Grace Refusing to Throw in Towel on Preserving Trump Sales Office
Yorktown Supervisor Michael Grace is refusing to give up on preserving a building at Trump Park Residences in Shrub Oak that was supposed to be torn down six years ago.
Despite objections from residents at the complex who have reminded town officials of an agreement that the 8,000-square-foot office would be demolished to make room for a walking trail and gazebo, Grace has set his sights on possibly using it for a senior center or other town use.
“To take a wrecking ball and knock that down makes no sense,” Grace said at a recent Town Board meeting following an inquiry from a resident. “It’s a wonderfully sound, well-constructed building. I think we owe the community at large to see if we can put that asset to community use. There’s an opportunity here and it’s worth an in depth discussion.
George Brink, who represented 61 homeowners at Trump Park Residences during the planning process, which started in 2004, told the Town Board last month the building was in violation of the conditions of the Planning Board approval. He noted Westchester Land Trust has initiated legal proceedings to remove the building since it’s located on a conservation easement.
That legal action prompted Cortlandt Supervisor Linda Puglisi to withdraw a request to explore using the building for the Cortlandt Croton Center for the Arts which was left homeless following a fire near Charles Cook Pool.
“The integrity of the entire approval process is at stake here, along with the ability of the people to trust that site plans once approved will be enforced by the town,” Brink said. “If this violation is allowed to remain how will any community in our town be able to trust that any future developments will adhere to their site plans? It’s about time this issue is addressed.”
Brink also asserted nothing was being done in order to save developers Yorktown Realty and Cappelli Enterprises money.
“We should not be bailing out a multi-million dollar developer trying to get out from under his obligation to the detriment of my community,” Brink said.
Grace remarked if the building were taken down the location would become a public park and “a new place where you can buy heroin in Yorktown Heights,” a comment he rescinded after Councilman Nick Bianco objected.
“That building was a condition that it (land) belongs to the Land Trust,” Bianco said. “If I vote on something and it’s a condition, it’s a condition.”
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