Sandra Kinne and Sage Collegiate’s Community Town Hall Meeting Fail

Today is the day, folks. We have been waiting for nearly a month to have an opportunity to discuss concerns about the school and their proposed expansion with the director of Sage Collegiate, Ms. Sandra Kinne. There are two meetings to be held today, one from 2-3 pm and a second from 6-7 pm. I will post updates here after each of the meetings. I sincerely hope you will join us at the school for either one or both of the meetings. It is up to us to hold Sage Collegiate accountable, to demand that they be good neighbors to the community. If you have any questions, please reach out to me at akorringa@yahoo.com.

2 PM Meeting

For those who missed it, we had a decent turnout at the 2 pm meeting. Unfortunately, we didn’t really see any solid plans to alleviate our concerns. There was talk about adding additional play areas away from the residential homes, but not to any distance to alleviate the noise. To address neighbor concerns about the “Peeping Tommys” (little kids poking their heads over fences, looking into backyards) we were offered the option of adding some aesthetically vulgar vinyl extensions on the cinderblock wall that divides the properties. A big departure from the suggestion of adding vegetation as Mayor Goodman suggested at the City Council meeting. So much for the 90′ row of Italian blue cypress along my back wall.

Additionally, traffic concerns were explained away with the possibility of having staggered pickup/drop-off times. The formal number of cars they can accommodate at any given time on the campus will be 170. For the proposed 796 students, I assure you Bedford will get to enjoy some of that overflow as parents wait for their turn to pick up their kids.

More to report on later. I hope to see some more of you at the 6 pm meeting. Stay tuned for more updates!

6 PM Meeting

First and foremost, I extend my gratitude to the six community members who participated in our recent meeting. Your presence is deeply appreciated, and I am thankful for the insights gained during our discussions. In reflecting on the events of the past week, I find solace in the realization that despite the challenges faced with the school, there exists an opportunity for community understanding and growth.

While acknowledging the efforts made during the “Community Town Hall,” I must express a lingering concern regarding the adequacy of addressing the issues at hand. Regrettably, my apprehensions regarding noise levels and traffic matters were not sufficiently assuaged, leaving me with unresolved questions. During the course of the second meeting, I encountered obstacles in expressing my concerns, as Ms. Kinne dismissed many of my inquiries, attributing them to a “lack of good faith” on my part. I will admit, I did have good faith at one point. Kinne had ample opportunity to step up and show concern for her neighbors, but she opted to take things in a direction that benefits herself at the expense of the surrounding properties. Only a fool would still have “good faith”.

This experience has completely eroded my confidence in the school’s commitment to effecting meaningful change within our community. It appears that the meeting served more as a symbolic gesture than a genuine effort to support our neighborhood. Unfortunately, this sentiment is not unique to me, as four other neighbors and I left the second meeting prematurely. The disheartening question arises: What purpose does a community meeting serve if the concerns voiced are not taken seriously?

It is my belief that Sage, Red Hook, and Ms. Kinne may not fully grasp that a proactive approach to addressing our concerns from the outset could have prevented the escalation we currently find ourselves grappling with. A simple dialogue with Ms. Kinne about noise issues was all that was initially sought. Regrettably, the situation has since intensified, and I am compelled to persist until Sage Collegiate endeavors to be a considerate and responsible neighbor.