WPCNR Southend Times. By John F. Bailey. March 28, 2006: Slightly over 100 persons turned out for the Rocky Dell/Reynal Park Neighborhood Association last night at Ridgeway School to fire indignant question after indignant question at Councilpersons Arnold Bernstein, Benjamin Boykin, and Glen Hockley last night over the impending sale of 9 lots along Railside Avenue. Bids are scheduled to be opened this afternoon and bids reported to be selected tomorrow, though this is not exactly clear when the winning bids will be chosen by the city. The upshot of two hours of grilling by the neighborhood left all three councilpersons indicating they would not change their positions disposed to vote in favor of the sale, though Arnold Bernstein said he would see about slowing the process down. Mr. Hockley remained for the sale, and so did Mr. Boykin.

Anthony Solomini, standing, moderating last night's discussion of the Railside Sell-Off between an angry crowd and Councilpersons Glen Hockley, Benjamin Boykin and Arnold Bernstein. Photo, WPCNR News.

The Jury at Ridgeway School. Slightly over 100 fired antagonistic questions at the three councilpersons for 2 hours. Photo, WPCNR News

Bernstein said the city faces a double-digit tax increase at minimum in 2006-2007, and the sale of land would prevent the taxes from jumping another 9%.

Glen Hockley admitted that he and Mr. Boykin toured the neighborhood querying about the sale of land two years ago, and not this year as the audience had mistakenly believed.

Mr. Boykin stuck to his position that the Comprehensive Plan Committee, and prior to that the City Budget and Management Committee had set policy for the city to return foreclosed land (which is what the Railside properties are) to the tax roll, and selling the Railside properties were the first manifestation of that policy.

A resident of Havilands Manor noted that the reason the issue is so important is because there are pockets of land in Havilands Manor and other areas of White Plains that the city owns that could suffer a similar sell-off fate, affecting the ambience of that neighborhood.

The councilmembers pointed out to the city that sources such as the Trust for Public Land and the Westchester Land Trust were not in position to buy the Railside properties from the city at this time.

Equivocating to the end all three did not say they would vote for the sale, but indicated as much, despite the spirit of the neighborhood to slow the process down and eventually keep the land green.

Neighbors roasted the three councilpersons for the city's short (but legal) notice of the sale, mailed and postmarked March 16.