WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER 3,374,995 VISITS IN ONE YEAR—65,000 VISITS A WEEK BY 985,281 VISITORS

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WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. July 8, 2008: Last night the Common Council voted to extend the site plan for the 240 Main Street 42 units of affordable housing to April 9, 2009, giving Cappelli Enterprises another nine months to complete the project. The resolution was careful to say “does not supersede  (et al.) the Applicant’s obligation to complete the construction of the twenty-four (24) affordable units attributable to the 221 Main Street Project by August 6, 2008.”

The Council deigned to vote on the resolution to license the Ritz Traffic Island to Cappelli Enterprises as that matter was still in litigation with Supreme Court Judge Susan Cacace, voting to table the licensing compromise, pending the Cacace judgment.

In other action, the Council approved tax certiorari refund settlements for a series of  Mamaroneck Avenue property owners for the last four years, the proclaimed era of “the White Plains Renaissance,” totaling $236,795, which will mean an approximate $950,000 refund from the White Plains City School District (every $1 in city tax refunds, generates $4 in school tax refunds). The settlements and corresponding assessment reductions have already been deducted from the tax roll and will not result in any reduction in the tax roll next year according to City Assessor Lloyd Tasch.

The properties receiving certiorari settlements deserve attention because most are located adjacent to the White Plains “5th Avenue,” Mamaroneck Avenue, the main business “drag.” The assessments were reduced and refunds given based on results and business conducted  during the “White Plains Renaissance.” 

Silverman 237 LLC, 235-237 Mamaroneck Aveue,  $51.229, refund; $118,300 reduced assessment;  Silverman 245 LLC, 245 Mamaroneck Avenue, $3,405.30 refund; $8,000 reduced assessment;

Silverman 222 Mamaroneck Avenue LLC, 222 Mamaroneck Avenue, 56 Waller Avenue,  $44,498.55 refund; $98,980 reduced Assessment and  56 Waller Avenue, $1,584.87 refund;  $3,520 reduced assessment.

The reduced assessments totaled $228,800 for the Silverman holdings, the refund $100,718.

48 Mamaroneck Avenue LLC (48-62 Mamaroneck Avenue),  received a $34,072.25 refund; $85,000 Assessment Reduction.

76 Mamaroneck Avenue LLC (64-86 Mamaroneck Avenue), received a $25,463.60 refund; $60,000 reduced assessment.

Post 180, LLC (180 East Post Road) was granted a $14,375.20 refund; a $35,000 Assessment Reduction.

144 Mamaroneck Avenue LLC (142-146 Mamaroneck Avenue), a $4,982.01 refund, $7,500 assessment reduction.

110-122 Mamaroneck Avenue LLC,  a $7,850.05 refund, a $20,000 assessment reduction.

Broadmar Company LLC,  277 Martine Avenue, a $53,812.80 refund (dating back through 2002-2003) and a $95,000 assessment reduction.

In other action,  requests for site plan extensions for the Kensington Assisted Living Apartments and North Street Community senior condominiums  were referred out to departments.

A total of $100,000 was added to the TransCare EMS contract to ease the higher cost of fuel for the ambulance service.

Lamb & Barnosky, LLP was hired as counsel for labor negotiations for the city at a cost of $158,000.

$1,500,000 in bonds was approved for Water main extension  connecting the city’s pump stations at Central Avenue and Orchard Street.

$125,000 in bonds was approved to improve Chatterton Playground, including new playground equipment, fencing, safety surfaces and walkways was authorized. Another $50,000 in bonds was approved for rehabilitation work at Slater Center, replacement of steps, retain walls and installation of handicap accessible entrance doors.

The Council also authorized $301,065 from the Reserve for financing to pay for repairs to city hall when a water pipe burst on December 3, 2007, submerging the city hall boilers and electric system, as well as storm damage to 140 South Kensico Avenue and the upper level of White Plains Public Library. Approximately 1/3 of the $301,065 was overtime and payroll costs.

Signage for the Burlington Coat Factory was approved.                                                                                                

And finally the Department of Parking reported an additional $884,000 in revenues will be collection from “surplus revenues in the area of parking meter fees, permit fees, towing/scofflaw fines, parking meter bags and cashkey revenue /sales. The Department projects it will collect $19,986,000 for Fiscal Year 2007/2008, just ended.

