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GREENBRUGH, N.Y. – The town of Greenburgh is forging ahead with its plans for a domed field house despite a number of residents set on bursting the bubble.
Accusations of propaganda, lies and back-door dealings have flown around town as officials near a 15-year-lease with Game On 365 for the sports complex, dubbed the Westchester Field House.
Undeterred, the town may vote to approve on the deal as soon as next Friday.
“We are still moving ahead with Game On,” Supervisor Paul Feiner said Friday, one day after a contentious meeting outside the Dobbs Ferry Road site where the field house would be built.
Leading the charge against Game On’s proposed 94,000-square-foot dome and outdoor soccer field is a citizens group headed by Greenbrugh resident Simon Cohen. Already the group has launched a website, helpburstthebubble.com, and sent out mailings to Greenburgh residents criticizing the details of the project.
Help Burst the Bubble cites problems such as the lack of a request for proposal process and pointed to the residential zoning of the site as well as the lack of a traffic study or recent appraisal of the land’s value.
“Without knowing the fair market value of the property, the town has made an uninformed decision in setting a rent price and has not gotten the best deal for its taxpayers,” the groupd wrote on the website.
Frequent town critic Hal Samis also has dug his heels in against the proposal, citing a number of concerns with the project. One problem Samis has cited is that Game On will spend an estimated $100,000 initially to clean up a environmentally contaminated lot, the former site of Frank's Nursery. Any further expenses would be deducted from Game On’s rent.
“This whole undertaking is another typical Feiner dalliance: not thought out and thereafter hoping to remain hidden amidst the bells and whistles of promoting why Jack or Jill should have another place to play soccer after school,” Samis wrote in a recent email.
The sports facility would pay an estimated $260,000 in annual rent to occupy the nearly seven-acre area left vacant after Frank’s Nursery went bankrupt and the town foreclosed on the property last year. Feiner has estimated the town would see revenue from the facility top $5 million over the course of the 15-year lease.
Critics disagree and wonder if the town will stand to make much, if any, profit from the deal as the town has agreed to exempt Game On from paying taxes on the property.
In its mailings to Greenburgh taxpayers, Help Burst the Bubble wrote that “The taxes paid by the town will almost exactly equal the mere $260,000 paid in rent from Game On.”
Feiner called the claim untrue and said he estimates the town will profit $150,000 to $160,000 per year from the facility after taxes are paid out.
“My feeling is we are definitely coming out ahead,” he said.
Feiner added he believes much of information is misleading and being driven by another sports complex, House of Sports, in Ardsley that opens in September.
“None of it is based on the facts,” he said. “It’s based on the propaganda of misinformation. Almost everything they said was not true.”
Representatives from House of Sports were not available for comment.
The town board is expected to discuss the lease at its July 25 board meeting, with a vote coming as soon as Friday.
Comments (11)
and....just a mile down Dobbs Ferry Road where have the Fortress Bible Church and School debacle and judgement against the town that will cost the tax payers 5+ million dollars...what? Feiner breaks the law and claims TRAFFIC was the issue?
Feiner: "Here, in evaluating the church’s application to build a large combined school and church immediately adjacent to the busy entrance to the Sprain Brook Parkway on Dobbs Ferry Road, the town relied on its traffic expert, who advised the town that the project as proposed would cause unsafe and dangerous traffic conditions."
Feiner continues to maintain that there are traffic concerns when the court found that experts and the NYS Department of Transportation had no traffic issues. He also claims the town would "welcome the Fortress Bible School" after twelve years of blocking their attempts to move forward. The town has spent an unknown sum of taxpayer money on legal and consultant fees to block the church and to defend themselves in the lawsuit and now stands to pay $4-$5 million in damages at a time when the budget of the municipality is strapped.
Pat,
is that "just a mile" a real mile or a country mile
try 1/4 mile
1/4 a mile it is!
third and last comment, continuing from second
e) Ok, Feiner says the property will be worth more in 15 years so we should hold on to it.
