I got this email today and thought some readers might have missed it:
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Dated: January 5, 2009
Contact: Jim Maisano 995-2826 – Vito Pinto at 995-2817 or Phil Pepe 914-968-6303
COUNTY LEGISLATORS VITO PINTO & JIM MAISANO ANNOUNCE
PASSAGE OF $9.8 MILLION IN FUNDING TO UPGRADE
NEW ROCHELLE’S ‘CITY PARK’
Great news for New Rochelle’s kids and soccer, softball and baseball players!
New Rochelle, NY – County Legislators Jim Maisano (R, New Rochelle) and Vito Pinto (D, Eastchester) announced that in the final meeting of the Westchester County Board of Legislators for 2009, they pushed through legislation that the two legislators have worked on for several years together with the City of New Rochelle, which will provide New Rochelle with $9.8 Million in County Legacy funding to fully upgrade City Park’s athletic fields.
City Park, long in need of remediation, will now get it under a deal brought about by Maisano and Pinto’s leadership and persistence. Plans call for a state-of-the-art multi-use facility that will also serve football, field hockey and lacrosse players.
Maisano stated, “Vito and I refused to take “NO” for an answer and demanded this legislation be passed prior to end of 2009. This is a tremendous victory for the City of New Rochelle. City Park will be one of the flagship athletic facilities in Westchester and our athletes, from children to adults, will greatly enjoy playing sports on these upgraded fields. As the father of a soccer and baseball player, I know very well how much improvement is needed at New Rochelle’s athletic fields.”
Pinto added, “Passing this legislation has been my priority for several years now and I am thrilled to help push this legislation through in the final weeks of 2009. We worked in a positive and bipartisan way at both the county and city level, and this collaborative effort is a great example of putting people first and getting something wonderful done for the people of New Rochelle. These new fields will provide New Rochelle with a first-class athletic facility. I look forward to watching sports there.”
In exchange for the $9.8 Million in funding, the City of New Rochelle takes responsibility for all county roads in the city, agrees to help develop 185 affordable housing units over five years, and forfeits a minimal road service payment from the County. Pinto and Maisano noted that the 185 affordable housing units reflect projects already in the planning phase.
The city takes over ownership of the following county roads in the city: Pelham Road, Quaker Ridge Road, part of Palmer Avenue and Lincoln Avenue, sections of Mill Road, Echo Avenue, Wilmot Road, Weaver Street and Main Street.
The term of the agreement is 15 years during which the county retains an interest in the property for the life of the bonds. The legislators noted that room was left in the design for a hoped for hockey rink in future years.
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This is a great deal ha – we
This is a great deal ha – we the city now take ownership of the roads the county now owns once this deal is passed. New Ro can’t fix the roads it has now and when they do fix them it never turns out right anyway take a ride on main st from allard to pintard the sewer caps are all falling inwards causing major bumps in the road.one of the roads we get is Quaker ridge road besides from the bridge being replaced major work has not been done to this road in 40 years and that’s right out of the coucilwoman mouth on wvox the other day.Palmer ave is in no great shape either where will new Ro get the money to repair these roads? I know let’s lay off 12 fireman next year 10 cops and so on.
George Latimer Visit
And, in the mail today, I got an invitation to meet with Assemblyman Latimer in New Rochelle on Saturday, February 6th from 10am – 11:30am at the Mirage Diner on 690 North Avenue. County Legislator Vito Pinto will be there, too. Free coffee!! For more details call Assemblyman Latimer at 777-3832.
It seems to be an open invitation to all his constituents.
He wrote “Please join me to for a cup of joe to discuss local issues and concerns”.
I have found Latimer to be very accessible. He even attended at Trinity PTA meeting late last year.
Up Keep of the park
To help the upkeep of the park a public private partnership is going to be created or at least that has been proposed. Monroe College will be using the park because they are going to paying for its upkeep. i think they are already paying for the lights. what that means is they will want time for their baseball program. it is said they will use the new baseball field during off peak hours but once someone stars putting thousands of dollars into a project an “ownership” feeling emerges and demands may be greater. We will see if it really is a “partnership” and how NR will handle it.
Build an ice rink there through a private developer. That would generate revenue in winter hours as well.
New Rochelle News and Views Radio Program
Thursday Nights at 8pm
WVOX 1460 am or http://www.wvox.com
Roads
So now the city has taken over some of the counties roads in New Rochelle.
I guess those will be added to the list of roads I can’t drive on when it snows.
And we can count on these
And we can count on these roads not being paved for another 20 or 30 years. Only in New Ro do they call that progress!
The County may have sailed
The County may have sailed 9.8 million out the window.
From what I have seen the City will let it run down again as they won’t put the money of effort in to maintain what will be built. In a few years it will look like every other property New Rochelle is currently maintaining. This City is Dirty, poorly maintained in many aspects.
Its hard to believe because they get tax increases which go to raising the standard of living of Commisioners and Employee’s while not putting anything back into the city. Take a look at the Train Station building, try to use that bathroom, see the shape of the place its a disgrace. This is the first thing visitors see when they come in via Amtrack and via Metro North. I think Gulianni fixed NYC during his first term just by cleaning up the City. Why cant Strome and Bramson get this. Just walk North Ave adjacent to the Station you will see the filth from Memorial Hwy to Garden Street. The Pigeons are the only thing thriving, the rats will be next.
pictures please
A picture is worth a 1,000 words.
The Train Station building bathroom…North Ave adjacent to the Station…from Memorial Hwy to Garden Street. The Pigeons are the only thing thriving, the rats will be next.
And all that money that just
And all that money that just sailed out the window was borrowed. Will these inprovements still be there when the bonding is paid off?