I had a great meeting with Toby Ritter, landlord. Mr. Ritter owns many of the buildings on E Hartsdale Ave (commercial). He told me that he anticipates no long term vacancies on the avenue and provided me with very good news about the avenue. I am very pleased and optimistic!
He asked that the information he shared with me be kept confidential at this time but had no problem with me releasing the above info.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
24 comments:
Feiner's got to be joking.
He wants us to take it on faith that there's "good news" about to happen on East Hartsdale Avenue, but he's sworn to secrecy and can't tell us what it is. You gotta be kidding.
Earlier this year, Feiner asked us to take it on faith that he had legal opinions that said the town's giving away $6.5 million in town revenues to Valhalla schools was legal. Turned out he had nothing.
And he's also asked us to take it on faith that the millions of dollars the town received in WestHELP rent will all be accounted for. We're still waiting.
And as far as East Hartsdale Avenue is concerned, he's also asked us to take it on faith that, even though the town engineer warned two years ago that the infrastructure there is inadequate and that flooding from even a moderate rainstorm is inevitable, there's no need for any short-term emergency contingency plan to protect the merchants and property owners there.
Feiner must therefore be asking us to take it on faith that there won't be any more big storms over there, at least not while he's still in office.
THe information I received came from the landlord --the public will be provided with information as soon as the tenants agree to release the info.
It's important that the public be kept informed--this street is not dying.
And so what - the economy is going full stream.
What everyone wants to know is the details re town business -- including VSD, all money, etc.
All that seems to have happened here is that the principal landlord on East Hartsdale Avenue, whose disputes with the tenants there have been legendary, has apparently made a proposal to one or more of the tenants or prospective tenants which, so far, has not been accepted. Big deal.
Under the circumstances, one should take this news from Feiner with a grain of salt.
For all we know, the landlord is merely using Feiner and his penchant for self-promotion as a prop in his continuing negotiations with the tenants over who -- town, landlord or tenant -- should bear responsibility for cleaning the storm drains behind the stores.
A better use of Feiner's time would be working with the landlord there on a short-term contingency emergency plan for East Hartsdale Avenue for the next big storm that hits.
I discussed long term and short term plans to address the flood problem with Mr. Ritter this morning.
The fact that Feiner "discussed" with Ritter long and short term "plans to address the flood problem" is cold comfort to the merchants and property owners on East Hartsdale Avenue who've spent hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to reopen and who are just as vulnerable today to flooding on East Hartsdale Avenue as they were during April 15's nor'easter.
Feiner's known since 2005 that the infrastructure there can't handle water from a moderate rainstorm; he's also known since then that the underground drainage pipes are easily clogged, making the problem even worse.
There's so much that Feiner should and could do to remedy the situation short term. But rather than be a leader, he tells us three months after the disaster that he's had a "discussion" with the landlord about the problem.
How pathetic is that?
The underground pipes will have to be replaced and enlarged, of course, but have the current pipes and grates been completely cleaned out? I'm interested to know what specific *work* (other than calling for a study) has been done by the town since April.
Paul I am surprised that you have not mentioned that Cross Westchester Cleaners have vacated East Hartsdale Avenue and Moved to Central Avenue by Best Buy. This is a business that has been here many years and now we have another store empty.You could of mentioned this with your meeting with Mr. Ritter to update blog readers.
According to the town engineer, who just quit, the existing pipes and grates must be completely cleaned out every time there's a major rain.
He says the problem is that debris from upstream, starting as far away as Ridge Road, migrates to the underground pipes every time there's a moderate rain, which clogs the system.
Who owns the pipes and grates that clog up?
The town put them in decades ago, but to the extent they are located underground on private property, the town takes the position that, like sidewalks, they must be maintained by the property owner.
Naturally, there are disputes over who is responsible for maintaining what, with the town doing nothing to sort this out.
The town also takes no responsibility for all the stuff that flows downstream which eventually clogs these pipes and drains which the town says is the responsibility of private property owners to maintain.
