LOT A--PB MEETING 4/15/2025--STATEMENT OF SUSAN SKRELJA

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Planning Board Meeting - Public Hearing Lot A – 4/15/2025

Susan Skrelja

Thank you for extending the Public Hearing across two meetings. I appreciate the opportunity for continued community input.

While some have called this project a "win-win-win," let’s be clear: the only winners are the developer and the current administration looking to score political points. For the Village and its residents, this proposal is a lose-lose-lose.

--With the proposed 100 units at 100% affordable, we lose over $400,000 in Parks and Rec fees—critical funding that could help repair and maintain our parks and fields.

--With the proposed 100 units at 100% affordable, we lose the promised community space outlined in the original RFP. A competing proposal offered both mixed-income housing and 2,600 sq. ft. of shared space.

--With the proposed 100 units at 100% affordable, we lose tax revenue, as abatements shift the burden to existing taxpayers and strain school funding—even as student needs continue to grow.

We also need clarity: if WBP does not receive AHOP funding, what’s their backup plan for Lot A? Will they walk away, pivot to rentals, or change the housing mix? The public deserves transparency and we must know before any such changes are adopted.

Additionally, the balloon test on February 23 was poorly executed and inadequately communicated. Windy conditions made it ineffective. I am requesting that another balloon test be scheduled—with advance public notice and four balloons marking each building corner so as to determine the true size and visual impact of this structure.

Open questions also remain around water pressure and potential rooftop water towers. If Wayne Street easements aren’t granted, will the height of the building be reduced?

Finally, we must insist on quality landscaping. Maple Commons sets a concerning precedent. WBP plans to work on a tight budget and we all know that landscaping is the last thing to get addressed, we cannot allow another underwhelming, neglected streetscape.

In this project full of losers, perhaps the biggest losers will be those who will call Lot A home. Are those who live in affordable housing less deserving of an environment which isn’t inundated with constant air, noise and light pollution? Are they less deserving of having playgrounds and greenspace? I will never understand how anyone approved this site for residential use.