Trustee John Watras attempted to make a motion Jan. 10 to get a preliminary appraisal of the Texaco site property to explore turning it into a parking lot. Trustee Robert Rothschild, however, convinced him to pay the Garden City Chamber of Commerce its due respect and first discuss the idea with them.

"You know, in this town we don't exactly have a plethora of parking downtown and I believe we are beginning to develop a very vitalized downtown. I would like to see perhaps if maybe we could buy that Texaco site and use it for parking," Trustee Watras, who discussed his idea with Mayor Peter Bee and Village Administrator Bob Schoelle, suggested.

The motion on the table entailed obtaining an appraisal not to exceed $15,000.

Trustee Nick Episcopia agreed that the property should be appraised but that it must be done the right way. "I think if you're going to do something you should do it right or not do it at all ... I think we should go and get a real appraisal by a professional appraiser and do it right. I don't think we should sit here and debate a drive by."

Trustee Rothschild, however, was dead set against the idea and thought it an absolute waste of village money. "I am absolutely dead opposed to doing anything to turn that into a parking lot. This village has worked very hard to keep the parking behind the facilities ... The Business Planning Coalition has worked very hard at understanding the parking condition in this village. To turn the center corner of this village into a parking lot I think is an absolute disaster of a mistake," he said.

Trustee Rothschild continued, adding, "This is an appropriate location for apartments upstairs and retail downstairs to retain the revitalization of this village's commercial district. It's been in the works since 1995 and to now turn the major corner in this village from a gas station, which a lot of people liked at the time, but now that it's gone to now turn it into a parking lot is beyond my comprehension and I am absolutely dead set against it."

Trustee Watras, who said he has not yet decided to go ahead and make an acquisition but is simply wishing to explore the topic, shot back, stating, "The point is there's no damn parking in downtown Garden City. And another thing is that we keep building and building and it's getting crazy."

Trustee Rothschild suggested that he defer his motion until after speaking to the Garden City Chamber of Commerce, whom he said has worked very hard on their downtown plan.

Trustee Watras agreed.

Althea Robinson, executive director of the Garden City Chamber of Commerce, told Garden City Life after the meeting, "In mid October, the Chamber Board of Directors heard a proposal from Kevin M. Walsh, counsel to the owner for the old Texaco site," she said. "Following the presentation, the board discussed at length the benefits of a mixed use building combining retail use with residential use in the downtown area. The chamber views the combination to be consistent with the revitalization of Franklin Avenue as originally envisioned by the Business Planning Coalition in 1997."

Robinson continued, adding, "The board feels there are certain amenities associated with the proposal that its members favor, and in a letter to the village on October 10, 2007, recommended that the positive aspects of this proposal be studied along with any negative impacts, and that the study take place with a public hearing where all issues can be considered. Since this property is in the heart of our downtown, the chamber board asked that the village board study this proposed project as soon as possible, and we stand by this recommendation."

Robinson further noted that the chamber is more than willing to sit down with village officials to discuss both the positive and negative impacts of the current Texaco site proposal prior to its approval, as Mayor Bee suggested.

Walsh, who represents the owners of the Texaco site, has publicly stated numerous times that his client is anxious for the board's decision on the proposal now on the table. As of press time, though, Walsh did not respond to a request for comment.

He did, however, state at a recent board meeting that his client is ready to develop. "We filed a petition in September requesting a zone change and my client is glad the board of trustees is formalizing the process with the study we have agreed to pay for. While we have agreed to pay for it we don't assume we have the right to rush it along but we do ask the board of trustees that you get the study out for a public hearing and make a decision yes or no ... My client is ready to develop ... We think residents and merchants will find this to be a better plan. We just ask it be done as quickly as possible so everyone gets benefited by some development there."