The entire problem cries out for political leadership at the town level but Feiner to this day still has no grasp of the problem, its magnitude, or of what needs to be done to solve it.
Now that's just silly to expect a private property owner to maintain underground town pipes. Snow shoveling, yes - but this is a different beast altogether. I sure hope the town at least thoroughly cleaned the grates and completely flushed the current piping system since April.
There pipes were clogged. The grates where clogged with debris. The Town was fully aware of this. They have the video of the inspection done by the HPPD several years ago. They did nothing.
Ritter knew of the problems. K. Fungs was getting backup for years as were other merchants. The HPPD offices were under water constantly, hence the investigative video.
cut the cr*p already.
FYI- as most on EHA knows...On he opposite side of the street, the rock ledge is falling. The stores have been flooded out many times over several years. Pumps installed behind the rock ledge/stores do not adequately service the run off. The owners are aware. The merchants are aware.
Flash forward 2009: EHA Merchants decimated by falling rock ledge due to storm. Buildings completely crushed. Looks like Armageddon!
I will be back to say "I told you so" But hey, you already know this.
Feiner and the Town Council are commissioning a study to help them develop a road map, a plan that will outline private and public responsibilities during storms. This plan will help the town avoid a repeat of the spring 2007 fall. It's a sensible approach.
Anon at 7:25 (probably Feiner) doesn't seem to appreciate how urgently the problems on East Hartsdale Avenue need to be addressed.
There is a critical need for a short-term emergency contingency plan and there are plenty of town resources one could draw on to put such a plan together, but Feiner evidently doesn't have the leadership skills to do it.
A study of what to do long-term is all well and good, but the history of studies in this town, particularly those dealing with flooding, is that they go on for decades or more with no action taken.
One of the reasons is the town's chronic unwillingness to spend any of its own money to address the town's infrastructure problems.
Instead of addressing these problems directly, Feiner bloviates about how the town can't address flooding problems unless it gets money from the county, the state and/or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, or from all three.
Little wonder then that years go by with no action taken.
The merchants and property owners along East Hartsdale Avenue can't wait that long. They could easily be wiped out in the next big storm.
If Regula and his crew clean up all the drains and catch basins,the problem will be solved.The other thing that should be cleaned out are all the catch basins throughout that area. Maybe one feeds into the other.He has a full crew they should be able to handle the job. If they can't they could take some sanitation men to help .How long has it been since catch basins on all the streets been cleaned. We have had construction of homes throughout the town .Contractors do not clean up after themselves so where does all this gravel and dirt go,right down the drains.The building dept. is not doing thier job also,in demanding that homes being built or expanding should finish the outside grounds before the inside of the homes are completed. a lot of times as one drives through the street where there is construction one can see all the mud just sliding down into catch basins.
The concert today on E Hartsdale Ave was terrific. I'm looking forward to attending the series every Saturday in July and August. Noticed that lots of people hung around the bagel shop & Starbucks. and enjoyed themselves.
"Feiner and the Town Council are commissioning a study ..."
That's important. However, what specific work has been done since April? Have the pipes been thoroughly flushed out? Is someone checking and cleaning the sewer grates regularly?
Just because Feiner is the only Town Board member who actually spends time in Hartsdale Center talking with the merchants, this is no reason to abandon the lesson I keep reminding bloggers about:
Just Three Votes.
What's the Town Council been doing all this time? Even since 2005?
I read these comments and I detect a note of desperation when these anonymous writer(s) have to find troublesome the statement that negotiations have resulted in a "lease out" for a new tenant. As if a new tenant or a still vacant store is the personal responsibility of the Town Supervisor. Even after lease or contract signing by both sides, real estate deals fall apart. There are even "wags" who will say that a signed contract is just the start of negotiations. But what makes the Town Supervisor responsible for the speed or success in which new tenants are signed? Perhaps the posture that the detractors would have the Supervisor assume is doom and gloom, an attitude that will not improve anything for anyone. So having a Supervisor with a positive outlook is not a vice but rather well-advised.
Does Suzanne Berger even know where Hartsdale Center is?
