Harrison REVIEW THE
July 21, 2017 | Vol. 5, Number 29 | www.harrisonreview.com
Giordano earns enough petitions for GOP primary By FRANCO FINO Staff Writer
REACHING OUT
Project REACH held its first annual REACH at the Beach event to help raise awareness for drug addiction and raise money for organizations helping those with substance abuse problems. For story, see page 6. Photo courtesy DanaSimonePhotography.com
Ralph’s closes after tumultuous year in Mamaroneck By JAMES PERO Staff Writer Ralph’s Italian Ices & Ice Cream, a popular Mamaroneck eatery, shuttered its doors last week after the village Zoning Board of Appeals voted to deny the business a special permit. Now, Mamaroneck officials fear a retaliatory lawsuit may be imminent. The storefront’s pending closure punctuates a year of being mired in litigation, uncertainty and scrutiny from neighboring residents and land use boards; both of whom have been vocal in their opposition to the store which they describe as detrimental to noise, traffic and safety conditions.
“We thought that it was difficult—if not impossible—to configure that use for that neighborhood in a way that would be compatible with that community,” said village zoning board Chairman Barry Weprin. Ralph’s was forced to undergo a special permitting process after being re-processed as a fast food establishment; a use that is not expressly permitted in Mamaroneck C-1 district’s without the approval of a special permit. Among the land use issues surrounding Ralph’s 946 E. Boston Post Road operation were exacerbated traffic conditions and the use of an outdoor counter which is not allowed in the village without a variance.
From the beginning, Ralph’s, which opened in May 2016, marked the first Ralph’s in Westchester County. Last year, the store—which is part of a broader Staten Island-based franchise—was found to have been misclassified as a retail establishment during its original application process by the village building inspector. That classification also allowed for the business to circumvent a special permitting process, subsequent site plan reviews, and a public notice to residents that the business planned to open in their neighborhoods. After a zoning appeal launched by residents from the neighboring Keeler and Frank avenues, howev-
er, Ralph’s underwent a retroactive special permitting process. The owner of the local Ralph’s, Scott Rosenberg, a Long Island resident, called the decision “absurd” and said that an Article 78 seeking to overturn the village’s decision is likely. “They say the village is friendly but it’s not so friendly,” he said. “The mayor welcomed us and this is how they treated us; like criminals.” Rosenberg, who also opened a second Ralph’s location in North White Plains in June, said he doesn’t currently have a timeline for when he might file for a lawsuit, but said he will make a decision shortly. CONTACT: james@hometwn.com
Despite concerns over his residency, a candidate seeking to run for the Harrison receiver of taxes position on the Republican line has gathered enough petitions to trigger a September primary. However, a general objection to Michael Giordano’s candidacy has been filed with the Westchester County Board of Elections, BOE, who will begin to vet the claims on Thursday, July 20, after press time. Although property records indicate that Giordano may not actually live in town/village of Harrison, he has earned the opportunity to primary against the Republican Party-endorsed candidate Rosa Mastrogiacomo-Luongo. According to data from the county BOE, Giordano, who owns a home in West Harrison on Woodside Avenue and a home on Blossom Lane in the village of Brewster in Putnam County, obtained more than the required 285 petition signatures qualifying him to run in the primary election. In total, Giordano amassed 377 signatures. Giordano, who currently works in the Harrison tax receiver’s office, is one of four candidates seeking the elected position, along with Mastrogiacomo-Luongo, Democratic candidate Maria Mioli Pennella, also a registered Republican, and Helen Pesce who is looking to run in the general election as an independent candidate. Earlier this month, Giordano told the Review that he lives in West Harrison while his wife and children live in his Brewster residence. However, on tax forms, he has indicated that his Blossom
Lane home is his primary residence. Additionally, his son, Anthony, graduated from Brewster High School in June. According to information obtained from the town of Patterson in response to a Freedom of Information Law, FOIL, request, Giordano has been receiving a School Tax Relief Exemption, known as the STAR exemption, since 2001. According to the New York state Department of Taxation and Finance, multiple-property owners in the state must collect a STAR exemption only on the property they consider their primary residence, the location where they spend the majority of their time. However, Giordano has contended that a state election law only requires that a candidate for elected office has the means to establish a primary residence in the municipality in which they are seeking office when the term of that position begins. He has been registered to vote in Westchester with his West Harrison address since Aug. 16, 2016. Before that, he was registered to vote using his Brewster home address, according to the Putnam County Board of Elections. Giordano has been employed GIORDANO continued on page 3
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