Well neither Feiner nor I have a crystal ball but if he can truly see the future, why not sell the property today for cash and invest it in liquid investments that require little maintenance and in 15 years will more than quadruple in value. Which stocks or commodities should the Town purchase Mr. Feiner if you can predict the future. I already made the point that had the 15 year lease ended in 2007, the Town would be in the same trouble it is in today. Except that by 2027 there may be definitive news that nothing should be situated in close proximity to overhead high voltage power lines.
So, the Frank’s site will be worth more because GameOn will have seen to it that the contaminated soil problems will have been cleared up. Or not. This whole topic is such an amazing example of the Town’s recklessness and lack of how to go about dealing with a known problem that it just can’t be true (lol). Not only in what has been done but also in what hasn’t been done as opposed to what should have been done -- all yielding to what neither the Town nor GameOn intends to do. Some years ago when the Town took possession of the property and considered using it as a temporary location for the Library while it was under construction, there was well-founded suspicion that in the course of conducting its business, Frank’s caused various contaminants to seep into the ground. This was confirmed by hiring an outside firm to conduct a low cost Phase I environmental study (around $5000) which confirmed these suspicions and with this knowledge the next step was to conduct the more expensive and extensive Phase II study. The Town did not do so; with the property remaining undisturbed there was no need to do so other than to know your assets. And of course, there’s Feiner with his usual “don’t nobody bring me no bad news”. So they didn’t. However, when it came time to deal with the carrying costs of the property and Feiner, to make it look like he was in a pursuing creative revenue mode by seeking solutions, understood that the problem could no longer be relegated to storage. The conclusions of Phase I were public record; the need for Phase II could no longer be ignored. But Feiner refused to order such a study, even while knowing that any attempt to market the property (lease or sale) would suffer (not get the best price) while the extent of the required mitigation was an unknown. Costs could range from $100,000 into the millions. Without doing the study, there is no way to know for certain. So, imagine what the reaction was of those who Feiner says he contacted upon being asked to make a bid -- we know the result: only Game On felt secure in knowing that whatever the cost; it wasn’t coming from their pocket. And I agree, it should not. However, Game On members had a special reason to palsy walsy with Feiner: to make hay they need a signed 15 year lease to court other people’s money.
And to disguise this reality, Feiner and GameOn decided to invent a scenario with a confusing maze of ins and outs. If this, then that; if that, then this. Consider: the cost of a Phase II study appears in the lease as a known cost, $43,500. The Town (landlord) will order and fund it. Game On (tenant) will contribute $75,000 (here called additional rent) for environmental costs (the Town will take the $43,500 from this $75,000). Then in what is described as the Secondary Environmental Contribution (no longer additional rent because for Assessment purposes, the Town wants to keep the rent as low as possible) Game On will advance up to $175,000 toward the clean-up cost (assuming that the cost of the study and remediation do not exceed $250,000. If so the Tenant (and by lease modification, the Town) can terminate the Lease. But get this. The $175,000 can be taken as a rent credit against the Lease agreed to rent amount(s). This further reduces the rent paid to the Town. Thus, the total unreimbursed environmental expense being paid by Game On (tenant) is a measly $75,000 -- what a swell Lease! That doesn’t deter Feiner from saying that Game On is paying for the clean-up when it is the taxpayers. And the cost of the clean-up comes down to a number which Tim Lewis muddles performance to performance (Tuesday Work Session to Wednesday outdoor meeting to Thursday outdoor meeting). Meanwhile the current Lease terms are still unknown because there is a new Lease coming your way; one with modifications. With the countown for public comment on the Lease ending at the July 25th Town Board meeting and the vote to occur Friday at a mid day Special Town Board meeting (no Public Comments being heard) held when residents have left Town for summer vacations elsewhere, there is little opportunity for taxpayers to voice “look what they’re doing to us now” by not having the new Lease to study in an unrushed and thoughtful manner. If it comes down to this look to Tim Lewis to save the day by announcing no need to circulate the new lease; there were no substantive changes. But here’s the rub which is already known, whatever Tim Lewis says that GameOn will pay to mitigate the property, he always forgets to mention that this is only a mere $75,000. Does that seem less generous than what Feiner is bleating? Oh yes, if and when Feiner needs to pull a rabbit out of his hat and show taxpayers how tough he can be in negotiations, he will ask, “please sir,I want some more” and Game On will buckle and agree to fund more of the mitigation cost -- whatever it may be. Generous to a fault is not why; fear of Feiner no: read on to learn the importance accumulating personal wealth is to both the Game On members and to Mr. Feiner and that it all hinges on getting the Leased signed quickly before others lose interest.
