Democrats Promise Councilwoman Position

It’s no secret that Diana Juettner will not be seeking another term as a Town Council member. We originally thought, “Finally, maybe we can get a breath of fresh air, some new thinking and innovation!” Juettner, a Village of Ardsley resident served on the Board almost as long as the Supervisor. She was also part of the “Feiner-crew” that was found guilty on seven counts, along with Mr Feiner, Westchester County government’s  Steve Bass, Eddie Mae Barnes and Timmy Weinberg (deceased) in the Fortress Bible Church Federal discrimination case. One would think that being convicted of any crime would be enough to force a politician to be removed from office. Not in “Bizaro Greenburgh”, where a guilty conviction seems to embolden them with more anointing of tenure.

Speaking of anointments, with Juettner leaving, the Greenburgh Democratic Party has already blessed and promised the Juettner seat to Ellen Hendrickx, former Hastings Democratic Chair and “fill-in” Council woman upon the death of Councilman Kevin Morgan. Can you say, “Done deal?” So much for fresh ideas, new thinking and such. It’s her turn after stepping aside to let Gina Jackson have a seat on the Board. This is significant for several reasons. First, Juettner is a Village of Ardsley resident and Hendrickx was a Village of Hastings resident. This matters because it’s the Villages that support Mr Feiner and ultimately bring him the votes he needs to stay in position as Supervisor. Also, the minuscule portion of the Village resident’s tax bill isn’t high enough for those residents to complain or even follow the illegal and unjust actions of Mr Feiner.

Second, we seriously doubt any Democrat would challenge the party decision-makers and try a run for this seat after it has been blessed for someone else. We saw how well this fared for several past challengers to those in existing positions within the party, the most recent being Democrat Eric Zinger, who ran for Town Board against Councilman Ken Jones and Gina Jackson. While there were those who disagreed with some of his positions and inflexibility toward them to compromise, he was a viable and preferred alternative to Mr Jones and did have some different ideas toward running the Town. 

Third, since the Town of Greenburgh’s Republican Chair is a Feiner fan and committee appointee, he is content to not even try to put a Republican candidate up against a Democrat running for elected office in the Town. Additionally, there had been interest from some of the existing Republicans in Town as well as the Villages, in forming a Republican Club to begin raising funds and cultivating candidates for the Town and Villages since the Westchester Republican Party refuses to do so. In fact, Westchester Republican Chair Douglas Colty has said numerous times that he has written Greenburgh Republicans “off.” We’ll wait and see if, and how, that pans out.

Fourth, since the Villages are insulated from any fines incurred by the Town or Mr Feiner and his various Boards, such as the $6.5 million dollar guilty verdict and fine in the Fortress Bible Church Discrimination Lawsuit, why would they even care if Mr Feiner stays in office or not? And, why would they care if he has been in office for 29 years thus far? There are no negatives for them. But there are plenty of negatives for the residents in the Unincorporated portion of the Town, as the Villages have Mayors and Village Boards protecting them – a luxury we will never see with any Feiner administration.

In fact, the Fortress Bible Church Discrimination lawsuit payments originally included all of the Villages but at the last minute Mr Feiner and his Town Board removed them off the resolution. Years earlier, the Villages were very angry when they were included in the payments dealing with a lawsuit over Town property - a fallen tree that killed a man & paralyzed his wife. Because the town was “under insured,” all residents had to pay the remainder of the settlement. The Villages threatened to leave Greenburgh! Mr Feiner promised them that if they stayed, the villages would not be included in any future lawsuits dealing with Unincorporated Town property. That was an incredibly good deal for them.

Fifth, looking at a small issue to begin with, Mr Feiner has mandated that the Town will not send out this year’s garbage and trash pickup calendars*. His excuse is that he can save the Town $5,000 by not printing and sending them out. What?! So, with a TOV budget that is roughly $88+ million dollars, which includes funds for him to do his many campaign mailings, we believe the $5,000 needed to keep our residents informed is well worth the expense. If he were truly looking to cut down printing and mailing expenses, stop the campaigning with all of the duplicitous mailings throughout the year and use that money for the garbage/trash pickup calendars. Or, offer to print the calendars on the office copiers at Town Hall on demand and have the residents come in and pick them up.

Sixth, if we move on to the larger issues, we find the Supervisor and his feckless Board granting every developer just about anything and everything they request . Case in point, the Battery Energy Storage System at the Knollwood Country Club, or the Brightview Continuum Care Facility at the Metropolis Country Club, or the ShopRite Supermarket at the old 9A Multiplex Theater complex or the Townhouses at the Elmwood Country Club bonanza that Mr Feiner keeps pushing for approval. These developments have too many unresolved issues. And yet, after going through the motions of listening to the impacted communities, Mr Feiner and his Board simply ignore the public and do what he wanted anyway. 

It seems that every project becomes a “done deal” whenever a developer walks into Town Hall. In addition to the above-noted examples, there are other projects, such as: the Shelbourne Assisted Living Facility which is currently in litigation, and the Westchester Power - ESCO that Mr Feiner automatically enrolled every resident and small business into. Yes, there are exceptions, especially when a development involves  “the quality of life” of a Town Board member or Town Official. For example - the Jefferson project in the Ardsley area [affected: Supervisor Feiner and Councilwoman Juettner] or the Ferncliff Cemetery  project, [affected: Councilman Sheehan] or another assisted living facility off of Payne Street, [affected: Councilman Morgan and Town Attorney Lewis] . All shot down! 

