Canaan comment
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Comments and Suggestions from the Canaan SurveyPlease Note:1) Out of 379 people who completed and forwarded the survey, 212 people chose tomake comments or suggestions; 167 people did not make such remarks.2) In order to protect privacy, names, addresses and telephone numbers have beenedited to remove any references to the person making the comments or suggestions.3) Numbered lists were created when the writer had placed the comments in an orderthat suggested numbering.4) Corrections were made to compensate for typos and spelling mistakes that weremade at the time of data entry.5) There was no attempt to change the remarks in any way6) There are no line spaces in the comments. Each comment is separated by a doublespace.Paul NaamonI would encourage separating commercial and reatil establishments from housing areas and from the lake area. Also,maintain a minimum 2-acre lot for single-family housing. Encourage keeping large commercial - retail establishments nearthe thruway entrance.Keep Canaan as rural as possible. There are enough new houses to support the tax base this town needs. Business should behome based only from here on.Berkshire Farms lights destroy the Queechy Lake night sky. Lets keep the night skies dark and Starry.A Town sewer system would only benfit a very small area of twon and you would need a returning plant-keep water andeptic in the hands of the landowner. There are laws & guidelines already in place to protect the environment ...
Informations
| Publié par | Vofeg |
| Nombre de lectures | 77 |
| Langue | English |
Extrait
Comments and Suggestions from the Canaan Survey Please Note: 1) Out of 379 people who completed and forwarded the survey, 212 people chose to make comments or su estions; 167 eo le did not make such remarks. 2 In order to rotect rivac , names, addresses and tele hone numbers have been edited to remove any references to the person making the comments or suggestions. 3 Numbered lists were created when the writer had laced the comments in an order that su ested numberin . 4 Corrections were made to com ensate for t os and s ellin mistakes that were made at the time of data entry. 5 There was no attem t to chan e the remarks in an wa 6 There are no line s aces in the comments. Each comment is se arated b a double space. Paul Naamon I would encoura e se aratin commercial and reatil establishments from housin areas and from the lake area. Also, maintain a minimum 2-acre lot for sin le-famil housin . Encoura e kee in lar e commercial - retail establishments near the thruwa entrance. Kee Canaan as rural as ossible. There are enou h new houses to su ort the tax base this town needs. Business should be home based onl from here on. Berkshire Farms li hts destro the ueech Lake ni ht sk . Lets kee the ni ht skies dark and Starr . A Town sewer s stem would onl benfit a ver small area of twon and ou would need a returnin lant-kee water and e tic in the hands of the landowner. There are laws & uidelines alread in lace to rotect the environment. Existin or new businesses should be re ulated for unsi htl buildin , si nes, and ro ert , Exam le cars in a lot, fenced in, dum sters out of view. Buildin s to look more countr , less steel facinated. Lets kee this a beautiful countr town. I feel as thou h Canaan is a fairl safe area aside from the bershire farm at times. That there is a need to ex and & recruit business but on a restroctive basis not to harm canaan charm. We certainl could use a rocer store. I also don’t want m taxes to rice me out of Canaan which I feel could ha en if more business is brou ht in. At the same token I don’t want to much. Columbia Count is a nice rural area with access to two insterstate hi hwa s and the taconic. Access to obs, sho in ,investin etc is convenientl availbable outside the mondan e or aotherwise in with the ualit of life in columbia Count . I stronl o oze an effert of an kind that would encoura e eo le, families or business to move to columbia count , all of the above a lies es eciall to Canaan, East Chatam and Chatham. I am in favor of environmentall sound, low im act economic develo ment. I would not welcome multi-national cor orations or franchises. I would encoura e tourism. I believe that wind- owered ener ies I s a r ressive alternative ener source which is ainin momentum in New En land. Revenues from these kinds of businesses are environmentall friendl & could be a source of ma or revenue for Canaan, should these businesses be allowed to develo in Canaan. We shouldn’t tr to du licate all the services, housin , etc. That alread exist alread , ust for the sake of makin a com lete Canaan. I think the rural nature of Canaan is its reatest asset. We need to be careful that the necessar infrastucture & services such as fire & olice rotection, dafe drinkin water and sanitation are ade uate to the o ulation. I feel town services are streched thin alread . Lar e business and housin are not a ro riate to Canaan at this time. I also think attention needs to be aid to the ratio of ear-round residents to seasonal residents. Seasonal resident, in m o inion, are not reliable as volunteers that are needed for the town to function. Retain the beat of our hills and woods, however we need some im rovments to some areas. Incude all eo le of the town in somewa . So ever one knows what is ha enin at all times. 1. Encoura e home based business 2. Preserve o en s ace; utilize houisn as a tool to assist in the re ard 3. Preservation of the hi h water ualit of Queech Lake. 4. Waste s stem 20 & Se tic for B-3 develo ment 5. Floatin trails throu h wet lands alon 295 for birders etc 6. Support non profit development(s) for mixed cluster affordability. With oversight into futuristic #20 / septic systems
