Enhanced Use Lease Plan Expires Keeping the Montrose VA from Private Deveopment

Cortlandt Town Supervisor Linda Puglisi provided this press release: The F.D.R. V.A. Enhanced-Use-Lease Activities have been suspended at 17 nationwide locations, including our V.A. in the hamlet of Montrose in the Town of Cortlandt.

For several years we have been strongly making our comments in opposition to the EUL which would downsize our V.A. (established in 1950) and the many needed medical and other services for our Veterans.

The Cortlandt Hudson Valley Veterans Committee, other Veteran groups and the Town Board and I have attended many public hearings, submitted petitions to the Veteran’s Affairs Department and have held rallies in protest to this EUL plan which would have left only a small portion of the land (12 acres) and buildings for Veterans while the rest of the 172 acres (160
acres) would be leased to a developer for housing, not necessarily only for Veterans. I also went to the Veterans Affairs Department in Washington, D.C. and met with their officials to state our opposition and the reasons why the EUL should not go forward.

Therefore, we are all very pleased that at this time no EUL decision was made and that this unfair plan has expired. However, we will continue to monitor and oppose any future plans for another EUL or something similar to make sure that our Veterans are served with the current services and that there are increased services at this location, as well.

“Even though the EUL has expired we will always maintain vigilance on the Hudson Valley Healthcare System due in part to economic times and Washington’s budget balancing.”
~William Nazario, Chairman of the Cortlandt Hudson Valley Veteran’s Committee

“Our Veterans throughout the years have bravely defended
us and now we must continue to defend them.”
~Linda Puglisi, Town of Cortlandt Supervisor