Here is a Chance to Do Something Positive

I just returned from Retrofit and talked to Mario the manager. I have been a member of Retrofit since it opened and I am one of close to 4,000 members, many of them from New Rochelle. Retrofit is a local gym, with state of the art equipment, excellent leadership and attractive rates. It is also suffering from what appears to be a lack of love and support from the City and this is not the first time a New Rochelle business downtown, owned, operated or patronized by New Rochelle residents has suffered from excessive red tape, seemingly unequal treatment, lack of direct assistance, and hands-on support. I remember the Speckled Door on Main Street, owned by a couple of second, perhaps third generation New Rochellans that experienced almost daily visits from Administration members on signage, licensing, other matters which demonstrate a sheer lack of common sense and civic support. Of course, I only can go on the language from the owners and “street reports”, but I have no reason to doubt it. I have seen other examples of excessive ticketing of coffee shops, pizza parlors etc. when clientele stopped in for minutes to get a take out product. Pretty soon, no business.

Retrofit has many people who look like you and I. Many are blue collar, black, brown, white, yellow, male, female. Many come from the downtown, midtown and other areas south of New Rochelle Road. And, I know that there have been many “visits” on the part of the same City Administration folks who threaten or fine for signage and the like. However, I can personally attest to the fact that CVS has used contractors to hang signs, etal with non-New Rochelle names embedded on the trucks and I have never once seen a CVS truck unload in the area designated for that purpose in the rear.

Planet Fitness is another issue; a rather unfortunate choice for a tenant given the availability of several other gymnasiums. I have seen signage issues and wonder, just wonder if they are under the same vigorous standards seemingly imposed on the true New Rochelle gym? I will be very curious to see if they are asked to leave when their lease is up given the fact that their presence pretty much eliminates the potential for a large retailer such as Kohls or Target to take residence.

I am also concerned about the fate of a great New Rochelle resource, Almarc, who have their backs against the wall competing against 3 or 4 CVS’s and a Walgreens.

Where is our $105,000 a year developmental guru, Mr. DeBart? He claims, it it alleged, that he can do little or nothing about the City Administration attack on Retrofit. Perhaps he is right; but then again, he is not really needed.

I do not believe for a moment that this is part of a Bramson plot. This is representative of poor governance, poor policy and process. There are many holes in the planning process the worse being the issues I have previously raised which are, to me, incredulous, as well as the likelihood that Strome needs some hands-on help in process management. The man is overextended in my view and it is time to reorganize and really see what the roles, relationships and responsibilities are in New Rochelle.

We seem to “eat our young” meaning we attack our own entrepreneurs through over-regulation and red tape. Your should nurture new businesses and give some preferability to the home team. You do not manage a budget by ignoring the critical revenue stream issues around property taxation any more than adopting an expense management process that puts too much on things such as fee income, ticket and violation income, and grants and other one time relief mechanisms. You look at revenue streams by examining what it takes to attract new business and residents, you must look at reassessments, you have to tone down the “enthusiastic violation and ticket dispensor. If we lose Retrofit, it would be a sin and it would lead to the closing of at least 4 or 5 nearby small businesses that depend on them for clientele.

Did I mention my challenge to you? Here it is! If you are a politician involved especially in the business district, step up and look into this matter now! If you are running for office in this area or nearby, look into this issue now!

If you are someone who ideologically hates the “Bramson” administration and thinks the sun rises and sets on the GOP incumbents and candidates, do something positive and strong. You can still be anonymous, but do something. Call your council member and take this matter up. It is only a question of a few months before we see its equivalent on North Avenue near Iona.

Retrofit is our neighbor and gym; people like you and I go to it in large numbers, pay high parking rates, and just perhaps, deserve to have their local shops and services supported. So do something!

Lets see what you say or do. If nothing, I will contact every council person in the vicinity and each candidate to address the questions or allegations raised. I am not claiming truth, I am only saying the emerging facts seem to suggest that some large non-New Rochelle based businesses seem to avoid some of the red tape and issues that infest ours. I am saying our business proposition is seriously flawed. I am saying that it is not Noam Bramson, not Chuck Strome, but a lack of process management which some on this blog like to throw in my path as being meaningless. If you ever met a large payroll in your life, you would see this differently.

Old Timer, you have my name and so, were able to report my contributions to Noam Bramson. You were a little light, but the important point is that every one who contributes to a campaign does not expect any quid pro quo. I invite you to look deeper and show my contributions over the past 3-5 years, to whom (not just Noam) and what amounts. YOu will see that I never received anything in return other than an occasional meeting to share my views. That is good enough and I will probably not even request that in the future.

But, of course, perhaps Planet Fitness or CVS is making contributions. I don’t know. Find out if you like. Maybe you make contributions. I don’t know and don’t care. It is your privilege and business.

Retrofit has a relationship with TOTS and if nothing else, I would ask readers to also question why Sound Shore is shortsighted in not requesting Mario to present some exercise assistance and tips to Type II Diabetics which I requested on three occasions and never received a reply. It was not pandering for business. I was a client at the clinic and am a Type II diabetic. They have an excellent clinic and fine nutritional guidance. They have no assistance in exercise which is obligatory in dealing with this disease. Someone told me that perhaps it has something to do with the Director’s wife being either in the administration or formerly in the administration. I don’t know, but I do know that they should respond and so should the City regarding building a viable business district in the ways I suggest here and elsewhere. It is not only the majority party, but last time I checked, the minority party had a strong presence in the business district.

Do something instead of simply whining.