Confidence in the Process or Confidence Game?

This past Wednesday night's Town Board meeting found the main auditorium unusually packed with standing room only. Obviously, there was something controversial on the agenda. It seems to be the only time people come out, otherwise providing free reign and uncontrolled hubris from the Town Board. Both sides were represented although the neighborhood representation was easily two-to-one against this controversial proposal: a requested Zoning Change on Dobbs Ferry Road at the Golf Driving Range. Nearby, the former Frank's Nursery continues to languish after having had an offer Mr Feiner turned down for twice as much as the offer from his friends.

Tensions as well as emotions ran high and was palpable in the cramped room, where the coveted seats in the back of the room were at a premium for comfort and semi-working ceiling speakers. While some people in attendance may have been there purely for entertainment, the constant of the failed sound system and uncomfortable seating would make tonight's events more a gladiator sport than a standard Town Board session where the political locomotive screams through the agenda at breakneck speed with a constant hum of yay votes. However, most were probably there in hopes of either stopping or advancing this zoning change depending on where they live. 

The affected residents of the area immediately spoke one after another, stating their street address and the amount of years they have resided in the area. Some spoke of being there since they were kids. One man bragged to have lived there since 1960, yet pronounced Mr Feiner's name incorrectly as "Feener". Could he simply be another out-of-town supporter asked to speak in favor of the zoning change? In fact, the opposition, if and when they gave an address, simply stated the Villages they were from - sometimes west of the Hudson! Several people from outside the Town said they hunger for soccer fields and this was the answer they supported. They asked the Town Board to not deny them the opportunity to kick their balls in our neighborhood. Frankly, we're tired of having our balls kicked by people from outside our Town.

Corridor residents said Wednesday night that the proposal should be killed this night. Mr Feiner had continued his ruse of indecision claiming he "honestly wanted the facts" to make an informed decision. This year's buzz term from Town Hall finds several interchangeable phrases: "I honestly haven't made a decision yet"; "We want people to have confidence in the process"; "I am honestly listening to the community"; "we need to become the lead agency so we can have the studies done to make an informed decision"; "We all want to do the right thing". The list is almost endless. By the way, last year's preferred phrase was, "We need to do our due diligence". Predictably, last year's phrase and promises were just another promise not kept. These new phrases already ring hollow. Confidence or confidence game?

Mr Feiner says, "The applicant has proposed a facility – that doesn’t mean that the town will give them permission to do what they want. We may reject the entire application or modify it. If citizens got involved and were willing to have a discussion the size of the building could be discussed." Because the Town Board is split with Messrs. Morgan and Jones siding with Mr Feiner, and the other two against, the first line is not true. They plan to give them exactly what they are asking for. The second line is laughable as this Board never rejects or modifies any developer proposal for any neighborhood - until they are threatened with court actions. Finally, he practically admits this project is going to be approved by saying, "If citizens got involved and were willing to have a discussion the size of the building could be discussed." So the issue is not that he hasn't made a decision, he has. It's not that he is listening to the neighbors, he's not. Now the issue is controlling the size of it. The devil is always in the details.

He continues, "I think it would be horrible for the corridor to replace the golf range –beautiful open space-with development and cement." Huh? Isn't the zoning proposal designed to do just that, put a development with concrete and blacktop aka impervious space, onto open space? Then he wants neighbors to discuss options for the golf driving range as if its viability rests with them. It does not. It rests with no one but the Visioli family - not the neighbors, not Paul Feiner nor the Town Board. Plus, with the newly uncovered lawsuit against the Visioli family and the golf driving range for a different contamination of the property causes ABG to believe this may soon all be moot. However, we're also convinced that Mr Feiner will find a way to skirt the taxpaying residents' objections either legally or illegally. Past performance IS an indicator of future results with this Town Board - hence the lie: "We want people to have confidence in the process". 

And don't be confused or amazed when you hear about the two proposals off of Payne Street and in Ardsley to which the Town Board said , "No." Mr Feiner stated that these proposals should not even be considered as they would strain our already over-burdened infrastructure (the same one he's neglected during these past 22-years). ABG believes those were throwaway proposals concocted to give Mr Feiner et al, the opportunity to seem to care (about his Ardsley voting base) and the north Elmsford area. Not only was there never any plans for them to proceed, but one would be in Mr Morgan's backyard and the other in Ms Juettner's. The proposal on Dobbs Ferry Road estimates 7,000 gallons of liquid waste a day and five thousand cars per weekend. How is that not taxing our over-taxed and under-maintained infrastructure?

Mr Feiner has also said, "During the review process we could discuss aesthetics, every option for the property. I want people to have confidence in the process. If there is unified opposition to the project, the chances of the project being approved are slim. On the other hand – there has been some misinformation spread about the application –and virtually no give and take." The first sentence is a throw-away to placate the uninformed or willfully ignorant residents. The second is a lie as no one except the developers have confidence in the process. The third line is the ultimate slap in the neighborhood's collective faces indicating he plans to proceed. There has only been unified support against the zoning change since it's inception 5-years ago. His comment that, "Chances of the project being approved is slim" is simply a lie. Mr Feiner just hasn't figured out a way to get over on the community for his friends. Finally, the only misinformation that has been spread was by Mr Feiner and Mr Hewitt and his operatives.

Throughout the night Mr Feiner, "We want people to have confidence in the process". No he doesn't. He wants people to leave him alone to do as he pleases. This is more and more shaping up to be a confidence game over confidence in the system. But the mainstream media will feature the above quote and the headline reading public will buy into it. It is better than any con-man could hope for. So as he reshapes Unincorporated Greenburgh into the worst of the Bronx, taxpayers need to be heard now and listened to closely. These same people are seeking re-election and will get 7-9,000 votes by those party faithful who won't decide its time to think differently and just say, "No.". Rather, they'll shrug their shoulders and mandate more of the same, allowing them to act with impunity. We certainly don't have confidence in that system. BTW, ABG believes this will be postponed until after the elections. The proposal will then go through and the public will forget how they got screwed again. We agree with the Greenburgh Council of Civic Associations who always says if its done in one neighborhood, it will happen in another. It's time to stop this madness. Only then will we get A Better Greenburgh.