so what is the mitigation really going to cost? Aside from the reality that no one, including Tim Lewis, has any idea of the cost before the study is done, there is also the latitude and leverage that the Town and Game On will seek to perform the bare bones minimum. Yes, the Town will seek the cheapest and fastest route even if it means applying a band-aid (or in this case paving) over any affected areas; in other words capping the problem areas so that the contamination is not removed but prevented from rising to the surface. Of course this won’t prevent lateral damage but taxpayers won’t know the truth for 15+ years and by then Feiner will be gone. So, given the Town’s choice to overturn any existing code regulating zoning or otherwise, don’t be surprised to see not only the residential requirement disappear but also height restrictions, FAR and impermeable surface guidelines getting tossed to make GameOn feel comfortable. After all, if you can build 8 stories (just at the “apex”) the skies the limit to what Feiner will allow.
oh, and has anyone seen a site plan? seek and ye shall still be seeking.
now let’s take a look, not at what’s in it for Greenburgh but what’s in it for the nice GameOn fellows who bring ice cream and t-shirts and 4 color brochures to their meetings. Ok, maybe Mr. Hewitt was not so nice Thursday night but then he thought Feiner had said “don’t worry it’s a done deal”.
how nice to be in business when all you need is “carfare” to Feiner’s den. You see there isn’t very little money needed when all of it is being put up by investors. Indeed, all GameOn 365 LLC’s members need to contribute to the project as their equity is....drum rolll...a 15 year lease with the Town of Greenburgh. Thereafter the project’s cost (and developer’s profit) will be funded by investors and or lenders who will advance the $7,500,000 cost. Even the $75,000 mitigation outlay and the $175,000 rent credit, all that and more is coming from the investors once the Lease is signed. If they are giving out ice cream and t-shirts even to their opponents, Imagine how nice they must be to Feiner to encourage him to sign on that dotted line. To commit the Town to a 15 year Lease that makes neither cents nor dollars for the Town while requiring it to look the other way to practically every achievement, over the years, of the Town’s Planning Board and more recently the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee.
but all that niceness comes at a cost so let’s take a look at what’s in it for the GameOn 365 members who are taking such a great risk by committing to the “severe” terms of THE ASSIGNABLE 15 YEAR LEASE.
For one thing, they expect to make a lot of money. Oodles and oodles. You may recall that I wrote earlier that I (with over 30 years of Real Estate experience) didn’t know what the property was worth and, that Feiner didn’t either, but did you know that GameOn expects to rent out half of its 15,000 sf of Clubhouse space to affiliated or unaffiliated tenants and that in the sixth year they expect just this space alone to be bring in $330,000.
The other half of the Clubhouse and all of the Field House (the revenue from Sports operations) is expected to come in around $4,442,000, leaving net profits of $3,310,000 after expenses of $1,781,000 (“expenses” includes the Town lease rent inclusive of taxes at $325,000). But this is America where capitalism rules so it is obvious to me that these guys must be taking on a big risk by agreeing to pay Feiner’s understanding of “market value” to the Town.
How’s that again? They are paying the Town $325,000 rent ($260,000 rising to $335,000 over 15 years) for the entire property which allows a 94,000 sf Field House, a 15,000 sf Clubhouse and outdoor playing field(s) 300’ x175’ on the site. GameOn 365, however only needs to lease just 7,500 sf to other businesses for $330,000 to meet the Lease “nut”.
but they still are responsible to build so it’s not all gravy. Yes build they must but they’re using “other peple’s money” and then there’s the value of 15 year depreciation to personal income taxes and a management contract to some members. However, permit me to suggest an apple to apples comparison of Lease rent. Mr. Feiner’s favorite College for the Developmentally Disabled, Ferncliff, is willing to lease the land formerly occupied by WESTHelp from the Town for $530,000 (says Mr. Feiner and no, I don’t know whether or not this includes taxes) and do the build-out at their expense. Undeveloped land vs. undeveloped land, both off Sprain Parkway exits. Ferncliff will undertake the demolition cost of the existing 108 apartment units; GameOn will absorb $75,000 of costs associated with soil mitigation and discovery. Without knowing “market value” for either pales as a basis of comparison when the simple math says Ferncliff is paying twice what GameOn is paying for a similar sized site. Ask Mr. Feiner to explain this but be prepared to step back from his nose.
and just for fun let’s read what GameOn is telling would-be investors about the Clubhouse since the income from renting just half of it more than covers what GameOn is paying for the entire property.
