One of the greatest problems facing Garden City is what to do with the St. Paul's school. While various new proposals have been discussed over the last several months, the fact remains that the findings of former Mayor Brian Deveney's blue ribbon committee almost a decade ago still remain true. That committee, which consisted of the best talent in the village, outlined why all of the various options being discussed now and then just simply won't work and came to the conclusion that the building should be developed by the private sector as an assisted living residence.

Based upon the thousands of hours of research meetings and hearings, the village board of trustees voted to implement the findings of the Deveney committee, which would preserve the building and produce substantial revenue for the village. At the same time, it would also provide a much-needed place where our village seniors could live, with assistance, without having to move out of the village.

Although two village residents won a lawsuit on a technicality, that situation can be corrected by a Home Rule Message to the New York State Legislature.

Over the last 10 years, taxes in the village have risen over 100 percent and, in light of the current county and state fiscal problems, it can be expected that taxes will increase substantially in the future. During this same 10-year period, every board of trustees has supported the original decision in favor of assisted living. In fact, the village has paid village counsel tens of thousands of dollars to defend that position. Until recently, that decision was supported by all of the four property owners associations over the same time period. In the fall of 2002, the Eastern Property Owners' Association recommended that the building be used for high-end residential use. This well thought out recommendation should be considered as well as the recommendation for assisted living. Both of these alternatives preserve the building and generate tax dollars. None of the other proposals do this.

The goal of the Garden City Chamber of Commerce is to make Garden City a better place to work and live. We believe that the trustees should make a decision soon and that whatever is decided it should be to preserve the building and have it produce tax revenue.

Once the trustees make that decision and recommend a Home Rule Message to the New York State Legislature, Garden City can move forward with this very important project.

The Garden City Chamber of Commerce respectfully urges that the board of trustees adopt either one of these two proposals in order to save the building and produce tax revenue.

Ross Mongiardo

Chamber of Commerce President

Editor's Note: Mongiardo sent this letter to Mayor Barbara Miller and the Garden City board of trustees and requested that it be printed in the Garden City Life.