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October 2, 2007
ONE NIL IN EXTRA TIME: By Martin McGloin
Community First Development Coalition
For those of you who are following events up in Yonkers concerning Bruce Ratner's other controversial metro-region development, Ridge Hill, Martin McGloin offers this report from a hearing on the appeal of a case which determined that the City of Yonkers was in error when it changed its super-majority vote requirement in order to reach final approval for Ridge Hill.
After oral arguments, here's the analysis:
Quite an interesting experience for me in my first visit to this court. I would concur with Mr. Murtagh that it was 1-1 on the case with 2 not decided yet, and I wait patiently for the courts decision, despite the fact that Judge Nicholas Colabella has already ruled in our favor in April of 2006. So we are one nil in extra time. Surprisingly the City of Yonkers has continued with this appeal at the taxpayers expense, something which appears moot as the project was re-voted in July 2006 by a 5-2 supermajority of the City Council.
NoLandGrab: We're impressed with the controversial developer's ability to get elected officials to make extraordinary moves in order to deliver what he wants. In Yonkers, the City Council had to change its own rules to approve Ratner's Ridge Hill project; in Albany, the Legislature passed — and Governor Spitzer signed — a bill giving Ratner's Atlantic Yards project a special break on affordable housing subsidies.
We can't wait to hear the next one, because we're sure that it's going to be good.
Posted by lumi at October 2, 2007 6:48 AM