Long-time Cobble Hill Association head Roy Sloane resigns amid LICH controversy
Squabbles over development, leadership, legal issues
After months of growing tension over the fate of the former Long Island College Hospital (LICH) site, on Wednesday Roy Sloane, the acting head of the Cobble Hill Association, tendered his resignation as first vice-president.
Sloane has served on the Cobble Hill Association’s (CHA) board almost continuously since 1980, but dissidents broke with his strategy of engaging in dialogue with LICH’s likely developer to shape the coming development, rather than taking stronger steps. Some community members also said they felt that Sloane led CHA as “a closed club,” and disagreed with his legal strategy.
Cobble Hill and surrounding neighborhoods fought the state’s sale of LICH for years. Last year, Fortis Property Group won the much-litigated bidding war to buy the hospital complex for $240 million. Since then, at forums hosted by CHA, Fortis has shocked the neighborhood with two versions of possible development, both showing towers of up to 40 stories in the historically low-rise neighborhood.
“The issue is about both who will lead the battle to limit development on the LICH site and how it will be conducted,” the dissidents said in a letter last week demanding Sloane’s replacement. They announced a special meeting to remove Sloane and fill vacancies including president, first vice-president, treasurer and recording secretary.