By: Diane Benjamin

Remember this story? https://blnnews.com/2024/09/30/will-downs-choose-flooding-over-people/

A developer still hasn’t given up on building housing on a hill on Rt. 150. The above story details how the homes at the bottom of that hill already flood. Building more houses on quarter acre lots will benefit the developer, the people at the bottom of the hill will suffer the consequences of developer’s gain.

This issue has been heard numerous times by the Downs Zoning Board of Appeals. It has been rejected every time a new plan is proposed.

I’m told this new development would be called Beecher East.

Now see the January 2025 Board of Trustees minutes: https://media.rainpos.com/1071/meeting_minutes_01092025_20250221113045.pdf

Go to PDF page 3:

The Parks Committee is buying Playground Equipment for a development that hasn’t been approved?

The people who will be subjected to flooding are not annexed into Downs. Evidently the Trustees think those people can be marginalized without any consequences. Evidently the Zoning Board only exists to make people think they have input on Village decisions that affect real them.

Part of the Downs ballot for the April 1st election:

At least Downs has 3 Trustees running. This is what Democracy looks like other wise. Nice job folks.