Endorses Burke for school trustee: Showed he was ‘thinker, doer and leader’ on Village of Pelham Planning Board

May 5, 2023

To the editor:

I’m writing to endorse Sid Burke, a candidate for the Pelham Board of Education. I have worked with Sid for four years on the Village of Pelham Planning Board and have been so impressed with him as a thinker, doer and leader.

Sid has an excellent ability to synthesize competing concerns and come up with proposals that bridge differences, but never at the expense of judgment, common sense or the best interest of village residents. Sid doesn’t grab for the mic in public meetings, but when he speaks, his remarks are meaningful and show careful thought and respect for residents.

Lots of challenging topics come before the planning board, like approving developers’ plans for new apartment buildings in Pelham, which often draw considerable neighborhood scrutiny. In each case, Sid offers thoughtful guidance, does more than his share of homework and has a keen eye to spot inconsistencies and potential harm to residents. Sid carefully listens to presentations by developers and concerns from residents and follows up with tough questions, making sure the requirements we make of developers reflect citizen concerns.

For our review of several multifamily apartment proposals, I asked Sid to analyze how many new families could be expected to move in and send children to Pelham schools. Sid mastered the several analytical approaches to this question and served as a tenacious watchdog against developer projections.

All of these qualities will make Sid an excellent member of the school board. I can’t speak highly enough of Sid’s ability to add value and common sense to both issue types. That’s why I’m voting for Sid Burke on May 16.

Joe Marty

275 Highbrook Ave.