The Mayor and Common Council have another chance to
show that they are truly Democrats in the image of Dan O'Connell.

They opted to build the Quantum big box housing where we had
proposed the Dan O'Connell Senior Housing, Neighborhood
Community Center and Memorial Pocket Park be created.

Now, we go to plan B - Take the 23 acre neighborhood green
belt we proposed, bordered by Krum Kill Rd, Crescent Drive
and the NYS Thruway-Rte 85 and modify it to include much
needed senior housing, in addition to the pedestrian green
belt.

The City already owns 10 acres behind Stewarts and the West
arc of Crescent Dr. Acquire the landlocked, 5 acre wooded
ravine parcel from owner, John McDermott, by means of a
matching grant from the City and NYS open space fund.

Acquire, and compensate the owners of the 7 acre parcel fronting
on Krum Kill Rd, by means of a Tranfer of Development Rights
arrangement whereby the owners deed the parcel to the City as
open space; and are compensated by receiving land/buildings
of equivalent value from the vast City inventory of vacant land
and buildings, downtown.

The Common Council must create a new zoning category
"Senior Housing", apply it to that part of the 23 acres to be
set aside for that purpose, and rezone the rest of the land as
Land Conservation or park land.

This would result in creation of The Daniel P. O'Connell
Neighborhood Green Belt and Senior Housing, which
would honor the memory of Dan in a fitting way that
would benefit the long time elderly homeowners of the
8th and 14th Wards, who have been staunch Democratic
voters for many years.

There is a need for this senior housing so that elderly
homeowners, who are reaching the time, to sell their
single family homes, can do so, and remain in the familiar
neighborhood surroundings.

Dan O'Connell was for the people. He would do this if
he were alive today.

Will the Mayor and Common Council, elected as Democrats
behave in the tradition of Dan O'Connell, and make the
Dan O'Connell Neighborhood Green Belt and Senior Housing
a reality?

This is their chance.

J P Sullivan