NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Veterans involved in a lawsuit orchestrated by Westchester County Director of the Veterans Service Agency Ron Tocci, dismissed in April by New York State Supreme Court Justice Charles D. Wood, are regrouping after another defeat, this time in the New York State Legislature.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit were Dennis Starr and Robert Boddie, Sr., ostensibly on behalf of “the veterans” against the City of New Rochelle, Twinings Properties (Pratt Landing, LLC) and Letitia James as Attorney General of the State of New York.
Early Friday morning as Legislators prepared to leave Albany, Home Rule Bill A08014/S07184, sponsored by Assemblyman Steve Otis and State Senator Shelley Mayer, was passed and is expected to be signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo and become law.
A08014/S07184 “authorizes the city of New Rochelle, county of Westchester to alienate and discontinue the use of certain parklands, in furtherance of an economic development interest of the state and/or city of New Rochelle.” The purpose is to allow the Twining Properties development of the Pratt Landing project to move forward.
Twining Properties’ “Pratt Landing” plan calls for a mix of residences, stores, offices, open space and a hotel, surrounded by a waterfront esplanade, to be built on the current site of the City Yard. Twining Properties has committed to restoring the Armory building and leasing space to a yet-to-be-determined Veterans Services Organization.
Tocci, Starr, and other veterans behind the lawsuit, have lost credibility in the eyes of elected officials, due in large part to their failure to reconcile their opposition to efforts by the City to support commercial development of the Armory with their plans for commercial development of the Armory — the only difference being public control through municipal government or personal control through Ron Tocci.
While arguing that the City of New Rochelle’s Home Rule Request is a trojan horse for commercial development, Tocci’s plan is to add 3 floors to the Annex then offer a total of four floors of space in the Annex plus the Drill Deck. The plan is for a Panera Bread-type eatery, a restaurant and catering facility, a brewery and outdoor biergarten, as a venue for live entertainment, as well as a full floor reserved for Westchester County’s Department of Veteran Services, which Tocci runs.
The Tocci plan for commercial development of the Armory does not address the numerous noise complaints about the former Hudson Park Tiki Bar nor the repeated denials by the Westchester County Executive’s Office that the County has anything to do with Tocci’s plans for the Armory or his lawsuit against the City of New Rochelle, et al. George Latimer may want to read the motions and transcripts from the Tocci lawsuit and the Tocci plan of 2017, updated in 2020.
Tocci and his rag-tag band of a dozen or so hangers-on are so convoluted in their thinking, so transparently operating out of self-interest, and so small in number they no longer inspire respect by elected officials nor fear of lost votes in ignoring them. They represent no one other than themselves as individuals, a paper tiger posing as “the Veterans” but really just Ron Tocci and a handful of bitter-enders like Peter Parente. They have become a joke. Sadly, they appear destined to be the last to notice.
The defeat local veterans suffered this week was unthinkable a decade ago:
Democratic lawmakers distanced themselves from the measure and George Latimer, the bill’s sponsor in the New York State Assembly, announced via email last night that he had withdrawn his name from the bill and that it was “dead for 2010”.
BREAKING NEWS: Home Rule Armory Bill “Dead for 2010”
In the years following World War II and the Korean War, Veteran Service Organizations or VSOs flourished in New Rochelle. By the 1950s there were 13 VSOs including two VFWs and two American Legions. By 1994, that number had shrunk to 8 active VSOs. Today, there are just two active VSOs with a charter in New Rochelle: American Legion Post #8 and VFW Post #439.
Meetings of the two groups, held at American Legion Post #8 at 112 North Avenue in New Rochelle, are sparsely attended. Post #8 and Post #439 have between them less than 3 dozen veterans as members. While much of the decline can be attributed to the passage of time, squabbling and internal divisions have led to an exodus from New Rochelle VSOs to nearby VSOs.
In a recent election to replace Peter Poulos as Post #8 Commander, just 25 votes were cast: Gary Flynn edged out Dennis Starr 13-12. Poulos served as Commander for just eight months during which his primary contribution was to file a complaint with the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office seeking criminal charges for embezzlement and fraud against his predecessor. The criminal investigation is ongoing.
The lead plaintiff in the Armory lawsuit is proposing an effort to pressure Governor Andrew Cuomo to pocket veto the Home Rule Bill.
