Riverhead Town Councilman John Dunleavy has once again shown his great skill at obfuscation. Look it up folks: it means to stupefy, to bewilder, to confuse.
When he was asked a question concerning his vote to allow clear-cutting of the Shops at Riverhead/Costco development on Route 58 last Monday night at the Suffolk Theater, he attempted to deflect any criticism of himself by blaming an un-named resident of Foxwood Village. That resident was me, Robert J. Hall.
John Dunleavy: He (the un-named resident) was picked by the Recreation Committee of Foxwood Village. Wrong.
Truth: Nobody picked me to represent the neighborhood at Planning Board meetings. I volunteered my time to try to help my friends and neighbors, spending probably six or seven years tracking the progress of this development.
John Dunleavy was nowhere to be seen.
John Dunleavy: (The un-named rep) “didn’t know what was going on.”
Truth is John is probably right because I am not a lawyer, and it appears as though our elected officials (who we expect to work for us) just rubber stamp legislation without even reading it.
John Dunleavy voted for the clearing permit because it met town code, whatever that means. And he voted very enthusiastically as shown in the meeting minutes of April 2, 2013, “I vote yes…We waited a long time to vote yes.” John Dunleavy has been a cheerleader for Costco from the beginning.
John Dunleavy: He (the un-named resident) never asked me for help. Wrong.
Truth: In July 2007 I sent him a note requesting a meeting to discuss concerns over this development. He never replied.
All the political posturing by the Town Board considering land-clearing legislation is worth nothing to residents of Foxwood Village and Millbrook Community.
On September 12, 2007, I addressed a letter to the chairman of the Planning Board, offering suggestions as to what modifications might address our concerns of sight, sound and safety; increase the depth of the buffer, heavily plant mature evergreens on top of a berm, build a fence high enough and sturdy enough to deter prowlers, and I am now leaning towards making that fence 10 feet tall and made of cement.
Let’s see what the politicians will do to help soften the impact of this clear-cutting permit.
Robert J. Hall
Calverton
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