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“THE WHITE PLAINS COMMON COUNCIL TOOK UP THE 701 WESTCHESTER CAMPUS OFFICE SPECIAL PERMIT REQUEST LAST NIGHT AMIST A GROWING COMMUNITY CONCERN ABOUT BUILDING  350 APARTMENTS ON THE SITE OF THE 701 OFFICE BUILDING . CITIZENS SPOKE OUT AGAINST  IT FOR THE EXCESS TRAFFIC , ABOUT 1500 MORE CARS A DAY, THEY SAY. A HEARING THAT LASTED MORE THAN 2 HOURS.

THE WHITE PLAINS COMMON COUNCIL TOOK UP THE 701 WESTCHESTER CAMPUS OFFICE SPECIAL PERMIT REQUEST LAST NIGHT AMIST A GROWING COMMUNITY CONCERN ABOUT BUILDING  350 APARTMENTS ON THE SITE OF THE 701 OFFICE BUILDING . CITIZENS SPOKE OUT AGAINST  IT FOR THE EXCESS TRAFFIC , ABOUT 1500 MORE CARS A DAY, THEY SAY. A HEARING THAT LASTED MORE THAN 2 HOURS.

THE COMMISSIONER OF PLANNING PRESENTED HIS STRUCTURE FOR APPROACHING UPDATING THE WHITE PLAINS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AT 10:15 PM. DENNIS DOES HARRISON HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN? THE WHITE PLAINS PLAN HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED SINCE 2011 DESPITE 10 MIXED USE APARTMENT PROJECTS BEING APPROVED. ONE OBSERVER WHO WAITED TO HEAR MR. GOMEZ COMMENTED THE PLAN WAS “A GOOD START,” THE NEXT STEP IS A POSSIBLE MEETING BETWEEN THE MAYOR AND THREE COUNCIL PERSONS WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS.

THE CONCERNS EXPRESSED BY RESIDENTS  GOING INTO THE MEETING ARE ENCROACHMENT ON THE OUTER NEIGHBORHOODS, EVER INCREASING TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN THE DOWNTOWN AND WHETHER THE ENVISIONED RETAIL SPACES BEING FILLED UP – WHICH DUE TO COVID ARE NOT BEING FILLED UP. CITIZENS WANT TO INFLUENCE THEIR VISION OF THE CITY WHICH HAS UNTIL NOW FOCUSED ON PRESERVING THE SUBURBAN RESIDENTIAL DONUT AROUND THE WHITE PLAINS DOWNTOWN AND NOT MUCH CONCERN ABOT ABOUT THE DOWNTOWN. THE OPEN SPACE ISSUES OF 20 YEARS AGO DOWNTOWN HAVE LONG BEEN FORGOTTEN AND CEASE TO BE AN ISSUE THAT GALVANIZES THE PUBLIC . THE HEARING WAS CONTINUED TO JULY 6.

THE WHITE PLAINS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY HAS BEEN FUNDED WITH $50,000 TO BRING IN A  TRAINED EXPLOSIVE SNIFFING CANINE OFFICER TO HAVE MORE IMMEDIATE TIMELY ACCESS TO ASCERTAINING WHETHER BUILDINGS MAY HAVE HIDDEN EXPLOSIVES IN THEM. PREVIOUSLY THE CITY HAD TO RELY ON COUNTY POLICE EXPLOSIVE-DETECTING CANINES.

THE COUNTY COVID INFECTION RATE CONTINUED AVERAGING A HALF PERCENT INFECTION RATE  FROM THE DAY BEFORE MEMORIAL DAY MAY30  THROUGH SUNDAY JUNE 6. DURING THE LAST WEEK 120 PERSONS TESTED POSITIVE  FOR COVID, JUST 17 AVERAGE NEW COVID POSITIVE  PERSONS A DAY OF A TOTAL OF 38,665 TESTED. THE INFECTION RATE FOR THE WEEK CONTINUES SLASHED DOWN FROM 400 INFECTIONS A DAY APRIL 1 TO 17 A DAY A DECLINE OF 94% IN INFECTIONS. THIS BY MY CALCULATIONS HAVE CUT HOSPITALIZATIONS DOWN TO 2% FROM THE 3.5% THE COUNTY HAD BEEN AVERAGING ACCOUNTING FOR JUST 37 HOSPITALIZATIONS LAST WEEK.WELL BELOW THE EXPECTED HOSPITALIZATION RATE BASED ON THE INFECTIONS TO WEEKS AGO.

WHITE PLAINS HOSPITAL OPENED ITS CENTER FOR ADVANCED MEDICINE AND SURGERY ON LONGVIEW AVENUE AND MAPLE. SUSAN FOX WELCOMING WELL OVER A 100 INVITEES TO THE OPENING, PRAISED THE  MONTIFIORE- WHITE PLAINS HOSPITAL STAFF FOR THEIR HANDLING THE HIGH NUMBER OF COVID CASES AT THIS TIME A YEAR AGO—AS OF LAST WEEK WHITE PLAINS HAD 9 PATIENTS WITH COVID AND A YEAR AGO, 88% OF WHITE PLAINS HOSPITAL WAS FILLED WITH COVID PATIENTS . MONTIFIORE HOSPITAL PRESIDENT ANNOUNCED THE MONTIFIORE CARDIAC SURGERY TEAM WOULD BE JOINING THE WHITE PLAINS CENTER TO TREAT PATIENTS SOMETIME LATER THIS YEAR

THE WHITE PLAINS OUTDOOR ARTS FESTIVAL ATTRACTED HUNDREDS TO TIBBETTS PARK ON NORTH BROADWAY SATURDAY AND SUNDAY WITH AT LEAST 200 TO 300 PEOPLE STROLLING THROUGH THE 80 VENDOR SHOW.

I WAS LISTENING TO YOUR TRAFFIC REPORT JUST BEFORE COMING ON THE AIR TALKING ABOUT THE BRUCKNER EXPRESSWAY AND THE MAJOR DEEGAN “SOLID” WITH TRAFFIC. THE REASON IS THE EXTENSIVE CONSTRUCTION ON THE BRUCKNER EXPRESSWAY AND THE DEEGAN WHICH HAS CREATED EXTENSIVE DELAYS DAILY. I DROVE INTO THE CITY ONE WEEK AGO LEAVING FOR  3^RD STREET IN GREENWICH VILLAGE THE BRUCKNER AND THE TRIBORO BRIDGE AND FDR  FROM WHITE PLAINS. IT TOOK ME 1 HOUR AND 45 MINUTES—ONE HOUR LONGER THAN USUAL . IT IS LIKE RUSH HOUR ALL DAY DRIVING INTO NYC.TALK ABOUT CONGRESTION PRICING, THIS IS CONGESTED DRIVING. AND YOU KNOW WHAT—NO POLICE SUPERVISE THE LANE SQUEEZEDOWNS—ALLOW AT LEAST AN HOUR TO ANY DRIVE INTO THE CITY. RUSH HOUR IS ALL DAY NOW.

I WILL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK! 7:50 AM TUESDAYS ON WVOX.ORG OR WVOX 1460 AM“