New Rochelle Council members Barry Fertel (D. 5) and Marianne Sussman (D.6) told the Confederation of Neighborhood Associations that their decisions were based on their city-wide experiences. Council member Sussman recounted her ascent to the City Council, starting with her membership with Citizens for a Better Environment. This group “pushed City Council to get state money which resulted in building Five Islands Park.” After attending law school she became a member of the Planning Board where she got to know the City better. In 2000 when she ran for City Council, the downtown, where she emphasized she had always shopped, was struggling. She said, “No one wanted to come to New Rochelle” and people felt nothing was happening. After the City went to Council Districts she found it effected Districts 5 and 6 more. She has also served on the IDA (Industrial Development Agency) and cited Bakers Pride as a firm with at least 50 employees that received IDA support. This agency in her view produces “long term advantages” for the City.
Council member Fertel, also a lawyer, claimed his fourteen years experience as a Board of Education member gave him a view of the “city as a whole.” He felt what is good for New Rochelle is good for District 5 and vice-versa. He claimed his district pays more of the taxes. In downtown where he works, he felt Main Street is the aorta of the city.
Bob Cox, founder of the New Rochelle Talk of the Sound website asked about the long series of extensions for the LeCount Square project emphasizing that false statements had been made by the developer to the City Council. Fertel answered if there was no Kohl’s agreement in the next six month, “very serious questions” will be addressed. Cox insisted that Kohl’s would not come in the next year and asked if “anyone had asked them” whether they were coming to New Rochelle. Frank Jones, President of the North Field Association, told the group he is working on public access for committees in the City.
Ron Tocci, former State Assemblyman, said with the present memorandum of understanding for Echo Bay that nothing would happen for years. He will be coming up with a proposal shortly. He wanted to know if the City would make an investment to preserve the existing murals in the Armory as part of the heritage of New Rochelle. Fertel answered the “developer was supposed to take care of that.” Many residents have expressed concern over the historic murals that were stolen from the Armory and hope this does not happen again with the remaining murals.
Reprinted from the January 25 issue of the Westchester Herald