To the editor: 

Although I live in Yonkers, I became a member of the Peekskill Herald to read articles that are relevant and informative and to support local reporting. 

I was happy to read the recent article in the Herald about Peekskill’s refusal to consider Ginsburg Development Corporation’s request  to add a floor to their proposed project. Kudos to Peekskill. 

The pictures of the proposal look eerily similar to the monstrosity GDC built next door to my building. They also made a request, after the project was already under construction, to add a floor. Yonkers, of course, granted the request. The amount of money GDC offers in exchange is a pittance compared to the profit they will make. It is pretty insulting. Apparently, this is a strategy GDC uses. Get a project approved then, when the neighborhood that might object is no longer watching, sneak in a variance to increase the number of apartments. The building here on Warburton is monolithic and blocks treasured views of the Palisades from the Old Croton Aqueduct.

Something else I hope Peekskill is aware of is the parking. We are adjacent to the Greystone Metro North station, so the GDC building, like the one in Peekskill, is supposed to be encouraging the use of public transportation.

The reality is that while people use the train to go into NYC, they  need a car to get around Westchester. Since many people are still working from home, they are also more likely to be driving locally.  Because of the proximity to public transportation, GDC was allowed to have fewer parking spaces per apartment than otherwise required. Consequently, the parking problem here is intense.

In addition, it is a dog friendly building. Residents allow their dogs to use grass and flower beds as toilets, creating dead areas. It is a very large building so there are a lot of dogs. It is disgusting; the sidewalks often smell like urine.

Like Peekskill, GDC owned the land where the current buildings are located for some 15 years before developing the site. This was a neighborhood of single and two-family homes on a hillside facing the river. They are now replaced by high rises that don’t fit the character of the area.

Sincerely, Diane Rosen