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1 I would ur ue caution since I ima ine man eo le will ins ite of our instructions Use the #1 as to riorit , rather than 5 so the results of all this will be ambi uous unfortunatel 2 Please consider re ulation an increase in the # of bi trucks that use the transfere station re ularl 3 Kee all of the curentl un aved roads the wa the are in unless residents on the road are adameantl in favor of avin 4 Lets kee the rural as much as ossible as we s end the tax bases. The Billboards are a bli ht on the beaut that is Canaan. The are also at time offensive. If other eo le a ree, could somethin be done? Canaan, and ueech Lake are ideal rural areas: a lot of residents chose to live here to et awa from commercial livin . Some rules and re ulations concernin ueech Lake. Have devided the residents of ueech lake because the re ulations can’t be enforced. There is no authorit to enforce re ulations: exam le: town borads assa e of the et ski use on Queech Lake. Also this winter snow mobile clubs were 15 to 20 snowmobiles at a time zoomin u and down frozen Queech Lake. At ni ht shinin there li hts into homes enterin and exitin the lake at times 10:30 to 11:00 at ni ht an decesions made concernin Queech lake should take into consideration how it will effect the ualit of life the residents of Queech Lake. I would like to see Canaan row and attract new eo le, oun homeowners like m self, while reservin the rural character of the town. That is a ke element because that is on of the ma or factors that draws eo le to Berkshire/Columbia Counties, brin in touism, which su orts a stron arts communit alon with the restaurants and hotels. I moved to Canaan because it’s affordable. I was born and raised in Great Barrin otn, and have watched it ros er while retainin its character and histor . And all because of careful lannin . We cannot destro the ver reasons eo le want to live here in the first lace. Economic develo ment and affordable, non-mobile home housin is ke to kee in oun eo le here. Berkshire count is too ex esive now and man oun eo le like m self are bu in /rentin in columbia count . This will greatly benefit the area to have a young populaiton of talented, creative people. Encourage the arts and cultural attractions, ood obs, and kee the mobile homes awa ! As a revious resident of Berkshire count , I moved to Canaan believin in its otential as a town. The rices of homes in Canaan are uite reasonable com ared to Massachusetts, Berekshire Count es eciall sk rocketin real estate rices. Canaan, ust over the border, and still uite close to all of the attractions of the Berkshires as well as havin Queech Lake. Seemed the erfect move. I feel Canaan would reatl benefit b encoura in more arts and retail t e sho s for tourism in the area. It seems that a communti focused on incresin tourism and attractin eo le interested in the serene beat of the woodlands and s eadin mone on art and sho in hel s the ualit of life. It works reat in Bershire count and I think it would be reat here. More recreation for kids less commercial endeavor. Dama in the environment and the charm of the communit . Thank ou. 1) Outlawing the use of truck "jake-brake" along the Berkshire spur, as many communities have, would improve quality of life. Also a noise barrier alon the corridor, as increased s eed limits have increased decibel levels of assin traffic almost intolerabl . 2 Encoura in , even romotin , business rowth locall would be a ositive ste , bolsterin our econom . 3 We need some "new blood" in our local overnin bodies which would brin a more ro ressive view oint. The reticence to embrace both chan e and the future is uite limitin . It is 2003, not 1903, we cannot afford to be left behind! See, Valatie as an exam le 4 This surve in itself is a source of ho e - a si n that Canaan is not all it could be, but that ? Is interest to chan e our course. We have a rather nice communit , ri e with natural resources, in need of an economic boost in order to flourish in current times. These resources are not onl scenic views, o en s ace, clean air and water, but I-90 itself - wh not turn a ne ative into a ositive?! 5 Thank ou for this o ortunit !! We have been residents of rural maine community for 27 years. Aprrox 4000 pop. It has struggled with its evolving profile as a result of the ressures of a lar e o ulation center, Portland, in close commutin roximit definin and balancin the demands on its resources while its a rarian charcter faded reatl challen ed a ointed officals and a res onsive citizenr . Con raatulation on this effort. We came to Canaan first as weekenders 10 ears a o. We were drawn to the natural beaut of the area, the uiet unhurried wa of life and the absence of traffic on its countr roads. After 8 uears of s endin weekends and vacations here, when m husband and I retired we knew this was the lace that we wanted to live, and althou h we sometimes miss the conveniences that surrounded our home in the suburbs of Lon Island we wouldn’t trade it for the world. I've would hate to see sho in malls stri malls and convenience stores mar the beautiful landsca e that is Canaan. There is much to be en o ned and treasured that here in Canaan but in the surroundin town and villa es Where would we go from here?