Another ridiculous idea from the Supervisor, who has no business experience or knowledge, is that he has decided the Town needs another crony to be his Economic Development Czar to help fill the empty retail stores throughout the Town. First, the ground floor retail store, with apartments or other businesses above them, is a failed model and should simply be immediately abandoned. Second, while Mr Feiner believes in over-taxation, he fails to recognize that landlords pass his tax increases to their tenants, who in turn pass them on to the consumer or end-user. While this model has always worked to some degree, the more-than-usual vacancies throughout the Town prove that his taxation policies are continuing to kill retail in particular and business in general throughout our Town. Since he only sent this notice about this new position to residents who are online, many of the Town’s residents are unaware that this “fast one” is being done to them.

Going back to where we started, the same old stale Town Board thinking may be changing players unless Ms Juettner changes her mind again and decides to stay in her anointed lifetime position. Should she leave, the Democratic Party will do their members and the Town residents at large a grave disservice, by not offering better potential candidates and by meting out positions from Westchester’s Tammany Hall. All because someone was a good soldier by stepping down to anoint Gina Jackson a position. This is not the way the government was intended to be run, even in Bizarro Greenburgh and has to end. Only then will we get A Better Greenburgh.

* One of our staffers mentioned that they just received a robocall from Mr Feiner stating he would be sending out the calendars after all.

February Break 2020 Fun

The Ardsley Public Library & 

Village of Elmsford

Presents

February Break 2020 Fun

Join us at the Library for these great activities.

Tuesday, February 18

Building Bonanza - 2pm

Join us as we use Legos, Gears and Keva planks to build contraptions and skyscrapers.

Open to kids ages 5 years and up.

Wednesday, February 19

Two’s Company Storytime 10:30am

Ages 2 – 3 ½ years

Caregivers and toddlers are treated to stories, songs, rhymes, and movement.

Pre-School  Storytime 1pm

Ages 3 ½ to 5 years

The “big guys” enjoy stories, songs, and other special activities. Older siblings welcome today.

Thursday, February 20

A Circle of Drums 6:30pm

Join us for a cultural and learning experience.

This one hour program will allow our diverse community to come together to celebrate life

through drumming in a communal setting with West African Djembe and Djun Drums of various sizes.

Drums will be provided so children and adults alike can get in on the fun!

Friday, February 21

Bouncing Babies with Nora 10:45am

Ages 6 months – 2 years

Nora Maher introduces babies to fun at the library.  Enjoy stories, rhymes, songs, instruments and other great fun!

Game Day! 2pm

Join us to play classic board games, cards and games

of strategy.  All ages welcome

Registration Required

Please see a librarian or call 693-6636 to register

Upcoming Supervisor Candidate Debates

If you live in Greenburgh -- including Ardsley, Dobbs Ferry, Elmsford, Hastings, Irvington, Tarrytown, or unincorporated (Edgemont, Hartsdale, Fairview) -- this is the first time you can vote for a new town supervisor in a general election in over a decade. Challenger Lucas Cioffi, an Independent candidate, is running against Paul Feiner for Greenburgh Town Supervisor November 5th.

You are Invited to these three debates:
• Oct 21: League of Women Voters Debate, Greenburgh Public Library (300 Tarrytown Rd, Elmsford) @ 6:30pm
• Oct 22: Hartsdale Neighbors Association Forum, St Paul's United Methodist Church (130 N Central Ave, Hartsdale) @ 7pm
• Oct 28: NAACP Candidates Forum, Theodore D. Young Community Center (32 Manhattan Ave, White Plains) @ 7pm

Please mark your calendars.

Early voting starts Oct 26th: details about early voting and absentee ballots.

Lucas Cioffi’s simplified message about his campaign. Please share with your friends and neighbors:
1. Place a two-year freeze on town tax levies
2. Use real community involvement to get the budget and spending under control
3. Significantly increase openness and accountability
4. Implement term limits

Here is his full 8-page platform for your consideration. For info:

Lucas Cioffi
Candidate for Greenburgh Town Supervisor
Greenburgh, NY
Website: https://www.greenburgh.us

PS - You are receiving this email, because you receive our town's email updates. The New York State Committee on Open Government has confirmed that candidates running for office in Greenburgh may use the email list as long as we do not use it for fundraising purposes.  Please let me know if you'd like to unsubscribe, and thank you for your time!

Ardsley Library To Offer Ancient Art of Paper Cutting Class

Witholding Information and Selective Open Government

Last week’s Town Board meeting had two issues of significance that had residents turning out in numbers. The first was the alleged Comprehensive Plan Hearing for the latest iteration of a diluted and less potent Comprehensive Plan document that was met with mostly resistance. The other was numerous residents from Ardsley in attendance to protest the proposed Jefferson housing project in the area of Lawrence Avenue. Previously, several hundred residents had turned out in opposition. In fact, due to the volume of people at that meeting, the Police Chief began enforcing the occupancy limits and herding people into other areas of Town Hall.

