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Links
www.newyorkwater.org
www.westchesterlandtrust.org
www.townofsoutheast-ny.com
www.friendsofbeldenhouse.org
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The Supervisor's $15
Million Wish List
I wish to state from the outset that the task of developing a
comprehensive Town Recreation Master Plan and evaluating current and
future needs, was essential to meet the growing and changing demands
of a rapidly changing town as was the estimate of the funding
required. That said, the process toward arriving at its elements
and decisions was corrupt (the MSA President, Chaired both the Rec.
Committee and the public sessions) and corrupted by officials
beholden to those who sought to solidify their power and influence
over the process for their benefit. The means used to arrive at
their ends demonstrated an astounding display of dishonesty,
subterfuge and contempt for the people of Carmel as the ultimate
decision makers. Are we shocked?
I am going to write more extensively on the Wednesday night's Work
Session entitled "The Supervisor's $15 Million and Counting Wish
List." This sum over a ten-year time horizon projected by the
Supervisor - maybe more, maybe less, maybe never - was in today's
dollars, exclusive of costs for road improvements, additional staff
and operation and maintenance of the parks and not counting an
inflation rate of conservatively 3%. No discussion by the public;
no referendum promised by Councilmen DiCarlo so that all the people
of the Town could vote on what will be one of the largest outlays of
taxpayer dollars in memory.
And what are the hardworking, tax strapped residents of
Carmel/Mahopac who last year swallowed an 8% tax increase, going to
get for subsidizing at their expense sports associations? These
fields of dreams (baseball, soccer, lacrosse) numbering five:
Sycamore Park; Camarda Park; James McDonough formerly Crane; Baldwin
Meadows and the Mahopac Airport Athletic Complex, will be under the
control of the MSA and one under the CSA and it is they that have
decided at what location, how many fields and which sports
activities. Not the public. The Town's Recreation Department under
Gilchrist has become a lapdog - the goffer of the sports lobby and
Ward & Associates, the company engaged by the Town for $55,000+
over two years ago, the designated veneer applier of impartiality
provided the pretext of pseudo-statistical data all slickly bound in
two books to fool the public.
Any company with even a smidgen of integrity would have disclosed
that the 478 survey returns out of 14,000 + mailed, was an invalid
sample from which to make any decision and strongly recommend a
re-survey. The public was cheated from knowing and understanding
this vital piece of information from which purportedly decisions
vital to their purse would be made. Even Camarda dismissed the
numbers and compared his 2,500 return with the laughable 478.
Instead Ward & Associates become co-conspirators in the charade with
the Town Board and the MSA, to obtain what were pre-determined
results. The survey was filed in the circular file by DiCarlo and I
was scolded by the principal for bringing the whole matter up at
several Town Board meetings last year.
Where is the Town going to get this money? They are probably
counting on one time rec fees from the 1,300+ senior housing units
to come on line - some $5,000, I believe which would cover about $6m
of the $15m. 360 units of Stoneleigh Woods and The Retreat; 150
Hillcrest Commons; 120 Putnam Community Foundation and of course 300
of Camarda's Fairways attached to the hotel and from small-time
operators now grabbing every single piece of Hamlet property near
Putnam Plaza. You can see the signs.
Debt and tax increases as far as the eye can see. Even if they bond
some of it, the debt service will eat into everything. There will
be a job for Finance Consultant Carey for years to come. He is going
to earn every single dollar he makes. And let us not forget
there is an RFP for a new police station.
Don't despair, there is at least one additional source of funds for
one of the projects: Baldwin Meadows - the 15-acre field, clear cut
of trees and perversely considered "Open Space." The $300,000
contributed by taxpayers remaining from the Mahopac Activities
Coalition efforts to bridge the deficit gap in the Mahopac school
budget a couple of years ago. Remember, Barbara Nackman reported
that it was in an escrow account. Well David Furfaro, MSA President
and Rec Commission Chairman, stepped up to the plate and in a grand
gesture of generosity, offered the town board the $300,000 for the
Baldwin Meadows project estimated at over $600,000 but Furfaro says
"his boys" can do it for $300,000. What's wrong with this picture?
