The following letter from Mr. Harvey Brill on the Croton Yacht Club appeared in the 6/28/12 edition of the Gazette.
To The Editor:
I've been a resident of Croton for 18 years and became a
member of the Croton Yacht Club just about 3 years ago. As it happens, I was
drawn to boating after walking one day with my wife along the river and noticed
a boat for sale conveniently parked against the fence. Living about a mile from
the boat club, what was appealing to me was that there are varying types of
membership which can range from an initiation investment and the requirement of
hours served with a reduced fee for boating, or in the alternative the option
of being an Associate and paying market rates, which are slightly below the
rates that Tarrytown is purported to be charging in Ms. Whiting’s recent
letter. In either case, it's a cost that I as a boater get to pay, in time and
money or just money.
I've been reading Mr. Kauderer's many letters to The Gazette
and have to say that I'm perplexed. In his earliest letters, his claim was that
the CYC was paying minimal rent and not paying taxes, to which there have been
a number of responses in both the Gazette and at Village Work and Budget
sessions (some of which I've had the opportunity of speaking at) in order to
set the record straight and to make those interested aware of the facts. There
is no doubt that the Croton Residents who are invested in boating are adamant
about the value that the club presents to all of its varying types of members,
there is an intrinsic value in the club remaining a Village asset which is
operated by its residents for the benefit of its residents. It also can't be
argued that the terms of the present lease will be renegotiated, but to
characterize the fees that were deemed appropriate and agreed upon by all
parties when executed as imprudent and irresponsible is not tied to reality and
like most things that we see in the news in an election year is self-serving.
This then leads to the basic question of why? Why is Mr.
Kauderer so intent upon the Club being turned over to private interests for the
establishment of a Restaurant? Mr. Kauderer as a member of the Village Planning
Board has publicly been in support of property that was committed in Half Moon
Bay's site plan with The Village, as a
restaurant be granted a change in use so that Mr. Plotkin could build a
6600 sq./ft. (habitable space) private home. When you view the site plan, this
area is clearly a more appropriate spot which is highly accessible and could be
serviced by cars, pedestrians or the many shuttles which already serve Half
Moon Bay and Discovery Cove. Mr. Kauderer also in his many letters suggests
that the village should consult with Mr. Plotkin for ways to commercialize the
Yacht Club space. Why is this? Is Mr. Kauderer speaking in his capacity as a
member of the Planning Board, an Attorney associated with many commercial real
estate development companies, an Advocate of Mr. Plotkin for yet unknown
reasons, or a concerned citizen?
The hundreds of people who utilize these Village facilities are clear in their goals; it's the preservation of the historical usage of the property which dates back 55 years. What's unclear and needs clarification is what Mr. Kauderer's role actually is in his quest to commercialize this land.