“A state of the art, 15,000 SF Clubhouse will greet guests as they make their way to
the attached field house. The Clubhouse will be two floors, with 7,500 square feet
per floor. It will include pro-shop, cafe, two party rooms, game room, four equal
sized retail spaces and one large retail space currently reserved for a physical
therapy practice.
GameOn designed the Clubhouse to maximize the rentable square footage available
to retail tenants while making certain that our guests enjoy a welcoming experience
each time they visit. Due to the large volume of foot traffic and increased visibility
generated by the facility, Game On will be able to charge tenants premium retail
rents.”
Game On wouldn’t lie to investors, or would they?
And there’s nothing like downing a frosty mug of (root) beer? to an adult after a hard fought indoor soccer match. Or party hearty in the two party rooms.
But don’t worry be happy. Our Town Attorney made sure under “Use of Premises” that
there won’t be any x-rated materials sold or a methadone or an abortion clinic or nude performances (including topless soccer) but there’s nothing in the Lease that prevents the sale of liquor at the “cafe”. And you probably thought they were going to open another Starbuck’s.
So if you didn’t like the idea of a CVS anchored neighborhood strip center, here’s another opportunity to be annoyed, two floors full. Be sure to thank Mr. Feiner for his interest.
Game On surely will.
And, if you’re collecting promises, how about the extreme height of the “translucent” dome that will let sunlight in but won’t light up the sky at night. Does this language sound like you heard it before. Yes, you did. When the Library was holding its community information meetings, the Architect said don’t worry about the glare or heat build-up from all that glass; there’s a special glazing that will stop it from penetrating within. So when it comes to enforcing promises like this, don’t worry (there’s nothing in the Lease to hold Game On to their promises; hardly anything they say when answering
your questions is grounds to call the Lease in default). As if the Feiner would instruct his Town Attorney to do so. Place your bets right now that the dome will glow and be seen for miles. The height has little to do with the sports activity on ground level; it’s purpose is to be seen; marketing the property by design thru design. Then you do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around; that’s what it’s all about.
Hal Samis
Also, the picture shown here is the realistic representation of what will be erected on that property. If you looked at the pictures they were using at last nights meeting, the must have been from a beagle's perspective. More lies!
Hal has made many excellent points, as he did at the meeting - which was a joke. More people are now seeing how Feiner operates. He make the mob look like a convent. You can read more at ABetterGreenburgh.blogspot.com.
Well said Hal. And why we are at it, who is going to pay for all the infrastructure improvements required. Are we going to be on the hook for a $1M in road widening and traffic signal costs? I haven't seen that addressed anywhere in the lease.
Back again. Where I left off, I was discussing that Feiner man-handled the RFP process to ensure that Game On would become the preferred choice due to an almost total lack of competitive response. Who knew, that a parcel of land zoned residentially would become re-zoned commercial if Feiner "liked" you. Who knew that the height restrictions would become moot if you submitted a proposal for a structure approaching 8 stories in height? In fact, if the Town would "consider" anything and everything, that only points out that the lack of response might have something to do with how the property was marketed; that the sign wasn't working.