Vintage was granted a Special Permit  to operate another three years.

Elements Restaurant was granted a Special Permit for rooftop dining at 161 Mamaroneck Avenue.

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WPCNR THE BUILDING NEWS. By John F. Bailey July 7, 2008 UPDATED 3:25 P.M. EDT: The Kensington, a 91-unit assisted living senior apartment complex expected to share the new  $19 Million Longview Avenue Municipal Parking Garage expected to be complete any day now is seeking additional financing according to a letter from the developer, Fountain Square Properties, LLC., of Reston, Virginia, delaying that project indefinitely. Development could begin in February, a principal told WPCNR Monday afternoon, pending HUD participation.

 

North Street Community, the developers of a 324-unit condominium project, which was approved one year ago, requested an extension of one year, too, in a referral contained in this evening’s information packet furnished the media and Common Council.

Longview Avenue Muncipal Garage, July 2, viewed from Cromwell Place, foreground.  It awaits use by White Plains Hospital Medical Center, on the first three floors. The hospital, according to a spokesperson has not set a date when hospital visitors can use the garage, and that the city has not turned the garage over for their usage yet. The Kensington would be built in the front of the parking garage

The Kensington appearts to blame both rising costs and the city for preventing their starting the project last year,  in their letter requesting an extension, writing :”WPK (White Plains Kensington) has recently received construction bids and has seen construction costs increase by approximately $3,000,000 over estimates at the time of initial project approval.”

 

The letter signed by Harley Cook, Dan Gorham and David W. Faeber, Managing Member of Fountain Square Development, LLC  reveals the developers are seeking public financing for the project: “the national markets, especially real estate finance, have experienced unforeseen turmoil and distruption. The conventional construction financing market is all but shut down. In light of these factors, WPK has had to pursue financing from the HUD 232, which is especially for assisted living communities. WPK has met with HUD’s New York office, and with the Mayor and City staff to initiate the process…”

David Faeber, the Managing Member, speaking to WPCNR Monday afternoon from Reston, Virginia,said equity has been raised for the project and that HUD is being asked to pay for the construction costs of the project. He declined to say at this time how much the project would cost, because his company was still working out the numbers. He said that  due to the state of the financial markets, they had decided to seek HUD’s help with the construction.

He said his company was still very excited about the project and fully expected an answer from HUD in January. He envisioned starting the project weather permitting at that time.

Asked if the project would cost $40 Million, Faeber said, “North of there.”

The letter in the information packet provided the Common Council states “The HUD office has informed us that they expect their process to take until January 2009 to complete.”

The letter also discloses that the city asked Kensington to delay its acquisition of the project  site “to allow the City to use the project site (fronting Maple Avenue) for crane staging for the construction of the Longview Municipal Parking Garage.”

Readers of WPCNR will remember, the positioning of the Longview Garage on the site had to be turned horizontal to Maple Avenue, due to unforeseen water table problems encountered in original borings. This necessitated the White Plains Kensington project to be taken off  fronting Cromwell Place, and to front on Maple Avenue instead.

County Department of Public Works Delays North Street Community Job

In the other site plan extension referral, North Street Community, in a letter from its attorney Paul Bergins, notes “Since the adoption of the Resolution, North Street Community LLC has complied with all the time-sensitive conditions of the Approval Resolution, except that approval from the Westchester County Department of Public Works for work required in North Street, a County road, has not yet been received and is pending.”

The letter from attorney Bergins also notes asbestos abatement related to the buildings to be demolished has begun, and the developer “has been negotiating with potential operators of the assisted living component of the project.”

The developer, North Street Community, commissioned a realtor that has been sifting potential partners in developing the property with North Street Community since last August.

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WPCNR PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE DAY. By the WPCNR Roving Photographer. July 6, 2008: Westchester County Police were investigating how  the Westchester County digital clock located for some nine years on a traffic island in front of the Westchester County Center, would up on its side Sunday morning, its digital ticker stopped. Police told WPCNR they had a few leads, but the cause of the fall of the Westchester County Government Clock (originally erected to count down the days, minutes and hours to the year 2000), was still “under investigation” as of 4 P.M. Sunday.

