EDITORIAL:

The Town of Owego Board must be more selective in appointing members to its Planning Board. After attending planning board meeting over the last several years, I have come to the conclusion that some of its members are not in touch with reality. They have no common business sense when it comes to what it takes, money wise, to make all the changes that they want a business to do.

Recently, a convenience store/gas station came before the planning board with plans for remodeling - plans that were drawn up by professional architect who has used the same design with great success across the country. Members of the planning board decided that the plans were all wrong, and that the building and gas pumps should be moved.

Another local business came before the board with plans for a retail building. The planning board wanted the building turned around and the parking lot moved to the rear of the property, away from the highway.

It seems that all the board wants is grass and flowers, if you have that, you got it made.

The Owego Town Board recently spent OUR hard-earned dollars to do an Access Management Study. This study concluded that businesses' driveways (entrances or exits for their parking lots) should be at least 100 feet apart and that the town should try to have access roads when possible to eliminate driveways onto highways.

We needed to pay someone to tell us this?

At the last board meeting, a business presented plans with just one driveway (the lot was not wide enough to accommodate two driveways 100 feet apart). One of the members on the board asked why the plans did not show two driveways, and stated that it would be much easier for traffic flow despite the code stating that only one could be used. It seems like the planning board uses the zoning code book only when it fits their needs!

After the last planning meeting was adjoined, one of the members wanted to address the board but noticed that I was still there. She stated, "I don't want the PRESS to hear this." She then stated that they were going to have an "executive session" and I would have to leave. Even in this case, the planning board did not follow the rules for going into executive session.

With the recent quitting of the chairman Dave Opp, the Town Board has a vacancy to fill. Let's hope they fill it with someone new, with new ideas, and not with someone to whom they owe an appointment.