Now, I'm not advocating what the rightful or acceptable end use of the site should be. All I'm doing is pointing out some logical possibilities that might have responded if developers had known or had reason to inquire or to submit proposals. What about an eight story office building? What about a neighbored strip shopping center anchored by say, a CVS, and including a dry cleaner, a shoe repair, a fresh fruit market (like the farm store on Hartsdale/Secor) a bagel store...? Well, no, because the anchor, CVS, like most chain stores will not consider a location without getting 20 year lease. So now I'll continue with 11f
f) Feiner says he favors the 15 year lease because then the Town will have the property back in "broom-clean" condition meaning free of soil contaminants. And the property will be worth more because it is 15 years later. 15 years is the magic number only because the useful life expectancy of the proposed bubble is but 15 years. So now, Feiner, already a skilled marketer of Real Estate (manipulator of public opinion goes without saying) is also an investment advisor whose skills can predict the future. Real Estate always goes up he says except for when it goes down as it did after the tax reform act of 1986 and again in the early 1990s and then again (most recent and still of concern to taxpayers and the unemployed) in 2007. Mr. Feiner alludes to this when he says that the Town doesn't want to sell the property because property values are down. What Mr. Feiner does not say is what would happen if the Town had already held a 15 year lease, even with Game On as tenant, and the lease expired in 2007. And whether that experience could be repeated in or around 2027 when this 15 year lease expires. Mr. Feiner also neglects to mention that it is unlikely (even if due to his age at the time) that he will still be Town Supervisor and thus be around to answer questions.
g) clearly Feiner doesn't want to use the property for the immediate and overdue Town need for an expanded Court/Police campus because 'residents once expressed their displeasure' for seeing it located on the Frank's site. However, when residents express their displeasure about an 8 story pleasure dome located on the site, Feiner schedules the vote on the lease for 10 days later.
h) this Feiner does what Feiner wants really means that public input is only listened to if it is compatible with what Feiner wants. Thus, Feiner's concern about residents concerns re the Court/Police solution really comes down to Feiner's fears about doing damage to his AAA Bond Rating which exists only because Feiner incurs little Town debt by putting off for tomorrow, capital improvements which will cost more tomorrow rather than done today. The AAA rating, by the way only refers to the existing debt, not debt not yet incurred. You get rerated the for the debt you are about to sell and this in turn causes a second look at what already exists. Old debt plus new debt is taken together to gauge the Town's ability to service the total debt outstanding. Feiner has reason to doubt that this rating would be sustained were the Town to require, say $35 million for such a project.
So we have an existing rating which really does not help the Town because paying the lowest interest doesn't produce a world of good when you have little debt outstanding. Perhaps as little as a $20,000 annual savings. But at the same time, residents need consider that interest rates on debt of any rating are historically low, meaning that it would cost very little to finance bonds at this time -- the ideal opportunity to build that Court/Police facility. And, the construction industry output is under capacity while construction commodities are similarly low -- meaning low cost if done now. But Feiner thinks that the best time is yet to come -- in 15+ years when he's no longer in office. I do concede that since I don't have a crystal ball either, I can't predict the bond rating or interest rates in the future either; what I do know is that the Town would have the much needed larger facility in use for most of those 15+ years. In lay terms, you've had a baby and need another bedroom. But you can wait 15+ years to build it so that when the baby is in college and no longer lives at home, the extra room will be there waiting for him/her.
12) But what does the stunted RFP process lead to if not to only few respondents? As the Feiner team works it, having no other choices means that this is proof that the lease rent is hereafter called fair market, this in turn fortifies the unilateral action of the Town Assessor to artificially deflate the assessment and thereby lower the taxes and this in turn increases the net revenue to the Town which in turn permits Feiner to continue his bilious monologue hereafter referred to as the sound of one hand clapping. Here's his argument. This is our best and only real offer. The Town needs revenue. It costs the Town money out of pocket to hold the property. The lease provides revenue; it pays the overhead. In 15 years the property will be worth more. The property will then be free of soil contamination. Residents from 50 miles around will enjoy the benefits of the bubble located here. This is a win-win-win-win-win for the Town.
13) This is a loss, loss, loss, loss, loss for the Town.
