Our Readers Respond...

Dear Editor:

One of your reader’s letters (8/31/06) cited an article by Joseph Berger. This article, Just How High Should Progress Go? (New York Times, 8/6/06) expressed the sentiment of many New Rochelle residents that high rise towers are destroying our Queen City of the Sound which is rich in history. But another more serious aspect of
these skyscrapers is not being discussed.

The citizens of New Rochelle were promised retail that would lower our real estate taxes. Instead we have increased traffic, lack of parking, sewage back-ups and inadequate city services, especially sanitation, fire and police protection. Our air pollution has increased dramatically. How will all the additional children attend our overcrowded schools? We do not have the retail that was promised.

Our real estate taxes have continued to increase. The characterization of residents who opposed increasing our taxes with a separate library tax as “anti-library agitators” by Theresa Kump Leghorn, (New York Times letters, 8/13/06) whose husband is and was a Library Trustee, typifies the kind of distortion that has been used to browbeat the public.

It would be fairer and much more useful for an honest dialog to take place which would show that the quality of life in this historic suburb, New Rochelle, is being consistently destroyed, especially for the southern half of the city.

Ines Candrea
New Rochelle

Dear Editor:

The movement is again underway to save the New Rochelle Armory for public use, in tribute to the Veterans who gave unselfishly of themselves in service to their Country. As a waterfront jewel the New Rochelle Armory has historical significance and should be preserved with readaptive public use, as deeded by the State of New York, as part of the Echo Bay redevelopment project.

We are initiating a petition drive and have also launched our website, http://www.saveourarmory.org/, which will contain more and more information as our drive progresses.

Lorraine Pierce
New Rochelle