Today when I spoke to Chris Graziano of United Water New Rochelle he told me that changes made in December 2009 to regulate water pressure have created a problem in high rise buildings. United Water says they will have to install water pumps.

This change was made because previously the amount of water pressure in the pipes was unregulated. When asked, he said the City Manager of New Rochelle and the PSC were not informed of this change.

The New Rochelle BID (Business Improvement District) recounted their successful lobbying of the New Rochelle City Council for a change in overnight parking regulations. Particular mention was made of the l0 p.m. to 4 a.m. street parking which had been advocated by the BID that was eliminated from the new law. Finance Commissioner, Howard Rattner, reassured the group that the law passed would not be enforced until June l. James O'Toole, who had voted against this parking restriction, wanted to make sure all the business owners knew about the change. Councilman Albert Tarantino, who is an officer of the BID, had met with Police Officer Marshall and would be meeting with him again in four weeks to discuss the effectiveness of this parking change. O'Toole added that seniors in the Maple Avenue building as well as 25 people in his building were told parking permits were only available in the Church-Division lot. The City Manager, Chuck Strome, is supposed to revisit this situation.

The trucks parked in the library parking lot were mentioned. The legality of the trucks parked in the downtown lots raised questions. Tarantino clarified that the Garden Street parking lot was the only one where trucks are allowed to legally park.

The City of New Rochelle's new Development Commissioner, Michael Freimuth, while admitting to being a "novice on New Rochelle," also stated that he does not see the present development projects in the same way "as residents do." Most recently he was employed in high-level planning and development positions in Stamford and Bridgeport, Connecticut. He has a "host of things" on his agenda, including reorganizing his office and restructuring his staff's duties. In his view, the Comprehensive Plan of 1996 needs to be readdressed in 2010. Since every time City Council meets a zoning change is presented, he felt the "zoning code needs to be rewritten." He cited new proposals for Church-Division lots and the future use of Davids Island. For example, a plan should "do the job" without having the public "fight everything in the plan." Developers, he said, want long-term commitments.

The train station is New Rochelle's link to places from Newark to New Haven, and the city is in a strategic location.