A Good Start for Mayor Patterson-Howard
By Dan Murphy
County Executive George Latimer has presented a realistic and viable plan to rebuild Memorial Field in Mt. Vernon. Last week, Latimer – a Mt. Vernon native – presented his plan to the Mt. Vernon City Council. He submitted it to the County Board of Legislators this week.
The iconic field, track and grandstand has laid closed to the public for most of this decade, and is one of the few parklands and greenspaces in Westchester that have turned into an eyesore, due to incompetence and bad decisions by former mayors of Mt. Vernon.
But Mt. Vernon has recently turned the corner with the election of Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard, who is willing to work with county government to rebuild and reopen Memorial Field, for the residents of Mt. Vernon – and all Westchester residents – to enjoy.
“The City of Mount Vernon is entering a new phase in its rich history and the county is proud to be a partner in it,” said Latimer. “These plans show a willingness on our end to work cooperatively with the city and we look forward to moving forward together.”
Latimer’s plan includes a $25 million renovation, with $20 million paid for by the county and $5 million funded by the state. Plans include an NCAA regulation football field, suitable for soccer, lacrosse and field hockey; and NYSPHSAA-certified eight-lane track; 3,900 seats; a skateboard park; three tennis courts; and modern locker rooms and public bathrooms.
For the plan to be finalized, the state Department of Environmental Conservation must sign off on any contaminated soil remediation, the city must remove boulders and debris under the existing tennis structure, and a new agreement must be approved by the Mount Vernon City Council and the County Board of Legislators. If all needed approvals are received by April, the county can break ground in May and be ready for Mount Vernon Knights’ high school football in the fall of 2021.
“Mount Vernon is taking its place at the table again in Westchester County,” said Patterson-Howard. “We are committed to strengthening our partnerships and the plans to build Memorial Field are the beginning of a new day for Mount Vernon. Together with the City Council, Assemblyman Gary Pretlow, County Legislator Lyndon Williams and other officials, we will get this done. I remain committed to working with County Executive Latimer, his team, and the County Board of Legislators to move Mount Vernon forward.”
Twelve years ago, in 2008, the City of Mount Vernon and Westchester County reached a similar agreement, but the work never materialized and instead, illegal dumping and the demolition of the grandstand and removal of a tennis bubble kept the field closed and gated up.
Department of Public Works/Transportation Commissioner Hugh Greechan said his department “is ready to get to work on this important project for the county as a whole – and specifically the people of Mount Vernon.”
Latimer concluded: “For me, Memorial Field is personal. I watched some of my childhood heroes’ sporting events on that field, I saw major concerts on that field, and I even received my high school diploma on that field. This is about government stepping up and doing right by the people of Mount Vernon.
“County government made a commitment 11, 12, or however many years ago to put county money to make this field happen,” he continued. “We want this project done. We want it as much as you do.”
County Legislator Lyndon Williams, who represents Mt. Vernon, has been trying to bring together the different leaders to fix memorial field for the past 10 years.
“The restoration of Memorial Field at the doorway into Westchester County is finally coming to fruition after many challenges,” he said. “The residents of Mount Vernon and the county have waited through the many false starts, delays and obstacles, but I am proud to say they have never lost hope. I want to commend County Executive Latimer and his administration for their focus on this last legacy project. I am confident that with the coordination of the city, county and state the remaining obstacles can be removed and we can break ground for New Memorial Field in April.”
One step forward occurred last summer, as the contaminated soil, which was illegally dumped and the culprit never identified, was removed. The new grandstand will have 1,000 more seats than the prior stadium, attracting musical acts for concerts and room for the big high school football games come playoff time between Westchester’s top high school team, and a track for regional meets. The field will be NCAA certified, allowing for college games to be played there, and also for soccer, lacrosse and field hockey.
A skateboard park is a new addition for the future of Memorial Park, and the debate over the tennis courts and tennis bubble could now be solved because the design includes room for tennis. The City of Mt. Vernon will have to decide whether to rebuild the tennis courts at Memorial Field, or nearby at Hutchinson Field.
More important, Patterson-Howard’s leadership was evident in that county government is willing to come forward and fund the project, when in years past, millions in county funds were wasted because of disputes, disagreements and an unwillingness to agree and rebuild by prior mayors. “The enemy of good has been perfection,” said Patterson-Howard. “Everyone is not going to be perfectly pleased, but all city residents will be glad when the eyesore is replaced by a functioning recreation facility.”
Latimer was correct when he called the $20 million county investment “generous” and warned that any additional costs will have to be paid for by the people of Mt. Vernon.
More good news for Mt. Vernon came when a 2020 budget for the city was passed, without controversy, arguments or any headlines for government not working together. Patterson-Howard, City Council President Lisa Copeland and the City Council agreed on a budget with a 1.78 percent property tax increase – below the state-mandated property tax cap.
The 2020 adopted budget includes critical investments in code enforcement, with the hiring of three new enforcement officers to crack down on slumlords and blighted areas of Mount Vernon. Investments in public safety have been made to strengthen fire prevention, code enforcement, and emergency management. With $1.6 million in CDBG funds being allocated for the purchase of three new fire trucks, at no expense to the taxpayer, this budget delivers on the platform Patterson-Howard campaigned on in 2019, she said.
“Last year today, I launched my campaign for mayor because we didn’t have a budget,” said Patterson-Howard. “After six weeks in office, I’m proud to say we finally have a budget for the City of Mount Vernon. We delivered a budget that is fiscally responsible and takes steps to move Mount Vernon forward. Together, we worked with the City Council and comptroller to move this along efficiently. The investments in public safety, housing, youth and seniors, communications and quality of life are important to raising the level of service residents deserve. We now can begin the work of fixing up the decades-long challenges and put Mount Vernon back on track so it can shine once again.”
City Council President Lisa Copeland added: “The council looks forward to working with the administration to ensure that the citizens of Mount Vernon are put first. This budget is a positive step forward in moving the city along. Councilman Marcus Griffith, Derrick Thompson and I are in support of this budget. We are looking ahead to the positive changes we can accomplished together for Mount Vernon.
It was good news for the people of Mt. Vernon, which is good news for Westchester, and a good start for Mayor Shawyn Patterson -Howard.