Comments and Suggestions from the Canaan Survey
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1 One as ect of commercial develo emnt that si nificantl im act a rural communit is a lack of constraints on li htin . 2 The develo ment at the B-3 exchan e is becomin the oran e low that is the harbin er of starless ni hts. Li ht olution 3 there is alread a serious sorce that should be addresssed. Bri htness of li hts, hei ht of oles, and tra ector of the fixtures should all be re ulated. We should avoid allowin Canaan to become center of industrial arks and de artment stores. 4 It is a erfect lace for the sort of rowth with the thruwa , transfer station, and the am le su l of vacant commercial r oert alon Rt 22. The Canaan truck sto is both an e esore and dama in to the environment and noise levels. I feel Rt. 22 should be rohibitied from /or limited to tractor tailers. Si ns should be osted to truck drivers encoura in to use of I-90 NY thruway. Speed limit should be reduced on Rt 22, Rt 295. Restrict motorized boats on Queech lake to reserve water ualit De ends on what the are 1 Please encoura e a riculture - small scale, niche a riculture is more economicall viable 2 Please reserve Canaan rural landsca e 3 A farmers market is a terrific idea for Canaan. The re ional farm and food ro ect based in Alban 518 427-6537 can hel start a farmer's market that functions well. 4 Please do not allow fast food franchises, the onl encoura e trash & rovide dead end, limitin obs. 5 Please encoura e small busineses, locall owned or mana ed if ossible. 6 I do not want to see an Cement lants in Canaan or an where 7 Thank ou for sendin out this surve . 8 Please kee us u dated I am interested in what the surve s tell ou as a whol and how ou mi ht use them. 1) 1. At the 4/26/03 and 6/14/03 public meeting please discuss how the final stratigic plan will be used by the town. 2 Queston 2 on a e 5 is ver oorl worded. What is the "Housin Conce t" the is bein referrenred? Of course ever one would su ort ood water, view, etc. But not if it means a mobile home ark. I have serious concerns about how this surve information will be int er reted!! 3 Questions 2 on a e 5 is askin the same thin as uesiton s number 2 on a e 3 and uestion 1 on a e 4. Is this ment to check the res onder's consistenc ? The surve seems to have a heav "affordable housin " slant to it. 4 Columbia count offers a variet of housin o ortunties. Iow would be unfortunatie, in this houshold's o ionion for the town of Canaan to focus our lannin effort on "affordable housin " housin for all " when this housin can be found close b in another town in our count . 5 We should take this lannin o ortunit to identif those features/resources which attract folks to our area tourist, weekenders, fulltimers and find wa s to romote our area while still retainin its rural nature and charm. 1 Have arba e rec clin center o en all da Saturda 2) Preserve beauty of area 3 Recommend land zoin for residential / rural areas 4 Encoura e art alleries, restaurants, small sho s. 5 Taxes are ve hi h for an area with ver few servcies 6 rivate roads that are mulifamil should have access to ublic servcies e. . snow removal, re avin , arba e removal, 7 Es eciall since taxes continuall rise. M ro ert is off Bristol Rd. and I do not have access to it. Des ite the ossiblit that I have been told there is an old unused road leadin to it which a nei hborin ro ert now encumbers. If I had access to m ro ert I could develo it. And the town would et hi her real estate taxes from it. I would ver much a reciate the town curin the roblem. Doin so would hel us both. M o inion: Canaan is a deli htful rural communti but is not suitable for lar e residential or commercial develo emnt. Efforts to expand may not be feasible protect what we have and improve on it when funds are available.
