Irvington Board of Trustee Candidates Weigh In on Continuum Assisted Living Project

At the recent , all three candidates for Irvington Board of Trustees seemed to duck the question of whether they supported changing zoning laws to permit an assisted living facility at the South Broadway site currently home to the Foundation for Economic Education.

While all three candidates suggested that it was an issue for the Planning Board, in reality, while the Planning Board is conducting an environmental survey of the site, approval for the massive facility would require a change in Irvington zoning laws by the Board of Trustees.

The Protect Irvington NY website, hosted by community residents, has posed the same question to the three candidates, and this time we've received responses.

I've excerpted comments from the three candidates below. You can read the full comments from challenger Mark Gilliland and incumbents Walter Montgomery and Rocco Rasulo on the Board of Trustee Candidates Weigh in on Continuum Project page of the site.

Each candidate was asked the question "Do you support changing zoning laws in an established multi-family zone to favor a single entity (Continuum)?"  and was given the chance to provide detailed follow ups.

Here are the excerpted responses, alphabetically by candidate. Please read their complete statements before you vote on Tuesday.

Mark Gilliland (challenger): “No” – I do not currently favor changing zoning

..."The project in its current form is out of scale for the neighborhood and for the specific parcel. There are many significant environmental and quality of life issues that must be resolved before any site plan approval should be considered. Additionally, significant zoning variances (setback, coverage, height, etc.) will most likely be required. If these cannot be fully mitigated / addressed in a manner agreeable to neighbors, then site approval should not be given and re-zoning should not be undertaken..."

Walter Montgomery (incumbent): "No, of course not!"

"The BOT’s responsibility is absolutely to the Village as a whole. I would not do anything as a Trustee for the purpose of benefitting a single entity, especially a profit-making one...

...I approach the project in question with considerable skepticism, yet I cannot reach a rational or responsible verdict until I have analyzed much more of the evidence and received legal clarification of the ZBA’s role. We have much deliberation ahead of us, and I have typically avoided rushing to final judgment."

Rocco (Rick) Rasulo (incumbent): Absolutely Not!

"Anyone who knows me is aware that, while being deliberate, I will always do whats best for the Village of Irvington. Please don’t misconstrue my desire to be fair and let the process go forward as a vote of confidence for the developers. Frankly, I have very serious concerns, like my concerns with the Mercy College project, that the developers have been less than forthcoming with the public, and that the project as it has been presented is too large for the location. I also have total confidence in our Planning Board and associated consultants to properly scrutinize the DEIS and all other documents that may come before them. There are still MANY issues to be deliberated. Please be assured that the Continuum issue is a long way from being approved and that no one is going to rush it through..."