling.
After tabling the appointment in early January, the Town Board took the unusual step of publicly interviewing both Williams and Cuevas alongside current Zoning Board of Appeals members at a Jan. 21 meeting.
On Monday, Mansfield and the four Town Board members cited Williams’ failure to remain current on state-mandated training requirements. They also accused him of disregarding advice from the town attorney during The Leeway hearing.
Williams disputed both claims, saying previous boards had taken a more flexible approach to training requirements and denying that he or the board ignored legal guidance. He instead pointed to outdated town codes.
“We took all the advice attorneys gave us,” Williams said. “We looked at town codes written in 1976. We never ruled by the seat of our pants.”
Jeanne Maloney, who lives next to The Leeway and filed the appeal in November that led to the Zoning Board of Appeals’ decision, defended Williams at Monday’s meeting.
“It’s because of me that the town is being sued by The Leeway,” Maloney said. “I fought to protect my property. I would have sued the town if The Leeway didn’t. Hank did nothing wrong.”
Several residents again criticized the Town Board’s decision, describing Williams as someone who gave residents “a voice on the Zoning Board.” Others spoke in support of the board.
“I want to thank the Town Board,” said Jan Jaffe, a Pine Hill resident involved in bringing affordable housing to Shandaken through the Wellington Hotel redevelopment effort. “It’s your job to do this. This is not an easy or pleasant decision to make.”
Before the vote, Mansfield and board members thanked Williams for his service. Board member Kyle Steen said he had known Williams his entire life and described the decision as deeply personal.
“This is not a choice we take lightly. I’ve lost a lot of sleep,” Steen said. “We have to make hard decisions up here, especially when it comes to someone I’ve known my whole life.”
Responding to claims of ulterior motives, Steen added, “I’ve heard there are agendas that the Town Board has. If anyone knows of them, let me know. Because I don’t. This board has the town’s best interest at heart.”
Jim Rich is a senior reporter for The Overlook. You can reach him at jim@theoverlooknews.com.