To the editor:

Last week I attended a meeting at Croton’s village hall on the proposed new anchorage sites in the Hudson River that have been requested by the maritime industry. The request is for the United States Coast Guard to designate 10 new anchorage sites for 43 barge berths in the Hudson River from Yonkers to Kingston. The intent of the meeting was to establish a record of comments for the USCG to consider as they decide whether or not to implement the proposal. Speakers representing municipalities along the river, environmental organizations, recreational boat associations and regional planning organizations all spoke against the proposal. A single spokesman from the maritime industry spoke in favor. One thing is clear from this meeting. Various affected constituencies must come together to make the case against the proposal. Those with an approved plan based on existing state and federal laws will have the most clout in the final Coast Guard determination. It is an example, once again, of the importance of establishing long-range plans such as Croton’s Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan (LWRP) and Comprehensive Plan. These plans, which are based on the federal and state Coastal Zone Management Act (our LWRP) and state Zoning Law (our Comprehensive Plan), will ultimately provide the legal foundation for opposition to the anchorage proposal. We saw that with our successful opposition to the Millennium Pipeline based on our LWRP. I was privileged to be part of the development of both the LWRP and the Comprehensive Plan. I look forward to the village joining with other opposition groups in fighting this proposal by utilizing the power of these plans.

Ann Gallelli, Trustee, Village of Croton-on-Hudson