While there is much to discuss about the watered-down and almost ineffectual proposed Comprehensive Plan, we want to focus on the lack of open government from 177 Hillside Avenue. Our previous post details an email that was received by Mr Feiner from Rick Rucoba, the Public Affairs Manager from the Akzo Nobel chemical titan that owns the property under contract for sale to create The Jefferson. The contract is only valid however if the developer could get approval to build the 272-unit housing extravaganza. 

Below is a copy of the email Mr Feiner received at 7:27PM on Wednesday night. Where was he at 7:27PM on Wednesday night? Of course, he was at the Town Board presentation arena using up residents’ valuable time forcing a limit with their engagement with a critical public. So he received the email from Mr Rucoba at roughly the beginning of the night’s proceedings. Yet, knowing there were people from the Ardsley community there planning to speak against The Jefferson and seeking his help in doing so, he chose to secret the information and remain silent! Is it possible he chose not to share this crucial information because he would not get as much publicity from it than if he waited and had a full day to publicize this? That’s our belief. In fact, two days later found a rather large article appearing in one of the area’s daily newspapers!

We've highlighted in yellow the 7:27 time stamp when the original email was sent to Mr Feiner. Then, highlighted in purple at 10:11, is the time stamp when he forwarded the email to someone else. Did he forward it to the “Say No to Jefferson” group or his press release list or his press release agent? We know he sits at the dais during meetings ignoring the speakers while he plays with his phone. ABG staffers are convinced he was already mapping a press release strategy during the meeting – concerned residents be damned! 

It’s difficult enough for citizens of Greenburgh to get straight answers and honest information from the Town and it’s elected officials without having to file a Freedom of Information request (FOIL). It’s sad that Mr Feiner would choose to conceal valuable information such as this from a group of people who were anxiously seeking his help. Obviously, politics is more important to him than the welfare of others. This needs to change and more importantly, be stopped. Only then will we get A Better Greenburgh.

Ardsley Residents Victorious Against Jefferson

In a rare residential upset, Ardsley residents who organized the “Say No 2 Jefferson” campaign, will be celebrating after a hard fought battle and a sweet victory against The Jefferson. Originally in contract with Akzo Nobel, the leading global paints and coatings company and a major producer of specialty chemicals giant that used to own the property, the Jefferson’s original plan was to build a 296 units of single and two-bedroom apartments for Millennials, empty-nesters and first-time owners. After meeting with some representatives from the community, the Texas-based company scaled back the quantity to 272 units, to be located at Lawrence Street between Saw Mill River Road and the Saw Mill River Parkway.

Once the neighborhood got wind of the size and scope of the project, there was a backlash that was unforeseen from numerous players: residents, school board members, Village Board members and the Mayor. Normally, Mr Feiner and his Board will approve any project from almost all developers and residents be damned. But with roughly several hundred residents packing the Town Hall meeting, another conference room and the cafeteria, he couldn’t ignore their pleas.

An email to Mr Feiner stated the following:

Paul Feiner,  

This email is to inform you that Akzo Nobel has terminated contractual relations with a prior potential purchaser of its site at 1 Lawrence St. in Ardsley, NY and has commenced marketing the property for Commercial or Industrial development.

Regards,

Rick Rucoba 

Public Affairs Manager

Akzo Nobel

Not to be outdone, Mr Feiner did an email blast, using the GBList that he was ordered to turn over to the Worthington Woodlands Civic Association, announcing this update. Many other Civic Associations as well as the Council of Greenburgh Civic Associations had worked closely with leaders of the Ardsley community to assist them in the fight. Several of the issues were significant traffic congestion in Ardsley, parking problems, impact to the schools and flooding. We congratulate the Ardsley community for their steadfastness, spirit and resolve.

Town Board Goes Against A Good Project

There is a proposal in front of the Town Board to build an apartment complex at Lawrence Avenue and Saw Mill River Road (and Parkway). It is comprised  of 272 apartments, down from its original proposal of 296, based on feedback the Jefferson Management team received from the community. Almost immediately after the proposal “hit the bricks,” Mr Feiner came out against it, as did Ardsley resident and Town Board member Diana Juettner, claiming it would burden the infrastructure. While hypocritical to say the least, the Jefferson offered to make significant changes to the area, even going as far south of the project itself to Jackson Avenue. The Loft complex approved by Mr Feiner and his Board near Jackson Avenue offered no changes. Nor has Mr Feiner and Ms Juettner ever offered help to the area.

But the lies have already begun from the corner office. The offering has not generated as much “significant controversy” as Mr Feiner would have you believe. It is he that is trying to create a controversy where controversy does not exist. The development, while overgrown with weeds, dumped dirt and debris, offers value from the stand point of flooding and water absorption Still, they resist this property in a commercial area, ideally suited for a project such as this. You can read more about this project in our earlier post from Sunday, April 19, 2015
JPI Proposing 296 Multi-Family Apartments Jefferson at Saw Mill River(http://abettergreenburgh.blogspot.com/search?q=jefferson)

Mr Feiner claims he is “proposing initiatives” that frankly are either already in the original proposal or too ridiculous to entertain. However, Mr Feiner's standard method of operation is to throw these types of inane ideas out there and hope that something gains traction. But he knows that if he can get some of his supporters to be at the meeting to parrot these points, he’ll get what he desires in publicity from the media, a quote or two on News 12 and possibly other TV stations - depending on whom he invites.

