Burke upsets incumbent

Burke upsets incumbent

By Chris McKenna
Times Herald-Record
cmckenna@th-record.com

Woodbury – John Burke, an outspoken Town Board critic who helped lead opposition to a 451-home development proposal, won a place for himself on that board yesterday by unseating Supervisor Sheila Conroy.
Burke, a Democrat, eked out a narrow victory over Conroy, the two-term incumbent and former Planning Board chairman, reflecting what must have been a fairly even division in Woodbury over a project that the board cleared only five days earlier.
But Conroy's allies will retain a 3-2 advantage on the Town Board. Her two Republican running mates, Councilwoman Geraldine Gianzero and Michael Queenan – the current Planning Board chairman – won a seven-way race for two council seats.
The campaign was dominated by debate over developer Bill Brodsky's proposal to build homes on a 400-acre tract off Dunderberg and Nininger roads.
Burke, a retired high school principal, and others had been crusading against the project since it arose a year ago. Brodsky was asking for zoning changes to increase the number of homes he could build, offering to donate open space and improve the town's water and sewer systems in return. The zoning then in place would have allowed 148 houses.
Conroy and three councilwomen went forward with the environmental review, arguing the project had benefits for the town worth considering. On Thursday night, the board met and voted 4-1 to grant the zoning changes Brodsky requested.