It's The Same Old Song As Another One Bites The Dust

Yes, both portions of the headline are song titles. Sadly, this post again highlights The Paul’s poor management of the Town as well as how he, the market, and other factors are driving businesses out of the Town of Greenburgh. Most recently, we’ve witnessed The Paul hand the golden goose to a company called GameOn 365, while soon-to-open House of Sports follows the rules and regulations, pays for everything required of them along the way, and have a business model that promises a positive community partnership for many years to come.

The Paul posted an announcement on his blog of the closing of the Sprainbrook Nursery. In his post, The Paul, seeming contrite and not at fault, states: 
“Very sad news. Sprainbrook Nursery, located at 448 Underhill Road, Scarsdale (Edgemont neighborhood) is going out of business. Al Krautter, owner of the business sent his customers the following e mail. I, like so many Greenburgh residents, feel sick over this announcement*. Al and his nursery provided the community with exceptional service over the years. His nursery adds charm and character to our community. The nursery is an oasis of peace and beauty. His staff has always been exceptional and helpful. And--Al Krautter has inspired many residents of the community to enjoy gardening.”

It is indeed very sad news. ABG recognizes the value all businesses bring to their respective communities and the devastating affect it has when they leave. How ironic that the Town inherited a veritable gold mine when a similar nursery business, Frank’s Nursery, defaulted on paying their taxes and filed for bankruptcy, forfeiting the property to the Town for non-payment of property taxes. With little fanfare, the Town assumed ownership of this residentially zoned property of just under seven acres parcel, and then left it unattended.

In Mr. Krautter’s letter that The Paul posted, he states:

“The old fashioned Garden centers concerned with plant quality, variety and a knowledgeable horticultural staff are no longer supported by the large majority of people. Garden Centers as we knew them are slowly becoming obsolete in an environment where plants are being sold at every retail outlet. Many are convenience or impulse sales outlets. However they make an impact. Homeowners are relying on two people in the family to work. They employ gardeners and when they need a plant or product they choose to have them do the work rather than buying the product or service from the Garden Center. Garden Centers are a sad casualty of the times as the pendulum swings to alternative buying patterns. In the process, a trip to the Garden Center is being bypassed.

We worked hard this year, as we knew it was a make-or-break year for us. Production was up but sales were not. We are a spring business and we rely on a good season to carry us through the year. Due to the economic recession our sales have dropped and our costs continue to rise. With health insurance, rising fuel prices, a huge jump in water bills and a very high property tax for the area we are battling huge costs before we ever open the doors.** ... The changing times have left me with no choice but to close the doors and put Sprainbrook Nursery up for sale.” Pay attention Mr. Supervisor.

Mr. Krautter’s letter is heartbreaking to he and his family as well as difficult for us all. It also expresses a very significant and salient point that ABG has espoused repeatedly. Sprainbrook Nursery’s costs have increased to the point where the can no longer afford to do business in the Town. He specifically mentions the huge jump in water bills and a very high property tax as factors. While The Paul may “feel sick over this announcement”, he still never hesitates to saddle Town residents with double-digit tax increases and 102% water fee increases. His actions have directly contributed to Mr. Krautter’s loss and the loss for the Town. Many residents are suffering the same fate. The Paul’s actions repeatedly continue to have negative consequences for the Town.

Perhaps if The Paul hadn’t been so quick to back out of the WestHelp deal with the County, the Town wouldn’t have lost a minimum of $1.2 million a year in revenue. Perhaps the “ski-jump” library should have been built to LEED standards instead of an architectural fancy. This inefficient design is costing us in a lack of new library space, promised community rooms along with budget crippling increases in heating and air conditioning costs. Perhaps The Paul and his Stepford Board should had taken the Frank’s Nursery property when it was acquired through foreclosure, prepped it and offered it for sale. Perhaps many of these repeated missteps would have kept taxes in line and allowed a neighborhood business to continue to do business in the Town. 

ABG wonders if the Frank’s Nursery people had been aware of the remediation that was needed on the sight and believed it would be easier and cheaper to simply default on the taxes and quietly shrink away. Regardless, why hasn’t our AAA Bond Rated Stepford Town Board, suffering from perpetual laryngitis and a missing ethical backbone under The Paul’s heavy hand, initiated cleanup action for the property, thus making it viable for sale and future taxes? Surely a AAA Bond Rating would be of use for this? 

Equally important, while the Fortress Bible multi-million dollar penalties are closing in, so are the traffic impact concerns from their new school and church. Wouldn't maintaining the Dobbs Ferry Road property as a residential area, encompassing the obligatory low income, Section 8, workforce, municipal, teacher, firefighter, police, county settlement, et al, housing be a better, more practical solution for the traffic heavy, church-going, school busing, nursery visiting, area? ABG believes so, even while The Paul continues his assault to push businesses out of Greenburgh.

Had the Town cleaned up the site of Frank’s Nursery and marketed it as developable property, the Town could have made several million dollars from the sale of it. Not wanting to follow any law he doesn’t like, The Paul once again ignored a County law mandating any property acquired through (e.g.) foreclosure be sold and applied the money toward Town tax relief. Town Attorney and Environmental Cleanup Specialist Tim “Yes-man” Lewis simply concurred with The Paul’s assessment and has taken to also saying, “State law supersedes the County law and the County law is invalid.” That solves that dilemma for The Paul rather simply, wouldn’t you say? Well, well, not so fast. In a letter from Carter Ledyard & Milburn LLP, Counselors at Law, they state their belief of what the Frank’s Nursery property proposal should and can be. Can you say lawsuit - again?

Interestingly, House of Sports, the new premier sports facility in Ardsley, is in the closing stages of construction and will be opening in about a month. They’ve almost completed developing a state-of-the-art training, workout and playing facility with a business model dedicated to developing young, and improving existing athletes. It will be staffed with trainers who are well recognized in the sports industry using state of the art equipment. They will be hiring over a hundred-plus full time employees once they open. They have done all that was asked of them from the Village of Ardsley or the Town of Greenburgh during their entire start-up operation. 

ABG highlights the House of Sports efforts because they are doing it right! GameOn 365’s entire building and operational premise is at the expense of the Greenburgh Unincorporated taxpayers. The Paul has decided to virtually give away the property through all kinds of rent/lease/tax abatements and considerations. When it’s all said and done, the Town will wind up assuming the liability and cost for the property’s cleanup allowing the GameOn 365 team to walk away, reimbursed for any out of pocket money. The Paul even had NYS Assemblyman Tom “Proclamation” Abinanti change the Finneran Law with an amendment pushed through during the late night shift-change in the state assembly. Will it ever stop with The Paul? ABG can’t prove anything, but it looks like a shady deal from every direction. 

It’s time for these kinds of missteps, the repeated bad decisions, and total lack of management to stop. It is time for the Paul to go! We can only hope.

*/** ABG added the bold highlight