ShopRite Welcomed AND Rejected By Community

We've previously written about the Multi-Plex movie theater closing on Saw Mill River Road in what's referred to as North Elmsford. The theater  has finally officially closed about two weeks or so ago. A ShopRite supermarket is planned to be built after the movie theater building is torn down. While the Town and the attorney for the property owner are not at liberty to say which store brand it is, many in Town Hall have shared the information. We believe this was to quell the rumors that a Walmart, a Wegmans, CVS and other stores of various names would be moving in. Ironically, a Grand Union, Masters Department Store and later a Masters Liquor store resided there for years many years ago.

The Town's Planning Commissioner Garrett Duquesne agreed to meet with the Westchester Hills Condominium Association, Beaver Hill Civic Association, the Pocantico Park residents and the ShopRite developer's attorney, William Null of Cuddy and Feder. While many were saying this was a ShopRite, Mr Null remained steadfast in refusing to acknowledge his client until the contracts are signed and he gets the go-ahead to release the name. While Freedom of Information Law requests take agonizingly long to get from Town Hall, this information is readily shared in an otherwise porous Town Hall.

There was an overhead projector set up displaying the first slide of their presentation.  The grade, or pitch of the parking lot and how it slopes down to Saw Mill River Road (9A), is no longer allowed by code and will pose one problem for constructing a new supermarket in that location. The excuse for lowering the lot and reducing the grade was to stop car doors from swinging open and hitting cars next to them. The other reason is to stop runaway shopping carts from soaring down the lot hitting parked vehicles, people or going into traffic. Who knew supermarket parking lots could be so perilous?

But what would likely be the most vociferous complaint of everyone in attendance was when the slide was changed to show traffic patterns. Those in attendance didn’t even wait for the explanation and jumped on the small detail of the parking lot opening onto Old Country Road. 
“Is that parking lot opening onto Old Country Road?” someone shouted out. Several people jumped into that conversation.
“We already have too much traffic on that road as it is with cars AND trucks coming and going to Executive Boulevard businesses.”
“We’ve had cars go into our backyards,” claimed a homeowner on Orchard Lane.

“We're okay with a supermarket as long as it doesn’t open up onto Old Country Road!” The developer also had several variances it would need for the project: an increase in the exterior lighting from 14ft to 20ft; a 24-7, 365 days a year operation, increased number of sign and sizes of signs and a reduced amount of parking spaces from what is currently there.

Regardless of what the representatives tried to discuss from that point on, residents were only interested in one thing: not opening access to Old Country Road. Some even suggested removing some parking spaces to accommodate the trucks and tractor trailers entering from 9A going up the drive on the left-hand (north) side drive, making their delivery and exiting on the southern side back to the traffic light entrance where they came in.

Also in attendance and each sitting by themselves were Mr Feiner, Mr Jones and Mr Sheehan. At one point Mr Jones and Mr Feiner spoke and when Mr Feiner identified himself, a long-time resident said, “Wait, you’re Paul Feiner?” He waffled a bit because while someone else had shouted out this was a done-deal, Mr Feiner’s classic two-step shuffle veered the conversation toward coming up with a compromise --a classic ploy when his original decision bites him in the butt.

After pitching what might be an alternative, the attorney William Null of Cuddy and Feder said they can revisit the plans but there is little to no room for alterations from this plan. Here’s what we think happened: ShopRite and their representatives met with Mr Feiner and maybe one or two Board members along with Mr Duquesne to discuss redeveloping the property. He either told them or strongly alluded that he would make the Town Board the lead agency for the project and as long as the project fits the zoning, they build a sidewalk to nowhere, somewhere to be determined later, make a donation or two to some fund within the Town, donate a fire truck, etc., and they'll sail right through the approval process. Once all the ducks were in the flooded 9A row, he had one more stipulation, which was present it to the condominium owners.

