The Priority of Addressing “Downtown Copake

Bob:

As one of the other attendees at Copake’s June 4 Planning Meeting, I want to completely agree with your assessment: a Town Hall full of smart people, appreciative of being heard and eager to learn, congenial and productive.  I and what I guess are my 3,614 Copake neighbors cannot thank chair Jeanne Mettler, her committee, and the self-effacing consultant from River Street Planning enough.

I—and clearly the majority of the others at Town Hall—agree with your suggestion about the priority of addressing “Downtown Copake,” where, as another speaker put it, some remedial work on three sites may have a huge impact on attracting businesses and investment.  I am also a fan of your thinking on the power of a mixed-use theater (+coffee shop+Internet café+gallery…) as an anchor and your budget idea of more entertainment in the park.

I hope the Town Board and Supervisor can move this plan toward swift approval.  And that sufficient citizenry can rise to the challenge of populating the dozen committees that will start turning the plan into the future.

Will Maitland Weiss

Executive Director, Arts & Business Council of NY