Lash Kia – Gone?

We’ve spoken to Lash representative Michael Basta (like pasta), about our original post that the Lash Kia was closing their doors. He insisted they were not. In a subsequent meeting with him he assured ABG that they were very much operational and not closing their doors. He explained and we wrote a follow-up article stating precisely that. He had explained that Lash Kia was selling the Kia dealership to one of the northeast’s largest Kia distributors. However, at the day of the closing for the sale, Kia USA put a stop to the transaction. One of our readers recounted her story of trying to get her car serviced there and was told they were no longer an active Kia dealership.

Mr Basta explained that our story was part of the catalyst the Lash attorneys were using in the struggle to move forward with the sale despite Kia USA trying to put a stop it. No explanation was given as to why it was being blocked by Kia USA. Mr Basta had explained how difficult it was to do business in the Town of Greenburgh between the Town’s regulations coupled with the landlord’s limitations. “I can’t put more than four cars out in the lot on display. I can’t put the cars on the grass median between the sidewalk and our lot. I can’t use balloons. I can’t hang signs. I can’t play music. This list is endless.” We sympathize with all of our Town business owners. It’s a daily struggle to just put the key in the door and we have written previously about Town fees, regulations, fines and penalties incurred just to try to make a living. Our Town Board is always seeking new ways to generate revenue through their parochial and exhaustive taxation.

Regardless, in driving by the Kia dealership location at the corner or Rt 119 and Manhattan Avenue, the showroom which previously had several new Kia models on display, several sales personnel at the desks, and customers milling in and out, is now vacant. We know Mr Basta is “safe” as his office was next door at the Lash Volkswagen dealership, but hope that the other employees continued to be employed. ABG hates to see any business close and sincerely hope the sale of the dealership is the reason for the vacancy and not that of excessive regulations, fees and fines forced another business from the Fairview area. It’s tough enough to operate a business without have the Town “pile on” business’ problems.

On an additional note, we still don’t have a retailer to take over the supermarket vacated by A&P about two years ago. There are numerous vacant stores throughout the entire campus of the Crossroads Shopping Center. The landlord has announced they will be giving the entire complex a facelift. County Legislator Alfreda Williams has coined the phrase for this Fairview area as “ghetto-ized by Mr Feiner”. We hope the facelift will attract new and unique businesses. We just have a hard time listening to proposal after proposal by developers, blessed by Mr Feiner and his Board, that continue to include whatever the developers want and then with the requisite “retail space”. With all these vacant storefronts available, why build more? Why not slow down the over saturation of buildings, lessening of green space and increase of impervious space and address the issues already at hand without adding to the problem?

There’s an election coming and ABG hopes the voters are seeing what’s going on and willing to make a long-overdue change. It’s time to transform our Town into something better.