 

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WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. News & Commentary.  By John F. Bailey. July 4, 2008: Other than the shock of it, the stalling of the LCOR  55 Bank Street project for at least a year due to financial conditions raises long term policy questions. LCOR is usually dependable an has done much good for the city, so when they are telling you they cannot do something. It pays to pay attention. We have absolute faith that LCOR can pull this out. They always have in the past.

The process raises some fundamental questions about what the city should do next, and should be thinking about. What is the city role in development anyway?

And it was a shock. When was the developer planning to tell the city they were having a problem financing the $300 Million project – all 586 Units of it? When did the Mayor know about it? When did he tell the Common Council?  Perhaps the city should demand all land purchase money upfront from now on. Can we taxpayers pay on an accrual basis now, without interest?

The developer three months ago, according to their website, got $61 Million in financing to build an office redevelopment at 545 Madison Avenue in New York City. They were also looking for financing for an apartment complex in Brooklyn the same time as they were going out for our 55 Bank Street project.

Now Wednesday evening, not only do they admit thay did not pay the city the second installment of their land payment on time, but says they cannot get  the $300 Million in financing for the 55 Bank Street project unless they get to redesign the project into something completely different in looks, and only have to start it when they get financing for each step of the project.  Do they provide a full color rendering and presentation? No. They show a sketch that just shows a rough concept. 

Now the city really wants that affordable housing all 107 units of it.

Through this process, the city has bent over to help LCOR, the developer,  build this project and LCOR has demanded more and more each step of the way. First the city offered LCOR the commuter parking lot property without putting the property out to bid.  The city sought out LCOR to do this project.

The city did this because they said they knew what to expect from LCOR.  They were a developer the city could trust was the reason given by the Mayor’s Office.

At the time the project was first presented, LCOR said they did not need a Payment In Lieu of Taxes agreement. Then at the eleventh hour last year, LCOR came in and said they needed a PILOT, and got an 18 year PILOT on the project, and $29 Million of tax abatement, according to the city, $39 Million the way the Westchester County Industrial Development Agency figured it. It seemed that the conditions were dictating that LCOR had to get a better deal, a better deal as conditions in the economy deteriorated. It shows that  perhaps LCOR may have wanted to do the deal against their better judgment and in the end, could not.

Now, LCOR wishes to change the project design because the financial markets have changed. This is no addition of one floor to a building; this is a redesign. They also want to split the project into three to four stages, start time dependent on financing for each component. Completion by 2012

The process raises some fundamental questions about what the city should do next, and should be thinking about.

A.      Can the city take back the land, paying LCOR back for the land? And throw the area open to other developers?  If so, this will immediately  create an $11 Million hole in the 2008-2009 budget.  The city would have to replace the $5 Million LCOR owed last Monday and the $6 Million they paid last year.  LCOR has said that if the city accepts their plan, Lehman Brothers will finance the $5 Million it owed the city last Monday. The payment is of no consequence, it will probably be paid. But what should be future city policy towards selling land?

 

B.      Would LCOR have a reason to go after the city legally for not financing the project with Urban Renewal Municipal Bonds, which the White Plains Urban Renewal Agency did vote to be able to do in the event LCOR could not find financing. LCOR requested this and the Urban Renewal Agency passed legislation enabling the agency to do so.  Would LCOR hold the city to that somewhat “just in case,” little discussed option?

 

       Of course, the Urban Renewal Agency might not have to be used. The city could float the bonds on its credit rating that is impeccable according to the city. However is financing a project for a megadeveloper what the city really wants to do just for 107 affordable units?

 

Renting units in existing apartment buildings in the city would be cheaper than building them, wouldn’t it? As WPCNR has pointed out in the past the cost of building affordable housing units approximates building market rate luxury units.

 

C.      If the city decided to finance 55 Bank Street in its entirety to “get it done,” they would be raising the city outstanding debt from $55 Million in current projects (in the current budget) to close to $400 Million at much high municipal rates than the past.

          This might be a politically correct move to the financially clueless Common Council.  One wonders about the wisdom of financing the entire project for them with the city holding the bag. Perhaps the Council could finance a combination of the project with other partners

            However, the possibility of the city self financing to get a project done is not without precedent. The city financed $23 Million for the  City Center Garage when Cappelli Enterprises said they could not finance the entire garage. Cappelli Enterprises eventually did finance $47 Million of the City Garage through the Westchester County IDA.