Here's a few of his “initiatives.” Ours are in black, his are in blue:

Widening of both Lawrence Street and Saw Mill River Road to include turning lanes as appropriate from Lawrence street to entrance of the thruway. I believe that the entire length of Saw Mill River Road from Jackson Ave to Ardsley downtown should be widened. 
The plans show a widening and turning lane added on 9A at Jackson Avenue to allow for an increase in traffic heading south on 9A. As we’ve written previously, the Ginsburgh developer of The Loft should be doing this but is not. Nor, is Mr Feiner saddling them with similar conditions.

Construction of sidewalks and bike lanes on both Lawrence and Saw Mill Road from Jackson to downtown Ardsley to promote safe pedestrian/bicycling.

Sidewalks are a condition in our Town for all new construction, regardless of whether or not they connect or lead to anything. These were in the initial plans that had been submitted. The Jefferson project has also made accommodations for bike path use as well as creating a section of public parking that bikers can use to come to the site by car, park and ride the bike path.

Construction of an overpass from Lawrence Street westbound to Saw Mill River Parkway Southbound. As it is the light is problematic, prone to back up and causes systematic delays.

Our staffers travel this route every day and say the light is not so much the issue as are the quantity of construction vehicles moving to and from the area, slowing things down. As our elected representatives, if the traffic light is problematic, then it is up to he, Ms Juettner and the other Town Board members to get it fixed, not the Jefferson!

Construction of additional parking in downtown Ardsley to address the shortage of parking in the business district. Almost 300 new apartments will definitely increase parking problems.
While parking in Ardsley has been an issue for at least 24-years, Mr Feiner’s tenure as Supervisor, he has never made any overtures to address their parking issues. In fact, their Village Board had sidewalks added in Town through grant money Mr Feiner didn't even apply for. The Jefferson plans show all parking for the facility will be provided on their property and not utilize any from the Village proper. If this facility was in the Village itself it might affect parking – but it’s not and it won’t.

Possible construction of additional parking at area train stations to address commuter parking problems.

Even after being lifelong residents, this has us baffled as we cannot locate a train station in Ardsley.

A requirement that frequent shuttle service be provided to train station and downtown Ardsley.
Again, there is no train station in downtown Ardsley.This indicates that this is purely a boilerplate exercise by Mr Feiner.

We need to analyze ability of first responders to come to the assistance of those with emergency medical needs if the Parkway is closed and there are major traffic jams on Lawrence and on Saw Mill River Road.
This is a phony excuse. There has been no study for any other projects anywhere in the Town that was ever denied for lack of access to emergency responders. Emergency vehicles always get through traffic. In fact, the one project that actually does have inadequate access for emergency vehicles is the Brightview Assisted Living facility at Rt 119 and Benedict Avenue. Yet, Mr Feiner and his Board made themselves the lead agency for the project and then approved every aspect of it. Fire trucks responding there are forced to pull in, do whatever is needed and then back their rigs out when they are finished. This is absurd! But, Mr Feiner wanted this regardless of what was needed. In fact, a similar project endorsed by him is the Shellbourne Assisted Living project where the old Sprain Nursery was located. They too, will be building more than the property and surrounding area can handle, thwarting the effectiveness, efficiency and safety of the emergency services responders. Apparently, the safety of assisted living living residents also means little to Mr Feiner and his Board.

There has also been discussion that the Ardsley Schools District will be overrun with new students. According the a spokesman at The Jefferson, the goal of this project is to attract single and newlywed Millenials, and not families with school age children. In fact, our discussion with them indicated that this is a “starter” home for both of those groups, leading them toward purchasing a home when the do have kids. While no one can guarantee this will be the case, the Jefferson Management based their information and projections on other projects of theirs throughout the country.

You may be wondering why the Town Board would object to this project when it seems to be in the right spot, doesn't negatively impact the area, and in fact improves it, falls in line with the other developments Mr Feiner and his Board readily approved and can add to the tax roles, albeit at a discounted tax rate? Because Ms Juettner is afraid of making her constituents mad and losing votes. But, it’s not just her, it’s also Mr Feiner not wanting to lose any votes from Ardsley. After all, the Villages add an awful lot of votes to their campaigns. Sadly, they’re not doing what’s right for the taxpayers and constituents. Rather, they’re acting in their own best interests.

This project is right for the area and needs to be approved. Ultimately, it will go through and be built. In the meantime, we believe Mr Feiner will try to coerce more from the Jefferson Management than is required for approvals. Don’t believe us? Just look at the disastrous results of the Fortress Bible Discrimination case that Mr Feiner lost in Federal court and was found guilty on seven counts. Come and weigh in this Wednesday night at the Town Board meeting at 7:30PM. Be an active part of the Town. Only then will we see A Better Greenburgh.

