LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Ferry & Other Bold Ideas from Chris Day Will Benefit All

Having read with interest the economic plan for Orangetown put forth by Chris Day recently, and further discussion of the topics, I think it’s become very clear that Mr. Day is articulating a bold, impressive vision that could save our town from the forces that seem to threaten it, and as a Piermont resident who cares about our village and all of Orangetown I have to appreciate it.

A ferry in Piermont as proposed, and which Mr. Day has pledged to work in concert with the Piermont’s board to hammer out details on after the election and to only move forward with their support, is just one of those bold ideas that could only lead to good things for Piermont and the entirety of Orangetown if done correctly. One of the possible visions laid out would be parking at nearby Tallman State Park with shuttles to a small passenger ferry – which I’m sure could be electric, zero emission vehicles – to keep cars off Piermont’s downtown streets, with clustered service in the morning and evening and several routes scattered throughout the day.

It’s sad to see people who are almost certainly pro-environment jump to attacks on a proposal that would pull cars off the road for their commute, thus cutting pollution. It’s also sad to see people dismiss, sight unseen, something that would result in higher property values, more business for our struggling downtown restaurants for breakfast, after work, and dinner (but not adding to late evening and weekend crowds), and make the whole South Orangetown area more attractive for small professional service or financial firms to move in who need access to the city and can take up some of our tax burden – and in doing so again bring a lunch crowd to those downtown restaurants that now are nearly empty on weekday afternoons.

Mr. Day’s economic plan for Orangetown beyond the ferry, to include downtown revitalization tax credits, zero based budgeting, using his office to market and fill empty commercial space, and creating an economic development line item in the town’s budget, is just the list of big, bold moves we need to keep our town thriving. He should be commended for thinking outside the box and being willing to take the inevitable heat from people who will say not to anything, not attacked for trying to come up with ways to make the town better and more healthy economically.

Sincerely,

Brian Costanza
Piermont

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