a) the only offer because that is how Feiner engineered it
b) the Town needs revenue because Feiner's feats of mismanagement (already performed) created a looming and dire financial crisis -- another reason why Feiner doesn't want to visit the financial markets with a substantial bond offering. His failure to seek the renewal of the WESTHelp lease at $1.2 million yearly rent has cost the Town already a loss of $1.0 million through July and while it remains vacant, a loss increasing by $100,000 each month going forward. His misadventure with the nearby Fortress Bible property has resulted in a Federal Court decision against the Town; the amount of the award yet to be decided but expected to be well over $5 million of uninsured damages; the Sportime tennis bubble at Town Park may perhaps bring in $230,000 rent for its 8 months of occupancy of 9 tennis courts; the hoped for but unlikely replacement of the WESTHelp lease by the inappropriate Ferncliff College may bring in $530,000 and thus the $260,000 (less taxes and less rent credits) is part of a three part package that Feiner is promoting -- not to reduce taxes, not to prevent taxes from rising and not to preserve programs as he is saying -- but to camouflage his nefarious misdeeds. Add up his rent dreams -- even using his numbers as net numbers -- and you will see that combined they do not even equal just the loss of the WESTHelp rent unless the imaginary number $1,020,000 buys what $1,200,000 buys. (All leases provide rent step-up so using the first rent is for comparative purposes and only the proposed GameOn lease actually exists)
Then add the $1,000,000 already lost, add the unredeemed $1,000,000 or so of unpaid taxes from Frank's occupancy (redeemed were the property sold) and a little thing like the $4 million loss at the Town water department due to the Town's failure to increase water rates to meet expenses (not due to the NYC cost of water as Feiner would have residents believe) and you get a clearer picture of what Feiner, the Town's CFO is really doing and why each lease with its attendant irregularities is so vital to Feiner's fairy tale of a Greenburgh where only good news happens -- while those who take to the trouble to look see both a naked emperor and a not so congenial spot as Camelot.
c) it costs the Town money to carry the Frank's location which is why the Town Assessor was directed to lower the Assessment (thereby doing irreparable harm to the Districts whose tax revenues were lowered and causing the resulting revenue loss to be carried by the other District occupants). Thus, it is the neighbors of the Frank's location who are being harmed the most. But doesn't that explain why the Town needs to do something? Yes and the Town had three years to get to this point. But if revenue were the driving force, wouldn't seeking the highest revenue be the objective? Which harkens the return to examining the tailor-made for one party RFP process (explained in earlier comment block). Because, the net rent of this lease is one of the elements in the Assessment determination (and for all those who seek CERT relief for rental properties). Thus the lower the income, the lower the Assessment -- see Catch-22 for further explanation -- but for these comments it means lower carrying charges for the Town and for favored tenant, Game On. And when you factor in that the Town Assessor is an appointed, salaried position reporting to Feiner, you can understand why the Assessment is low and the current taxes low as the result. And even after the property is reassessed upon the completion of the structures, permanent and non-permanent, the continuing low lease rent remains a surviving factor in the calculations.
d) how outrageous is for the compliant Town Assessor to compare/parrot the tax revenue for what she calls "similar facilities" in Mount Vernon and Armonk as comps for her own determination of an Assessment befitting Greenburgh. The Assessment/Equalization processes are completely different in these communities as they are in New Jersey and Connecticut where the GameOn people operate/have operated "similar facilities" albeit in industrial parks; yet what these facilities paid in taxes remains unmentioned.
to be cont.
So many things to write, so little time, so here I go.
1) nice to see Matt back, if even for this one article
2) nice to see the Daily Voice wake up to its community responsibilities and publish an article on a controversial topic that affects all Greenburgh taxpayers (taxes) and not only whether they live nearby.
3) I am going to try initially to deal with just a few topics which I consider key to what happened thereafter.
4) Feiner is quick to say the opposition lies; he never identifies what he calls "lies". Straight from the Dummy's Guide to Propoganda. Except that Feiner is no dummy when it comes to misleading, deflecting, and playing 'pot calling the kettle black'.
5) Feiner has an overwhelming "need" to see this lease signed. Overwhelming means his payday.
6) The Game On 365 people, businessmen, also have an overwhelming need to see this lease signed. Without it, there is no money to build the dome. Indeed, their equity in the deal as presented to would-be investors comes down to: a signed 15 year lease. No lease, no investors, no dome.
This is why signing the lease RIGHT NOW is so crucial to their scheme; this is why all environmental reviews, traffic studies, rezoning (the zoning neither permits the commercial use nor the height), the artificially low assessment, enviro studies etc. are on the back-burner (legally, sensibly, and resident friendly notwithstanding) and that is why Feiner is willing to invite yet another opportunity for the Town to be back in Court (at a cost to the Town) defending his mismanagement.
