Amsterdam’s Zoning Changes

This image taken today March 6, 2011, reminds us of the promise of spring as the snow begins to melt and the rain falls on Route 5 in Amsterdam. The image is a personal reminder of the effect of visual communication, as I created the graphics for this Hill & Markes, Inc. truck just a few short years ago. What we can also see in this image, taken from my bedroom window, is the devastation done to the city under the guise of urban renewal. Neighborhoods were destroyed by a plan that would reroute traffic around the city center, contributing to the decline of our economy.

I wrote many letters and complained on local blogs about the situation. I read the entire 2003 City of Amsterdam Comprehensive Plan that recommended many changes to overcome the obstacles caused by urban renewal. One of the first recommendations of this plan was to rewrite our zoning ordinances.  Because of my continued interest in wanting to see the goals of the Comprehensive Plan realized, I was asked by Mayor Thane to participate in a Zoning Update Committee. This committee consisted of city planners, attorneys, planning board members, and citizens from various parts of the city as well as the Mayor and Alderman Wills. Montgomery County Department of Economic Development and Planning (now rebranded Montgomery County Business Development Center) was hired by the Common Council to do the actual writing and research of the new zoning ordinance.  The first organizational meeting was in October of 2009 and beginning  January 2010, the Zoning Update Committee met once a month for nearly a year, with Montgomery County Planning to hammer out the plan.

A series of public meetings were held at the end of last year for Wards 1,2 and 3. The meetings were very poorly attended but enough information was gathered from the public to suggest changes were needed to the updates.  Public meetings for Wards 4 and 5 were cancelled and a series of changes were made to the proposed zoning ordinance.

A final public meeting to introduce the revised zoning ordinance will be held at Amsterdam City Hall, Wednesday, March 9, 2011 at 6:30pm. A visual presentation will be given and the entire event will be televised on public access channel 17.  Questions and comments will be entertained from those present at the meeting and the plan is to take phone in comments as well. The meeting is open to everyone.

The following links contain downloadable PDF files concerning the proposed changes in the City of Amsterdam Zoning Ordinances.

Public Meeting Announcement

Final Draft of Zoning Ordinance Final Draft Zoning Map

Draft of Citywide Design Guidelines

Some major changes include the elimination of historic districts which were never enforced or officially adopted, a centralized downtown core zoned to encourage development, an employment zone along the Chuctanunda Creek/Forest Ave and an overall design guideline that applies to the entire city.

You can bitch all you want about how city government is not serving you but unless you are willing to stand up and be counted, nothing will change.  Wednesday’s public meeting is an opportunity to be heard before the ordinance is adopted by the Common Council. Remember, this is an election year, so your opinion will count!

Pet Dentistry

Cat lower canine tooth with decayed root

I found this little present on my living room carpet Monday morning, prompting me to find out more about pet dentistry. I have raised many cats throughout different phases of my life and consider myself an OK pet owner.  I bring my cats to the veterinarian for neutering, vaccinations and emergency treatment but never thought about cat dentistry. I never had a cat lose a tooth until this week.  I currently have two cats Spike who is 7 years old and Lee who is 6.  Lee was an afterthought, a stray that I took in when he was just a few months old living under a shed in the apartment complex I used to live in. He was infested with ear mites and a little undernourished but with a couple of trips to the vet and some good food, he evolved into the 16 1/2 lb butterball he is today.

In fact Lee is first to remind me when it’s feeding time and I have to feed Spike separately or Lee will eat his food too. Lee has shorter legs and is more solidly build than Spike who is longer, leaner and has a totally different personality. Lee will run and hide when company comes while Spike is more social. When there are no strangers in the house Lee rules the roost, demanding all the attention.

Lee (captured in the two above images), has always had bad breath, not just fishy cat breath but stinky breath. His teeth have always had a yellowish color. I never worried too much about this thinking it was just another genetic difference as the shorter stature and different personality traits.

Lee on the left, Spike on the right

I began to do some research about feline dental problems and found out that cats get gingivitis just like people do but their teeth do not decay the same. Tooth decay in cats is in the root of the tooth and most often goes unnoticed until it is too late.

Tuesday evening, Lee and I paid a visit to the Country Valley Veterinary Clinic at 5877 Route 30 on Amsterdam’s South Side where Dr. Crystal Murray did a full exam.  Not only did the cat have severe gingivitis but also an exposed nerve in an upper tooth where the enamel was worn away, a heart murmur and ear polyps in the right ear that will require surgical removal. The ear polyps are uncommon but are seen mostly in strays with severe ear mite infestations. The symptoms mimic an ear mite infestations with frequent ear scratching and head shaking. The polyp can also have a brownish discharge that mimics ear mite exudate. I  always wondered why I could never get rid of this cat’s ear mites despite what brand of over the counter medication I tried.

I was really impressed with the service I received from the Country Valley Veterinary Clinic. Dr. Murray and her staff took time to explain procedures and answer any questions asked. Country Valley Veterinary Clinic is a welcomed addition to our area giving pet owners the freedom of choice.

An appointment was made for Lee to have both the ear polyps removed and the necessary extraction of decayed teeth. This would have to be done under general anesthesia which could pose a risk to cats with a mild heart murmur. In addition to the pre-operative blood test and mouth x-rays, Dr. Murray asked if I wanted an electrocardiogram done to see if it was safe to put the cat under. At this point I had to ask for an estimate because it began to sound expensive. I had the choice to do nothing and hope for the best, pay for an electrocardiogram that could rule out doing any of the procedures or just do the procedures and hope for the best. I chose the third option. Lee goes in for the procedures mid April.

The question of whether not preventative dentistry would have helped remains a mystery. I’m sure it wouldn’t have done any harm, had I known about it. There are cat teeth cleaning kits that can be purchased with pet safe toothpaste and a mini brush but have you ever tried to brush a cats teeth? I have trouble just getting pills down their throats without getting shred to pieces from their claws. A professional tooth cleaning from a veterinarian or a veterinary dentist (yes they exist), requires general anesthesia and can cost about $100. I get my teeth professionally cleaned for less!

Odds & Ends

One Month After the Declared Snow Emergency, Grove Street Finally Gets Snow Removal!

With Grove Street being a direct emergency route accessed daily by Amsterdam Police, Fire and Rescue squads, one would think snow removal on this street would be a priority.

Amsterdam Mayor Ann Thane Appoints Police Lt Gregory Culick to Police Chief.

After remaining silent on the issue, the Mayor has decided to appoint Lt Culick to replace Tom Brownell who retired last Friday. The Mayor chose Culick over Deputy Chief Victor Hugo, Sgt. Own Fuhs and Sgt. Carl Rust. The provisional appointment is dependent on passing a Civil Service test to be given this month.

Crime Control Committee Just Spinning its Wheels

After nearly a year, the Mayor’s Crime Control Committee has agreed to disagree on crime statistics and has accomplished zilch. The controversial committee was established by Thane because of a report on crime submitted by Democratic Party Chairman Fred Stark, who has no background in criminal justice. This move was seen by many as a political move by the Democratic Mayor to gain position in the upcoming mayoral election this Fall. Stark was also appointed Chairman of the Committee. The establishment of the committee made front page news last year, with a photo of the smiling committee members standing with the Mayor. The crime rate in the City of Amsterdam is actually lower than the national average. The report proposed banning sales of box-cutters and spray paint to teens as a solution to solving Amsterdam’s imagined crime problem.

Establishment and implementation of crime prevention programs is the responsibility of the Amsterdam Police Chief, according to the Amsterdam City Charter.