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Election Upheavel in Town of Coeymans

Today, Mark Dunlea of the Hudson Mohawk Magazine podcast spoke to CAC’s Barbara Heinzen about the recent election results in Coeymans. Heinzen and volunteer members of the CAC were thrilled to learn that several candidates sympathetic to the CAC mission won seats on the Town Board. Most importantly, George McHugh, the former attorney for Carver, was narrowly defeated in his re-election bid for Town Supervisor. The CAC hopes to advance several issues with the new board but a key point would be reversing the changes made by McHugh to gut the Clean Air Law. Changes were made not only to the Law but also to Coeyman’s Comprehensive Plan and zoning laws to allow for the expansion of industrial development along the Hudson River for what the CAC suspects was for waste management purposes. Listen to Heinzen’s interview to learn more:

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Natural treasures worth protecting in Coeymans

On Wednesday, October 4, Hudsonia ltd hosted a free workshop to identify and protect small streams and wetlands in the Coeymans neighborhood. Educators discussed the values of small wetlands and streams; how to find and identify them, even in their dry condition; threats to wetlands and streams; and effective regulatory and non-regulatory protections.

A large wetland, but less than the 12.4 acres that the law protects.

CAC members Barbara Heinzen and Sara Pruiksma joined Gretchen Stevens from Hudsonia for a walk through Joralemon Park.  They were part of a group of about 20 people, many of whom were from Bethlehem,  NY.   Gretchen took the group to see different examples of wetlands that a town might want to protect as New York State and Federal laws do not include smaller wetlands and vernal pools.  Importantly, she noted that a wetland does not always have water, but it can be identified by the types of plants that grow there, the nature of the saturated soil, and a thick matting of leaves that would have once been covered with water.

Gretchen Stevens also noted that Joralemon Park is an exceptional site for native plants and ferns of many kinds.  The people of Coeymans are lucky to have this treasure in their boundaries.

If you look closely, you can see a small frog hiding on the wet leaves of the pool, upper right corner. 
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There goes more land for heavy industry

ENOUGH!

Carver Companies, owners of the Port of Coeymans,
have access to roughly 665 industrial acres near the Hudson River. 
Should Coeymans rezone another 134 residential acres on the Hudson
for CARVER industries?

Let your views be heard – PLEASE Speak out at Coeymans Town meetings!

Town Board:
Thursdays, October 12 at 5 pm & October 26 at 6 pm
 Planning/Zoning Board:
Tuesday, October 10th and  Wednesday, October 25 at 7 pm

Meeting dates and times may be subject to change.
To verify, please visit the Town website or call Town offices at 518-756-6006
Email the Town of Coeymans Supervisor
or write to the Supervisor at 18 Russell Ave, Ravena, NY 12143
 

In winter 2023, Carver Companies cleared 25 acres of woodland
along Bronk Rd and Route 144, without a credible reason for doing so.  
The proposed rezoning is adjacent to that clearing.

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Media Sanctuary Radio interviews Barbara and Sara

Mark Dunlea of the Hudson Mohawk Magazine interviewed Barbara Heinzen and Sara Pruiksma, two activists with the Clean Air Coalition of Greater Ravena-Coeyman on Monday, September 11, 2023. As the previous blog explained, both were arrested by the Coeymans police in June 2023 for allegedly trespassing on the property owned by Carver Laraway. In reality, they had been walking on the side of a highway to see what plants had been impacted by the clearcutting of 25 acres by Carver Company, which owns the Port of Coeymans and recently took control of the Coeymans Town government. Local activists have fought the company over various issues, such as importing tires at the Port to burn at the LaFarge Cement Plant.

Clean Air Activists Harrassed by Carver Companies, Coeymans Police By MediaSanctuary is licensed under a  Creative Commons License.

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Carver Companies Bully Neighbors: Two Women Speak Out

In June of 2023, Barbara Heinzen, a renowned local geographer, and Sara Pruiksma, a local
artist and mother of two, were falsely accused of trespassing onto Carver Companies’ property on Bronk Road, Town of Coeymans, NY. Heinzen and Pruiksma are also members of the Clean Air Coalition, and both have been vocal about Carver’s businesses in Coeymans. Read more from the Press Release or watch their story here: