During the same week in which a record number of Garden City residents cast their vote in the annual Village election, the Garden City Board of Trustees called upon community members to make their voices heard once again-this time, to seal the fate of St. Paul’s School and Ellis Hall.

At its March 17th meeting, the Board voted 5 to 3 to demolish St. Paul’s Main Building and Ellis Hall and adopt a resolution authorizing the issuance of serial bonds to finance the project. Mayor-elect Donald Brudie and Deputy Mayor-elect John Watras and Trustee Andrew Cavanaugh voted against the action.

Trustees established Wednesday, April 27 as the date when a special referendum will be held seeking resident approval to use the bonds to finance the cost of demolition, which is expected to total no more than $3.75 million. The action required a super-majority to pass, and it ultimately did with a final vote of 6 to 2. Mayor-elect Brudie and Deputy Mayor-elect Watras voted against the action.

The referendum will be held on April 27 from noon to 9 p.m. at St. Paul’s Fieldhouse. To participate, residents must be registered voters with Nassau County. Residents will be asked to vote “Yes” or “No” on the following: “SHALL the bond resolution of the Village of Garden City, New York, adopted March 17, 2011, authorizing the issuance of not to exceed $3,750,000 bonds to finance demolition of the Main Building and Ellis Hall at the former St. Paul’s School, located at 295 Stewart Avenue and currently owned by the Village, stating the estimated maximum cost thereof is $3,750,000, and determining that the bond resolution shall be subject to a mandatory referendum to be held on April 27, 2011, BE APPROVED.”

“The residents are not being asked to make the decision to take the buildings down or not,” explained Village Counsel Gerard Fishberg. “That decision rests with this Board. The residents will be asked by a bond referendum as to whether they want to approve the use of bond money, floating bonds, to take the buildings down. Let’s make it very clear. It’s solely the Village Board’s decision to make the decision to take the buildings down or not. That decision cannot rest with the voters. But what will be put to the voters is whether they want to spend or float bonds in that amount of money in order to accomplish this.”

Mayor-elect Brudie argued that since the Board voted that the buildings should be demolished, it is possible that if there comes a time when there is enough money in the operating budget, the Board can essentially move forward with demolition without resident approval. The Board would have to still face residents, many of whom would be angered by such action.

Brudie also argued that by removing the buildings, the Village is doing the “dirty work” for any potential developer since the large and expensive job of demolition would already be accomplished.

“Once you take this building down, you can’t put it back up. It is an architectural gem,” he said. Acknowledging that the building does require work, he added, “But this is part of the history of this Village. Whether you want to face that or not, you are losing a huge, huge gem in this building.”

As he has said several times at Board meetings, Brudie does not want his fellow trustees to rush to judgment. He said the building is not harming anyone, although it needs to be kept in a condition that will not jeopardize public safety.

Mayor Robert J. Rothschild responded that he “strongly” disagreed that the land would be sold to a developer after the buildings are removed since residents have frowned upon developers in the past, most notably AvalonBay. He said several Boards have looked at the issue over a 17-year period.

“This Village has been hurt by this process,” he said. The Village has spent $2.3 million maintaining the building, not including the costs of consultants over the years.

According to Mayor Rothschild, residents have said they did not want to spend a lot of money on an “obsolete” building. They also did not want a number of things on the site, including Village administrative offices, a public library, a public or private educational facility, classrooms, dormitories, an assisted living facility run by CareMatrix, an age-restricted residential development, condominium housing, rental housing and a combination of office use and housing. Mayor Rothschild said the Board’s Public Information Committee will send a Village Fact Sheet to all residents which will purportedly offer insight into how the Village has reached this juncture since its initial purchase in 1993.

In 2008, the Board considered stabilization at a cost of $13.9 million, but it was not supported by the majority of residents. “We have moved on from that point,” he said.

The Mayor said one of the comments he hears most often is, “Don’t spend my tax dollars on a building that I can’t use.” Once it is vacant land, residents can then decide if they want to use their tax money to either leave it as a field or construct another building.

Deputy Mayor-elect Watras called attention to a plan presented in June, 2010 by the Committee to Save St. Paul’s and Garden City Historical Society, which included establishing a conservancy and preserving the building exterior, portions of the first floor and second floor chapel. They claimed it would cost Garden City taxpayers the same or less than demolition.

The Mayor recognized the proposal, but said the Board ultimately decided not to act on it. He added that the groups who presented the plan made no further attempts to seek Board approval.

Trustee Andrew Cavanaugh recognized that the future of the St. Paul’s Main Building is a “weighty issue” that needs careful consideration by all Board members. “I would like this Board to recognize that these findings lead to a path which is irretrievable and irreversible. That is demolition, once affected, cannot be undone....There is no going back. There is no alternative. We are voting on an irretrievable and irreversible action as described in these findings.”

Trustee Nicholas Episcopia acknowledged Cavanaugh’s opinion, but said trustees have been studying the issue for years. He said they understand it is “irretrievable and irreversible,” and that is why they voted to finance demolition through bonds, which require voter approval.

“That decision is really pretty much up to the people,” he said.

Trustee Laurence Quinn said he voted for demolition with a “heavy heart” as he admires the building’s beauty every time he passes. However, he believes it is time for a decision to be made, and is looking for resident input. “I don’t want to sit here for another 18 years not knowing what to do,” he said.

Although they may have differing opinions on the issue, there is general agreement that a large voter turnout is desired. As Trustee Andrew Cavanaugh said, “What’s going to be voted on April 27 is irretrievable and it is irreversible, and in that manner it’s even more important than the election we just went through. So I really encourage all of you to talk to your neighbors, your friends, work through your property owners’ associations, all your interest groups...Everyone should be heard,” he said. “This vote should be far in excess of 15 percent. It should be 100 percent because it affects the Village to its very core.”

All inquiries concerning absentee ballots, as well as requests for applications, should be made to Village Clerk Brian Ridgway by calling (516) 465-4053.