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: 156

Windbrook Revitalization may begin shortly, as county mulls covering infrastructure to get it started after the project was proposed six years ago

WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. News From the Westchester County Board of Legislators (EDITED with research by the WPCNR staff). September 18, 2013:

The Winbrook Revitalization Plan dormant for about seven years is showing signs of life with Dattner Architects of New York, designers of the project for the Jonathan Rose Companies, projecting the first ten story building will begin construction, no date as yet, with completion set for 2015.

The project is moving ahead because Westchester County is considering funding the infrastructure in a decision made Wednesday. In its news release the Westchester County Board of Legislators wrote:

“The Westchester County Board of Legislators (BOL) advanced a significant affordable housing plan yesterday when the authorization for a finance agreement to assist the City of White Plains and the developer (a subsidiary of Jonathan Rose Companies, the original partner with Avalon Bay on the Revitalization Plan) was approved by the BOL’s Government Operations Committee, chaired by Legislator Catherine Borgia (D-Ossining).

“The authorization approved yesterday, when passed by the full BOL and signed by the County Executive, will allow the County to enter into an agreement with the City of White Plains and Winbrook Phase I GP, LLC, the developer involved in the project to finance infrastructure improvements in support of a 104-unit development to be known as Winbrook Phase 1.

Editor’s Note:Winbrook Phase 1 GP, LLC  WPCNR  has learned is a subsidiary of Jonathan Rose Companies, the original partner with Avalon Bay  picked by the city to build the long delayed Winbrook Revitalization project that originally was agreed to by the city with HUD as the expected finance source during the Delfino administration years ago, originally touted as a mixed income development bringing gentrification to the area while rehousing the 450 residents living in the World War II built buildings presently on the site.A composite of the project and its location on Quarropas and South Lex is shown above from the architect website.

Editor’s Note:  Previously a Department of Housing and Urban Development grant was combined with a city commitment to begin the first floor with the community center has not begun yet. However, it appears that project is about to begin, as the architects expect it to be completed in 2015. It is not known whether the approximate $5 Million seed money is in hand.

As WPCNR reported last year:  The council approved the first step in the ongoing Winbrook Revitalization Project, approving a 10-story building,housing an Education Center , which will be built first, however funding is only available for the first floor housing the education center on the first floor. The city is funding $1.5 Million of the project and the Housing and Urban Development, $3,500,000 as of this spring. The Housing and Urban Development press office in New York confirmed to WPCNR, HUD is still funding the $3.5 Million “only for the education facility,” the spokesman explained.

During the 2012 hearing on the Winbrook project, William Null, the attorney for the enterprise said in response to a question by Council President Beth Smayda that plans for subsequent buildings in the project would be submitted on a project-by-project basis and built individually according to the individual’s financial model, and not as part of a connected project. Design, Null said would depend on whom the Housing Authority was working with to develop each building in the future, so, Null suggested that it was somewhat impossible to present the kind of comprehensive plan that Smayda suggested.

The architect for the project stepped up to say that the Authority had not applied for the financing yet, because it needed  approval to do so and would be applying to state agencies for tax credit financing after approval.  The Housing and Urban Development agency in Washington told the authority in the spring of this year (2012), its funds were no longer available for financing the entire project.

According to the architect, Dattner Architects on their website viewed this evening http://www.dattner.com/portfolio/winbrook-houses/#prev_image

The Winbrook Housing Revitalization Master plan was developed for the City of White Plains and a private developer, and through a phased implementation will replace the aging, existing housing stock with a new, sustainable, mixed-income and mixed-use development. The first building will be located along Quarropas Street. The 121,000 square foot building will include a 13,500 square foot community facility emphasizing job training and other City programs.

The programs spaces will be independent, with separate entrances, service access and utility metering. The residential portion will be designed in accordance with NYS Homes and Community Renewal standards and will meet Enterprise Green Communities and NYSERDA requirements. The clients have challenged the team to distinguish the project from “typical public housing” and make an important urban statement.

