Carousel Confusion

Rona Smith's Development Is In A Place Where The Carousel USED To Be

By David Lion Rattiner

Rona Smith, a developer in Greenport, has been subjected to a little confusion propelled by this newspaper, and, frankly, the confusion is ill deserved. Rona is planning on doing a good thing for Greenport, and that good thing is building retail shops and housing in a location that not only has been run down and not used by the town, but also is a minor eyesore. The housing will be dedicated to the Greenport's work force. Because of a word like 'carousel', some people have been confused and worried that she is planning to build on Greenport's pride and joy, the glass enclosed carousel, a delightful centerpiece of Mitchell Park.

First off, let's make it as clear as day, nothing is going to happen to the Greenport carousel. That ride is here to stay. Everybody in Greenport loves it, it has historical value, it is one of the great symbols of the area and Rona Smith herself, loves the carousel.

The source of confusion is the fact that the carousel originally sat in the red metal shed on the SE corner of Front and Third Streets and has been called 'the carousel property' since that time. The structure on the land she purchased is a giant red metal building that was used to protect the carousel from the rain, before it was moved to its current location. This is not where the carousel is today. However, when we reported to people that the old carousel building) is being developed, some people have taken that as THE CAROUSEL, which is not the case.

On this spot she plans to build retail stores and workforce housing in a building that will be completely certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. From this alone, it should be clear that Rona is a responsible developer.

However, additional confusion has ensued from use of the term 'affordable housing.' Many people do not understand what this term means. Well let's make it clear. Affordable housing units on the North Fork are not, in any way, shape or form, similar to projects in big cities. They are for hard working people, they are to be kept in extremely good condition and the people that are signing up for them make good incomes. Unfortunately, today, even people that make good salaries can no longer afford to buy a modest home that costs, at the very minimum, in the $400,000 range. These are our teachers, our police officers and our plumbers that we are talking about. Without housing, these people are being forced to leave. The North Fork is happy to have these people, and without them, the area will suffer.

"What's happened with the term affordable is association with the term low-income. This is simply not the case. People looking to buy affordable housing are people that are middle income, hard-working people. A lot of times it's two-income couples. That's why Rona thinks it should be called, 'workforce housing'.

I also want to point out that she could have taken this in another direction. She could have decided to put these homes on the open market and made more money than she will by putting them on the market as affordable housing. She chose to go with affordable housing because she cares about the community she lives in. She is also paying more to have her building constructed up to the standards of the U.S. Green Building Council. Rona Smith is a full time resident of Orient.

So the next time you see Rona Smith, tell her how excited you are that she is turning a negative thing into a positive thing and bringing more good people and business to Greenport. Also buy her a ride on the carousel; she'd love to go for a spin.