Letters To The Editor

Not A Good Fit

Printed By Request:

Dear Mr. Mauk,

During the last few months there have been many words and accusations regarding St. Paul's. This issue has crystallized into one significant question: whether or not AvalonBay is a "good fit" for Garden City. Most residents seem to feel that it is not. I feel I must apologize to you, Mr. Mauk for suggesting that CBRE and Grubb & Ellis are connected in some way when in fact the merger never came to fruition. While I take pride in the fact that anything I say or write has been checked thoroughly I seemed to have missed this particular point. However, it is disconcerting to me that residents are being forced to research the various St. Paul's/AvalonBay issues to get facts that should be forthcoming from our Board of Trustees.

My intent has never been to spend countless hours researching AVB's track record. Unfortunately, questions have arisen that must be answered. Perhaps, Mr. Mauk, in your weekly Letter to the Editor, you would answer them. I will assign each question a number so there will be no ambiguity. This request is directed towards you because you are the only one who is "promoting" AVB and many of your answers are worrisome in their inconsistency.

1.RESIGNATION/RECUSAL: In February 2008 you resigned as Chairman of Mayor's Committee on St. Paul's stating: "By removing myself from further decisions regarding the AvalonBay redevelopment of St. Paul's, I hope to refocus the discussion on the facts and merits of the redevelopment options, and to keep this important decision from being distorted by irrelevant side issues." Your withdrawal from that committee was a wise choice since your employer CB Richard Ellis holds stock in AvalonBay and continues to represent AvalonBay in the sale of some its assets including the recent $124 million sale* of AvalonWalk to Baker Properties (*2008). Shortly after your resignation, the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed designating AvalonBay as the developer. Please explain why you "removed" yourself from the decision-making process but continue to express strong pro-AvalonBay opinions and also continue to vote on issues relating to the AvalonBay development of St. Paul's?

2. TAXES: At the October 2008 Estates Property Owners meeting you said the taxes that AVB doesn't pay are deferred and they are not paid by the residents. It is my understanding that when a property is assessed and taxes are levied; these taxes must be paid even if the aforementioned is receiving an exemption. The "exempted" taxes are then divided up and paid by the residential homeowners (that's us) and the Class 4 small business owners. In effect, we are paying any taxes for which AVB is receiving an exemption. Add in 64 possible new students and this "marginal deal" morphs into a huge burden to the taxpayers of Garden City!

3. SCHOOL IMPACT: While you state the new student impact to the schools is minimal, Colleen Foley, our School Board President, disputes this and said the number will be much higher (32-64, perhaps more). The school board representatives seemed very surprised that they had not been consulted in any way by K. Backus or the Mayor's Committee. It would seem that the AVB complex would be a desirable place for families to live since it is inside a park with a playground, across from 2 schools and will include an outdoor pool.

4. FINANCIAL IMPACT: 64 AvalonBay children at $15,000 per student per year would cost us $8,640,000 (not adjusted for inflation) during the first 9 years of this rent-free lease. Instead, AvalonBay will only pay us a total $198,838 during this same period. Please explain how this is going to save us money? Moreover, please produce the studies showing there will be no additional financial burdens on our police department, fire department and other municipal services.

5. TRAFFIC & ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES: At the October 2008 Estates POA meeting you also told us that an environmental impact study and traffic impact study has been done for the current AVB plan. Please produce the studies - these should be public information and we are entitled to see them.

6. THE BIG OOPS: During the same October 2008 Estates POA meeting, you said that if the building façade accidentally came down (fire, accident, unsalvageable...) that AvalonBay "is done" and they walk away. Is this true? Many of us at the 10/08 meeting were left scratching our heads. This is a very important issue since the Grubb & Ellis appraisal states that this property, without the St. Paul's building, is zoned to accommodate 252 units*. (*March 2008 Grubb & Ellis Appraisal, Page 1, Summary: Zoning) Please explain in detail.

7. Mr. Mauk's reasons why it's "not the best deal" for GC: Mr. Mauk, sadly many of us could recite your "AVB speech" verbatim. You have often stated that it's "not the best deal" for Garden City. Why do you think it's not? If not, why do you keep pushing it in spite of overwhelming opposition?

8. The Elephant In The Room - Affordable Housing: How many "affordable/workforce/new generation" units above and beyond the current zoning will there really be? Sometimes we hear 11 (10%) and sometimes we hear 22 (20% - because the property borders 2 County roads). Obviously, Section 8 eligibility is an issue also, please give us the facts on these issues so we know what to expect.