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1 The u l billboards at Rte 22 & 295 need to be re laced with a small medium needed business. One addiotnal business south of the corner deli would also be ood. If billboards are somehow removed the landowners should be artiall com ensated b a tax abatement until said ro erties are sold. 2 Removal of derelict structures should be facilitated b a combo of volunteers, town oversi ht, the owners, 3 Loose animals at frisbee St & Rte 5 I'm tired of not uite hitin oats, chickens, and the latest hair thin on four le s. 4 Nobod should throw snow out into the road ever. 5 A house aint assistance ro ram for homeowners that can’t uite afford it or enou h of it. 6 The town ara e facilit is understandabl u l . Can a 6' fence with a 2-foot lattice ato . Be erected to screen it? I would su est a non-wood lastic woodlike fence. 7 Removal of all dead trees and branches near town roads. 8) Inquiry in to Possibility of Burial of power lines where past records show vulnerabilties to the traffic, trees etc,. 9 An develo ment Business alon 295 south side from Rt 5 to railroad over ass should be set back from 295 and screeened landsca es with low and tasteful sina e. I have had a ood ualit of life in Canaan. I have had a ood ulit of life in Canaan. I raised m kids here and I have wonderful nei hbors. I know almost ever erson on m road for a mile north and a mile south of m home. I love swimmin in the lake, hikin and skiin in the state forest. I en o the character of the area and the diverse ersonalitites of its citizens. As I a e, I think about how much lon er I am oin to want to shovel roof to s and drivewa s, drive 12 miles to the su ermarket, walk on the roadwa , mow two acres, etc. A condo in town sounds better all the time. However, I don't want to see condos in this hamlet. I want to live closer to services but would hate to see all sorts of commercial services o in u here - don’t make Canaan into a "burb" - uk! I would like to see some mone inversted in Stoddard Park. It is a real asset but the tennis courts need work. A bike ath on Rt. 5 would be reat. I actuall think cluster housin can work, es eciall when it looks like a cluster of sin le or two attached homes are surrounded b o en acrea e. Peo le can share many ammenities and preserve open space. Aesthetically designed and landscaped cluster housing is environmentally sound. I'm talkin 20 acres for 4-5 homes. Canaan should remain a sin le-famil rowth area with limited commercial rowth areas near Rte 22. If s . ft. area maximums were considered for each commercial a lication, no ma or su ermarkets, discount centers, could make an a earance, which would not com romise Canaan's smaller hometown feel. Construction/demolition on a one erson's sin le famil / rivatel owned arcel should never be considered. This should also consider desi n if the want it, build it. For an new office/commercial construction is allowed, consider ravel- arkin areas so run-off is minimal. Commercial establishments should be encoura ed in Barker area - one or two. I am in favor of sustainable economic develo ment. I su ort all local businesses and don't mind drivin extra miles for su ermarket and sho in needs. I do not want Canaan to lose its rural character and I wonder about how much economic develo ment Canaan reall needs. I would like to know what's zoned commercial and what's zoned residential. Hope we will have access to the tallied results of this survey. Thanks for doing this. Can't make it Ar il 26th. See ou June 14, ho efull . Please save co ies of the results for those who don't make it on 4/26. Thanks. Please value the o inion of ever one. A bus service would be reat from Hudson throu h Chatham and Canaan in and around- it could ust be a van and to Lenox to rocer stores, etc. But I don't want the stores here. I'd ust like farms and diners and ve etable stands. Also, the s eedin and reckless assin on Rt. 295 are ma or concerns to us - we're had man close calls. A lot of this is from skiers and the Berkshire Farm em lo ees. Taconic tele hone is ou in Canaan residents b not makin 392 exchan es ossible, some have otten them as far as Shillin Crossin . Wh should Kinderhook and Alban be lon distance calls and internet service throu h Taconic Tech cost at least twice what it would be if these were local calls. 1 No Taxes for Peo le over 65 ears 2) Put out. Leave things the way they are now. 3 Don't be tellin eo le what to do. Since Canaan is in roximit to Chatham and Pittsfield, both relativel lar e commercial centers and both in semi decline with the down turned econom , it is unlikel that buildin commerical s ace in Canaan would stimulate economic activit in Canaan. What is likel , if commercial lots are built, is that the would o unused and would take awa from the town's beaut , and would wind u as vacant lots. Commercial centers should be built onl b demand. The conce t of "build it and the will come" does not work in economic down turns, and has been tried without success in man areas and even in New York in the late 80's and 2001-2003.
