Citizens for a Progressive Yorktown supports strong economic development, while also seeking to preserve the character and natural resources of our area.
Our current projects are listed below. Please click on the project names and get involved. We look forward to hearing from you.
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Learn how Costco is good for Yorktown! Download and share our Plain Talk Fact Sheet here.
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December 20, 2012
Progressive Yorktown Shares Thought with Planning Board
Dear Members of the Yorktown Planning Board,
Citizens for a Progressive Yorktown did not ask supporters of Costco to write again and again, which the opposition has done, as I understand it, but I would like to offer one last sentiment collectively on our supporters' behalf as we meet the deadline of the open period.
That is, time and again, Yorktown citizens have shared with me their convictions that, should the Costco application not be approved, that would be the death of the "Progress with Preservation" slogan of the town.
As one neighbor shared with me just over this past weekend:
"If the Town does not welcome a great company like Costco with open arms, we will perpetuate our reputation of the last 30 years for being 'anti-business.' What other decent company would want to spend money or time trying to buck the elitist, anti-development forces that want to keep Yorktown in the 19th century?"
Please consider the importance of the Costco question, not only for its immediate benefits for the town but also for its very future as a viable business opportunity for other companies.
Respectfully submitted,
Bill Primavera
for
Citizens for a Progressive Yorktown
November 16, 2012 MEDIA ALERT: Costco Foe Identified as Gas Gouger by Attorney General
New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is accusing three Westchester County gas stations of price gouging after Superstorm Sandy. One of those is the Shell Station at 3709 Crompond Road in Yorktown whose owner has been linked to a group opposed to the Costco development which would feature a fueling station, offering gas at competitive prices.
"Our office has zero tolerance for price gouging and we are taking action to send a message that ripping off New Yorkers is against the law, Schneiderman said in a statement.
Douglas McGowan, a retired police officer and real estate professional who resides in Yorktown said, "It really annoyed me that any gas station would take advantage of citizens at a time when a major storm has upended their lives. These people are not good neighbors.
October 18, 2012
Anti-Costco, 24%; Pro-Costco, 74%!
Even though this Daily Voice Poll is unscientific and even though the opposition is much better organized because of its benefactors, the public has spoken loud and clear about who does and who doesn't want Costco. And the pro's have it by a wide margin! Remember to come back to the Public Hearing when it continues on Monday, October 29th, to show our support for this project that benefits Yorktown on so many levels. Same place and time.
October 17, 2012
Adams-Bernstein House: Moving Ahead
An exciting day today in Yorktown, demonstrated by the truly "smart growth" supported by Citizens for a Progressive Yorktown. Here Mark Franzoso of Franzoso Contracting (left) joins Bill Primavera (center), marketing professional and realtor, and Supervisor Michael Grace at a press conference to announce the sale of the historic Adam-Bernstein house, purchased by Franzoso for adaptive use as affordable housing. The barn will be utilized as public performance space for the Town's use, and the property will be subdivided for market-rate housing.
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October 16, 2012
Sending a Positive Message!
The headline below shows the great interest our community has for the Costco project. And look at those signs, silently and effectively sharing our message!
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October 13, 2012
Supporting Fair Debate
"The opposition is exercising its right to speak out as it sees fit," said Bill Primavera, Costco supporter and member of Citizens for a Progressive Yorktown. "Those of us who know that Costco will be a great benefit to Yorktown on many levels will just rely on the facts as presented for the approval process."
"Costco Protest Continues in Yorktown," Yorktown Daily Voice, October 13, 2012
Find more articles here.
October 6, 2012
Why Citizens for a Progressive Yorktown Was Started
Citizens for a Progressive Yorktown was formed in late September, 2012 to represent intelligent and responsible business development in Yorktown, encouraging economic growth while still maintaining the character and natural resources of the area.
The group first came together in response to a negative publicity campaign by a small group of residents opposed to the addition of Costco Wholesale as a new neighbor in Yorktown. Residents and local business owners were concerned that the benefits of having a Costco in Yorktown, as well as the solutions to the concerns raised by the opponents, were being overlooked.
The group's first project was to develop a "plain talk" fact sheet about Costco that addressed the concerns of the small but highly vocal group of opponents to the plan and to present it at a press conference at the Yorktown Chamber of Commerce on September 28, 2012. In attendance were representatives of the community, including business owners and regular shoppers who shared their vision for Yorktown's economic future, with Costco as its catalyst. The Chamber's president and board members in attendance voiced the Chamber's full approval of the Costco project.
As an orderly process proceeds, Citizens for a Progressive Yorktown will present an astute and aware perspective on business development in the area, which will include other projects on the board. To learn more, please join our mailing list by registering on our “Contact” page, or follow us on Facebook at: www.faceook.com/citizensforprogressiveyorktown
October 5, 2012
An Unexpected "Town-Meeting"
When I walked into my 7-11 in Yorktown Heights to get a much needed cup of coffee near the end of a very busy day, the owners approached me and said that they are very much in favor of a Costco in Yorktown and, within a minute or two, there was a small gathering around me -- people I don't know but who recognized me from the media while I've worked for Citizens for a Progressive Yorktown -- asking me questions about how it's going and is there really any threat that Costco won't come? It was like a mini town meeting, and very gratifying to see that our message with the correct information about Costco has saturated the community.
Member, Citizens for a Progressive Yorktown
October 3, 2012
Great comment about why Costco would be good for Yorktown's image
Bob Rohr made an excellent point in the comments section of the recent Patch.com article:
"Yorktown is very large as Westchester Towns go. We are at the end of the NY metro area, but NYC is the engine that drives our economy and we have no Railroad Station. We have the Taconic Parkway. We are by no means a poor Town. We are a Town which grew in a haphazard way at first and is now maturing. We have almost no shopping. The Heights Hamlet cannot expand commercially, at this point the shopping area is surrounded by homes. Front Street could have become a Village shopping area expanding the Yorktown Commons theme, but that ship has sailed. The Rt. 202 and Rt. 6 corridors are our best shot at attracting some revenue producing commercial development without affecting our residential neighborhoods and our truly rural open spaces. Costco is not Tiffany or Lord and Taylor, but it does send a message to retailers that if you come to Yorktown with a acceptable plan, you will be listened to and be given serious consideration. Once you have opened that door, it is up to the Town leadership to set the bar very high on what that development would look like and how it would benefit the Town. The revenue from these two small strips within a 40 Sq mile space could help fund preserving open space."
Plain Talk fact sheet available
Here's a great fact sheet about why Costco would be good for Yorktown that outlines the benefits and addresses the concerns. Read it here or download a PDF to share here.
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