by Cindy Goldstein -
The Board of Trustees (BOT) recently hired NHB Planning Group LLC to help evaluate the Hunter Tier Lot Affordable Housing project proposals (See previous article HERE).
Mayor Sharon Torres again thanked Trustee Lou Young, Deputy Mayor Nora Lucas and Charles Guadagnolo and Len Aubrey of the Village’s Budget Committee for working to identify the consultant who was chosen unanimously by the BOT. As a first step NHB has asked the Village to obtain an appraisal of the Hunter Tier parking lot to determine its value. Interim Village Manager Chuck Strome asked the BOT to authorize him to enter into a contract for the appraisal which was granted.
NHB’s scope of work includes a preliminary analysis of each of the affordable housing alternatives (including evaluation of the two proposals received) along with parking issues of concern to the community, the Emelin Theater and Mamaroneck Library. Such analysis will include likely fiscal impacts (tax revenue and the cost of providing additional municipal services). School enrollment, traffic and parking are some of the other factors that will be considered. The goal is to compile and present information to the BOT to assist them in choosing between the two proposers to develop the parking lot and/or another path depending on what their analysis shows.
Resident Maria DeRose, a trustee candidate on the November ballot and former Ethics Board member, addressed the BOT to comment on the process and referred to a recent memo from the Village’s Ethics Board (See HERE) where they recommend that the BOT undertake a “due diligence investigation” of the business entities and their principals who have made proposals to develop the property. The Ethics Board believes that such an investigation should be a part of all major contract awards and given the “elevated level of discussion regarding the Hunter Tier one would be especially important and could avoid costly and time consuming proceedings in the future”.
Although not specifically mentioned by the Ethics Board in their memo, the opinion issued to Trustee Manny Rawlings that he should recuse from all aspects of the Hunter Tier project looms large over the project. Rawlings has said he disagrees with the Ethics Board recommendation and will not recuse. See article HERE.
Another trustee candidate, Dan Kushnick and current chair of the Committee for the Environment asked questions of Village Attorney Robert Spolzino about potential lawsuits that could arise. Spolzino stated that his job was to protect the Village, but no one could guarantee that a lawsuit would not be filed on this or any other matter.
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