NEW ROCHELLE, NY (January 5, 2023) — An effort is underway to lobby the New Rochelle City Council to reverse the decision of former City Manager Charles B. Strome to fire the 5 appointed Commissioners last week, as first reported by Talk of the Sound.
On December 21, 2022 the New York Office of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) sent a letter to then-City Manager Charles B. Strome sharply critical of the NRMHA Board. On December 30, 2022, Strome sent a letter to the NRMHA Commissioners.
HUD Letter to New Rochelle City Manager (12/21/22)
New Rochelle City Manager Letter to NRMHA Board Members (12/30/22)
The lobbying effort is predicated on three key points: (1) the firings were intended to block efforts by NRMHA Commissioners, in particular Sheila Small and Michael Yellin to redevelop the Bracey Apartments; (2) residents of Bracey Apartments, the Hollow, should benefit financially from any real estate development of the property and surrounding area; (3) opposition to the council–manager form of city government.
There are two primary demands: (1) reinstatement of the NRMHA board members; (2) a public apology to the reinstated board members by the incoming City Manager.
SEE ALSO: Fired New Rochelle Muncipal Housing Authority Commissioners Fire Back; In Final Act, City Manager Fires Entire New Rochelle Municipal Housing Authority Board
The lobbying effort in support of the deposed NRMHA Commissioners makes reference to 3 documents, linked here:
Community Economic Development Clinic Lincoln Square Legal Services
Bracey Houses Redevelopment Options – A Report to the New Rochelle Municipal Housing Authority
One of the documents is a plan for a massive expansion of the Bracey Apartments, 361 Main Street and 345 Main Street, owned by the NRMHA. It also includes 22 Fountain Place, 39 Fountain Place, 44 Fountain Place and the buildings at Main Street and Harrison Street — none of which are owned by the New Rochelle Muncipal Housing Authority. Some of the property includes the former Pizza Hut space, which might explain some of the opposition to the construction of a Starbucks.
KEY POINTS IN BURTON LETTER:
- “removal of a Board that was committed to a redevelopment plan at Bracey that would include an ownership opportunity for its residents”
- “the consistent lack of accountability of our non-elected city staff and city manager, please come or write your City Council member and the Mayor and make your voice heard. ( A sample letter is attached”
- “giving away city owned property had been directed toward providing ownership opportunity to those in our community who are ‘essential workers”
The primary call to action is for “All New Rochelle residents should speak out against this latest an attempt to exclude the primarily African American community residing at Bracey from participating and benefiting from the RXR Master Development Plan
From: Lisa Burton
Sent: Wednesday, January 4, 2023, 8:13 PM
Subject: This Is What Autocracy Looks Like!- How to Take Action
Dear Neighbors,
On Tuesday, January 10th at 7 pm there is the once a month opportunity to speak with your city council representative and the Mayor. The new City Manager should also be in attendance.
If you believe in due process and believe the former CIty Manager ‘s removal of the entire volunteer and community minded New Rochelle Municipal Housing Board without providing them an opportunity to respond to questionable accusations is wrong, then please show up and voice your concern.
If you are concerned about the surgical timing of this unprecedented removal of a Board that was committed to a redevelopment plan at Bracey that would include an ownership opportunity for its residents, then please show up and let the City Council and the new CIty Manager know.
If you are frustrated by the consistent lack of accountability of our non-elected city staff and city manager, please come or write your City Council member and the Mayor and make your voice heard. ( A sample letter is attached that you can sign on, read at the January 10th Citizen to Be Heard and/or share with your friends and neighbor.)
If you are reading this and wondering, “What does this have to do with me?”, please consider what type of City/ community/neighborhoods we would have if the energy and focus on giving away city owned property had been directed toward providing ownership opportunity to those in our community who are ‘essential workers”. These are our friends, classmates, teachers assistants, hairdressers, taxi drivers, grocery store clerks and childcare providers who struggle to live in New Rochelle, not because they value diversity, but because they and their family have called New Rochelle home for decades.
In 2014 the residents of New Rochelle were promised a revitalized downtown that would be a benefit to all. All New Rochelle residents should speak out against this latest attempt to exclude the primarily African American community residing at Bracey from participating and benefiting from the RXR Master Development Plan.
Hope to see you on Tuesday, January 10th.
Lisa
PS
Attached (linked above) is the response of the NRMHA board to the nit-picking and mean spirited HUD letter. Note the volunteer and civic minded NRMHA board worked diligently over the past 5+ years to move the NRHMA from having over 30 outstanding issues on the Recovery Agreement to having only 2. The board’s dismissal without due process is a travesty and if allowed to go forward will have a chilling impact on anyone who considers volunteering their time and talent to serve this community.
KEY POINTS IN DRAFT LETTER:
“the former City Manager’s action was unwarranted and simply wrong.”
“(the NRMHA)was on the cusp of making a historic decision of providing a homeownership opportunity for the Bracey residents as part of the redevelopment and reimaging of the complex.”
“collaboration between award winning students at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, the Fordham Law Community Economic Development Clinic and the NRMHA Board”
“respected members of the community publicly humiliated and their reputation tarnished”
Demands:
- We urge the City Council to demand the reinstatement of the NRMHA board members.
- We ask that the incoming City Manager issue a public apology to these board members.
DRAFT LETTER
Dear Mayor and City Council Members,
We are writing to express our extreme concern over the unprecedented removal of the non-resident board members of the New Rochelle Municipal Housing Authority on December 30th.
The disrespect that the former City Manager has exhibited for these board members is stunning. Without giving these hard-working volunteers, an opportunity to respond to a letter from HUD that did not claim malfeasance or fiduciary neglect, the former City Manager’s action was unwarranted and simply wrong.
The NRMHA Board has, with care and diligence, addressed the over 33 items on the HUD Recovery Agreement, received the approval of the City to end the oversight agreement, was granted Standard Performance Status by HUD and was on the cusp of making a historic decision of providing a homeownership opportunity for the Bracey residents as part of the redevelopment and reimaging of the complex. This dynamic vision of breaking the cycle of generational poverty is EVERYTHING this community has hoped for as part of the redevelopment of the downtown. It is very clear from the action of the former City Manager, that this is not the vision of our city’s professional staff.
So instead of celebrating an amazing and inspiring collaboration between award winning students at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, the Fordham Law Community Economic Development Clinic and the NRMHA Board, our city is being thrown into unnecessary turmoil by having respected members of the community publicly humiliated and their reputation tarnished.
It is beyond disappointing.
We urge the City Council to demand the reinstatement of the NRMHA board members. We ask that the incoming City Manager issue a public apology to these board members.
Lastly, we ask the Mayor and City Council to speak directly with the NRMHA board and not rely on those in City Hall who would continue the 26+ year priority of giving public properties to developers over empowering and uplifting those of our neighbors that have been and continue to be, marginalized and excluded from the benefits of the City’s development.
Sincerely,
Name
Address
Years in New Rochelle
EDITOR’S NOTE:
It is noteworthy that the Strome letter to the NRMHA Commissioners is dated December 30, 2022.
The file name of the Strome letter to the NRMHA Commissioners is dated December 22, 2022, lending credence to the widespread belief that Strome wrote the letter to the NRMHA Commissioners the day after receiving the HUD letter then deliberately held off sending the letter,for more than a week, until his final moments in office, anticipating exactly the firestorm his decision would cause.
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