The Committee to Save St. Paul's (CSSP), a grassroots organization started by a group of Garden City residents who "strongly believe that the visionaries who agreed to purchase the 48-acre St. Paul's property were wise indeed," has withdrawn its proposal, a plan created alongside developing partner Canus Corporation. As a result, the Oct. 24 meeting in which village consultant Karen Backus & Associates was to analyze the RFP proposals from the two remaining finalists (AvalonBay and CSSP/Canus) did not take place.

In a written statement provided to Garden City Life, CSSP members said, "The Committee to Save St. Paul's is saddened that the process used in the selection of a conditional developer for the St. Paul's redevelopment project has caused our development partner, Canus Corporation, to withdraw the Canus/Committee to Save St. Paul's proposal."

During the past several weeks, however, CSSP members said they have been speaking and meeting with people close to the issue. "We haven't closed any doors. At this time we don't know all the particulars of the AvalonBay proposal, but we remain firmly fixed on the goals we set out to accomplish," the statement continued. In particular those goals include keeping the property under village control, restoring and preserving the historic interior and exterior features, creating meaningful community space in the significant areas of the Main Building and staying within the footprint of St. Paul's.

Maureen Traxler, CSSP administrative and communications director, said Oct. 18 that "despite the naysayers, we have demonstrated that those goals are achievable, and we will continue to work to make sure they are a part of any solution to the St. Paul's challenge. The residents deserve no less."

Dover Avenue's Mort Yuter asked trustees when the community would have their say. "I wonder when the community will have its education, its opportunity to talk to the trustees to give their opinions. When will all this openness be available to the community?" he asked.

Deputy Mayor John Mauk, chair of the Mayor's Committee on St. Paul's, responded, "It's in the works." He further noted that in designating AvalonBay, trustees want to move forward with the process of explaining and educating the public about the proposal and hear resident feedback. Deputy Mayor Mauk also said that the village is currently in the process of formulating a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), a binding layout of trustees' expectations of the developer and vice versa.

It is important to note that the board of trustees, including the Mayor's Committee on St. Paul's, has not voted for AvalonBay's plan. They have only designated them as the sole developer to move forward with. Trustees are waiting for the appropriate time to allow the developer to make its case to residents, who must show broad community support for the plan in order for Senator Kemp Hannon to grant home rule legislation.

"They want to obtain broad community support and they are beginning the process to accomplish that," Mayor Peter Bee added.

Deputy Mayor Mauk told residents that the AvalonBay proposal is expected to be available for public review at the Garden City Library this week. It is the board's hope that before the end of November public presentations will take place.