If you were to drive around Irondequoit — from Culver Parkway to Lakeshore Boulevard, from the Genesee River to the Irondequoit Bay — you might notice an alarming pattern: scarce people.
Aside from a few avid joggers and some activity around our schools, you would struggle to find signs of a vibrant, united community. Few places in our town offer a gathering place to connect with one another, to conduct commerce, to enjoy a fine meal, to seek recreation. Instead you will witness us flocking to neighboring towns to socialize, to shop, to dine and to play. For the most part, we retreat into our neighborhoods and live relatively isolated lives.
Now, what if someone with a hopeful vision and generous coffers stepped forward to change all of this, to reinvigorate a town that craves change: an individual who has asked very little support in return? The Nolans are just that, and since they announced their plans for a future I-Square, they have garnered an informed and enthusiastic following of Irondequoit residents, a cross-section of our demographics unlike any we’ve seen for any other recent project. We’re tired of stopping at the corner of Cooper and Titus to stare at a run-down, under-utilized, outdated, ugly row. We’re tired of logging miles on our vehicles for goods and entertainment. We’re tired of watching Irondequoit fall into embarrassing disrepair. We're tired, frankly, of dollar stores and drug stores. When Mike and his wife, Wendy, offered their vision, we collectively celebrated and crossed our fingers.
Who could have predicted the stalling, the condescension, the outright discouragement this plan would face? Call it due diligence, fiscal responsibility; if you strip away the euphemisms it’s actually cynicism and shortsightedness. Some board members are startlingly misinformed; they think the majority of Irondequoit’s citizens oppose Mike Nolan’s 25-year PILOT proposal. On the contrary. Those of us who support his plan and want to see the board come back to the negotiating table in good faith to work towards a fair PILOT— those of us of vision, optimism, and trust in our own citizens — are uniting in impressive force. If you feel like we do, visit www.change.org and sign your name to our cause (search for “Irondequoit Town Board”). Then encourage others to do the same.
The insulting, impractical counter-proposal from the board is unacceptable, and we demand that they do better. We will be heard.
Erin Quintero is an Irondequoit resident.
If you were to drive around Irondequoit — from Culver Parkway to Lakeshore Boulevard, from the Genesee River to the Irondequoit Bay — you might notice an alarming pattern: scarce people.
Aside from a few avid joggers and some activity around our schools, you would struggle to find signs of a vibrant, united community. Few places in our town offer a gathering place to connect with one another, to conduct commerce, to enjoy a fine meal, to seek recreation. Instead you will witness us flocking to neighboring towns to socialize, to shop, to dine and to play. For the most part, we retreat into our neighborhoods and live relatively isolated lives.
Now, what if someone with a hopeful vision and generous coffers stepped forward to change all of this, to reinvigorate a town that craves change: an individual who has asked very little support in return? The Nolans are just that, and since they announced their plans for a future I-Square, they have garnered an informed and enthusiastic following of Irondequoit residents, a cross-section of our demographics unlike any we’ve seen for any other recent project. We’re tired of stopping at the corner of Cooper and Titus to stare at a run-down, under-utilized, outdated, ugly row. We’re tired of logging miles on our vehicles for goods and entertainment. We’re tired of watching Irondequoit fall into embarrassing disrepair. We're tired, frankly, of dollar stores and drug stores. When Mike and his wife, Wendy, offered their vision, we collectively celebrated and crossed our fingers.
Who could have predicted the stalling, the condescension, the outright discouragement this plan would face? Call it due diligence, fiscal responsibility; if you strip away the euphemisms it’s actually cynicism and shortsightedness. Some board members are startlingly misinformed; they think the majority of Irondequoit’s citizens oppose Mike Nolan’s 25-year PILOT proposal. On the contrary. Those of us who support his plan and want to see the board come back to the negotiating table in good faith to work towards a fair PILOT— those of us of vision, optimism, and trust in our own citizens — are uniting in impressive force. If you feel like we do, visit www.change.org and sign your name to our cause (search for “Irondequoit Town Board”). Then encourage others to do the same.
The insulting, impractical counter-proposal from the board is unacceptable, and we demand that they do better. We will be heard.
Erin Quintero is an Irondequoit resident.
