Letter to the Editor: Leishman Point
While members of Waddington's Town Board were VISIBLE at Waddington's Homecoming, the
people of Waddington have yet to READ anything from the Town Board on their overall plan
for developing Leishman Point. By way of comparison, the Ogdensburg Journal recently
published specific, detailed plans and drawings that the Ogdensburg City Council paid
consultant provided.
Ogdensburg is contemplating what to do with its waterfront property by showing the
taxpayers their Master Plan, then requesting feedback from residents on their master plan.
In stark contrast to this, the Waddington Town Board had a "phone survey" that
asked their taxpayers if they were in favor of developing Leishman Point as Residential
Property. Did the survey provide any opportunity for feedback? No. In the Town Board's
"survey", taxpayers were told the following:
"After considering all possibilities and the advantages and disadvantages of each, it
has been expressed to the board that the best use of Leishman's Point is as 16 residential
building lots." What "possibilities" did the board even consider? What
advantages and disadvantages did the board consider. What ARE these advantages and
disadvantages of all the possibilities?
How or in what way DID the board "consider" ANY possibilities? WHEN and in what
forum did the Board consider or discuss ANYTHING? Whatever the Town Board
"considered", they DID NOT discuss or consider anything in a PUBLIC FORUM!
Apparently the Town Board doesn't have to answer these questions.
They also have not publically presented ANY specifics about their plan at their own Town
Board meetings. Interestingly, one of the Town Board's chief advocates, Roger Sharlow,
recently criticised the Waddington Redevelopment Organizations' proposal of a "mixed
use" of Leishman Point by citing the lack of "any figures to defend the position
of those who would have us believe we should rethink residential development." The
FACT is that the Town Board itself has not provided their taxpayers with any details or
any figures to defend THEIR position. As far as "considering all the
possibilities", the FACT is that the MAJORITY of Town Board members did not even
ATTEND the Clarkson University MBA Cunsultant Group's April presentation on their findings
and recommendations for Leishman Point.
After a FOUR MONTH study of the Economic Impact of various development scenerios,
Clarkson's MBA Cunsultant Group cited the following in their recommendations for Leishman
Point: Commercial Properties have MUCH MORE IMPACT on the TAX BASE than residential use.
Residential ONLY use DOES NOT have as large of an economic impact as you would think.
Leishman Point is well suited for a COMBINATION of commercial, residential, and
recreational uses. I wonder if MBA students know something the Town Board does not know.
Someone recently asked me what has me so "worked up" about Leishman Point.
Clarkson Consultant Group 4-month study also identified the thing that has most bothered
me since I found out the Town Board's plan. Clarkson's study cited that there is ONLY ONE
USE of Leishman Point that precludes all else and keeps the PUBLIC OUT, and that is a
RESIDENTIAL ONLY development plan. If the Waddington Town Board sells ALL the waterfront
land available to it for a FEW families to enjoy, they are, in effect, KEEPING THE PUBLIC
OUT, and that is wrong. If the Town Board gets to do what it wants, then the people of
Waddington can forget about their children and
grandchildren having ANY ACCESS to the most scenic piece of property in the entire town.
The present plan will forever prevent all but a fortunate few from being able to walk
around or bicycle around or fish on or sightsee from land that should be managed in such a
way that EVERYONE can use the land. For whatever reason, the Town Board refuses to
consider an option that allows PUBLIC ACCESS to the land. Unless the people of Waddington
wake up to this fact, then say goodbye to the majority of the people having any public
access to about 50 acres of beautiful waterfront land directly attached to your own TOWN
BEACH. Count me against any plan that provides for the fortunate few and ignores the less
fortunate MAJORITY.
Mark Brady, Waddington
Originally published 08/17/2003
Ogdensburg Journal
Used with permission