“Political Appointment Pending: Training Required”

Luke Regier, A.I.A.

All across our Hudson Valley, there are petitioners in front of County, Town, Village and City Planning and Zoning boards. These are individuals who have either spent a lifetime planning the constitutionally-provided right to develop their property, or individuals who are spending a lifetime of savings to enhance their property.

The appointees who sit on these Planning and Zoning Boards have a critical responsibility to regulate private land use and can have an overwhelming impact on both policies and individual land owners.

New York State has recognized the vitally important role these board members have, and have acknowledged that training in land use is a necessity for optimal execution of this influential duty.

As of January 1, 2007, New York State, thanks to legislation sponsored by Assemblywoman Sandy Galef and Senator George Winner, will be requiring all Town, City, County and Village Planning and Zoning appointees have 4 hours of annual training. Should these individuals not participate in this training, they will be ineligible for re-appointment.

More often than not, we as citizens are screaming for more common sense in government. In this piece of legislation, we have it. And for this, we owe great thanks. To Governor Pataki, Senator Winner, Assemblywoman Galef and all of this law’s bipartisan supporters, we say “thank you.”

For more information, please visit: http://www.senate.state.ny.us/senatereports.nsf/public_viewreports?openform