The Board questionned the Furfaro offer but Ravallo detected even
more serious legal problems lurking and said that he wished to
discuss the whole issue "in camera" with the attorney after the
meeting. Another secret meeting.
But there is another, unforeseen problem. Seems the town doesn't
even own the 15 acres that Peter Iovino ala Camarda donated as part
of his residential project. It was news to everyone. The conveyance
of the property has been delayed because the bank refuses to release
it from its mortgage encumberances.
Oh and there is more. The ball fields at Meadows are only a place
holder for bigger things to come: a swimming pool at the site which
Ward & Associates Rep priced at easily $3 to $4 million. However,
there is a little matter of utilities and they hope to piggy-back on
the Union Place project for connections.
Senior citizens are getting their piece of the taxpayers check: a
senior center at Sycamore Park is planned, leveling the grade so
that the seniors can access this inaccessible site. Price tag -
$4.5 million. Ravallo didn't like the design or the site. Just
getting there is a trip. Was this the seniors' choice? Who knows?
Not one mention. Not one nickel for an arts or performance center.
The Arts Council, homeless, since the fire, left to fend for itself.
One final touch: there is going to be a doggie park about an acre at
Sycamore and Jim Gilchrist, Rec Director, will be in charge of the
poop collection.
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The Big Apple
is one step closer to becoming the "Green Apple"
after the City Council voted last week
for zoning changes that will bring more trees to
our streets!
When we asked
New Yorkers like you to sign on in support of
this measure, the response was amazing.
More than 1,500 of you signed our petition for a
greener
New York in a
matter of hours.
Thank you for your part in helping make this
victory possible!
The zoning
change calls for one tree to be planted for
every 25 feet of street frontage, and will
result in approximately 10,000 new trees
being planted each year. These trees
will clean our air, cool our streets, and keep
us healthier. When we're thinking about how to
make this city a more sustainable place to live,
trees are a no-brainer.
Best of all,
the City Council didn't stop at street trees.
They also passed measures to promote
green streetscapes, increase the amount of open
space and permeability - important for
making sure sewage and other polluted water
doesn't get into our rivers and oceans, and
create a permanent Office of Long-Term Planning
and Sustainability to keep the city's green
initiatives on track.
Want to know
what you can do next to help New York add one
million new trees by 2030? Find out how
to get involved by visiting
www.milliontreesnyc.org,
where you can:
-
Request a
city street tree or street tree planting
permit;
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Recommend
a place to plant a tree in your community;
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Volunteer
to participate in a neighborhood tree
planting event;
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Learn how
to properly plant and care for trees in your
neighborhood.
But be sure to
take a minute to enjoy this victory - and
congratulate yourself for your efforts! |
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Subject: Letter to the Editor (Another Scary Precursor to
Patterson Crossing)
In my August 2007 Letter to the Editor, I attempted to put a face to
concerns of opponents of the proposed Patterson Crossing, by
encouraging readers to view the construction at The Retreat site for
senior housing by Pulte Homes in Carmel. Likewise, the I-287
blasting accident last October is indeed another scary precursor to
Patterson Crossing.
Your April 14th article relating residents’ experiences encountering
fly rocks from this I-287 mishap was chilling to someone whose
residence is within 500 feet of the proposed Patterson Crossing.
Although the I-287 terrain is very similar to the Patterson Crossing
site, it is not adjacent to the densely populated Lake Carmel Park
District, which is comprised of many converted summer homes built to
yesterday’s codes.
We, along with fellow residents, have experienced water issues of
major concern, prompting us to take conservation measures, not
allowing for the luxury of power washing construction dust from our
homes weekly. Since this proposed site requires the blasting of
steep slopes, were just one blast to go awry compromising wells, we
could be faced with total loss of water, not just an inability to
power wash our homes.
I urge our elected officials and public agencies taking part the in
the SEQRA process to closely examine this issue of blasting so
perilously close to our residences, along with the many other major
concerns accompanying said project, so as to guarantee we residents
are not placed in harm‘s way.
Joan Castiner
Lake Carmel NY 10512
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