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Board members press for broader vetting after tight CFA timetable
Summary
Several board members told the Hillsdale Town Board the July 31 deadline did not allow adequate stakeholder engagement and raised concerns that the draft application presumes key players and priorities without full board consent.
Multiple board members said the tight schedule for the CFA resubmission means important stakeholders have not been fully heard and that some application language assumes roles and priorities not yet decided by the town.
"This whole year that prevented or I I just think this needs way more time and consideration and vetting," the Chair said, expressing concern that the board had not been able to digest the application fully. Committee members echoed that sentiment, asking for concrete redlines and wider engagement of planning, zoning and housing stakeholders before submission.
The planning board's chair also submitted written feedback, read into the record, warning that the application "presents as fait accompli both the significant players in the process and the most important priorities of the town." The letter urged leveraging existing local expertise and cautioned that smart-growth principles alone may not be appropriate given Hillsdale's infrastructure and economic constraints.
Board members agreed to circulate redlines immediately and to let staff prepare an updated package for review by July 25; they did not adopt a final resolution at the meeting.
