Because I am a candidate for Putnam County Executive, concerned residents of Southeast have been contacting me regarding the Northeast Logistics Center proposal off Pugsley Road. I share many of their concerns.
The quality of life impacts on surrounding residential neighborhoods will be significant, as will the health and environmental impacts of the project. The purported economic benefits—including an apparent donation of land to the County—in my view do not outweigh the project’s very real noise, traffic, and air pollution impacts. Critical elements of the proposal’s economics seem to be receiving too little attention from the County Executive and Legislators. A family's home is often their single largest investment, and their most valuable asset. Development that negatively impacts property values is bad for families’ long-term economic well-being. Ultimately, residential neighborhoods blighted by poorly-considered developments are not neighborhoods where folks want to live, and they’re not places with rising property values. That’s bad for Southeast and it's bad for the County. The County Executive should be weighing any benefits of the proposed Northeast Logistics Center against negative impacts on residents' quality of life and fiscal stability. Odell isn't standing with those who will be most affected by the development, and that is a disservice to constituents across Putnam.
At the end of the day, New York is a home rule state, and the decision to approve the Northeast Logistics project rests solely with the people of Southeast. But if I were County Executive, I would be listening carefully to residents and asking tough questions. It’s time that Putnam County pursues and supports development projects that not only create economic opportunity, but also preserve our quality of life, the character of our communities and the value of our environmental assets.
Maureen Fleming
C