Sunshine Opponents Charge Greenstein Portraying Them as Anti-Semitic
Escalating tensions between opponents of the Sunshine Children’s Home and Rehabilitation Center’s proposed expansion and New Castle Supervisor Robert Greenstein have erupted with allegations that the supervisor is trying to portray them as anti-Semitic.
Emotions have been running high after members of the Greater Teatown Defense Alliance, a group of residents from four towns that formed last summer to fight inappropriate development in the vicinity of Teatown Lake Reservation, ramped up their criticism of Greenstein for recently using an image of a defaced sign in one of his campaign’s e-mail blasts.
The photo was of one of the Walmart in the Woods signs with a circle and a red slash that had surfaced in the area about two years ago in opposition to the Sunshine Home expansion. However, the sign that appeared in the image had been defaced with anti-Semitic graffiti. The owner of the Sunshine Home, Ari Friedman, is a Hasidic Jew.
“To dredge up a two-year-old incident that we condemned immediately and to imply that the people who oppose the extremely large expansion of the Sunshine Home are in any way related to that behavior, it’s just probably one of the worst kinds of political bullying, or attempted political bullying, that I have seen in local government,” said Karen Wells, one of the GTDA founders.
Greenstein said he has never equated project opponents with being anti-Semitic, maintaining that they have a right to object to any project. However, when the Walmart in the Woods signs first appeared, he said he was offended that they would compare a children’s hospital to the retail giant, prompting him to take the photo.
“Whether it’s comparing the size or not, comparing a hospital with sick children, where five or six of them die per year there, I don’t think it’s an accurate comparison to a Walmart,” Greenstein said. “I’m sorry, we are better than that.”
The graffiti was the likely act of a single person that doesn’t reflect the community, Greenstein added. He said he called Friedman to apologize on behalf of the community when the incident occurred.
The Sunshine Home, located on Spring Valley Road near the Ossining border, received unanimous approval for four permits last week from the Planning Board. It must still return to the ZBA for amended approval.
It is proposed to expand from 19,000 square feet to about 147,000 square and more than double the number of beds from 54 to as many as 122.
Last year, Sunshine received two variances from the Zoning Board of Appeals. Neighbors were harshly critical of the ZBA, which voted to issue a negative declaration, meaning there are no adverse environmental impacts, thereby bypassing the more extensive and time-consuming review.
Coupled with two Article 78 proceedings that have been launched as a result, a political campaign reaching its latter stages and incessant comments posted on social media, tensions have reached a fever pitch.
Neighbors, though, argue that it is Greenstein that has been responsible for igniting the firestorm. Laura Whitlinger, a GTDA member and a resident who lives near the Sunshine Home, said at the group’s meeting last Wednesday at Teatown that surrogates for Greenstein have posted social media comments accusing the opponents of being anti-Semitic.
Opponents have also accused Greenstein of trying to pull strings to help the Sunshine Home receive its approvals despite the application having been before the Planning Board and ZBA, not the Town Board.
“This is an environmental issue. Period,” Whitlinger said. “Just so you know, he is slandering us to get this done. We put out a press release to address this because it’s horrible.”
Greenstein said this issue along with the campaign has spawned an increasing level of vitriol in town, along with large doses of misinformation.
Although a registered Democrat, Greenstein is running on the Republican line for the third consecutive election. He said some New Castle Democrats have been enraged at him and running mates Lisa Katz and Adam Brodsky for breaking the party’s 25-year grip on town politics.
“It’s a very divisive time with some major policy changes coming out of Washington and people are angry,” Greenstein said.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/