Dan, your editorial and front-page article on the senior housing project in the Village of Lansing was an excellent summary and evaluation of this overly long, drawn-out process. I was a member of the Village Planning Board when this project was first proposed by Eric Goetzmann, and I am amazed that, after all these years, so little progress has been made, other than the construction of BJ's.

The current design for the senior housing seems to meet the expectations of the Planning Board and the concern over the future use of the remainder of the property should be a non-issue. As you point out, the Planning Board holds all the cards. Any future plans for the property have to be approved by the Planning Board. Of course, Mr. Goetzmann, who has been very accommodating in the past, could easily solve this issue by the simple expedient of donating the remaining land to the Village for use as parkland or nature preserve.

Perhaps my idea is too simplistic, and I am missing some nuance of the law, but I hope that this much needed senior housing project will soon reach fruition so that Mr. Goetzmann can get on with his life and the Village can look to the future.

Best regards,

Richard Durst
Koefering, Germany
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