Lies Fueled Media Blitz at Work Session

This was no ordinary Work Session for the Town Board. Quite the contrary. The front of the Town Hall auditorium was jammed with reporters and camera crews. Mr Feiner wanted to take advantage of what would be his media event and he did just that. Normally, Town Board work sessions take place at the floor level but because of today’s circus event atmosphere, the Town Board members present (only three) sat in their usual elevated seats on the dais. When ABG asked several of the other speakers if they had alerted the media, they all said they did not.

Mr Feiner opened the meeting saying the first order would be the proposed legislation known as the Proposed Shooting Range Ordinance. The ordinance was penned by Edgemont Resident and civic leader Robert Bernstein. What was later uncovered by Mr Bernstein when he was questioned about a specific section by Mr Sheehan, was the audience was not given the latest version of the bill nor did the Town Board have the latest copy. When you shoot from the hip too often, you can get used to working in a sloppy manner. This seems to be a common occurrence with our Town officials more and more.

Mr Feiner postured several times and stumbled to exhort a coherent thought that the media might be able to use “on air”. However he seemed quite pellucid after he openly lied, saying he had no desire to close down the Ardsley Road Shooting Range. At the Town Board meeting held on June 26th, he pandered to the residents from Ardsley Chase and said numerous times that he would like to see this shooting range closed! The audience, not knowing how Mr Feiner will say whatever he needs to get by unscathed, or out of a jam applauded voluminously – several times.

At the Work Session, more closely resembling a press conference, media savvy Mr Feiner got his sound byte. He stated that he didn't want to close the shooting rangeand he is only concerned about is “Safety, safety, safety.” That was a lie! Mr Feiner would later capitulate after openly lying to everyone and say both sides need to work together. Actually, that is the one factual piece of truth. Councilman Kevin Morgan said at the meeting that the request to study other areas if the Town came from the Town. Again, not true. ABG is in possession of emails showing the information had been requested of the Town Board, the Town Attorney and Mr Feiner by Mr Bernstein before the draft legislation was to be officially proposed! 

Mr Sheehan raised numerous questions about the draft legislation and was the only Town Board member present to do so. There were only three Town Board members present as Council members Jones and Juettner were absent. Mr Sheehan’s comments also alluded that Mr Bernstein statements were untrue and the emails ABG has indicate this was quite the opposite of what happened. ABG believes it was premature to introduce any legislation before the investigation was concluded, but maintain Mr Bernstein was acting in good faith in spite of being unable to get accurate and truthful information from the Town Board. 

This never should have been allowed to escalate the way it did and become an issue before  this politically challenged Town Board. The residents of Ardsley Chase (and surrounding area), the Range owners, Con Ed and Toll Brothers should have been the only ones holding any meetings and discussions.

Mr Feiner is in Deflection Mode once again and has another hot-button topic that ensures he will get more media coverage and more importantly, media coverage away from the Fortress Bible Church guilty verdict that is costing taxpayers $6.5 million, $5.5 which is not covered by insurance because Mr Feiner, Ms Juettner and the Town were found guilty of discrimination in federal court! This debacle is no where near seeing any light at the end of any tunnel. At the last Town Board meeting, the Board approved spending roughly $17 million dollars through bonds. Light of day? Hah! Darkness is all that can be seen for the beleaguered taxpayers of Greenburgh. Once the shooting range has been forgotten, Mr Feiner will start anew. Its time for the taxpayers to start anew by changing who is chosen to represent us. Only then will we get A Better Greenburgh.

Con Ed To Close Outdoor Shooting Range By Terminating Lease

Without facts, without cause and without regard to the livelihoods of those employed at the Westchester County Police Revolver & Rifle Range in Ardsley, Consolidated Edison capitulated to public hysteria and has decided to terminate their lease with the shooting range located on Ardsley Road. In an email alert just sent to constituents, but not the ABG offices, we’ve learned that Mr Feiner has been in secret communications with the Vice President of ConEd. Although, he doesn’t identify this VP by name – a standard ploy used often by Mr Feiner, Mr Feiner claims the following: 

“I received a call from the Vice President of Con Ed a short time ago advising me that Con Ed plans to terminate the lease with the gun range on Ardsley Road, effective in 30 days. They will continue to communicate with local law enforcement and officials during this transition.”

You’ll recall a woman who lives in the new Ardsley Chase development, where home costs range from $1.2M and up, was hit by a fragment of what is alleged to be a bullet. Town Board speculation, as well as some home owners, believe it came from the range. The range is in the bottom portion of what used to be a rock quarry. Anti-gun and anti-shooting activists have not entertained other causes for this yet-to-be-identified piece of metal. Was it fired from the range or somewhere else? A logical supposition could be someone with a small handgun from the nearby ConEd power lines discharged their weapon. Or, could something have landed on this woman’s leg and she bent down and unknowingly picked up a piece of metal instead of what hit her? Possibly. We don’t doubt she was struck by something nor do we believe she is making this up or is not credible.

While the police are investigating this matter, other residents have notified the police that bullet fragments have been found on their property. When were these found? Were complaints or reports filed with the police department? Our point is simple, while we believe the woman in question felt something strike her, Mr Feiner found another political deflection to garner attention away from him and his administration for his failings in Town leadership.

