Goodbye to Morton Williams – Another One Bites The Dust!

ABG had announced the proposed closure of the Morton Williams supermarket, also formerly known as the original Turco’s, some time ago. It is unfortunate on many levels as Greenburgh’s residents scramble to find not only basic food items, but the more well rounded dietary necessities. Plus, while some of it’s prices were slightly higher compared to other larger stores, it was a well-run store with quality items. We are sorry to see them close and wish the employee’s future success.

This past year saw the A&P conglomerate decimate the food supply retailers in our area as The Paul stood by, waving to their employees as they put the key in the lock, closing the doors of each store, probably thinking that he would finally be able to stop visiting those whining residents at the supermarket. Could this be part of his grand plan to turn Greenburgh into a welfare town? It’s one sure-fired way to purchase votes while fostering the CSEA members as the “bad guys” in town, fighting him as he tries to save the Town. It’s pure deflection and pure baloney!

With the Morton Williams’ closing, HMart will now have access to the much desired additional parking their store so desperately needs. They have already applied for an easement of parking while they seek to increase the amount of seats for their “food court” inside the store. Our understanding is this is an outside vendor renting space within the store. Shouldn’t they be requesting the parking variance? Numerous complaints have been voiced about this request as the HMart clientele is utilizing the allotted spaces of the other stores in the shopping center who pay for and entitled to these spaces through their rent for usage by their own customers.

This new congestion has been like nothing previously seen in these shopping areas - proving a need. A partial explanation is the new availability of products that are geared toward the ever-increasing Asian community. Another reason is there aren’t many places locally to shop for food anymore. Sure, if you need a gallon of milk or a loaf of bread, you can stop at any gas station mart for that. But if you need baby food, diapers, chicken, steaks or chops, condiments and such, you’ll have to travel quite a bit farther than you did previously. This closing significantly impacts those who do not drive, are on fixed incomes, or chose to live near the common amenities they would use.

Speaking of living near the common amenities people would use, The Paul insisted on waiving most, if not all, zoning considerations, neighborhood protestations and recommendations from his own Zoning and Planning Boards to grant Westhab carte blanche to build a seven-story low-income apartment building at the former Kings Inn Hotel site. His logic (we know)? They would have walking access to area supermarkets. When all of the civic associations decried this, stating that the argument isn’t a valid justification as stores close and decisions to change zoning should not be made lightly. The Paul didn’t care. He just wanted more votes via town subjugation through housing. The closing of the Crossroads A&P and the Central Avenue Pathmark validated the civic associations’ concerns, but the damage was done. Criminal, yes. Stoppable? Not in Greenburgh.

Former Town Councilwoman Sonya Brown held a meeting to discuss the impact the A&P’s leaving the neighborhood would have on the immediate neighborhood. It was yet another meeting unattended by The Paul and his Stepford Board. At this point, Brown had already been banished and was receiving the silent treatment from everyone in The Paul’s administration. At her meeting, the Heyman Properties representative gave the reason the A&P was leaving this location was because the lease was expiring and the location was too small for their retail needs at only 40k square feet when they typically look for a minimum of 60k square feet. You may recall when queried as to what type of advertising had been implemented to attract a new food service client, the representative said they “put up flyers” in various places. This statement coupled with the obvious lack of business acumen helps explain why there are eleven vacant storefronts out of thirty six in that strip mall.

The Paul has done nothing to help the Town improve the services and amenities it’s residents need throughout the Unincorporated areas, especially as it relates to food stores. He will tout the new Stop and Shop on Rt 119, as having so many varieties and choices the old store didn’t. The old Tarrytown Stop and Shop at Rt 119 and Rt 9 was within walking distance for many homeowners and apartment dwellers in the area. The new one can really only be accessed by car. The Paul’s solution? To run a short-lived weekly shuttle from the old to the new Stop and Shop for residents there. Once the shuttle is gone, he doesn’t need to concern himself with their need for food or their ability to get to and return from a supermarket. CVS has promised to move into the abandoned Stop and Shop site, probably because we need another chain store pharmacy, but the food they sell isn’t a meal solution. The over concentration of the Rt 119 corridor is all part of a grand plan by The Paul and Planning Commissioner Thomas Madden, who is strictly creating more job security for themselves, to increase the population density. Then they’ll resell the need for bus and train routes along Rt 119 instead of using cars. They are working toward slowly evolving a suburban area into an urban one.

Residents at all the Comprehensive Planning Outreach Meetings wanted a greener Town of Greenburgh with more open space, not more congested living. The residents want traffic that flows at most times of the day and night, not traffic jams 24-7. They wanted bike lanes and pathways throughout the Town. The Paul has given us nothing for bikers or walkers. The residents want an infrastructure that can handle what the people utilize it for, such as flood drainage and mitigation. Rather, we get only what The Paul and his Stepford Board wants. The Town has to change. Most of these issues should be put to the public to decide via referendums. But The Paul knows that will stop what he wants so he refuses to do it. We can only hope.