“Presuming the bill passed or will shortly be passed, should our focus now shift the Governor to persuade him to veto the bill?” asked Dennis Starr in an email to veterans involved in the lawsuit.
“A reading of the content describing meets & bounds will not reveal the true purpose that is to convert the Naval Armory parkland property to commercial development so believe we need to convey that to the Governor and his staff,” Starr added.
Westchester County Veterans Committee Vice Chairman Chester Edwards emailed “all WCVSC” and other interested parties warning against responding without first achieving consensus on strategy.
Before we take any further steps I recommend that we bring the WCVSC together (in-person or virtual) and determine the strategy that the Veteran Community (as represented by the Committee) wants to take going forward. I think that it is important to work from a consensus and not charge forward with what individuals think is best. I would appreciate the feedback from you as officers of WCVSC. If we determine that we should petition the Governor it needs to be done quickly before the bill becomes law.
Edwards email refers to the “WCVSC” which appears to be an acronym for “Westchester County Veterans Services Committee”. Documents from the dismissed lawsuit refer to the “Westchester County Veterans Council”. Other documents refer to the “Westchester County Veterans Committee”. Asked about this last year, Tocci said the different names were used interchangeably. A Westchester County spokesperson said she was unaware of any Westchester County Veterans Council but was familiar with the Westchester County Veterans Committee which she described as an ad hoc group of veterans with no formal connection to the Westchester County government, although Ron Tocci, a County official, is a member. She said the group meets monthly with Westchester County Executive George Latimer to discuss various issues of interest to veterans.
The conflict over the Armory has changed over the years. Originally, the “save our armory” initiative was to prevent the demolition of the building with the hope it would be restored as a community center. In recent years, a handful of veterans, mainly Tocci, have sought to have personal direct control over the property for their benefit. The “Save Our Armory” is no longer active.
PHOTO CREDIT: Post #8 Facebook Page.
RELATED:
New York State Legislature Passes New Rochelle Armory Parkland Alienation Bill
New Rochelle Armory Lawsuit Dismissed
New Rochelle Veterans Service Organizations on Verge of Disappearing, From 13 Down to 2
This legislation confirms all of the pledges made by the developer to the City via the to provide space to the veteran community, in particular a Veteran Service Organization (VSO) to provide space to the veteran community (attached), including things like parking spaces. This is a salient point because it confirms all of the good faith negotiations made from August 2020 to the Plaintiff’s in the lawsuit “blowing it up” in January 2021. I think Mr. Cox’s prior reporting covers most of the points. This begs the question, why are the plaintiffs now pushing back against this legislation when it simply confirms what they asked for?
Even the plaintiffs should recognize that legislation just like this would be required for their own development plans. So why are they trying to stop it now? Of course as previously reported by Mr. Cox some associated with the failed lawsuit have been actively working their own development plans since a failed competitive bid in 2012. Those attempts call for commercial development so why is this different?
The legislation that was passed by the NR City Council of “my community” on a project that primarily affects New Rochelle. Hence a “home rule” bill, that our elected officials brought to Albany. So why is a Westchester County based group that is unelected or appointed trying to be the primary voice of the veterans of New Rochelle. Have they talked to the developers themselves or is it being screened through a lens by people with an agenda?
I would suggest that the members of the New Rochelle Veterans Advisory Committee has a better pulse on what the over 1,250 veterans that we know of in New Rochelle need. As Mr. Cox points out, disappointingly, is that the traditional VSOs make up about 2% of the veterans of New Rochelle. Many whom are not even NR residents.
In my personal opinion the focus should be turning to how to ensure that the promises made by the developer and the legislation will bring an opportunity to focus on actual issues in the veteran community like suicide prevention, homelessness, benefits, employment, education, etc… I would hope that most people reading this realize the Armory for what it is in 2021, a dilapidated edifice that needs professionals to save it and make it sustainable and that this legislation and professional development will enable those things that are actually important for our community. We can’t turn the clock back to 1997 when an elected official was fortunate enough to get this building turned over to the City, the tide is turning and with that tide all boats should rise, unless we set an anchor with a short rode and sink.
Who develops the Armory should be less important than what it provides our community in a sustainable way.