Sound Judgment Shown in Peekskill By Selling City Land to Builder
To the Peekskill Common Council:
I fully support the majority vote to approve the sale of city land on Central Avenue to a developer who will bring new apartments, construction jobs and more tax revenue to our city.
Despite the many obstacles against this project constructed by an ideology-driven minority who want to keep Peekskill impoverished, Mayor Rainey, Deputy Mayor McKenzie and council members Kathy Talbot, Patricia Riley and Dwight Douglas exercised mature judgment based on the facts and voted yes for a blend of market-rate and affordable housing units.
Anyone not willfully blinded by their political agenda knows the city needs more market-rate housing to bring a better balance of tax revenue to Peekskill. We cannot remain a poor city and ever hope to rebuild the community.
Declaring that this project should not move forward because the challenge of raising a family of five children with an income below $70,000 will be solved by voting no reveals an unbelievable lack of knowledge about the economics of New York state.
Radical politics disguised as support for the middle class is childish and counterproductive to Peekskill’s future. Private capital aided in some cases with public money will rebuild Peekskill, not a workers’ paradise fantasy.
As a third-generation Peekskill resident, I am well aware of the many misguided people over the years who seek to keep Peekskill from developing its true potential. Thank you to the majority of this council who are willing to act in the interest of all Peekskill residents and not just a vocal minority with a political ideology harmful to our city.
Jim Roberts
Peekskill