Comments and Suggestions from the Canaan Survey
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I know that in order for a communit to survive and ros er, it is necessar for ro ress to take lace. However, Canaan is a small uite little town with the charm of ester ear. I would like it to remain that wa . It is an esca e from cit life- with hustle and bustle. It has eace and tran uilit and beautiful surroundin s. It also is fortuante that man cultural and recreational attractions are close b . I would like to see a noise ordinance in effect and enforced. I have been visitin the Berkshires for the last 35 ears and s endin lon weekends for the ast 15. I would like to see Canaan develo raduall and tastefull but not to the extent of ruinin all the reat atributes I came here for in the first lace. Don’t ut u u l commercial or ublic buildin s. Buildin s can be attractive & well landsca ed & set back from the road so the arent u l . Who shose that awfuld desi n for the Post office? Not at all in kee in a rural flavor. The ones in VT new ones are so much more attractive. Should be a building code for keeping in line with a country look. Mini-maill in N. Lebanon is a erfect exam le of a DON'T I'm not a ainst commercial develo ment as lon as its done with a mind towards environmental reservation; em lo ment of a ran e of eo le with different skills; and sociall committed business. If there are housin develo ments as far as multifamil , senior or/and low income, it should also take into consideration the environment. It would be ood to see laces for kids to ursue their interests. I am OPPOSED to an 's ort' that uses asoline; snowmobiles, et skis, and articularl boats on Queech Lake. The are a hazard and dan erous to swimmers and small craft. I would like to see more services for the HIGH taxes we a . Thank ou. M home is ust over the canaan/chatham border in east chatham. Prt of m ro ert is on the canaan side of the line, on which I a taxes. Therefore, there ma be some a arent inconsistencies in m answers. uestions on 'affordable housin ' are confusin without s ecif in what income level we are talkin about. I am assumin ou mean trailer arks which I am a ainst. Canaan is basicly a residential community with a sprinkling of commercial and industrial uses. This seems to be working and should not be drasticall chan ed. There are ade uate commercial ro erties in Chatham, New Lebanon, and Pittsfield. Jobs for our oun sters is a roblem, but must be addressed on a re ional basis. I don’t see a need for the town to com ete for industrial arks or re ional sho in malls. The rime concern I have is for clean water. Densities should be ad usted to insure that the Town does not have to et into the sewa e treatment or water treatment business. Thank ou for ivin me a chance to comment on this as a nonresident landowner in the Town of Canaan. A cultural music like Tan lewood, or theatres such as in Stockbrid e would be fine to have in Canaan & the like. Whle I don't wish to ham er businesss in the area com letel , I feel that the zonin should be ver strict. Most of the eo le in the area have come because of the uiet rural settin and attractiveness overall. If ou be in to allow a lot of traffic & low income housin , we will lose the beaut of our town & the u scale nature that is drawin a lot of wealthier eo le and families to the area. Pro ert values will decrease and the eo le that came here for the reasons we did will vanish. M husband and I would like to see more moderate to expensive homes in the area, and that is all. Too many businesses franchises or " ublic access" areas will destro Canaan. Please kee Queech Lake rivate. This is a safe, low-crime area. Brin in in ublic facilities and low-income housin will onl threaten our safet and the securit of our home lives overall. Thank ou. I would like to kee develo ment to a minimum to reserve the ualit of life and rural atmos here. I es eciall wish that there would be no further develo ment at Queech Lake so water ualit could be reserved. Pro ert that can be seen from the road should be re uired to maintain a tid clean a earance. Decom osin ara es and barns brin the entire communit down and ive the town an aura of ne lect and lack of concern for safet and ublic health. Yard trash, abandoned cars, rustin e ui ment ive the same im ression. Enhancin the beautiful area of columbia count b offerin incentive to make unkem t ro erties more attractive would be in the best interests of each town. We think it's reat that ou're doin this research and develo in a strate ic lan. There needs to be a clear conce t and understandin of what the canaan environment could and should be with strict enforcement. I would be ha to volunteer and contribute to this effort. While currently here for about 40% of the year, I will be here full time from January 2005. 1 I think we need to enerate more obs and tax revenue. A rocer store would be nice. Wh not, within reason, allow more commercial business /industr around the trucksto area? 2 Also, let's tr to make E. Chatham commercial area a local tourist destination similar to Old Chatham/ or S encertown. Canaan has no central area. 3 I would like to see more o ortunit for teens / oun adults to recreate, as well. 4 More restaurants would be nice. 5 A sound wall around the B-3 corridor would be reat, or barrin that, outlawin the ake brake. Man other communities have done that. 6) Thank you for your time.
