As a member of the Lake Placid/North Elba Joint Review Board since 1998 — when he was appointed by then-Mayor Jim Strack — he’s been involved with reviewing thousands of land development, sign installation, boathouse construction and building renovation plans over the years.

Not all of those plans were uncontroversial. Some decisions were the subject of passionate public debate, like a plan in 2007 to build a new, contemporary-looking museum on Main Street. But Hurley’s job was to uphold the local land use code and make sure that everything built in this area fit the character of the community, whether residents personally agreed with the proposed development or not.

The result of this labor is seen all around town, in ways big and small.

Hurley recently resigned from the board, leaving a vacancy.

“I am leaving the board because I just think it is time for some new eyes to look at things, and get new people involved,” he said.

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Chairman of the board

Hurley became chairman of the review board in 2005.

“In the 2000s, we were super busy,” Hurley said Wednesday, Nov. 18. “I remember meetings beginning at 7 p.m. and lasting until midnight. During my tenure, I think the area has had a tremendous amount of growth.

“We reviewed many large subdivisions, creating hundreds of building lots and some of the largest commercial buildings in the area during my time on the board, including the Whiteface Lodge, Price Chopper Plaza, Placid Pond Plaza, Walgreens (Rite Aid), Crowne Plaza addition, the Hampton Inn, Nicolas on Main Street and the Marriot, to name a few.”

Hurley said his family has a history of public service.

“I guess it is in my blood, as my father was a (Lake Placid) Village Board member, a 1980 Olympic Committee member and he served on many other boards around the community,” he said. “My mother was on the (Lake Placid Central School District Board of Education) and also was chairperson of the (Lake Placid) Village Review Board.”

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Memorable cases

One of the more controversial cases Hurley reviewed was a plan involving the Adirondack Museum in 2007. Representatives of the museum — and architects David Childs and Roger Duffy — presented plans for a modern-looking building on Main Street that would serve as the museum’s Lake Placid branch. The building, which was known at the time as the “museum tower” because of its design, would’ve consisted of a series of wooden beams with a stone facade.

“I think when the newspaper asked people it was 50% for it and 50% against it at the time,” he said. “The architect, David Childs, who designed the new World Trade Center, came and gave the board a presentation on why this proposed building would be a benefit to the community. The neighbors were vehemently against it.”

The review board deliberated over the plans for eight months and one day, according to multiple Lake Placid News articles in 2007. There was a split within the community — some loved the idea and the look of the building, and others didn’t.

“Ultimately, the board granted approval, but the museum was never built as the economic conditions changed,” Hurley said. “That case was hard because we want this type of business in our town, but the building did not fit the community.”

Hurley also remembers the process of reviewing the Walgreens building construction. The project was almost complete when he became a board member.

“We were doing our final walk around to make sure all the conditions the board required were met so they could open, and while we were there, a man began to take photos of the building,” he said. “I walked over and asked if I could help him and he told me he owned three Rite Aids and all were the block building style. He wanted photos to show what one could look like as he was going to build another store, but Rite Aid was telling him that it had to look like his other stores. I told him that we had architectural standards here and that the community made the building look like this.”

Other chain companies, such as McDonald’s, have also had to alter the exterior of their buildings to construct in this area.

According to a 1997 article in the Lake Placid News, what was then the Lake Placid Village Planning Board established 31 conditions for construction of the local Rite Aid, which was built on a property where the Village Vespa restaurant was on Saranac Avenue. Bill Billerman was chairman of the board at the time. Billerman currently leads the Mirror Lake Watershed Association and the Songs at Mirror Lake concert series.

“He was impressed and wanted to use this store as an example to corporate Rite Aid what could be done,” Hurley said. “I also believe it was the most expensive Rite Aid ever built at the time.”

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Code changes

Throughout Hurley’s 22 years on the review board, the local land use code has changed a lot.

“We added storm water requirements to protect the environment, and architectural review for commercial buildings and the entry corridors (routes 86 and 73) to try and keep the community ‘feel,'” he said. “In 2011, a entirely new code was adopted.”

Another code re-write led by the Lake Placid/North Elba Community Development Commission is in the works now.

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Thanks

As he steps down from the review board, Hurley wanted to thank a number of people who he worked with through the years.

“As I wrote in my resignation letter, a chairperson is only as good as the other members of the board. It is a team effort to review these large projects. I would like to thank all of the other members I have served with. Too many to list here,” he wrote in an email. “We may not have agreed all the time, but you acted with dignity and respect for each other’s opinions. I honestly believe that if one follows the code and has the best interest in the community at heart serving on the review board is a rewarding endeavor. I love being involved and knowing what is going on in the community and will miss the people, the applicants and professionals that represent them. To my fellow board members, I have all the confidence in the world they will do a great job without me and wish them well.

“Thank you to the Building and Planning (Department) staff, (Code Enforcement Officer) Michael Orticelle, Darci (LaFave), Terry (Tubridy) and Britt (Waite) who made being chairman as easy as possible. The village and town boards for supporting the review board’s decisions and recommendations for changes to the code. Thank you also to Tim Smith, the review board’s attorney; Janet Bliss, village attorney; Ron Briggs, town attorney; and Bill Kissell, variance board attorney, for their guidance and wisdom.”

Hurley said it has been an “honor and a privilege” to serve the community.

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Vacancy

The town and village are accepting applications to fill Hurley’s vacancy on the board.

A five-year term, starting Jan. 1, 2021, is available. The board meets on the first and third Wednesdays of the month at 5:30 p.m., and occasionally has other meetings and site visits depending on the cases before the board.

Those interested in filling Hurley’s position can call the Building and Planning Department at 518-523-9518, send a letter to 2596 Main St., Lake Placid, NY 12946 or email ttubridy@northelba.org.