Most people in most neighborhoods do not pay attention to what is going on in the Town. We call it OIMBY. People get involved when it’s Only In My Back Yard. It’s then that they show they are concerned with their quality of life, their families, work, school and affordability. This project will have a direct impact on all of those for the people in the immediate area, Beaver Hill and the housing to the north that abuts this property. Despite the fairy tale they were being told, Mr Feiner and his Town Board do not really care about them (“Wait, you’re Paul Feiner?”) which is why this moved ahead to this point. Here, the populace has been awoken only to learn their well-being was again ignored for what Mr Feiner wants. He should have had the community meeting before he had the developer meeting. But he really is out of touch with the Town constituency and once again, he did not do what is right for the residents. This has to change. We’re sure there will be more to this story. It’s what will make A Better Greenburgh.

Town Approves Assisted Living Zoning Change; Disregards Residents Input – Again!

In an unsurprising and calculated move to assist yet another developer, the Town Board ignored countless amounts of input by residents warning of the numerous pitfalls of adopting the proposed zoning law change written by the developer, to assist them in building the Brightview Assisted Living Center. The developer apparently wrote the zoning amendment and gave it to the Board to vote upon. Can anyone say collusion? Also apparent is that the Town’s Legal, Planning and Building Departments are collectively incapable of working with our Zoning Board or crafting an addition to our Zoning Laws and thus left the “heavy lifting” to the developer’s attorneys. The facility will be a 3-story building off of Tarrytown Road, opposite the Sheraton Hotel at Benedict Ave with a Tarrytown mailing address in the Unincorporated Greenburgh. Now that the Town has approved the law, Brightview will be unimpeded to proceed with their project. Let the variances begin!

By the Town Board approving and amending this local law at the Town Board meeting on February 13, the zoning ordinance for the town was changed by adding a definition of assisted living facilities. It also creates a special permit criteria for such facilities. The problem with allowing the zoning change is that it will carry throughout the Town and allow buildings that would otherwise be inappropriate for residential neighborhoods. While the zoning map has already been amended to reflect the change, the result of this zoning change is that it will allow up to 100 bedrooms to be constructed in an “assisted living facility” on four acre sites within 200 feet of a state or county road. This should not be confused with a Senior Living Center or Senior Assisted Living Center.

Brightview will not accept those on Medicaid needing an assisted living center’s help. To cover that blunder that went unnoticed by Town Board members until residents pointed it out at one of the hearings, the town altered the conditions that will allow them to issue permits for facilities that accept medicaid. This was the Town Board’s appearance of being concerned that they want to help the poor. But those Greenburgh residents who are either poor or on Medicaid will never see the inside of Brightview unless they are going to visit someone there. We’re sure The Paul will have a bus readied at the Theodore Young Community Center for any seniors, poor or Medicaid recipients wishing to tour what they cannot afford.

The Board also factored in their right to deny permits to facilities if they will have an adverse impact upon the town. This is the “scapegoat clause” they put in place to placate everyone who objected to this zoning change that has now became Town-wide. Since we have yet to see The Paul say no to any developer, we doubt there will ever be any activity with this clause. It’s only there so they can say, “Look, we have the right to say no to any project.” Like that’ll ever happen.

Brightview, an assisted living facility, is going to overwhelm the small little neighborhood in the Glenville section of the Town because the zoning law The Paul and the Brightview developer crafted allows it. The Paul doesn’t care. The Town Board had many public discussions/hearings on the proposed zoning change before the new law was adopted. They’ve ignored every point that was made and passed the law the developer needed to proceed.

This was never about protecting a neighborhood for The Paul. It was never about creating a Town-wide assisted living provision in the zoning law for The Paul. It was never about trying to house our aging, less fortunate residents in a facility that can help them for The Paul. It was only about The Paul getting past any restrictions, limitations or laws that would keep one of his developer friends from getting to build what they wanted. They got it! This must change. We can only hope.

“Drowning” in Taxes

We’ve previously posted* about the proposed and now voted upon water rate increase for the Unincorporated Town residents. At Tuesday’s work session, The Paul’s newest tax sailed right through, pretending the process is painful but necessary. The Paul has the chutzpah to actually say, “We have to bite the bullet and be responsible”. Responsible? Really, Paul? The audacity exhibited by The Paul never ceases to amaze the entire staff at ABG. We’d like to see The Paul follow the law so we don’t have a dozen or so lawsuits pending against the Town? We’d like him to not lie under oath or destroy evidence (Fortress Bible). The list seems endless.

