Name Calling

To The Editor:

I was disappointed in John Sullivan's recent letter on the St. Paul's issue ("Is the Sky Falling????"). While the number of exclamation points and question marks he used was impressive, I must admit that I was looking forward to the humor he promised but could not find. And most importantly I was disappointed with the name calling he engaged in.

Those tactics only serve to obfuscate the core issues and, in his case, waste the reader's time. Is his core message, "Village residents only need to know the monthly cost, not total costs, because the total costs are not relevant"? I hope not. We have seen countless examples of that flawed thinking throughout New York State's local governments. And that is certainly not the way to run our village government.

Give us ALL the facts, so we can make an informed decision. Do not prematurely close options.

I believe we have three options:

Tear the building down

Restore the building using taxpayer funds and use it for public purposes.

Restore the building with private funds in exchange for its use as private luxury condos.

Let's get the facts on all three options. What does each option cost? Who will pay for it? What are the risks?

If the building is demolished what will that cost? What other issues will arise as a result of demolition?

If public use, what public entities will use the building? If part of the building would be leased, as has been proposed, who would those tenants be and what are the implications of allowing such a commercial use of part of the property? What financial risks will the taxpayers assume?

If private use, how much control will the village have over the development and future use of the property? What criteria must a developer meet for restoration of the building?

Sure I know some may say option 3 should not be on the table because the village board, by a vote of 5 to 4, declared the property parkland. However let's be mindful of how this important decision was made. Surprisingly, it was made without prior notice to all the members of the Village Board and the residents of the village. No prior discussion of the financial obligations that the parkland designation would impose on the village or its residents took place. Nor did the proponents of this designation attempt to inform or engage the Property Owners Association on this significant decision. Nor was the designation made to protect the recreation fields we all enjoy, since they were never at risk. Frankly, I am not sure we ever heard why the parkland designation was needed.

A little known fact about this parkland vote was the Trustees were deadlocked 4 - 4. The then Mayor used the extra vote that every mayor has to break a tie, and she cast two votes for Parkland. Not exactly a mandate!

Where was the "appropriate and fair disclosure" on that important issue that John Sullivan is demanding?

Fortunately, that decision can be overturned through the passage of specific "Home Rule legislation" by our state legislature. Our former Mayor knows this is possible since she was part of a successful effort to secure such legislative support for a piece of public property in her neighborhood.

So, let's get the facts we need. Let's reject name calling, it does not become us. Let's come together as neighbors and resolve this important issue. Let's reduce the anger, political posturing, and other objectionable tactics that only serve to confuse and delay. Frankly many of us have seen to much it.

Let's decide what is in the best interests of all residents and get on with it. This includes the new homeowners, the seniors and those who are fortunate enough not to be concerned about escalating property taxes. Let's look at all options and fully examine whatever concerns any of us have. And then let's move forward with whatever the majority of this village wants.

If we don't, the sky may not fall, but the St. Paul's building may.

Jim Cunningham

Sense Of Entitlement

To the Editor,

I could not disagree more with the demand for affordable housing in Garden City.

Since when did it become a civil right for people to live in a house at all? And more to the point, in a neighborhood they cannot afford? Until I was age 5, my parents, two younger brothers and I were crammed into a 2 bedroom apartment. At that point we were grateful to move into what could only be described as a very modest attached home in a blue collar working class neighborhood in Queens. We didn't even own a car. Would we have rather lived in Garden City then? Sure, but you live, or SHOULD, where you can afford to live. If you want to move up, you EARN it!!!

I moved to Garden City 22 years ago, my husband and I having struggled for many years to put aside money to purchase our home here. My husband's first raise, which we badly wanted to use to loosen available spending money, went instead into US Savings Bonds, withdrawn directly from his salary so we didn't spend it first. This later formed the basis of our down payment on our Garden City home. Did we like doing this? No.It was an unpleasant struggle. For years we ate store brand margarine, soda, etc. A pizza out was a very rare treat.It was a personal sacrifice and the process went on for years.

When we closed on our home in Garden City, which was frankly a wreck requiring considerable immediate work, we were $2,000 negative in our checking account. NOBODY bought us our house. We did not even borrow from parents. We EARNED the house ourselves. It was a purchase made at some considerable sacrifice.

So, where does ANYONE come off DEMANDING to live here, DEMANDING that we build so called" affordable" housing here? There are numerous other neighborhoods which have equally nice if less expensive homes. I suggest people who cannot afford Garden City prices go there.Live here if you can afford it. Don't live here if you can't. Where has this sense of entitlement come from? When did we as a nation discard the idea that you get what you earn, that you WORK for what you want?

We have seen the effect of moving people wholesale into neighborhoods they cannot afford to live in. A decline in the maintenance of the homes, with resultant decline in property values of the surrounding community, is inevitably the result.

Exactly why should Garden City agree to affordable housing, which will change the character of the town? And it is a sure bet that it WON'T be our own kids who will be picked to buy these homes, built with our tax dollars! Make a change of this sort ? What do we or our children stand to gain?

I suggest that all residents make their feelings on this matter known to Tom Suozzi `(571-3131) and anyone else who has input into this matter. And tell them we will certainly remember who NOT to vote for in the next election if this issue is crammed down out throats.