As the owner of the Big Top, perhaps grateful for Feiner's efforts on his behalf said when we talked about the problems, "Feiner is amazing, he's here every day and he knows I don't live here and can't vote for him".
Ok sounds "amazing" and we can assume that Big Top is not as fine-tuned to the station as we bloggers are. However, without the finger pointing, the flooding did occur and how to go forward is the pressing matter. Whether or not you want to argue that Feiner on the streets is meaningless out of context. However it is the job of a leader to lead, to be seen on the battlefield,to visit the hospital ward were the victims are recovering, or the crime scene (in the opposition's terms) and to give solace and comfort and hold hands. The problem is greater for want of a Town Council and a would-be Supervisor, either the Council in refusing to accept any responsibility for equally ignoring the problems and for both the Council and Berger equally shying away from suggesting the solution; instead leaving Feiner to face the music, the merchants and the malicious musings of the anonymous Edgemont mafia.
Note: To be filed for use here and elsewhere.
Not everyone in Edgemont is evil. However to those that choose to remain silent and let the few speak for the many, it is problematical that as a result they get included within the composite of Edgemont mafia. If you find this description inaccurate because it is not "you", then let Feiner hear from you.
"Bob does not speak for me" is sufficient. Email the Supervisor and let him know that there is more than one voice, one mind to all that is Edgemont.
One mind too often produces just one thought. And we hear it again and again and again. Truly, familiarity breeds contempt but then how to explain the I pod? Maybe it all comes down to "it's the singer not the song".
paul why dont you clean up the hartsdale parking district sitaution? there is no oversight over this rogue. the first step in fixing east hartsdale is getting rid of the district and putting it under town of greenburg control. did you know that most of the workers who worked on the recent parking lot reconstruction were illegal immigrants? who oversees that woman stephanie who runs around like she owns the place? how much do these people make?
The hartsdale parking garage should be under Greenburgh solely. It should not be run in the manner that it is. Why do you have private people in charge. It's time to take full control of this bad situation,before it reaches a place of no return. What kind of salaries do these people who are in charge make. Is the person Stephanie the same one that is on the school board in central 7. If it indeed is her Paul you better start thinking about taking over the garage right away. Look whats happening with the school a complete failure.
Not the same Stephanie as on the School Board, The HPPA is a private enterprise.
To the last to posters:
What is "the situation" you refer to? Are you both EHA residents, stupid enough to have bought apartments, owning 2 cars, knowing that your PRIVATE PROPERTY does not adequately support your needs? Hell, since I only have a one car garage at my house, maybe you think that I, and those like me, should demand that the HPPD store our excess vehicles as well.
Are you that out of touch that you really believe that unincorporated Greenburgh should be overly concerned with your private parking issues?
Maybe you get tickets on EHA because you don't like to put money in the meter. Maybe you try to obtain HPPD permits fraudulently.
Could it be that you don't even live in unincorporated Greenburgh?
If you live in an apartment on EHA, who is that illegal immigrant that is doing your landscaping?
How much money do you make? Are you good at your job? I doubt it. Maybe you should get back to work before your bosses find you waisting their money blogging on their dime.
Do you want to apply for "that womans" job? If so, you can contact the HPPD (D=District, not garage) Board of Commissioners (voluntary, unpaid Greenburgh citizens) and inquire.
I assure you that "that woman" isn't paid nearly enough to put up with the likes of people such as yourselves.
Oh, and since you're both so hot on whatever this "situation" is, you should know that Ms Kavourias does not sit on the school Board. That would be Ms. Bellino. Too bad you have no idea who they are.
You should also be aware that government does not run school districts.
If you haven't already notice, despite the varying opinions bloggers express here, generally they are very intelligent, have a good grasp on town wide issues and express themselves in a intelligent way.
Whatever your personal situation is with the HPPD, I could never take it seriously given your ill informed rants.
You both need to find another blog where your simplymindless and rudeness is appreciated.
The HPPD! Hello people! H=Hartsdale P=Public P=Parking D=district
Sorry, I was addressing hartsdalejewess01 and anon 12:53
Post a Comment