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1 Rte 22 Austerlitz exit to New Lebanon could be develo ed into a commercial stri . Rail and hi hwa access is available. 2 Canaan takes little advanta e of its roximit to the Berkshires as a cultural & tourist center. The lake area is an asset that mi ht be ex loited with more ublic access. 3 Sho in is nonexistent- the closest su ermarket is in New Lebanon. There is no lace to bu odds and ends. Tar et, Kohl's, Walmart. No small sho s where ou can ark our car and browse. Isolated small businesses usuall fail unless laces are ver s ecial.. 4 There is onl one restaurant of an ualit - to which ou can o for s ecial occasions and to which ou can take uests- no lace to even sto for ice cream/coffee/breakfast/lunch in a famil atmos here which will not cost an arm and a le ie 'friendl s'. 5) We go to the farmers market in Pittsfield, kinderhook, and Chatham and pay premium prices for fruits and veggies. Would love one in Canaan. 6 We like: Firehouse Breakfasts- a reat wa to meet eo le from the town; librarium; canaan da s- thou h a few more vendors & demonstrations and crafts eo le would be a reciated; countr caretaker; eas access and lots of arkin at ost office; backwater rill; the fact that ou tr to et in ut from citizens. 7 We are concerned about taxes and althou h we a ree that schools and communit should be su orted, we feel that we et ver little a back from our tax dollars. 8 Consider most the demo ra hics of the over 50 crowd, those established with mone to s end & who will cause few roblems & increased s endin re uirements for schools & ublic facilities. Clearl , we want to maintain the rural character of Canaan, addin those amenities that enhance the ualit of life. Town meetin s should take lace at an earl sta e so that the communit is not faced with sur rises. Meetin s should be scheduled on weekends. Sorr I ust noted that ou've done so. Thank ou Quality of life: condemn old goodrich lumber Co. Please remember Canaan has more poor to middle class then affluent. Stoddard Park should be iven a facelift. Fix baseball field, make walkin aths, u date avilion. Use this ark as a meetin s ot for town residents to et to ether, more than ust one time er ear. Make it a lace for the old & the oun . Build a communit center for town residents- a lace where the would have da care, show movies in the evenin , have craft fairs, etc. Encoura e thin s that encoura e the town residents to feel more like a communit , rather than a distant relative of Chatham. Do thin s to encoura e business to want to be here. 1 Answer to above would de end on the area s referred to and the t e of establishments to be encoura ed. 2 Include Intentional Communities on list of of ro ects to allow with conditions on a e 4. 3 An rail trail ossibilities in Canaan? With so man of us on well water, how do we ensure /hel to facillitate ood water ualit free of a ricultural run-off, for exam le from conventional esticide-use farmin ? We own 50+ acres of o en land. No residential home on ro ert . Land is in a conservation easement with the Columbia Land Conserver . Sorry I couldn't be more helpful. I have little knowledge of Canaan. Assessor should encoura e o en s ace b lowerin assessments on land covered b conservation easements. We do not live in our house, we rent the ro ert and it is about to be sold. If we ot more industr in town more eo le would build or bu houses, which would mean a lower tax burden on eo le. Tourism does not a the taxes. Since there is hardl an industr in Canaan, wh should eo le make this town a home. I believe it is im ortant to have a mixture of housin & rice levels in Canaan, so the town doesn't become o ulated with onl one rou /t e of eo le e. . "locals", retired, affluent, modest income, weekenders, full-time residents. I live at the extreme Chatham end of Canaan, and sometimes feel ver disconnected from the town. It would be lovel to have a real ark with reen areas, icknickin , shelter for atherin s, s orts fields, walkin trails, centrall located in the town. Or on ueech Lake Since Canaan has a ver ca able historian, I would like to see the honor roll include all ersons who have served in the militar be innin with the Revolutionar War and includin all wars to current times. I would like to see such an honor roll placed outdoors where it is visible to everyone. Cluster housin whether for seniors or an one does not make sense in rural areas where services harmac , roceries, etc. are not convenient - makes ver little sense at all. Com assion for our nei hbors should make some economic sense for ever one. Most eo le move to this area for its seclusion beaut and the rivac it affords - chan in an of those onl reduces the desirabilit of livin here. There are other areas of Columbia Count that are better suited to cluster housin , retail develo ment and economic rowth in eneral - in fact the would benefit from it. Let us think lon and hard before we change a beautiful private secluded area that is valued for exactly what it is right now.