We are entitled to far more transparency on this issue than we are getting. It is sad that residents cannot get a binding 'Yes' or 'No' vote on the AvalonBay issue as they did when they purchased the property in 1993. There are so many reasons why the AvalonBay plan to develop St. Paul's is BAD for Garden City. It has never been my intent to be as vocal as I have been on this critical issue. It is my personal opinion that the BOT should be studying the impact of ALL the forthcoming development projects in Garden City: St. Paul's, Ring Road, Bookspan/Doubleday, Texaco property, 555 Stewart Ave, Newsday property, Social Services/P Zone among others when considering the AVB rental development plan.

Mr. Mauk, I eagerly await your reply along with a few thousand other residents to the aforementioned issues.

Betsy Andromidas

Editor's Note: Mr. Mauk responded to the above letter:

Ms. Betsy Andromidas is entitled to her own opinion, but she is not entitled to her own facts. In her letter this week, as well as in a letter two weeks ago, where she patted herself on the back for her "research" Ms. Andromidas continues to play fast and loose with the truth. The recklessness of some of her statements and personal attacks on me border on the libelous.

Once again this week, most of the statements, allegations and conclusions in Ms. Andromidas letter, are inaccurate, misleading and recklessly made. It is tempting to do a point-by-point refutation. But that would only accord the comments a dignity and credibility they do not deserve. I dislike having to respond at all in what is becoming a regular tit-for-tat. But many of Ms. Andromidas' allegations and conclusions are too distorted and outrageous to remain unchallenged.

If it would do any good, I would offer to sit down with her over a cup of coffee to discuss Ms. Andromidas' concerns. But that sort of discussion requires some common belief by the parties that issues as best considered based on reason and rationality and an examination of facts, including those that may be counter to strongly held beliefs. Alas, Ms. Andromidas has repeatedly demonstrated that she isn't interested in hearing anything counter to her own preconceptions. If she needs to modify the facts to fit her beliefs, so be it.

If Ms. Andromidas would like to see the building demolished, she should be honest enough to say so. But she should also stop trying to delude the rest of us - and especially herself - with the idea that her conclusions about me and the proposed redevelopment of St. Paul's are based on any well researched or systematic consideration of the facts. Her mantra is clear to us all: "Don't bother me with the facts; my mind is made up."

Advertisement

To the Editor:

Property wanted for free in the Estates Section of Garden City. I am looking for a historical house in need of restoration with an extra building lot attached to it. I promise to restore the old house and build a large house on the extra lot. I will rent both houses at a great profit to me each year. By the way the original owner must pay my property taxes for years to come in exchange for visitation right to his old home once a year. In 99 years (when the homes are old and in need of complete restoration) I will return the property to the original owner.

There must be someone out there who is foolish enough and willing to fulfill my dream.

Maria Prois

Negative Tax Increase

To the Editor:

The Village Trustees and the School Board must begin now to figure out how to propose a 7 to 8 percent year over year property tax REDUCTION for their revenue producing customers - the residents of Garden City.

Our Board of Trustees and our School Board consist of amazing, dedicated, hardworking souls who have volunteered to step up to leadership positions in our community. Have you ever wondered why someone would volunteer to work so hard without pay to help their fellow human beings? I therefore preface my remarks with deep appreciation for those who serve.

Financial markets have "tanked" and so have the fortunes of Garden City residents, whether those fortunes are tiny or large. The downturn in our economy is huge, and I am sure that our household is not alone is suddenly being forced into an austerity budget. My not spending is not helping the economy to recover, but I can't help it. Is it ok to ponder whether I can have my lawn mowed every two weeks? Sure wish I hadn't given away that old lawnmower. My plan was to continue to collect my small corporate pension, my social security monthly check, and to draw down my investment portfolio for the rest of my life. Now I have to die in 9 years to work that plan without changes.

As I perform radical surgery on my daily spending using "triage" techniques (if that is an appropriate term), I expect the Village leaders to do for the village what they are doing for their home budgets. I applaud Deputy Mayor Thomas Lamberti's bravery in warning us, as stated in last week's Garden City News, "Residents will likely see a tax increase of at least 7 to 8 percent."