The Board of Legislators news release said “This project actually involves the redevelopment of the Winbrook Public Housing Complex, originally built in 1949 and located at the southeast corner of Quarropas Street and South Lexington Avenue.

“Currently, the plan is to construct 103 fair and affordable housing units, plus one set aside for a superintendent, in a single ten-story building along with 23 parking spaces. Once the new development has been completed, eligible tenants from the existing buildings can move into the new units and the appropriate older buildings will be demolished.

“Infrastructure improvements for the redevelopment totaling $1,140,000 will come from the County’s Capital Project Housing Implementation Fund, and will finance sewer and main replacements, curbing, paving, parking, lighting, grading, landscaping and ancillary work related to the project.

“While it’s important to continue our efforts in increasing the number of new affordable housing units in Westchester, my colleagues on the Board of Legislators also know that existing housing stock along these lines, used by seniors, veterans and young professionals, is aging and needs ongoing attention and care,” said Borgia. “Here, a developer has stepped up to help partner with the County in maintaining a number of units in White Plains, and this is the kind of collaboration that deserves our encouragement and support.”

New construction of the 104 affordable housing in the Winbrook Phase I development will include 34 one bedroom units, 44 two bedroom units, 25 three bedroom units and a two bedroom unit for the superintendent.

Hits: 233

WPCNR SOUTH END TIMES. By John F. Bailey. September 17, 2013: 

White Plains City School District officials met with the French American School of New York in June to review FASNY alternative proposals for entrances to their proposed campus on the former Ridgeway Country Club, WPCNR has learned

Contrary to protestations of school board members they knew nothing of the proposed entrance alternative  offerred  last night in the approved Final Environmental Impact Statement (shown above), WPCNR has learned  representatives from the French American School of New York met with Assistant Superintendent for Business of the School District, Fred Seiler and Facilities and Operations Manager Frank Stefanelli in June of this year.

Fred Seiler told WPCNR Tuesday afternoon that the group from FASNY included the head master of the French American School, a representative from the FASNY project architectural firm, a member of the FASNY Board and two others. Seiler said they presented about four  designs, one of which included the proposed traffic circle/roundabout entrance featured in the Final Environmental Impact Statement approved as complete and accurate by the Common Council by a vote of 5-2 Monday evening.

Previously this week a member of the school board Peter Bassano told WPCNR, the board had not known of the proposed entrance until the beginning of September and said the Interim Superintendent, Timothy Connors had not known either.

Seiler said that the FASNY contingent did show  him and Stefanelli  ithe design for the roundabout/traffic circle to Seiler and Mr. Stefanelli. Asked if the two had any reaction, Seiler said “Frank felt the roundabout would be difficult for pedestrians to cross.”

Asked if Seiler had told the Board of Education about the presentation, he said he had told the superintendent, Christopher Clouet at the time, and Seiler said the Board of Education did not feel it was an issue that concerned them at the time, and that it could be taken up when and if it was an actual proposal. Seiler did not say he and Stefanelli had endorsed any of the plans shown.

Now that the roundabout entrance to the proposed FASNY campus has made it as one of two finalists in the search for a mitigating traffic alternative in the Final Environmental Impact Statement that will be used to base any Common Council findings on the project, Seiler said the French American School has set up a meeting with the Board of Education to discuss the roundabout solution in detail.

Hits: 152

WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER.September 16, 2013:

As predicted earlier today by WPCNR, the Common Council tonight accepted the Draft Final Environmental Impact Statement filed by the French American School of New York as part of the SEQR process on their plan to build a 7 building school campus on the former Ridgeway Country Club property they bought in 2010.

After two years of review tonight,  Mayor Tom Roach, Council President Beth Smayda, Councilman Benjamin Boykin, Councilman John Martin, Councilman John Kirkpatrick voted to approve the French American School of New York Draft Final Environmental Impact Statement, while Councilwoman Milagros Lecuona and Councilman Dennis Krolian voted against approval of completeness. The Resolution to accept as complete and accurate sets the stage for the council to  make findings at a later date.

