City Councilman Anthony Merante organized a car rally for neighborhood residents to let their voices be heard against UPS expansion plans. The event was attended by nearly 100 people and 44 vehicles. UPS plans call for a massive above ground gas tank, a huge increase in the number of delivery and trailer trucks that would operate there now for 24 hours.
Councilman Merante stated, “This is only the first of several actions that are planned to let UPS and the Yonkers Planning Board know that residents will not stand by and have their neighborhood quality of life destroyed by this expansion. We all are happy that UPS is here but we are not happy about these plans. UPS should consider our residents’ concerns and I will stand with them in this fight to protect our neighborhoods,” said Merante, pictured above at thge car rally.
A group called StopUPS.org, is leading the opposition, and states,
“The UPS business model is based on on-site refueling depots at their distribution centers. So, without a site plan approval for on-site refueling, why is UPS spending millions of dollars at the 555 Tuckahoe Rd. site before the Yonkers Planning Board has issued a site plan approval?
There is a recent Yonkers video that states that the 555 Tuckahoe Rd. site will be the largest UPS distribution center in Westchester and Bronx. https://youtu.be/Jt-RAKV-R5w
‘Yet, UPS does not feel an Environmental Impact Statement is needed to review impacts of the facility on the surrounding residential communities. The Yonkers Planning Board seems to agree with UPS that there are no significant impacts. Although a refueling deport is not a listed permitted use in the city code, the Zoning Board is allowing that use at 555 Tuckahoe Rd. site.”
“Are we to believe that the fix is not in? It appears that the Yonkers Planning Board, appointed by the Mayor, is now under too much political pressure to do anything but approve the site plan and to issue a Negative Declaration, thereby avoiding the requirement to have UPS prepare Environmental Impact Statement in accordance with state law.
Residents, we need to push back; join the push, fund the push! https://www.gofundme.com/f/stopupsorg.” states StopUPS.org
