SHARE

Bird Resigns From Bedford Zoning Board of Appeals

BEDFORD, N.Y.—After serving nearly four years on the Zoning Board of Appeals, Paul S. Bird tendered his resignation to the Bedford Town Board, which went on to appoint land use attorney Meredith Black to fill the vacant seat.

At the board’s Tuesday meeting, Supervisor Lee V.A. Roberts said that Bird had been an outstanding member of the five-member board, which is headed by chair David A. Menken.

The ZBA rules on various decisions by the Planning Board, Building Inspector and Town Board, and has the authority to grant Special Use Permits and issue variances from Town codes.

At the meeting, Board member Francis Corcoran read a letter from Bird, a lawyer, who wrote that new responsibilities with his company, especially in the form of travel, have made it necessary for him to step down before completing his five-year term, which began in January 2011.

Bird wrote that he truly enjoyed his experience on the board and holds all members of Bedford’s town government in great esteem.

“Bedford is fortunate to have such able and dedicated members of the community contribute their time and energy to various tasks to make Bedford the quality township it is today,” he wrote.

 “He was always calm and thoughtful and very knowledgeable about zoning issues,” Roberts said. “We appreciate all he did for the town.”

Supervisor Roberts said that new appointee Meredith Black first came to the attention of the board when she visited Roberts’ office in January 2010 to ask how she could get involved in town government.

Black, who has lived in Bedford with her husband for three years and has a 7-month-old child, formerly served on the Zoning Board of Appeals in Port Chester. She also appears before many zoning boards in her capacity as attorney, Roberts said, “so we are very fortunate to have her also interested in joining our appeals board.”

Roberts said that a few months ago Black had impressed at an interview for a vacancy on the Wetlands Commission, but was ultimately passed over for another qualified candidate.

At that time she again expressed that she be considered if a vacancy arise at the zoning board, and on Tuesday the board approved her appointment.

”With her credentials, with her interest, with her longstanding desire to participate in town government, the board came to a consensus that she would be an ideal candidate," Roberts said.

to follow Daily Voice Bedford and receive free news updates.

SCROLL TO NEXT ARTICLE