POUGHKEEPSIE – Attorney Colby Creedon serves on the City of Poughkeepsie Industrial Development Agency. He also represents three clients who are suing the city’s planning board over a proposed housing development on Main Street. He has resigned from the IDA at the urging of the mayor.
The Article 78 Petition filed by Creedon on behalf of his clients opposes the Wallace Campus, slated to bring nearly 200 apartments as well as commercial spaces to Main Street. In the petition, Creedon says, “The project continues the pattern of clustering subsidized housing, and attracting new resource-dependent poverty-stricken residents to the City of Poughkeepsie, an already above-average poor community, with high unemployment, struggling schools, and struggling economy that is losing businesses.”
Creedon’s comments have drawn harsh criticism from City of Poughkeepsie Mayor Rob Rolison. “I respect the right of residents and property owners to challenge the decision made by the city’s planning board to approve this mixed-use project in our downtown core. But I find it highly objectionable that a member of the city’s own Industrial Development Agency, attorney Colby Creedon, would make such egregious and offensive claims in court documents he has filed on behalf of his client against a specific development.”
Rolison is calling for Creedon’s resignation. “Attorneys chose their civil clients, and while Mr. Creedon may represent whoever he likes, he should step down from the city’s IDA if he wishes to represent a client who is suing the city over this project.” Councilwoman Yvonne Flowers has requested that the city’s corporation counsel give an opinion regarding a potential conflict of interest. The remaining council leadership did not respond to a request for their opinion.
The mayor also took offense to Creedon’s description of the potential tenants. “Moreover, the plaintiffs’ assertion the development will attract ‘new resource-dependent poverty-stricken residents’ to the city is repugnant and should be greeted with objection by the community. The city needs all types of housing, including affordable places for people to live, and callous comments to the contrary should not be tolerated.”
When reached on Wednesday, Creedon responded to Rolison’s statements by saying “I will probably resign from the IDA tonight.” The litigator also said “I’m an attorney doing a job. I don’t have anything else to say.”