Comments and Suggestions from the Canaan Survey Page 7 of 19 At one time, Canaan was a nei hborhood or carin eo le. Now, it is a town whose residents no lon care for or about others. There have been incidents involvin nei hbors which e itomize the worst of humanit - acts of s itefulness, meanness, animosit - have been occurin here that sicken me. I have lived here a lon time - I can't wait until I have the o ortunit to leave. The ma nificence of this countr side cannot cover the u liness that is here. The Promised Land? I think not. Yes, I think the area at Rt.295 and Rt. 22 exce t for Count Caretakers is out of control. The sale of used vehicles, the fast food roadside "trailer" and assorted refri erators and soda machines outside is visuall ross and not in kee in with the historical nature of the area. The sale of cam in trailers on the northside of Rt. 22 looks bad too. Also the s uatter area of shacks, cam in trailer and a li ht u on a ole over "the com ound" defies zonin re s - on Rt. 295 ast Rt.22 on the north side. The billboards which are onl in Canaan are an e esore and because the owners do not maintain the halo en li hts -the noise is tremendous from them. Billboards should be removed from the town and ruled against. They ruin the rural vistas. The rule to allow new buildin s 100ft. Back from road is absurd to those of us in 200 ear old homes which are close to the old roads. The rules to allow commercial businesses less acrea e is wron if we want to rotect the rural nature of the area. You cannot ut commercial businesses next to historical homes without devaluin the homes and ualit of life for residents. We do not need more commercialism in the town - we need less. We need to reserve nature and all the reasons we live here. I did not bu here to sho . 1 A fast food o eration at 22 and 295 or even down b stateline on 22 2 better cell hone connections 3 store near the lake with more convenient summer hours - the Canaan market alwa s seems to be closed. 1 Canaan needs more li hts in the central road area 2 Dan erous corner at 295 and 5. New commercial establishments should be encoura ed de endin on the t e of establishment. This survey addresses, almost exclusively, housing, land use concepts and zoning issues. Additional issues should have been included. Exam les include: 1 Is rowth in Canaan desired? If es, at what rate? 2 Is the villa e staffed and or anized correctl to res ond to communit needs? 3 What are the resent needs toda and 5-10 ears from now? 4 What is the erce tion of taxation levels versus benefits received? What is out of line? 5 Should Canaan increase its efforts to obtain federal/state funds and rants? These and additional issues should have been solicited from focus rou s rior to the draftin of surve . 1 When a house is bein marketed the bu ers should be told the can "bu " a seasonal ass to ueech Lake. The don't have "lake ri hts". 2 The town boards need to sto fi htin businesses and homeowners who want to locate here. Like the transfer station and cell towers. It cost the tax a ers too much mone ! For nothin when in the end it would have benefited the town. It would have been more beneficial if they had worked with these people instead of fighting them using our taxpayer dollars to a for it. 1 Less overnment/maintain taxation level 2 sim le zoin and land use laws 3 more develo ment of commercial zones 4 removal of towers whenever ossible 5 control of snow mobiles and et skies when ossible 6 discoura e houisn develo ments 7 more res onsible ustice of eace 8 control of conflicts of interest 9 lannin , rather than administration b lannin board 10 e ual treatment for all citizens 11) more programs for children, 12 more orfessional zonin officer, 13 no cluster houisn , a rartments or structures, re uirin a ossilbe need for ex ensive fire e ui ment 14 no unsafe drivewa s run off si ht lines 15 better town meetin s and financial ractices The most ne ative issue for us is the continual rise of the school tax. It serves so few children. The burden would not be so difficult if the mone was oin to solve other roblems, which would benefit the entire communit . Some t e of nature walk/nature observtion sites in area donated to town back of town hall town ara e Accurate estimate of the use b town residents of the towns new web site/com uter ro ram. It is obvious an asset for board members use but how much is it actuall used b the overall o ulation of town. Feel that there should be a surves after one year of its practicality just asking around does not give an accurate accountabilits
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