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COMMENTS BEFORE THE VILLAGE BOARD
September 18, 2024
JOEL GINGOLD, 55 NORDICA DRIVE
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT ON THIS CRITICAL ISSUE
FIRST, I’M NOT REALLY SURE WHY I’M HERE. BASED ON PAST HISTORY, THIS BOARD TENDS TO ACCEPT COMMENTS FROM ITS CONSTITUENTS, THEN COMPLETELY IGNORE THEM AND DO WHATEVER IT PLEASES.
NONETHELESS, I WILL OVERLOOK PAST HISTORY AND GIVE IT ANOTHER SHOT.
THE BASIC QUESTION IS: WILL THIS DEVELOPMENT HAVE A DELETERIOUS IMPACT ON THE CHARACTER OF OUR VILLAGE AND OUR QUALITY OF LIFE, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF ALL OF THE PREVIOUSLY APPROVED DEVELOPMENTS
I MAINTAIN THAT YOU JUST CANNOT ANSWER THAT QUESTION WITH ANY DEGREE OF ACCURACY AND, IF YOU ARE WRONG, WE WILL ALL SUFFER MIGHTILY
THE PROCESS USED TO ASSESS SUCH DEVELOPMENTS COMPARES THE ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC, PARKING, DEMAND FOR SERVICES, CROWDING, ETC. ETC. TO THE SITUATION THAT EXISTS TODAY.
NOT TO THE SITUATION WHICH WILL EXIST ONCE ALL OF THE PREVIOUSLY APPROVED DEVELOPMENTS ARE COMPLETED AND POPULATED – A SITUATION WE CANNOT KNOW ACCURATELY UNTIL AFTER IT HAPPENS.
THE VILLAGE HAS NO ESTABLISHED PROCESS FOR EFFECTIVELY REVIEWING THE IMPACT OF THE SUM OF ALL APPROVED DEVELOPMENTS
CONSULTANTS TO THE DEVELOPERS AND THE VILLAGE DO THEIR VERY BEST TO MAKE FORECASTS BASED ON ALL OF THE DATA AVAILABLE. BUT THERE ARE LARGE UNCERTAINTIES IN ANY SUCH FORECASTS.
AND THEY ARE OFTEN WRONG, SOMETIMES MASSIVELY SO – WE CANNOT AFFORD TO TAKE THAT CHANCE. WE CANNOT GAMBLE WITH THE FUTURE OF CROTON.
TRUST ME ON THIS ONE. I KNOW WHEREOF I SPEAK. FOR I WAS A CONSULTANT MYSELF FOR OVER 50 YEARS AND I DID MY SHARE OF FORECASTING
SO SLOW DOWN THE PROCESS! DO NOT APPROVE THIS DEVELOPMENT UNTIL WE KNOW FOR CERTAIN THE IMPACT OF ALL OF THOSE OTHER APPROVED DEVELOPMENTS ON MAPLE STREET, ON NORTH RIVERSIDE, ON THE NORTH END OF THE VILLAGE, ETC. ETC.
THAT MEANS ONLY AFTER THEIR COMPLETION. ONLY THEN CAN WE BE SURE OF THE ACTUAL IMPACT OF LOT A ON OUR COMMUNITY
WITH RESPECT TO THE PROJECT ITSELF, MANY OTHERS SPEAKING TONIGHT WILL POINT OUT ITS FLAWS. LET ME JUST ADD A COUPLE OF OBSERVATIONS
TOD ASSUMES THAT MOST OR ALL OF THE RESIDENTS WILL COMMUTE TO NYC VIA THE RAILROAD. YET WE KNOW THAT THE OVERALL NUMBER OF COMMUTERS IS WAY DOWN, AS OUR OWN PARKING LOT REVENUES SADLY DEMONSTRATE
THE PLAN HAS 100 APARTMENTS AND 104 PARKING SPACES. THAT LEAVES NO ROOM FOR SECOND CARS WHERE TWO OR MORE MEMBERS OF A HOUSEHOLD COMMUTE TO THEIR JOBS BY AUTOMOBILE – AND HEAVEN HELP THE COUPLE WHO WANT TO HAVE A FEW GUESTS OVER
FINALLY IS THE QUESTION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING. I HEARTILY AGREE THAT IT IS BADLY NEEDED IN CROTON – BUT WE NEED IT FOR CROTON CITIZENS
THIS BOARD ARGUES FOR HOUSING FOR CROTON’S DOWNSIZING SENIORS, FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE WHO WANT TO STAY HERE, FOR VILLAGE EMPLOYEES AND FIREFIGHTERS AND ON AND ON AND ON—AND RIGHTLY SO!
BUT HOW MANY OF THOSE FOLKS GOT APARTMENTS IN MAPLE COMMONS? AND, IF LOT A IS ALL-AFFORDABLE, HOW MANY WILL BEAT THE LOTTERY AND GET IN THERE? NOT ONE, I WOULD GUESS.
SLOW DOWN!!!! THERE IS NO IMPERATIVE TO MOVE SO QUICKLY! I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR MOTIVATIONS ARE TO IMPOSE THOUSANDS OF NEW RESIDENTS UPON US IN SO SHORT A TIME, WITH NO PLAN FOR INTEGRATING THEM INTO OUR COMMUNITY
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION, ALTHOUGH I ASSUME THAT THESE COMMENTS WILL BE DISREGARDED, JUST LIKE ALL OF MY PREVIOUS COMMENTS HAVE BEEN
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