Hits: 16
WPCNR THE LETTER TICKER. December 4, 2014:
The Common Council officially closed the French American School of New York hearings Wednesday evening with the critical issues of traffic volume in the peak hour; North Street backup, effect on fire response time of Hathaway Lane closure and penalty plan for limiting completion of the proposed project suggested by the Mayor up in the air.
The Gedney Association team of Ron and Marie Rhodes responded with their reactions on last night:
Dear Mayor and Common Council,
Our thanks to those Common Council members who challenged FASNY with difficult questions last night. . .however for those who couldn’t even come up with at least one good question to ask the FASNY Representatives. . .hopefully you’re addressing the key issues behind the scenes.
And if the Big Picture issues with FASNY are. . .Traffic, 10-year Construction, Water, Increases in Fire Response Times, Decreases in Property Values and our School Children’s Safety. . .those of you ignoring the key issues to focus on questions involving the positioning of tennis courts are way out of the mainstream and reality.
After almost 4 years we still have more questions than answers on this FASNY project.
For instance on Traffic how come FASNY still hasn’t disclosed:
How many Vehicle Trips will FASNY be making into our neighborhood each day in the AM and in the what % increase will this be over our existing Traffic levels w/o FASNY?
How their 530 cap number is calculated with their 950 students and 250 staff the majority of whom we learned last night will arrive within the 8AM to 9AM peak hour? We say at these FASNY student and staff levels the 530 number is mathematically impossible.
And how will their electronic Vehicle Counting System work for parent car drop-offs outside of the FASNY property? For instance how will students who will be dropped off by the Lee or Divney residences or other places outside the FASNY campus be counted?
Why hasn’t FASNY introduced any mitigation to address the Safety concerns raised by the Board of Education? We say because at volume of Traffic is planning no mitigation is feasible.
Will this Common Council show the same concern about the Safety of our own WP School Children?
Why would you close Hathaway Lane, a Public Street, only for the benefit of FASNY, a Private Developer?
And what Benefits do your constituents receive from the Closure of Hathaway Lane or from the overall FASNY project?
And there’s more questions on key issues besides Traffic that remain unanswered on this FASNY project.
With regard to the way the Common Council closed last night’s meeting:
For almost 4 years the Common Council has asked residents to send comments. . .which we did along with questions about the FASNY project. . .most of which this Common Council choose not to ask the FASNY Representatives while they were being questioned, including last night. How will all the FASNY responses promised to the City and all of the resident, never asked or answered FASNY questions get addressed? Will it be behind closed doors in secret by FASNY and City Staff personnel. . .who residents to be honest have little confidence in? Would you call this process transparent?
We would say that the FASNY review process the City established has been flawed and discriminates against your own residents and taxpayers. . .while the FASNY Representatives, who are trying to build a 53-acre campus in a residential neighborhood have been asked fewer questions over a 4-year period. . .than a small business owner who wants to open a bar on Mamaroneck Avenue and is applying for a cabaret license. . .would be asked by the City!
It’s a strange review process the City created. . .which allowed FASNY to get away with submitting thousands of pages of unimportant paper. . .with the City ignoring and not demanding accurate facts and responses on the key issues like Traffic. . .made more difficult by some Common Council members not reading all the materials and ignoring Big Picture questions.
Going forward to get back on track. . .our suggestion is instead of winding up the FASNY Review in secret behind closed doors, without resident involvement. . .have FASNY, not City consultants, answer all our resident questions. And when all the remaining FASNY information is finally submitted. . .give a final summary point by point of all of the key issues. . .about where the City stands with all of the FASNY information and requirements at another Public Meeting. This would be more transparent for residents.
Does it seem to anyone else that White Plains has. . .a Business Improvement Plan for the downtown area, that isn’t working. . .and a Residential Neighborhood Destruction Plan for the Southend, that the City Staff and FASNY are working their hardest together to implement?
We report. . .you decide. Your Truth Police, Team Rhodes
Marie and Ron Rhodes