More than 50 vocal, unhappy residents attended a second community meeting to discuss All County Bus Co.’s new location on Barney Street.
Council Member Tim Hodges sponsored the Oct. 26 meeting. When residents complained that neither the mayor nor the building commissioner was present, Hodges explained that they were unavailable. Residents asked why a deputy mayor or a representative from the building department could not attend instead.
At the previous meeting, residents complained about traffic, noise and other disruptions caused by the bus company, which recently moved into a large parking lot. Hodges said the mayor had promised him the company would be “out of here.”
Hodges noted that drivers were supposed to be shuttled from off-site locations to address parking problems. He said the company and police were addressing complaints about drivers changing clothes, selling food and sleeping in their cars between shifts.
Don Gregory, owner of All County Bus Co., said the city had evicted the company from its previous location on Fernbrook Street with four years remaining on its lease. He said “there was no compassion from the city” regarding the company’s situation.
Gregory said his landlord had promised access through a south gate but had not provided it. That access would have allowed buses to cross the Saw Mill River Parkway directly without affecting traffic in the adjacent neighborhood, he said. He also said he had tried unsuccessfully to arrange fueling at local gas stations, leaving him to fuel buses at the site.
Gregory promised to fuel earlier in the day and consolidate fueling into fewer days each week. He said drivers who caused problems in the community would be disciplined and fired if they failed to follow instructions.
Marylyn Morales, All County’s director of operations, said residents could email complaints and photographs of drivers’ illegally parked cars to [email protected]. She promised to address any issues brought to her attention.
Gregory added that he was negotiating with a nearby property owner for additional parking. If successful, he said, the arrangement would allow all drivers to park off the street. He expressed sympathy for residents’ concerns and said he had been “blindsided” by the move from the company’s previous location.
Hodges promised a follow-up meeting and said the mayor would attend.
Copies of sections of the Yonkers zoning ordinance concerning bus companies and the granting of a temporary certificate of occupancy were distributed, prompting discussion about whether those requirements had been properly applied. Several residents said the city was responsible and should not have allowed the bus company to operate at the site.