While claims to increase the water bills for the average Greenburgh residents by 24% is a significant one, it must be said that his false statement of achieving the NYS 2% tax cap simply doesn’t hold water. Yes, it’s a bad play on words but ABG staffer Christina insisted on using it. At the end of the day, between last years 72% increase and now this 24% increase, it’s impossible for The Paul to say he adhered to the tax cap! ABG understands there are numerous ways to “achieve” compliance and still have a significant tax increase. He’s come up with another.

The Paul has been making the residents “bite” many bullets repeatedly during his twenty-plus years in office. Seniors who supported him when he first ran for Town Supervisor are finding they are unable to continue living in their homes within the Town under his administrations. One widow told an ABG staffer that her social security benefits check totalled $14k a year. Having raised her family in the house she was born in, she was forced to finally sell her home once her taxes reached the same amount. Eventually, she wound up in a (DSS) subsidized apartment on Manhattan Avenue. She used to enjoy sitting outside on summer evenings but can no longer do that as she fears for her safety and feels alone with no family nearby. What a far cry from how she had planned to spend her final years.

“Rising expenses, repayment of past obligations and future projects demand the board act immediately, Feiner said. “If we don’t raise rates today the water district will see its debt increase and it’s going to be worse,” Worse? Again, really? We sincerely wonder what new projects there are that warrant this high an increase? It cannot be to repair or increase the infrastructure as that hasn’t happened since he’s taken office. The flooding caused by Tropical Storms Irene and Lee proved throughout the Town that we are inadequately served, in disrepair or frankly, in an almost hopeless condition. In typical form, he fired off letters to every legislator he could find requesting something be done by everyone but himself. Former Elmsford Trustee William Zimkin proffered a marginal solution for the Saw Mill River flooding along the 9A corridor. The Paul latched onto this stopgap as if it were his own panacea. Ideas abound, just not the The Paul or his administration.

The Paul promises another increase of at least 10% in 2013. The undeniable issue is that he doesn’t have a clue as to what he’s doing at the helm of this rudderless ship. The Stepford Board just goes along with what he instructs them to do, occasionally offering a rebuke when there’s the unwritten guarantee of passage or he’s prearranged their objections with them. They stay in line to ensure being reelected, lest they suffer the fate of the last casualty, Sonya Brown. While we had high hopes for Ken Jones, he’s fallen in lockstep with the Board faster than water floods into Babbitt Court. Greenburgh needs a change. We can only hope.

*http://abettergreenburgh.blogspot.com/2012/02/Unconscionable-102-Rate-Increase.html

Greenburgh, Supporting the Low Income Resident with a 65.5% Tax Increase

   We will experience a tax increase that will be seven times more than last year's double-digit increases because, according to Supervisor Feiner, the town couldn’t sell the property he was banking on selling and budgeted as revenue in this year's spending plan.

   The Town Board has approved a $15 million budget, including both unincorporated Greenburgh and its six villages that calls for a 65.5% increase for village homeowners.

   Under this year’s adopted budget, the average village homeowner with a $15,000 assessment will pay an additional $45.41, bringing the average tax bill to $114.75. The village residents of Ardsley, Dobbs Ferry, Elmsford, Hastings-on-Hudson, Irvington and Tarrytown receive their services from their respective village government.

   The Town Board also approved a $64.2 million town budget, serving unincorporated Greenburgh, that increased the property-tax rate about 6.9 percent. Under the budget, the average homeowner in unincorporated Greenburgh with a $15,000 assessment will pay an additional $161.28, making the average tax bill for town services $2,516.40.

   At no time did the supervisor or his merry Board of fools decide to make real cuts. Why not? Probably because PF wouldn't accomplish the necessary pandering to maintain his lifestyle if he did. And the Board is too afraid to think and act independently and/or go against him. So the taxpayers suffer, the seniors move out and our kids shake their heads in disbelief as they migrate out as well.