Robert Greene, the chairman of the North Castle Planning Board, unexpectedly announced his resignation this week.
While Greene isn”™t talking, Supervisor Howard Arden said that he was upset about the town’s 3-2 vote to begin the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) process for the controversial Brynwood Country Club proposal at its Sept. 27 meeting.
Greene lives at nearby Windmill Farms, where residents have been a vocal opponent to the plan for 88 luxury condominiums.
“He had very strong feelings about the application being accepted,” Arden said. “He felt he couldn’t continue in his role as planning board chairman. It was a personal decision. He wanted to be able to have more to say; he felt he couldn’t speak out as much in his role as planning board chairman versus being a private citizen.”
Arden said that Greene’s resignation is a big loss for the town and that the application Brynwood submitted is just an application, with nothing finalized.
“He was a great guy, and a great planning board chair,” Arden said. “We’re losing his expertise. Bob was a great guy and an asset to the town. It’s not easy to replace him.”
Arthur Adelman, the current vice-chair, will replace Greene as chairman of the board. Arden does not think Greene’s resignation will impact any proposals before the board. He said that Greene’s resignation was unnecessary.
“I feel very badly about it,” Arden said. “It was a personal decision by him. It was his decision.”