All five councilpersons voting to approve the project stressed their vote was not an approval of the project but a step in the SEQR process to move ahead with the review process. Though each had reservations about statements and analyses in the Draft Final Environmental Impact Statement, each said  there was a lot more that had to be examined before the project could be approved.

Council President Beth Smayda also noted that the suggested alternative entrance was actually suggested in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, indicating it was not a new wrinkle as the Gedney Farms Association has maintained. Smayda also had this definition of “complete and accurate,”:

:”Accepting the DFEIS as complete is not a vote for everything in the FEIS. Parts 1 & 2 of the FEIS clearly state they reflect the beliefs of FASNY. Accepting as complete is saying that all comments have been addressed in an adequate and accurate manner. I may not agree with what the applicant (FASNY) believes on a certain point but the fact that they believe it is accurate.”

“The findings which come later reflect the council as lead agency’s views, changes and comments, many of which I would expect will reflect the input we have received from the residents during the entire process.”

“Yes, there are changes that have been made between the Draft EIS  and the Draft FEIS. I view this as a normal part of the process where the applicant is responding to comments and issues raised during the review process. One purported change, the North Street entrance was included in the DEIS and the picture of it is very similar to what we see in the FEIS. There is a drawing of it in there. The expanded discussion of this alternative in the FEIS is a natural progression under SEQR in response to public comment.”

No residents were allowed to speak. Each councilperson made a brief statement before the vote was taken.

Previously opponents of the project had requested the council to schedule more hearings to discuss in more detail the two new entrance possibilities proposed in the DFEIS on North Street and on Bryant Avenue; as well as the busing plan and the effects of new proposals on the conservation area of the site.

These requests for scheduling more hearings were ignored by the evening’s vote.

Now the Council must evaluate the FEIS and make “Findings,” within 30 days. Should the council decide the project can proceed, then site plan has to be prepared.

Based on Comments of the six councilpersons and the Mayor, there is a long way to go in the process.

What will the Council Findings Statement have to do according to SEQR?

According to the SEQR handbook,

A findings statement is a written document, prepared following acceptance of a final EIS, which declares that all SEQR requirements for making decisions on an action have been met.

The findings statement identifies the social and economic, as well as environmental, considerations that have been weighed in making a decision to approve or disapprove an action.

A positive findings statement means that, after consideration of the final EIS, the project or action can be approved, and the action chosen is the one that minimizes or avoids environmental impacts to the maximum extent practicable. For an action which can be approved, an agency’s findings statement must articulate that agency’s balancing of adverse environmental impacts against the needs for and benefits of the action.

If the action cannot be approved based on analyses in the final EIS, a negative findings statement must be prepared, documenting the reasons for the denial.

Each involved agency, not only the lead agency, must prepare its own SEQR findings following acceptance of a final EIS. Findings provide “the teeth” in the SEQR process because they articulate the basis for substantive aspects of each agency’s decision, including supporting any conditions to be imposed by the agency. Whether findings support approval or denial of an action, the agency’s reasoning must be stated in the form of facts and conclusions that are derived from the final EIS.

Hits: 113

WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. From the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. September 13, 2013:

White Plains Sales Tax Receipts went up 2% in August, and its sales tax handle for the first two months of the city fiscal year was up  1%. But city retail sales rates are lagging behind county sales tax growth rate of 6% a month.

The all-Westchester County pace of a steady 6% increase in sales taxes, puts  the county on target, if they match last year’s September through December “handle,” of reaching $477.7 MILLION. Should September through December continue the 6% rate of spending the county is looking at a $487.4 Million sales tax handle.

Westchester County through 8 months of its 2013 fiscal year is up 6%, collecting $316,183,750   compared to $298,080257 the first 8 months of  2012.

If the County continues on the 6% growth rate, the county will earn $487.4 Million in sales tax receipts, generating a $10 Million surplus in sales tax receipts over the 2013 forecast of $478 Million in sales taxes.

Should the county have a robust September and Holiday Season there is an outside chance they could hit $500 Million, an all time record.

Hits: 134

Cass V. Cibelli, Candidate for Mayor of White Plains