For over a decade, studies have been conducted as to the physical condition of the former St. Paul's school and various options for potential repair, restoration or re-use. Increasingly, in recent months, some village leaders and residents have suggested the buildings simply be demolished, while others have expressed a wistful wish that someone drop a lit match into the building to "make the problem go away." Perhaps the Tiffany windows could be recovered from the ashes, but they might cost too much to bother to preserve.

Garden City is not the only community threatened with losing its historic heritage. Historic places across New York State face similar preservation challenges. A recent program established by the Preservation League of New York State helps address these problems, and St. Paul's School should be added to their "Seven to Save" list for 2003. The Preservation League of New York State is dedicated to the protection of New York's diverse and rich heritage of historic buildings, districts and landscapes. It actively encourages historic preservation by public and private organizations, agencies and individuals in local communities throughout New York State and provides the united voice for historic preservation.

The "Seven to Save" list spotlights historic properties that exemplify challenges facing historic places across the state. Sites listed draw attention to the issues of municipal abandonment of historic downtowns, the need for a statewide "Main Street Revitalization Program" and for state passage of the Neighborhood Reinvestment Act.

"Seven to Save" is a published annual listing of the seven most endangered properties in New York State. The New York State Preservation League focuses attention on these threatened historic resources and offers realistic solutions for protecting them. The league is committed to helping these Seven to Save through strong statewide publicity and by giving them priority for league technical services, legal assistance and funding.

Valued historic places, such as the former St. Paul's School, are in danger of disappearing due to inappropriate development, lack of funding and financial incentives, insensitive public policies, general neglect, disinvestment, and, in several cases, outright demolition. The 2002 Seven to Save list includes outstanding individual buildings, urban and village historic districts and a historic bridge. The Preservation League pledges to work with local partners to provide legal assistance, technical services and advocacy support, with the goals of eliminating the threats to these places and to reaching meaningful solutions.

Through its Preserve New York grant program, the league offers direct project assistance to non-profit organizations and municipalities. Since 1993, the league has awarded over $1 million to more than 275 local preservation projects throughout the state. The league's investment has leveraged over $2 million in cash and in-kind support for these projects.

St. Paul's School had historically been a tremendous asset to the Village of Garden City and can be again in the future. Your support of a nomination to include St. Paul's School on the Seven to Save list for 2003 is needed. Please contact Rob Alvey at 326-1720 or Historian Jeffrey Kroessler at 718-204-8457 to learn how you can help.

(Editor's Note: This letter was originally sent to Garden City Mayor Barbara Miller and is printed here at the author's request.)

As I mentioned to you and the other trustees at last Thursday's open village trustees' meeting, a last minute change in the time of an out of town business obligation prevents me from attending the Oct. 23 Public Use [P-Zone] forum. As a business professional with more than 40 years of highly relevant land use experience I had expected to use that opportunity to make a number of substantive observations and offer several positive suggestions. In order to ensure the widest circulation of these observations and suggestions, I have summarized below for you and the board the main points of last Thursday's remarks.

This board's decision on the potential redevelopment of the P-Zone surplus land created as a result of the proposed Suozzi consolidation plan is the most important decision impacting this community in the foreseeable future. In the interest of clarification, background information on the P-Zone issue is provided for the public at the end of this letter.

Garden City has many of the attributes of a world-class community. The right decision on this property will further reinforce that perception, and thereby benefit all the village's residents. The wrong decisions will push us back to being just another typical Nassau suburban village.

The right decision can be best made through the joint efforts of the village and the county working together. This means jointly attracting the best and brightest from this country's enlightened development community.

More specifically, this means the village and county jointly creating and disseminating either an RFI (Request For Information) or possibly an RFP (Request For Proposal) from the development community. A joint RFI or RFP makes the most sense, given the county's ownership position and the village's land use control power.

The most prestigious organization through which this might be best accomplished is the Urban Land Institute [ULI], an international land use organization to which all the best and brightest belong. Exposure to P-Zone development opportunities by ULI members might be as simple as a full-page notice of a joint village/county RFI or RFP in ULI's monthly publication. Or it could be as extensive as a request by the village and county for the retention of ULI's "Advisory Services Program" whereby a team of top level ULI professionals help shape a consensus development plan and aid in the subsequent dissemination of a more detailed RFP.

The beauty of this decision making process is that the development community will quickly recognize the uniqueness of Garden City. An offer to help shape the future of the village in a positive way is an irresistable challenge that will be rewarding for all sides. The RFI or RFP would clearly state the facts, as they exist even where there remains some disagreement between county and village as to precisely how much or which types of land uses are most compatible with existing uses and which are also the highest value/revenue producing.

The 35 plus acres are a clean slate. Let us attract the best minds to show us how different types of, let's say, residential uses can be attractively positioned on the property. Unlike some residents who have recently warned against "urbanization" of Garden City through anonymously signed pronouncements in the local press, we should not close our eyes to imaginative ideas. Once we reach broad consensus on uses, densities and land values, the village can then better utilize the zoning and planning experts that are already on retainer.

This process always allows the village to walk away from any suggested development that doesn't reinforce the world class characteristics that Garden City is noted for. An enlightened development community will understand this risk, and given encouragement by the village and county, will commit the necessary human and financial resources to come up with potentially workable land use plans.

Simply stated, the rewards for all sides are so great and exciting that the respective parties will make the necessary efforts to make the right plan a reality. There are a number of other development, ownership and financing strategies that need to be explored. We need to be imaginative in exploring alternatives. My commitment to further help develop and share these with the committee is self-evident.

My closing comment is one regarding attitude. I believe that the board needs to develop and sustain a deep passion for dealing with this once in a lifetime opportunity. If that means doubling the time commitment of the existing three-person trustee committee, then do it. If it means adding other qualified and dedicated village residents, then do it. Many residents in the village are quick to invoke the name of Alexander Stewart when describing how the village came to be what it is. It's time to think and act like Stewart. Be bold, imaginative yet fiscally responsible.

The following is background information in the P-Zone issue. In May 2002, Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi announced that in order to reduce expenses and provide more efficiency, the county put together a plan to consolidate the county's government buildings into a series of functional campuses. Here in Garden City the plan will involve two areas. The first area is located on Franklin Avenue between Fourteenth Street north to Old Country Road and west to West Street. It includes the old historic county courthouse, the Nassau County Police headquarters building and the county executive office building. The second 35 plus acre area is bounded by Eleventh Street, Washington Avenue, Old Country Road and County Seat Drive and includes two courthouses and the Social Services building. It also includes (on the west side of County Seat Drive) the county office building, the county administration building (former Board of Elections building) and a cluster of smaller structures to the south. These two areas have been zoned by the Village of Garden City for public buildings and are known as the Public "P" Zone.

The consolidation plan calls for the sale of some buildings, the restoration of the old courthouse and the construction of tiered parking garages behind the police headquarters building as well as in the area of the courthouse, amongst other things. Residents who live in the vicinity of the Washington Avenue/Eleventh Street site will be most affected by any changes on that site.

While the county owns the land and buildings in the P-Zone district, the village has jurisdiction over the zoning. The village must adopt any changes in the zoning. In June 2002, then Mayor Robert Lewis appointed a "P-Zone Committee" consisting of Trustees Peter Bee (chairman), Peter Negri and Gerard Lundquist to represent the village's interests and work with the county. The P-Zone Committee will hold a public forum on Oct. 23 at 8 p.m. in the Garden City High School cafeteria.