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Ulster County committee approves Tesla crossing at Kingston plaza over protest votes, 4‑3
Summary
The Ulster County Legislature committee approved a right‑of‑way crossing for Tesla at the Hannaford/Kingston plaza to install vehicle chargers; three legislators cast protest 'no' votes citing concerns about Tesla's corporate practices while others cited public charging access.
The Ulster County Legislature's Economic Development, Planning, Education, Employment, Arts & Agriculture Committee voted 4‑3 on March 4 to authorize a right‑of‑way crossing across the Ulster & Delaware Railroad corridor near Mile 0.308 in Kingston so Tesla Inc. can install charging equipment at the Hannaford plaza.
The vote followed extended discussion in which several legislators framed their 'no' votes as symbolic protest against Tesla and its leadership rather than because of the crossing permit itself. Legislator Hewitt said she voted no for that reason: “I was a no because I don't wanna support Tesla.” Vice Mayor Stewart described his position as “a protest vote” tied to actions at the federal level, and Legislator Clinton likewise said she would vote no despite noting she owns a Tesla.
Supporters of the crossing emphasized the public‑access utility of additional chargers and that the county would not be investing capital in the installation. Legislator Nolan urged caution about using the committee to make a broader corporate statement, saying, “I don't see here is that we're adding any capital to them,” and added that the plaza has cooperated with county initiatives and that chargers would be an amenity for the public.
County staff and counsel explained the narrow scope of the committee decision. Amanda (county staff) told legislators, “the only thing we're approving here is allowing them to go through our county property,” and an attorney noted that the plaza owner must also approve the site plan; plaza permission is required in addition to county crossing approval. Committee members and staff also discussed technical compatibility: county counsel said most non‑Tesla vehicles now require adapters to use Tesla Superchargers, with the Nissan LEAF and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV remaining incompatible without special arrangements.
The measure passed 4‑3; the committee recorded the tally as “adopted 4 to 3.” Committee discussion recorded that three legislators publicly stated they would vote 'no' as protest votes (Hewitt, Stewart, Clinton); other votes were not read aloud by name in the committee record presented at the meeting.
Ending
Committee members said they supported expanding fast‑charging availability in the county while also expressing differing views about whether a permit vote should be used to send a political message. Staff noted other fast charging installations exist or are proposed in the area and that alternative providers (e.g., ChargePoint) could seek comparable access to county property in the future.