Ladies and gentlemen of the School Board and the Board of Trustees, bring out the red pens. You have stepped up to leadership positions. There is a lot of work to be done, so be prepared to burn the midnight oil (pun intended). The answer is not to increase revenues by imposing additional fees and taxes. The only answer is spending less. Ask us to sacrifice because that will make us feel part of the solution. You have seen the citizens of Garden City upset from time to time, but you have not seen us angry. The only time we march in the streets is for Memorial Day, Homecoming, the Belmont Festival, Saint Patrick's Day, and the Easter Parade. You do not want to see us march when angry, but sign me up right now for that, if necessary.

"When the going gets tough, the tough get going." Get going now - you have a lot of hard work to do to implement a 7 to 8 percent property tax reduction.

John C. Donovan

No Thanks?

To The Editor:

Welcome back!

After a lengthy summer vacation, Superintendent Feirsen, ($247,500 plus incredible benefits), assistant Albert Chase, ($190,600 plus incredible benefits), assistant Fino Celano, ($185,655 plus incredible benefits), Teresa Prendergast ($180,130 plus incredible benefits), and the whole crew are back at their cushy posts in the school system.

I'm reluctant to label these people an ungrateful, but the fact is that not one of them has ever sent me a "thank you" note for the thousands of dollars that I contribute to their stressless existence.

Angelo DiPippo

No "Right" To Home

To The Editor:

The rot reaches deeper than I had thought and I believe a large segment of our population has full knowledge of and participated in the corruption. As always the question is who will be held accountable for these criminal acts and can we dig our way out of a hole of our own making?

My working life was spent on Wall Street and I was proud to be a Wall Streeter. Dictum Meum Pactum; my word is my bond. Yes we had our fair share of bad guys but nothing like today. From top to bottom we have achieved the perfect financial storm. I can smell it and we are going to pay.

Great detectives say, "Follow the money." I believe we can work to temporarily fix the problems and affix criminal responsibility at the same time. Absent open investigation, fines and jail time, the entwined corporate crooks and their bought-and-paid-for pols will soon return to do even greater damage. Will we allow a white wash, a coverup?

Initially, look to the cities of Chicago, New York and D.C., the trail is not difficult to follow. Power and money with a housing twist, the score is enormous. I could lay it out for you and connect the dots but I will not. I credit you with intelligence and I assume you can read, watch and listen. This is what you will learn.

The community reinvestment Act-Cra, Sol Alinsky, Acorn, Hud, the concept of the right to own a home even if you can not afford it. Minorities and the poor were the target of political largesse which followed because they were having difficulties with down payments and mortgages. So - enter Fannie and Freddie, Raines, Dodd, Frank, Cox and others.

Under lower lending standards the banks put up the money, and the regulators and enforcers looked the other way. People who could not carry a home, both rich and poor, were granted a purported right to own that home, no questions asked.

The booming home market was meant to carry everyone through. Triggered by a meteoric rise in taxes, energy and food prices, foreclosures began in earnest. Please understand this, it is critical to the problem. Noone has a right to a home. We work for and merit a home. Cynic that I am, I recognize a long term political scheme to buy votes. I will not break it down further than that. There is a mountain of information out there, connect the dots and it will all make horrible sense. Please look carefully at Acorn, over a period of time they have been active in our village.

Should American citizens, with the right to vote, decide to elect the Obama administration, HUD, IRS, the courts, immigration and all government agencies in one neat package, will come under the control of what I believe will be a far left, liberal socialist regime. "Great oaks from little acorns grow." In time your childrens' children will hate you for what you have done to them and for what you failed to do.

Sure, I know, a bit strong but it is only necessary to apologize if you are a weasel who will not stand up and fight. Obama does not exist. He is a figment of the imagination, the messiah trumped up and so named by those who control him. They are very real, their intent is to remake us to their image and likeness, their definition of change. Tell me you also want change and I will agree with you.

Along with our change I want character, truth, honesty and decency in those we elect. I expect every politician and their sycophant appointees to possess, at the very least, those basic qualities. Can they be trusted? Go ahead, have a good laugh on me. It may be your last laugh for quite a while.

Today, I equate the code word "CHANGE" with the taste for revenge, a considered planned political response. "Revenge is a dish best served cold."

Well, it's your country and mine or at least it was. Are you going to sit there and bleed while it is wrestled from you? Don't answer, I know the answer and it makes me puke.Edward J. Heaney