Eyesore Point
Dear Editor,
I am certain I speak for many of my Milton Point neighbors by raising an issue about the significant stretch of Stuyvesant Avenue that has become an annoying eyesore. Specifically, I cite the Wainwright House and the vacant property that used to house the Durland Center.
With respect to Wainwright House, they have determined to not remove any of the huge amounts of dead leaves from their property and, in fact, have instead relocated all of these leaves into large, unsightly piles along Stuyvesant Avenue. To add insult to injury, these large leaf piles have become convenient dumping grounds for other garbage. I have raised this issue on a few occasions with Hilary Jones, the Executive Director of Wainwright House, but no action has resulted.
One would assume, given their somewhat tenuous relationship with neighbors as a result of weddings, noise, and traffic, that they would be more responsive on this issue. The Coveleigh Club stands in contrast to Wainwright directly across the avenue with solid property upkeep. I suggested to Ms. Jones that, if they insist on building huge leaf piles, they should move these piles to the other side of their stonewall.
The former Durland Center lot has now stood vacant for several years, and is truly a waterfront eyesore. The lot is weed- and junk-infested, with a decrepit, rusting chain-link fence. In addition, a substantial amount of debris was swept up against the fence by Sandy last October and there has been no effort to clean up that mess. One would think the City of Rye would have some leverage with the property owners to maintain a bare minimum maintenance standard. If the property owners are unable to clean things up, perhaps they should open the gates to allow a community-volunteer effort this spring.
Milton Point should be one of the most picturesque areas of Rye and there is no excuse for this blight.
Sincerely,
Turner C. Smith
Putting Off Work at Playland
Dear Editor,
On the surface, the hearing Wednesday evening to review four proposals for the future development of Rye Playland had merit. The few hundred people who turned out at the Westchester County Center in White Plains learned more and had their questions answered. But the event was late in coming, and short on impact when cast against the larger issues of employment, new tax revenues for the County budget, and overall economic development.
The thousands of workers who will one day draw paychecks from Playland’s construction and operations are again forced to sit on the sidelines while elected officials – in this case the Democrats in the Westchester Board of Legislators – grandstand under the guise of public scrutiny and sunshine. We see it as another cloudy day for the people, the workers and taxpayers of Westchester who are denied the benefits of what this project promises.
We urge the Westchester County Board of Legislators to move forward immediately and approve a plan so that our residents can get back to work.
Sincerely,
Ross J. Pepe
President, Construction Industry Council of Westchester & Hudson Valley, Inc.