7) Don't be fooled by Feiner's carefully cultivated low carbon, schlub-like appearance and iterations of "to be honest". He is anything but; and as he gets older, he is starting to think of his retirement finances more and more, however outrageous the Resolution at hand is.
8) The Feiner team now includes anyone who can promise cash.
9) Ask Feiner who is behind Game On 365, ask where they have actually worked -- not what they say they did or do. You can't check out someone whose career is only self-described by job titles with no connection to an actual employer. It's like Feiner seeking a new job (Please) and saying he was a Town Supervisor but not saying where. However, if he does seek references, I'll write him an excellent referral letter for any job located 50 miles or more from Greenburgh.
10) Given Game On's lack of cited credentials, I wonder why the lease Feiner is pimping for has no rent security requirement due AT SIGNING (or ever, but refer back to #6). With monthly rent at $67,000, is this less of a risk than a lease signed by taxpayer renting an apartment at $2500 and asked to put up two months rent as security?
11) The rent (taxes included) is probably very, very low but truthfully I don't know what it should be, what the market rate is. But my lack of knowledge (over 30 years in real estate) doesn't matter. What matters is that Feiner doesn't know either. He defines "fair" on the basis of the few responses to what he calls the Town's RFP. Perhaps Game On was the best, perhaps not. But Feiner insured their selection as the "preferred candidate" because he rigged the RFP process, tipping it in Game On's favor. Ask your favorite Town Supervisor these questions:
a) did the Town advertise the site's availability (other than small print legal notice)? Hint: no!
b) did the Town prepare a listing (either exclusive or non-exclusive) and distribute it to Real Estate Brokers? Giving a listing is a "hiring" in real estate. It entitles the Real Estate Agent to collect a commission for producing an accepted offer. If the Town were not to accept a deal brought to it by the Real Estate Agent, the work by the Agent would be "at no cost to the Town". The Town, subject to paying the Agent's commission, would only accept an offer that had a NET benefit to the Town, meaning one that was better after the commission was paid. So why didn't the Town follow such a traditional approach, leaving the marketing to professionals?
c) Feiner "sent letters to two local Real Estate groups (one being a trade association of Brokers who sell homes)" but he does not indicate their response (if any) nor does he explain that these groups have little to do with commercial sales or leasing. Similarly, Feiner often uses the phrase "I have been in touch with their office". Translation: he left a message on their voicemail. He did not offer to employ any members of these groups. He also sent letters or emails to newspapers etc. Such newspapers sell their white space to real estate owners to run their advertisements IN THE REAL ESTATE SECTION. Why would newspapers want to provide aid (editorially) in the rental or sale of property for Feiner and expect other owners not to object or pay for their properties. Bottom line, how well did those letters Feiner says he sent succeed?
d) Feiner put a sign on the property. Yes, placing signs is common practice but not when it is the the major marketing effort -- it is part but one element in the process. And, how many people travel on Dobbs Ferry Road other than locals and how many locals are involved in Real Estate development?
Likewise, Feiner wants everyone to believe that with Fortress Bible Church coming and the Game On facility coming, there still won't be any traffic problems so how many bites did he expect to get from a sign on the property aimed at the existing number of passer-bys?
e) Surprise, much Real Estate development is done by out-of-towners. How did Feiner contact them?
to be cont.
Hal Samis
I go to lots of Bubble arenas on the weekends for dogs trials, from Connecticut to Massachusetts, New Jersey to Pennsylvania. They are all hidden on 25 and more acres of land not to be seen from homes or a beautiful golf course, not sure it is a good spot for an odd building, I know from the top of our hill we will see the top of that building, bad enough we look at the rusty water tank during the winter months, now we'll have a bubble. There are some problems that do occur, one I see is the traffic it is going to generate on a two lane road, cars in, cars out. Now you need traffic lights, need to widen the road with left and right aisles.
We have also been in those run and held up by air, (noisy), hot under extreme heat, cold in the winter, and they have A/C and Heat, and seen one in Connecticut callaps from too much snow.
Maybe they should rethink this area, it's more for a commercial area, not where there are homes, neighbors should start thinking about the down fall of their properties.