SECOR HOMES CIVIC ASSOCIATION, INC.
P.O. Box 550, Ardsley, New York 10502
CIVIC ASSOCIATION ASKS GREENBURGH BOARD OF ETHICS: "WHAT HAPPENDED TO OUR REQUEST FOR AN ETHICS REVIEW?"
Contact: Carol A. Wielk, Secretary, SHCA
Tel: 212-686-9147
Fax: 914-693-1792; 212-779-9307
E-mail: cwielk@worldnet.att.net
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 12, 1999
The Secor Homes Civic Association, Inc. (SHCA) today filed a follow up request with the Greenburgh Board of Ethics (Board) regarding SHCA’s February 23, 1999 letter petitioning the Board for an ethics review of the Greenburgh Town Engineer, Brett Auerhahn, P. E. It noted that the Ethics Board has failed to even acknowledge the SHCA request for an ethics review.
The SHCA maintains that Mr. Auerhahn rendered judgements which destroyed a protected buffer area in the Westchester View Estates development even though he clearly had a conflict of interest. Mr. Auerhahn was the site engineer during initial development of Westchester View Estates. His most recent decision obliterating the buffer was for a house in the protected area built by his former employer and developer of the property.
"Although SHCA read in recent press coverage that the Town had finally and properly removed Mr. Auerhahn from decisions on the protected buffer area on Westchester View Estates, his inappropriate involvement resulted in severe damage to the buffer zone," states Jacqueline Wicha, resident of Jean Lane and SHCA member. "We therefore want a determination from the Ethics Board regarding Mr. Auerhahn’s conflict. This cannot be swept under the rug," continued Mrs. Wicha.
Stephen Gosik, SHCA President, noted that "it is disturbing that the Town of Greenburgh Ethics Board ignores a legitimate and properly filed complaint before it. It gives credence to recent criticism by many Greenburgh citizens that the Town selectively enforces Town law. Town government must function for all of its citizens, not just the favored few, or for that matter, for the benefit of certain Town officials."
The buffer zone on Westchester View Lane was established on March 19, 1987 by the Greenburgh Planning Board as a condition for development. The Planning Board established a 50-foot buffer area along the southerly and southeasterly boundaries that adjoin Ferncliff Cemetery and the homes on Jean Lane. Among the conditions the Planning Board imposed were:
"No tree may be removed on the easterly or southerly 50' boundary of Lot 12 or the southerly boundary of Lots 10 and 11.
No saplings or large bushes may be removed by the developer along this buffer to better shield the existing and new homes from the Ferncliff buildings."
In a recent letter to the community, Mr. Auerhahn wrote that the prohibition on the property was not intended "to exist in perpetuity for all subsequent owners of these lots." The SHCA disagrees with this interpretation as buffers by their nature run with the land, not the owner.
Mr. Auerhahn’s conflict was brought to the attention of Paul Feiner, the Town Supervisor, in a December 30, 1998 letter from the Council of Greenburgh Civic Associations. Mr. Feiner has failed to respond to the community’s long standing complaints about the buffer area and the lack of Town enforcement of its own Planning Board conditions.
The Greenburgh Code of Ethics states unequivocally that Town employees "exercise independent and impartial judgment….and avoid even the appearance of impropriety." (Section 570-1) On this basis, the SHCA appealed to the Board of Ethics for a ruling on the Town Engineer’s impropriety. It awaits the Ethics Board acknowledgement and action on this complaint.