The Town’s budget will have a $3.4% tax increase – under the NYS 2% Tax Cap. The residents are being forced to pay the balance of $5.5 million not covered by insurance for the guilty verdict fine of $6.5 million in the Fortress Bible Church Discrimination lawsuit. The Town has lost $1.2 million per year while Mr Feiner lets the Westhelp property languish in ruin to garner a few more votes from Ardsley. The list is endless.

The Town should not have gotten involved in this case until all the parties had sat down and were unable to iron out the issues. Mr Feiner lied at yesterdays meeting when he said he didn’t want to shut the shooting range down. Not only did he say he wanted it shut down at a previous Town Board meeting, to thunderous applause from the Ardsley Chase residents, but he said it at subsequent meetings as well. In fact, he sent letters out to residents suggesting how they could have it shut down. This way he can continue to say he didn’t want it closed. Lies from our elected officials, guilty verdicts from our elected officials and fines that taxpayers are forced to pay for from our elected officials must end! Only then will we get A Better Greenburgh.

Double Jeopardy in Greenburgh, Taxing Residents Twice

An interesting occurrence transpired Thursday night at the Zoning Board of Appeals meeting at Town Hall. The docket saw some nine cases scheduled for review by the Board. Pockets of people were in attendance, probably sitting in groups of support for or against each case. The Fulton Park Civic Association and others were there for their neighborhood’s cause, specifically, the expansion plans for Deli Delicious and the major changes sought to the property. But that’s not what this post is really about.

It’s believed by most that the deli has already received Mr Feiner’s blessing, and is trying to officially “make their case” to have the zoning codes changed so he can get a variance(s) to add a drive-through window and “flip” the building. Selling the building will become more attractive to a fast food chain by installing the window which would then be grandfathered to the next owner. The deli has been closed for over two years now. The owner, Ernest Tartaglione says being closed is a hardship on his business. There is no business. Tartaglione, a commercial real estate landlord for numerous properties, is just counting this as just another property in his stable.

The interesting occurrence we mentioned above is that Tartaglione, et al, had petitioned the Zoning Board of Appeals for a postponement of his deli’s zoning appeal case. Their reason is unknown but suspected to be related to the traffic report, only just released two days earlier on Monday. The Fulton Park Civic Association also petitioned for a postponement as two days was not enough time for them to review and analyze the information in the traffic report. But, the Fulton Park Civic Association, as with anyone filing a petition for postponement, including the petitioner, was forced to pay a $25 fee (tax) to the Town! When we were discussing this, an ABG staffer jumped in saying, “Wait! I know why. The Town employee will say it’s a lot of work to do, or it takes away from their regular duties, or there are costs associated with doing this. Or, all of those – am I right?” In a word, yes, she was right. The staffer was told the filing fee was because of the amount of work that was entailed to request the postponement. How preposterous!

Greenburgh taxpayers are repeatedly hammered by ill-conceived policies of the Town, created by our own representatives, that punish residents at almost every imaginable turn. Case in point? The request for a postponement and the related application fee of $25. This “fee” is a second tax applied under the guise of a fee. We are inundated with these fees in Greenburgh. When a resident/taxpayer goes to Town Hall to request anything for their primary property, there should not be a fee attached to it if it is a simple or small request, such as this postponement. Under the Feiner Administration of the past 22-years, we’ve seen fee after fee created to possibly pay off his guilty verdict fines. So, when the Fulton Park Civic Association applied for a postponement, it is ABG’s position that there should not have been a filing fee charged. This is simply a letter handed to a clerk who marks it received and passes it along to the appropriate individual(s) either manually or by email. This actually falls under the auspices of the clerk’s job. There should be no charge – that’s their job!

At a recent Town Board work session, there was a lengthy discussion about waiving the application fee for installation of a permanently installed generator, as opposed to a temporary or portable one. There are so many fees involved with the installation of just a generator, you might need a travel companion, a priest or rabbi and concierge if you go to Town Hall to do this. First, there is the application fee of $100 to review the application. Next, assuming your application review has been approved, you will pay a Building Department fee (installation), followed by the Electrical fee (power) and finally (?) the Plumbing (gas) fee. ABG is not saying to forego the safety inspections our inspectors are required to make during the installation process. We endorse that part of the process. Just don’t forget that they are very well-paid with benefits to do those inspections. That’s their job.

Realistically, there should not be any fee for projects that are small, single family homeowner-sized projects. It’s one of the reasons why we have a Building Department, financed by residents’ taxes. Unfortunately, we’ve allowed our elected officials to get ahead of us and tax us twice.

As was highlighted with the postponement fee, another travesty for the taxpayer/resident/community members/stakeholders must endure is the ridiculous fees for copies from Town Hall. If one goes into Town Hall and requests a copy of anything, they are charged 25¢ per page. That’s preposterous. The Town will supply a PDF of a document at no charge but we’re sure an Executive session can soon end this once they figure out the wording required. The taxes, paid by the taxpayers/residents/community members/stakeholders already cover this expense. The copier that is leased, the toner and paper used, the electricity, the service agreements, etc., are already paid for by the taxpayer! It’s their copier and supplies! Why are they taxed again? The administration’s argument is if everybody came in and requested copies it would be too expensive for the Town. This is a lame excuse.

