CROTON UNITED'S BOB ANDERSON ON THE GOUVEIA PROPERTY

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CROTON UNITED'S BOB ANDERSON ON THE GOUVEIA PROPERTY 

Letter to the Editor,

Do you remember when your Mom and Dad taught you that if it seems too good to be true it probably isn’t true? 

The Mayor and Trustee Gallelli (the rest of the board was not privy to a years worth of secret negotiations with Barbara Sarbin) would have you believe that acquiring the Gouveia property is a great deal for Croton. There has been no real study of the impact this would have on our Village. 

There is a White Elephant just down the road from us, The Ossining Bank for Savings.  The following is from the Ossining Village website:

 

“From 1983 to 2004, the building had a succession of owners and in early 2004, the last private owner, Mr. John Gouveia of Peekskill, NY, conveyed the building to the Village of Ossining for the sum of $1.00. A Village-commissioned study indicated that renovations to make the Building useful as a potential cultural arts center will cost approximately $2,900,000.” 

It still remains empty, ten years later.  Apparently, not a great deal.

Isn’t it interesting how both of these great deals have the same name attached - Gouveia.  This would add another park to the already existing fifteen Village parks, seventeen if you count Croton Point and Croton Gorge.  I don’t believe our existing parks are fully utilized.  The County and other towns have had similar proposals offered to them and they were rejected.

Do we really need another park for Croton? Can we afford to take on this liability as $43,000 comes off the tax rolls?  Do we really want to have our own White Elephant?  This deal is too good to be true!  I’ll take a pass like Mom and Dad told me.

Bob Anderson

Croton United, candidate for Trustee