 Cochecton’s Future
Sullivan County Democrat: October 10, 2006 Keep Cochecton Quiet and Small Every day I think how lucky I am to live in Cochecton. This morning I walked my child to the end of our driveway to put him on the school bus. The air was clean, clear and crisp. The views were astonishingly beautiful as I looked at mile after mile of green rolling hills dotted with lush forests leading to a distant mountain. The only sound we heard were the birds chirping, the squirrels rustling through the treetops and the roar of the school bus as it lumbered its way up the hill on our small country lane. But it looks as though my luck is about to change. Not only is there the threat of the NYRI power lines looming overhead, but we now have the threat of turning into a new suburbia…right here in Cochecton! Can it be true? There is a proposal to build 42 homes on approximately one-acre lots at the end of my peaceful country lane. A mini version of suburban New Jersey, on land to be cleared of the trees and boulders that sit there now. These modest houses will be tightly stacked up side by side, also called "clustering". Supposedly that means a remaining portion the parcel will be left alone - or "green" as the builder calls it. That "green" area will be behind the clustered houses and certainly not visible to the public. When my family left the noise, stress and pollution of New York we chose Cochecton. We loved the open space, the clean air, the absolute quiet. We quickly became integrated, involved in and supportive of this diverse community. It is a joy to be amongst farmers, life long residents, scholars, educators, writers, artists, musicians, photographers, and a variety of talented self employed professionals who also love it here. If we wanted the suburbs, we would have moved to the suburbs. Now it seems the suburbs are moving to us. According to the Town of Cochecton Zoning Law (Article V), the traffic would increase by 403.2 vehicles trips per day on country lanes that have not been designed or built to withstand that amount of traffic. My road, which is less than 1/2 mile long, would virtually become the main entrance to this new subdivision. I am not against growth and I am not saying no one else can move here and enjoy what we enjoy. On the contrary…I would love to see more families and children move into the community. If our schools got more students, maybe we could re-open our beloved Delaware Valley School. I propose the Town of Cochecton's Zoning Board, Planning Board and Town Council take responsible action and listen to the residents, not the money hungry developers. Once the crowded developments start coming, how do we stop others from popping up in your back yard? We need responsible growth. We need to set zoning laws that will preserve what we all now love. Once that green is gone, it will be gone forever. Joan Glase Pinciotti |