VILLAGE RELEASES ALTERNATIVE BID FOR LOT A - WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN - THE CROTON CHRONICLE

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THE CROTON CHRONICLE
Village releases alternative bid for Lot A. What might have been, Part Two.

The competing proposal envisioned five stories, 52 units (11 affordable), and 2600 square feet of community space on the first level, accessible to all Croton residents.

Michael Balter

In late December, the Croton-on-Hudson Board of Trustees, after many months of deliberations, hearings, and considerable controversy, approved a special permit that would allow WBP Development LLC to build 100 condominium units on the site of former Parking Lot A, along with an adjacent property owned by Croton Point Realty Inc.

The village had received two proposals for the Lot A redevelopment, the one from WBP and a competing bid whose details were not publicly released. As we reported earlier, the Chronicle attempted last spring to receive a copy of the losing proposal via the New York Freedom of Information Law (FOIL.) The village denied that request, on the grounds that officials were still in contract negotiations with WBP to sell the site, and that divulging it could affect the final sales price. Our appeal of that decision was also denied.

As we editorialized at the time, we believed that refusal to tell the citizens of Croton the details of a competing bid for the sale of village land—property that belonged to all of us—was a violation of basic democratic principles. READ MORE AT Village releases alternative bid for Lot A. What might have been, Part Two.