- By Dan Veaner
- News
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| Village of Lansing Voters: All four candidates will be participating at a moderated Candidates Forum on April 22, 4:00 - 5:00 at the Ramada Inn, 2310 North Triphammer Road. | ||
"I like the Community Party which I joined 10 years ago," he says. "No politics… just solutions for the Village of Lansing! I’ve served for 8 years on the Board of Trustees, no politics… just solutions for the Village."
O'Neil talked with the Lansing Star about his candidacy this week.
Lansing Star: Why are you running, and what will make you a good Trustee?
John O'Neil: In my 8 years as a Trustee I have campaigned for the streetlights on Graham Road, looked at the sidewalks for the Village, and worked on the deer management plan. Currently, I serve as the liaison for the Town of Lansing and the Lansing Fire District. I would like to continue for another term to help make the Village of Lansing an even better place to live and work.
LS: What do you see as the key challenges in the Village that you'll face in the upcoming two year term?
JO: The Coventry Walk and the Kensington Apts. have a dilemma… they do not have the required access, which presents a life safety issue. The Code of the Village requires 2 means of access and the NYS Laws demand that a public street must be connected to another public road. The consultant (B&L) and the Northeast Committee Members are working on a plan to resolve this.
LS: At least one candidate has challenged the transparency of the Village government. How would you characterize it, and what, if anything would you do differently to make government transparent?
JO: The challengers said that the Village Government is not transparent. That is not true. The Community Party always wants to be transparent. The Village always wants to be transparent. No secret meetings! No secret deals!
Look at the minutes of the Planning Board and the Trustees and anyone can see that the transparency is evident. The challengers should look at the minutes from 1999 - 2001. In these minutes the residents of Coventry Walk were very insistent that the Village should make a public road access for them.
Transparency is there.
LS: Development in the Dart area of the Village has caused controversy this year. How do you see the issues that have been raise being legally and fairly resolved?
JO: The question about what can be done about the three Dart Parcels is a murky problem. Our challengers do not understand that ‘progress’ is inevitable. But that ‘progress’ is in process... no proposal has been approved. The Village Trustees and the Planning Board have a lot of studying to do, and will be considering many aspects of the three Dart Parcels. The process must be allowed to work.
LS: What would you say your top accomplishments have been while in office, and what would you like to accomplish in the next term?
I have been the Trustee with the Village staff and have helped develop the 'can do' spirit that they have that makes the Village one of the most efficient government in NY State.
In the present and future the Village must resolve the problem of providing access and circulation via a public roadway for all areas of the Village. This means two public roadway access locations per Village Code requirements for all our ‘first responders’ (fire engines, ambulances, policemen).
LS: The Village has a reputation of being tough on zoning issues, especially on requirements for businesses such as signage, lighting, etc. As a Trustee, what kind of growth would you advocate?
JO: The Village’s reputation was development in an orderly manner. In the beginning (1974), the Village was well on the way to having a continuous ‘strip mall’ along the North Triphammer Road. That is why the residents at that time organized the Village. The Planning Board, the Trustees, and the Code Enforcement Officer must consider any new development in the context of the Village’s Comprehensive Plan.
LS: The Mayor has pursued lowering town taxes for villagers. Where do you stand on this issue? Should the Village avail itself more of town services? Should it secede or merge with the town to attack this issue, or work with the town as-is?
JO: As-is is okay! Of course, lowering Town taxes for the Villagers is even better!
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