First, “everybody” is not going to suddenly be coming in requesting copies. Second, most other communities are operating in a budget conscience fashion and provide the residents with copies upon request at no additional cost. The difference? Other, better managed communities, also haven’t been found guilty in Federal court of violating the rights of a church and paying $6.5 million in fines and penalties, forcing this administration to figuratively stand on the street corner begging for nickels and dimes! Would you like another example?

Several years ago, Mr Feiner and his Town tried to raise the “fee” for the Village of Elmsford residents to use the Town library, which is part of the larger Westchester Library System. It was a hefty increase that Mr Feiner assumed (we know) he would get because he is used to getting his way. Elmsford Mayor Robert Williams, apparently more concerned for his constituents than Mr Feiner, reached out to the Village of Ardsley for an alternative library arrangement that was less money for his Village and gave his residents a more cost-effective solution to Mr Feiner’s greedy proposal. Mr Williams completely and successfully bypassed Mr Feiner piggishness.

As a side note, it had often been discussed that the Village of Elmsford, which sold the library property to the Town for a dollar, be given access to the library directly as a gesture of good faith. A former librarian at the Greenburgh library was insistent this not be allowed. Her rationale was that it would, at the time, add 3,000 new Elmsford users to the library, overwhelming it. One would think more users would be a good thing for any library as it would give cause to an increased budget, increased purchasing power, more books, videos, programs and more employees. Besides, the 3,000 Elmsford residents were not going to show up all at once! It would also promote expansion. Oh, wait, they did expand with the award winning ski jump, a mostly inefficient use of space riddled with HVAC system issues, leaks, burst pipes and more. Ardsley’s library is looking like a pretty good deal.

Back to being forced to pay for what we already paid for through our taxes. The right thing (again, we know) would be to allow residents to come in and request one copy of a file or document they need. There should be no charge as long as they prove residency or occupancy of the address. If the taxpayer is requesting multiple copies of a document, that’s a bit different. The first copy would be free and a minimal fee of say 5¢/page or a blanket amount for the entire document of say, $2/additional copy can be charged. This would hold true for business residents as well. Now, if outside agencies come in requesting a copy, ABG believes it is fair to charge them for any copies they request. Obviously, if it’s only a page or two, the Town employees can use their discretion to waive the fee or collect it. Taking care of the Town’s residents is a concept that Mr Feiner has slowly let slip away – unless he can get publicity from it. Sure, he’ll respond to your phone call by fugaciously pawning your issue to one of his commissioners and be done with you. Then he’ll go back to his back room deals, overdevelopment, spot-zoning, variance request blessings and dismissing traffic studies to raise a few more bucks to pay for the fines he’s had levied against the Town’s taxpayers. It has to change. Only then will we see A Better Greenburgh.

Under The Circus’ Big Tent

The April 24th Town Board meeting took over two hours to get underway after those in attendance endured presentation after presentation by The Paul. No matter how self-serving these may be, ABG endorses starting the meetings on time and focusing on Town business, not campaigning by The Paul. Seeking cans of Red Bull or just needing a break, people were in and out of the hall repeatedly. If this continues, perhaps The Paul should install easy chair recliners with beverage holders.

Once the public hearings began, speaker after speaker hammered home the fact that The Paul and his Board are being asked the same questions again and again, meeting after meeting and still not sharing information with the public. ABG concurs. Apparently, The Paul’s “Open Government” is only open when it is convenient for him or he has information he wishes to get out. It appears his and the Board’s every move are secretly guarded. The sadder commentary here is that the media in Westchester could be doing their job by investigating his claims, uncovering his deceit and exposing it. Instead, they choose to be his lapdogs and reprint his press releases verbatim or put a positive spin on issues that would be crippling to any other politician.

During the Town Board meetings, the Board has a habit of waiting for a speaker to finish their comments or asking all of their questions and then take their seat before they will address any queries that were made. That is, if they choose to address them. Most times they will remain silent and offer the public no information! One speaker asked about numerous issues in the Town, with his final question being what was the information the Board was seeking regarding the RFP’s for the Frank’s Nursery property and the WestHelp property? As he was returning to his seat, The Paul commented, “I just want to say that somebody was interfering with the process. This is not a game. This is not entertainment. This is not a circus. This is a business. We have a fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayers of Greenburgh to get the best possible deal for the Town. And if people in the community are abusing it, we’re not going to stand for that.We’ll have to keep more things to ourselves if we are legally able to do. And that’s the reason we’re not giving people as much up to date information as the neg [sic]. I don’t want people making phone calls discouraging some of the better bidders not to deal with the Town.” This is a business? Really? The Paul and this Board have yet to run anything as if it were a business. More importantly, if one resident has a conversation with a bidder and the bidder chooses to withdraw, what does that say about the quality and strength of The Paul’s “business sense” and dealings? A deal shouldn’t be so weak as to collapse because of one conversation.

What The Paul failed to mention was that the resident spoke to a partner of the company biding on the project that was a school friend of The Paul! Ironically, the next person called to the podium to speak was in fact the same resident. He took about four of his five alloted minutes to counter what The Paul had said. It’s interesting that when it’s something The Paul or his Board wants, they will insult and denigrate whomever they please. Yet they state on each meeting’s agenda that personal attacks will not be tolerated. While their common place hypocritical behavior is disgusting, they do control the microphone and get away with the same bad behavior they so desperately try to keep away from themselves. It pathetic.

