WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER SETS RECORD VISITS FOR YEAR 7,017,658 VISITS! 2,098,003 VISITORS MADE 6 VISITS A DAY EVERY DAY. 63,330 UNIQUE VISITORS MADE 133,730 VISITS IN DECEMBER. WPCNR AVERAGED 17,284 VISITORS A WEEK, VISITING 31,270 TIMES.

Hits: 0

WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. From LCOR. April 16, 2004:  LCOR, owner and manager of the Bank Street Commons rental apartment complex in White Plains, has stepped forward as the charter corporate sponsor of the newly revitalized White Plains chapter of the Junior Chamber of Commerce, commonly known as the “Jaycees.”

Returning to White Plains after a two-decade absence, the Jaycees was established in 1920 as the “young person’s organization.”  A nationwide network of professionals between the ages of 21 and 39, members focus on business development, management skills, individual training, community service, and international connections.  Jaycees take part in charitable and community service projects, and sponsor social functions and networking events.


“LCOR is delighted to support the rebirth of this outstanding business
organization,” said Karyn Smith, secretary of the White Plains Jaycees and property manager of Bank Street Commons Apartments, a new, 500-unit residential complex located adjacent to the White Plains Metro-North station.  “This is the perfect time for the Jaycees to return to White Plains.  Our community is experiencing an economic and cultural renaissance that is attracting many young professionals.”


The newly revived Jaycees chapter president is Robert Klein, a financial consultant for Ryan Beck & Company.


Mr. Klein and Ms. Smith said the Jaycees’ return had gained support and encouragement from White Plains Mayor Joseph Delfino, a former Jaycees member.  They added that Jo Falcone, branch manager of the Century 21
Wolff-White Plains and president-elect of the White Plains Rotary, had also assisted in bringing the Jaycees back to White Plains.


Upcoming events planned by the Jaycees include participation in the March of Dimes Walk America Walk and adoption of a local park in Westchester County.


Other officers of the new chapter include vice president Cristina Fahrbach, an attorney with Jackson Lewis LLP, and treasurer Donna Scudieri, who is currently pursuing her college education.

“We invite all young professionals in White Plains to join the Jaycees,” said Mr. Klein.  “White Plains is experiencing a tremendous resurgence, and the Jaycees clearly have a great future here.”

To contact the White Plains branch of the Jaycees, call Dave Blake, Membership Chair, at 914-924-5120 or Robert Klein, President, at 914-419-8126.
 
LCOR, developer of the $140-million Bank Street Commons residential complex, is a national real estate development company that focuses on development of multi-family residential projects, with more than 20,000 residential units completed, under construction or in pre-development across the country.  The company is also owner and manager of the Landmark at Eastview in Tarrytown, one of the East Coast’s largest, multi-tenanted science parks.  

Hits: 0

           WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Westchester County Department of Communications. April 14, 2004. (EDITED):  The Affordable Housing Needs Assessment report, commisioned by Westchester County from the Center for urban Policy Research), released this week, concludes, the county  needs about 18,000 units of affordable housing, of which about 8,300 would be met by the private sector. The remaining number, about 10,000 – or 673 units a year – would have to be produced with the help of government subsidy.

                    Under  County Executive Andy Spano’s tenure, the average annual number of affordable housing units being rehabilitated or being created through new construction has doubled from the prior administration. To a great extent this was accomplished by changing the focus of housing policies to allow the county to assist with the acquisition of land by developers. The county has also been aggressive and creative using a variety of county, state and federal resources.

·        Since 2000, Westchester County government has been involved in the completion of 369 units of new affordable housing. Another 253 units are now under construction, with an additional 193 approved but not yet under construction. This year alone, 201 affordable housing units are expected to be completed and available.

·        In addition, another 1,300 units are pending or in the pipeline.

·        The county has actively sought to help rehabilitate existing deteriorated housing. Since 2000, the county has helped “rehab”  597 units, with another 100 expected for 2004.

            Unlike the original Rutgers housing report done in 1991, this latest one does not include recommendations of what new housing each municipality should take responsibility for.

            “While some communities met or exceeded their ‘allocation,’ this was never easy. We recognize that without appropriate infrastructure such as transportation and sewers it’s more difficult for certain parts of the county to create these housing opportunities,” Spano said.   

                                                                        Some highlights of the report:

• To document the need for affordable housing, the study focused on those housing units lacking complete kitchen and bathroom facilities, were occupied by households paying more than 30 percent of the income toward their rent or more than 50 percent of their income toward their homeownership unit; homeless households living in emergency shelter units; and households living in overcrowded conditions. About 10,000 such units were found and in need of being replaced.   

• CUPR calculated a future demand of about 8,600 new low and moderate income households, to meet the needs of people who move to the county.

• CUPR expects that with current market trends the private sector will build about 8,300 units of affordable housing, leaving an  unmet need of about  10,000 units between 2000 and 2015.

