Letters

Twenty years ago, the residents of this town — a town surrounded by the ocean, bays and ponds, and with an almost embarrassing abundance of swimming pools — overwhelmingly voted down a proposal for a taxpayer-funded “community” pool.

Now, those very same people who promoted this business back then, and who were soundly defeated, are back.

For all the reasons set forth in Frances Genovese’s letter [“Why The Rush,” Letters, August 27], including, but not limited to, the murky financial structure of how this business will meet its estimated cost of at least $600,000 annually, the Town Board should either outright deny the application, even before an environmental impact statement is needed, or, once again, have the residents vote on whether they want to pay for this very expensive folly, especially during COVID times.

Moreover, this property was purchased under the Community Preservation Fund, a program meant to preserve what little open space is left, and was not meant to facilitate a huge development, notwithstanding how noble the few who stand to profit might argue it is.

That Fred Thiele opined that this huge sports complex development is a passive use is not weighty at all — as it was Fred who supported his fellow Republicans’ scheme that actually removed the aquifer protection zoning so a wealthy developer could build a pesticide-laden, groundwater-contaminating exclusive golf course on the deepest recharge area of our sole-source aquifer. He has no credibility when it comes to environmental issues. It was to weasel out of his outrageous stance on the aquifer protection removal so Golf at the Bridge could be built, and the community’s outcry, that he hastily proposed the CPF.

However, a sports complex development use clearly violates the stated purpose of the CPF, notwithstanding whatever expedient opinion Fred provides.

I urge the Town Board to not waste our taxpayer dollars on this folly and to represent the interests of the town residents over special interests.

Stacy Kaufman

Noyac