Other speakers asked about the amount of money the Ardsley Water Wheel property for affordable housing was going to “net” for the Village of Ardsley? Were the other Villages and most importantly the Unincorporated portion of the Town going to get any money as well? No answer. As usual, The Paul was playing with his phone during this speakers limited time. The speaker challenged him to pay attention to what she was saying. The Paul had the audacity to say he had posed her question to a Town forum he participates with and was reading their response. When she requested he read their response, he refused, claiming he wanted to discuss it with the Board privately before sharing it. So why even bring it up? She promised to fax a FOIL request for the information upon her return home.

The Town Board meetings go along like this meeting after meeting. The Town is run more poorly day after day. Undeserving politicians seeking reelection unopposed is not good for the public or the Town. Alluding to the old saying about how power corrupts, it has absolutely corrupted our Town leadership. Morale of our employees is at its lowest of all time. Salaries for the top level of our Town are disproportionately high. The Town is keeling and going to capsize soon. We need a change in Town leadership and fast! We can only hope.

Still No Comment on 715 Dobbs Ferry Road

Wednesday night’s Town Board meeting was met with the usual questions and the typical non-answers from the Board and The Paul. Numerous residents queried the Board when they had their turn at the podium as to what was being done with the former Frank’s Nursery property at 715 Dobbs Ferry Road (as well as other issues). Each speaker specifically suggested the property be advertised with a Request For Proposal (RFP) and not limit the property to only two choices, either House of Sports or GameOn 365. But The Paul stated he wants (not that the public’s opinion matters) to keep it as a recreational use. Francis “Back Pocket” Sheehan said he didn’t want to necessary go with the highest bid. This is the Board’s “tell” that the property will go to GameOn 365!

For some unknown reason, The Paul stated the Board would make their decision in March, after doing their “due diligence”. One speaker actually said the last time he heard this was discussing with The Paul and several Board members the proposed Westhab project that no one in the neighborhood wanted and the Town’s Zoning Board voted against. The Paul said the same thing back then and that no decision had been made and they were doing their “due diligence”. Surprisingly(?), The Paul and his Stepford Board approved the project, became the lead agency and voted every proposal Westhab made through the system faster than ever before seen. ABG believes this “due diligence” is simply another of The Paul’s classic stall tactic. In March they will turn around and say they are ignoring the larger financial amount the Town could receive to hand over the property to GameOn 365. This is about the only real transparency in this administration’s government.

The Town certainly has the right to sell the property to anyone it choses because this property was acquired through foreclosure. GameOn 365 apparently has never had the funds nor currently has the funds to develop their proposal into anything substantial. On the other hand, House of Sports does. Regardless, The Paul did backflips trying to get GameOn 365 to be the (illegal) leasee of choice. A lawsuit filed against the Town to stop the illegal lease has now been met by a counter-lawsuit. It’s seems now GameOn 365’s principals are down to, “Nah, nah, na-nah nah!”

House of Sports, in Ardsley, has recently opened an indoor sports facility that already has about 1,000 members. They have offered $3.5 million for the property at 715 Dobbs Ferry Road. The only thing House of Sports has requested would be a change for the zoning from residential to a commercial one. Since the property is currently zoned only for single family homes, and it’s highly unlikely The Paul and his Board will put the property up for an RFP and hand the property over to GameOn 365, it’s likely we’ll never see housing at this location.

Currently, without an RFP, there are only two competing offers for the property at 715 Dobbs Ferry Road. What the speakers at this meeting continued to drive home was that there might be more we can do with this property if only the Town would expand the scope from two recreational companies to include other types of businesses. Actually, wouldn’t this be an ideal spot to locate the Ferncliff School? It’s the same amount of acreage The Paul has been illegally trying to give Ferncliff with the WestHelp property on the Westchester Community College campus. It’s an even flatter piece of land, which they claim is an important requirement for them. 

The Town owns the property and The Paul is no stranger to cranking the approval process right on through every back door known only to developers. Why won’t The Paul direct the Ferncliff School to 715 Dobbs Ferry Road if he is so interested in helping them? Because this is just another of The Paul’s misdirection scams. Ultimately The Paul won’t get any Valhalla votes if he doesn’t help the Mayfair neighborhood remove the low income housing they vehemently fought to keep out years ago!

Every time a resident asked The Paul what he was going to do with the property, The Paul hemmed and hawed and didn’t answer. Nor did his Board. This tells ABG that he still prefers to do a flawed deal with GameOn 365, and is willing to discard the higher offer from House of Sports. The Town has a fiscal responsibility to the Town residents to garner the most money for this property to pay down the back taxes, gain a profitable sale for the property and start generating tax revenue as quickly as possible. Our “go-along” Town Board and The Paul, whose seemingly only interest are padding their developer friend’s pockets, are clearly not looking out for the best interest the residents. This is a clear-cut issue that requires little thought or justification. Either The Paul and his Board should put the property up for an RFP or accept the highest amount of money for the sale of this property and do the right thing by the residents. We can only hope.