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WPCNR THE LETTER TICKER. From The Gedney Association September 7, 2016:
The Gedney Association has shared a sampling of letters questioning why the city is considering settling the FASNY lawsuit tonight
Dear Representatives of the People of White Plains,
Wondering why there has been such a faux pas made on your part not to notify your constituents in an timely and fair manner of the above cited meeting…
I respectfully and firmly request that you postpone your vote on this action in order to give your White Plains constituents enough time to review and challenge the ongoing threat to their community from FASNY.
As you all know, the citizens of the city of White Plains are notified by the mayor of any changes to our garbage/recycling pick up due to holiday or storm. This is done in a timely fashion in order to keep us informed.
No such courtesy of keeping us, your constituents, informed has been extended to us, the citizens of White Plains, about this important meeting tonight to vote on this incredibly inappropriate project.
No notification until the last minute about a crucial meeting is also inappropriate and unfair to your constituents. The decisions made at this meeting will impact hundreds of White Plains families, their livelihood and the living conditions for their families for many many years, no, more accurately, indefinitely.
Many people from FASNY who will not be personally impacted by this inappropriate development obviously have known, in advance, that this meeting would address this issue and vote. They will be prepared. What about your neighbors and fellow White Plains taxpayers? Not so much… This might be called an unfair advantage.
I truly question how you, my representatives, in good conscience, can proceed with this meeting.
My other question to you, my representatives, is who are you supporting and protecting during this never ending nightmare? If you, in good conscience, can enumerate a strong list of positive benefits that would out weigh the multiple negative effects of this inappropriate project, please let us, your constituents, know what they are. We can find no redeeming features at all. Not one…
Most sincerely,
Your constituent,
Joanne T. Dunphy
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Settlement?
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To the Mayor and Common Council
Please tell us that the article in White Plains Patch quoting a Gedney resident: David Kohl? Who he? — I’ve lived in Gedney farms for 13 years and never heard of him prior to his efforts as a paid media consultant for FASNY or met him at any community function — was just an inflammatory PR ploy and speculation.
What is white Plains Neighbors ACT if not an active publicity arm created for FASNY? It was formed in Dec 2015 by FASNY to advocate for them; it does NOT REPRESENT this community! Just Google it for the true picture!
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Nothing has changed about the situation that led to a defeat to the plan to close an important thoroughfare and destroy a neighborhood — the street is still a main artery, the property is still heavily wetland, the greater Gedney, North Ave, Havilands, Highlands, Hillair Circle, Carhart, community is opposed. A slightly smaller FASNY doesn’t mitigate any of these issues!
You are our elected representatives. JUST SAY NO!
Elaine Taylor Gordon
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What a Tangled Web…
To the mayor and council:
We are at a loss to understand your lack of transparency regarding the “Stipulation of Settlement” and what appears to be our city government caving to intimidation while totally ignoring so many of the long time residents/taxpayers of White Plains and working behind our backs with a small but obviously influential pro-FASNY minority.
Those of you supporting the “Stipulation of Settlement” are the city’s own worst enemies.
You had a winning case and now it appears some of you are betraying those of us you were elected to represent.
The situation is a disgrace and the way in which it was done is totally distasteful.
At the very least please have the decency to table any vote on this so-called “Stipulation of Settlement” due to inadequate notice to the majority of the public whom you were elected to serve.
Frances & George Jones
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Dear Mayor Roach and members of the White Plains Common Council,
Over this holiday weekend I received word that on the Tuesday following Labor Day the Common Council will consider a proposal made by the French American School of New York to stipulate to discontinue, without prejudice, its lawsuit against the City of White Plains. According to published sources, the proposed stipulation was provided to members of the Common Council on Thursday evening, September 1, 2016.
I urge you to table any vote that might come before the Common Council on this matter on September 6th.
The residents of White Plains elected you to serve the City.The City of White Plains gains nothing by rushing this proposal to vote on such short notice. There is something rotten in the City of White Plains when a vote related to a development project that could affect thousands of White Plains resident gets placed on the agenda for a meeting of the Common Council with only one business day’s notice to the constituents you were elected to serve.
The appearance of impropriety is staggering.
Claudia G. Jaffe, Esq.
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Dear Mayor Roach and Members of the Common Council,
We are writing to each of you about the proposed Stipulation of Settlement with The French American School of New York.
We find it hard to understand that after more than 5 years of evaluating this proposal, much of it with public discussion and input you would hold this most important meeting tonight without ample time for the public to comment.
The entire SEQRA process is predicated on comments from the public.
Please allow time for public input by the people who would be most affected by this project and who should be able to review the Stipulation in a more through manner.
Residents should be afforded the same courtesy FASNY was clearly afforded.
Thank you.
Garry & Donna Klein
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Dear Mayor Roach and Members of the Common Council,
We are writing to each of you about the proposed Stipulation of Settlement with The French American School of New York.
We have learned that you will vote on this proposal tonight at the monthly Council meeting. This time frame does not give the public adequate time to review the proposal, as well as prepare remarks although FASNY has had more time to do so.
Each of you was voted into office with the presumption that you would work on behalf of White Plains residents.
By not supporting the residents of the City you are violating your oath of office.
Please allow time for public input by the people who would be most affected by this project and who should be able to review the Stipulation in more than a perfunctory manner.
Residents should be afforded the same courtesy FASNY was clearly afforded.
Midge and Richard Sanchez
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Dear Mayor Roach and members of the Common Council-
Once again, we are faced with yet another ridiculous plan by FASNY to undermine the quality of life of the people of this city. Their attempts to shove their plans for the Ridgeway Country Club site before our city government indicate their complete disregard for the laws of and concerns for the citizens of this city who elected you to serve our best interests and safety. Please vote against any
New plans for their use of the site for their school campus.
Be assured, we the citizens of White Plains and residents of the south end of the city will not stand idly by if Fasny attempts to undermine the quality of our neighborhood because you failed to act in our interest.
Laurie Kimmelstiel
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1.There is a high likelihood that the City will prevail in the lawsuit. Why settle now?
2.There is no justification for declaring the parcel they want to build on not environmentally sensitive. In fact, there are indications that they have covered up wetlands on that parcel.
3.There is no justification for agreeing to address and complete voting on their “new proposal” next year. They took a number of years to complete their part of the process on their last proposal, and they still, in my opinion, did not complete the required work to support their plan. The process should proceed at the pace demanded by the required process and the facts, not based on some unsupported agreement before the process has even begun.
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To the Mayor and Common Council:
POSTPONE ANY action on the FASNY agenda item. It is the least you can do, as elected officials and representatives of the residents of White Plains, after springing this on the public
ONE day before the Labor Day weekend.
It is a disgrace for the mayor and his staff to be negotiating all summer behind closed doors with the litigating party and then picking the worst possible time – the Labor Day weekend – to announce it and bring it before the Common Council and the public.
Where is the open government and transparency promised to the residents and voters at election time?
Carry Kyzivat