              The Board of Legislators created the Housing Opportunities Commission charging this citizen board with the role of furthering community acceptance of affordable housing in general and providing vital citizen participation in the County’s efforts to develop adequate affordable housing for its residents.

            The Housing Needs Assessment is available on-line on the County Planning Department’s website at www.westchestergov.com/planning.

  County Executive Andy Spano commented on the report: “Affordable housing has been and continues to be one of the most intractable problems county leaders have faced for decades.There are no easy answers. But a study such as this is a tool. We must continue to encourage municipalities and developers to build a healthy mix of housing —  housing for every level of affordability because people at all these levels provide valuable services that contribute toward our quality of life. In the meantime, at the county level we will build on what we have done in the past.”

            Commented George Raymond, executive director of the non-profit Housing Opportunities Commission,   “The HOC, in cooperation with the county Planning Department, has accepted the responsibility of developing an action plan that will advance the cause of affordable housing throughout the county.”

Hits: 0

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From Michelle Schoenfeld. April 14, 2004: White Plains High School’s Advocates for the Earth will hold a program for children in kindergarten through third grade on Earth Day, April 21st, from 4-6 P.M., at the YWCA in White Plains. At this annual event, the High School students will instruct the younger students about recycling, cleaning up their neighborhoods, and local environmental concerns and what they can do about them. There will be arts and crafts, including finger-painting and creating bird feeders, as well as instructional games about recycling. Social Studies teacher Paul Davis is advisor to the group.

Hits: 0

WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. By John F. Bailey. April 13, 2004, UPDATED 12:03 A.M.: Budget Director Anne Reasoner walked the Common Council through the highlights of the 2004-05 budget in a meeting Tuesday evening, and during the course of the meeting reported that the State Office of Taxation and Finance had reported White Plains sales tax receipts for the third quarter ended March 31 to be running 8.6% ahead of the 2002-03 White Plains pace, a very bad year when only $35 Million in Sales Tax was collected.  

WHITE PLAINS BY THE NUMBERS: Anne Reasoner, standing, Budget Director, conducting the Overview of the Budget meeting Tuesday evening. Photo by WPCNR News.

Projecting out to the end of the fiscal year in June, Ms. Reasoner told WPCNR she saw no problem in hitting the 37.8 Million sales tax figure that the 2004-05 budget is counting upon to stay on the projected $110.5 Million city budget.  She gave no other details, but said, “I see no problem in meeting the $37.8 Million figure.” She said reconciliation with the state would take place over the next week, and she expected no downward revision.

She attributed the March spike in sales tax receipts to what she described as “strong retail sales in March.”  

Ms. Reasoner also said that if the 6.5% of Salaries “Pataki Solution” to the  $7.9 Million pension fund payments (the major factor behind the 6% budget increase) demanded by Comptroller Allan Hevesi, did not materialize, the extra $3.8 Million needed would be bonded for  in 04-05.  Payments on that bond, she said,  would not be due until 2005-06, at which time the payments would add 2.7% to the tax burden in fiscal 2005-2006 for five years.

Roach Report from Albany: 6.5% of Salaries Limit on Pension Payment is “Dead.”

Councilman Tom Roach voiced the opinion that the 6.5% of Salaries Pataki Proposal to ease the pain of the pension bill is not going to happen.

At best he said, his information from Albany is that the legislature will grant a 6.5% of salary payment to municipalities to ease the pain of the large pension fund payment,  but municipalities would have to pay the full pension share amount they owe this year.

In the White Plains case, that is $7.9 Million. Roach said the proposal that is likely to happen, according to his Albany listening post is that White Plains will be allowed to pay $3.8 Million in cash (6.5% of salaries), but be allowed to bond or borrow for the rest. In which case, White Plains would be posting the tax hit until 2005-06.

Hits: 0

WPCNR NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS. From a WPCNR Reader. April 13, 2004: Though the daffodils and crocuses were a little late this year they still sprouted up gamely over the chilly Easter weekend, but for one resident the gay splash of color he looks forward to every year was marred by a selfish act.

Sometimes it is not a brutal crime or an insult or blatant unfairness that hurts the most. Sometimes it is a blow to beauty and the expectations of the seasons that crush the heart.

 Here is his short, but disturbing account:

An odd bit of news: I’ve lived in White Plains, on Quinby Ave., (in Fisher Hill) for eight  years. Sure, like lots of people in this city, I’ve had my share of ugly  incidents: my house was broken into, ransacked and robbed, identity theft,  kids roughed up, etc.

But I have to say this Easter was a new low. Someone  deliberately took a knife, walked through my yard and cut my gorgeous purple  hyacinths, tulips and roses for their Easter bouquet. Guess I’ll have to  give up gardening!

A frightened crime victim who NEVER sees cops patrolling in this  neighborhood.