Leslie Dimmling

Consider Public Use

Printed By Request:

Board of Trustees

Village of Garden City

To The Editor:

I would like to begin this letter to express my appreciation to you for the countless hours you spend in policy and decision making for our village.

Volunteerism is dwindling in America and we could not continue our unique form of government here in Garden City if it were not for citizens like you who are willing to devote your time and energies.

The purpose of this letter is to try to persuade you to consider public, not private, use of St. Paul's. There are two very important demographic groups in our village who need attention: number 1 is our youth and number 2 is our senior citizens.

I visualize an indoor recreation facility very similar to our popular pool and tennis community park. We are bombarded with letters to the editor concerning our youth and their drinking, destruction of property, etc. These are our children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, who want to be with their peers on weekends. There is nowhere for teenagers to meet, parent's homes or St. Paul's or Stewart fields with a six-pack of beer (or worse)! Ping Pong tables, pool tables, open gym time, indoor swimming pools and movies will alleviate some of these less wholesome activities. Residents could join for a fee, as we do for the pool, to cover operating and maintenance expenses.

Number 2, our seniors, have an already crowded senior center and not a very attractive one at that. The library plan presented by Board member Peter Negri several years ago included computer rooms, library and card rooms and other senior activities. Incidentally, that library plan was presented just a few short years ago and was negated, as we were informed that our present library was "perfectly adequate." Now, in just a few short years, we are spending a million plus for renovation on that same "adequate" facility, and I understand the meeting rooms there will disappear also.

The grand front hall and public rooms at St. Paul's could be used for meetings and social activities. Organizations including Twigs, Mercy League, Welcome Wagon, American Cancer Society and many others are always searching for a suitable location for their fund-raising projects.

I will not attempt to go into the "financial burden" (I'm quoting Mr. Mauk) of this project. Mr. Bill Sweeney's letter last week did an excellent job of informing us on that. There are many financial experts in this field who can advise us so that amortizing over 20 years will be worth the increase in our property values. State and federal funds are available for historic properties. The Garden City Historical Society's Historic House on Eleventh Street just opened its doors with this funding.

The Backus presentation $120,000+ held in December was poorly attended due to lack of publicity. Backus is planning a high-end condo project, using the front facade and destroying the entire interior of this historic building. I don't know if any of you are aware of the hundreds of children using St. Paul's fields on weekends. Every inch of the field is used by our children, screaming and enjoying their games. Traffic around the building is horrendous, with parents dropping off or picking up children. Then, in the winter, we have those children using every inch of the gym, with lots of noise evolving. Who will pay one million plus for a residence with the noise and traffic all around them?

I am extremely anxious about private use, the end result being encroachment on the fields and parking area and a noise restriction. This wonderful old historic building sets Garden City apart from other towns on Long Island. I am pleading with you to reconsider this foolish pursuit of private development of St. Paul's. It was acquired for public use, please abide by that.

Kristine Harder

The Preservation Of St. Paul's

To the Editor:

The preservation and reuse of the Saint Paul's School building is long overdue.

How long must we, the residents, wait for the Mayor and Trustees to act in accordance with what we expect them to do as Trustees? After all, isn't a Trustee (and Mayor) minimally charged with protecting, at the very core, the Village's heritage? I have seen in many other towns across the U.S., village boards which have stood up to the outside developers and protected, preserved and reused the historic landmarks of their towns. So why is it that our current board continues to speak of demolition, complete private development, "saving the faade", and chooses to concentrate solely on the expense to tax payers? I don't have the answer, but if you want to save and have use of this building for yourselves, your children, and your children's children, begin to get involved in saving it now because our Trustees seem to have other ideas.

The preservation and public access to such a historic symbol is our right as a citizen. We VOTED to purchase this property and its fields in order to preserve this building and keep the property away from unwanted development. We need to find an equitable mixed-use or even full-use solution to the preservation and development of the building within its existing footing and framework. The Sullivan and Nichols report (on file with the Village) indicates that the building is "surprisingly sound" structurally. The Village Trustees paid $15,000 for this study, but seldom make mention of it.

As a reminder of the historic significance of this structure, which we all have a right to see saved and reused, I call your attention to the Newsletter from the Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities (SPLIA), Volume 39, No. 1 & No. 2, Fall 2003.

What should upset and embarrass us most is the line, "lack of local commitment to develop a viable reuse plan". How long will the Village procrastinate on this important issue? The Committee to Save Saint Paul's is finally working towards a viable plan and a plan that the Trustees need to act on. I urge you to get involved.

"Saint Paul's School Selected for Seven to Save"

The Preservation League of New York State has selected the St. Paul's School, Garden City as one of its 2003 Seven to Save endangered properties. The Seven to Save announcement cites its "High Victorian Gothic design" and the lack of local commitment to develop a viable reuse plan. The school was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 as part of the "A .T. Stewart Era Buildings" listing. One of the buildings built as a memorial to department store magnate Alexander Turney Stewart in 1879, designed by Edward H. Harris, the AIA Architectural Guide to Nassau and Suffolk Counties notes some of its important elements: "Poly chromatic voussoir arched windows, elaborate cast-iron balustrades, and Dorchester stone trim." (http://www.splia.org/newsletter/fall2003/stpauls.html)

Robert Vassalotti