The location on Lawrence Street where JPI intends to build it's multifamily development - The Jefferson at Saw Mill - could hardly be described as an economically blighted area.
Under the brownfield cleanup program, state tax money is available for remediation and cleanup.
So the question must be asked why are New York State officials allowing our scarce tax dollars to subsidize an out of state developer's project here in the rivertowns when such project will negatively impact our community in so many ways while the alleged benefits are speculative at best ? Residents are strongly encouraged to contact our local state elected officials as State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assemblyman Tom Abinanti for answers. Contact information is listed below. In addition personnel at the DEC should be contacted at Region 3 which covers Westchester County. That information will follow in subsequent posts.
As Ardsley Mayor Peter Porcino wrote in a recent letter to the Rivertowns Enterprise, citizen involvement is essential if we are to stop this misguided project from being approved.
We have seen the disaster on Lawrence Street when state employees at the Department of Transportation are not carefully monitored and do the bidding of developers and not the taxpaying public.
Mr. Abinanti can be reached at 914.631.1605
Abinanti@assembly.state.ny.us
Ms. Stewart-Cousins can be reached at 914.423.4031
Scousins@senate.state.ny.us
The NYS brownfield program will allow JPI to recover at least 1/3rd of its cleanup and building costs. The enabling legislation was recently amended but the changes were mostly targeted at NYC developments where taxpayers were upset about the brownfield program resulting in the subsidization of many unnecessary luxury developments.
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