(Ed's note: The following letter was sent to Senator Kemp Hannon and is printed at the author's request.)

On the evening of Wednesday, May 20, I attended a meeting held between the Garden City Board of Trustees and the officers and directors of the four Property Owners Associations. On the agenda was the proposal by CareMatrix Corporation, a for-profit private commercial entity, to use the St. Paul's main building and 10 surrounding acres for assisted senior housing. As you know, there is a lawsuit which contends that as the property was approved for purchase by Village referendum and paid for with municipal bonds for the express purpose of using the site solely for Village and recreational use, and has in fact been used for recreational purposes, it should be considered parkland and therefore cannot be leased for private commercial use. In New York State, parkland is public trust property and cannot be transferred to commercial interests without a special act of the State Legislature.

The Trustees explained that they consider this lawsuit without merit, that it was taking up time and costing money, and therefore they have asked the court for a summary judgment to have the case dismissed. Then the Board of Trustees announced that as a precaution they have contacted you to introduce legislation to authorize the Village to enter into a long-term lease.

The Village wants to enter into a 65 year lease (an initial lease of 50 years with three 5-year extensions). I feel that this is beyond their ability to control events. Surely over that amount of time there will be at least one or two economic downturns resulting in a lack of paying clientele for this facility. What then? Are we to be reassured that because the Village has leased the property, not sold it, we will be able to maintain all the restrictions placed in the lease. Leases, like all contracts, can be amended or broken by the courts when dictated by financial necessity.

Mayor Tauches went on to state that there was widespread support within the Village to convert St. Paul's into an assisted living facility. Obviously the Mayor and the Trustees are suffering from short-term memory loss. On March 13, 1997 there was a Public Opinion Poll sponsored by three of the four Property Owners Associations (the Eastern POA declined to participate) on the proposal to lease the St. Paul's building and an accompanying 10 acres for use as an assisted living facility. On that question the vote was almost evenly split with 1,194 residents voting against the proposal and 1,178 voting for it. On the second question, "Should the Village Board of Trustees continue to maintain St. Paul's historic main building for a possible future alternative use?" 1,247 residents voted yes, while 871 voted no.

Those results speak for themselves and in no way can be interpreted as "widespread support." Most residents have no idea that the Village has asked you to introduce this kind of legislation. I am urging you not to proceed with this request. This property is part of the park, the very heart of the Village and should not be jeopardized!

Phyllis Calvano