Interesting possibilities.

 

 

D.      Does this invite a strong legal challenge to the city affordable housing requirements in light of the sharply increased “buyout options,” and restrictions it puts on developer profits?

 

E.       LCOR is the third developer in the last two weeks ago to say they cannot make an affordable housing, market rate combination building work in today’s market. Is this time to scrap the affordable housing set aside, because it does not work financially? Is it time to meet with developers and do some hard economic research as to what builders can afford to build? The old model the city created no longer works because financial benchmarks are obsolete due to the snowballing inflation of construction costs.

 

The only affordable housing units that have opened in the last four years in White Plains are the Horton Mill project at Silver Lake, (17 units), a small $7 Million project that took six years to build; The Avalon project was a buyout; and Bill Brown’s Senior Housing was built at a cost of $14 Million, at close to $280,000 a unit. 

 

Isn’t it about time the council did some serious economic studies of the affordable housing requirement to see if it is realistic for developers, setting a floating percentage rate of number of affordable units, might be more intelligent than the flat 10% rate passed this spring in the face of a deteriorating economy I might add. The affordable housing law was a poorly conceived, poorly timed, politically motivated, not thoroughly researched piece of legislation. (But what else would you expect from the White Plains Common Council which sometimes seems to operate unaware of what is happening around them. They have to pay more attention when creating legislation.)

 

That a developer the size of LCOR has essentially told the city the 55 Bank Street project is unworkable by their numbers is showing you that the city affordable housing law is poorly conceived and does not fit the way the marketplace and the construction community works.

 

LCOR has come in with a redesign that essentially cuts the cost of the project (one long high building, and one short one).

 

F.       Perhaps it is time for the city to stop cutting deals to favored developers and put properties out for open bids and put out Requests for Proposals.

 

 But, that would require the Mayor’s Office to discuss future development with the Council in advance, and follow the Comprehensive Plan, either revised or updated or whatever.  The point is the Council is completely devoid of planning or thinking about the city. They go in two or three times a month, listen to uninformed political cronies and make decisions  that they think are politically correct no matter how nasty, unworkable, or apparently even legally suspect they are.

       The council actually refused to explore development possibilities when they refused the designation of a possible developer of the Station area.

       Now, that developer, Louis Cappelli,  a man of action with the ability to maneuver his company in the currents of the markets, is thanking the Council for voluntarily relieving him of the duty for studying development possibilities in White Plains. But it should be noted, Mr. Cappelli gets financing.  LCOR did not.

G.      The No Development Era Begins?

 

Thanks to the affordable housing law, it can be argued that developers now have an excuse to develop Stamford, New Rochelle, Mount Vernon, Yonkers, Ossining and other communities before considering White Plains. There is, with the exception of the Silverman property, nothing happening in new construction in White Plains.

 

Who will develop the White Plains West Side renovation now that Mr. Cappelli is in the money in the Catskills?

 

Another thing that happened this week was the Longview Avenue Garage WPCNR was told  by the Mayor’s Office, is completed and the White Plains Hospital Center could begin using that garage for parking next week. Groundbreaking, according to City Hall, for the Kensington Assisted Living building to be built on Maple Avenue has been postponed. There’s also the senior assisted living project in Scarsdale that the city is fighting

 

 

As the state shows no inclination to stop its spending, and neither does the county, the city faces major tax revenue increases over the next four years with no increase in revenues except for inflation. Without more development, the city ability to add to its tax base disappears. Since the council in their lack of financial oversight has failed to deal with containing costs and stopping assessment drains, and has inhibited developers with the affordable housing set aside policy,  made abundantly clear by three developers in two weeks, the White Plains Renaissance has ended.

 

What will be the Mayor’s and the  Common Council “stimulus package?”

 

  

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WPCNR’s THE REAL DEAL. By The Wedding Jeannie, Jeannie Uyanik of Cap and Gown Weddings. July 3, 2008: July fourth falling on a Friday more often than not guarantees the holiday festivities will begin on a Thursday, and continue well through the weekend.  So those guests who usually only drop by for the day of barbeque could be staying a while longer.  It seemed only appropriate that we assist you in whipping up a few extra, sure to wow (except maybe the Jello) dishes, that can be easily doubled or tripled to feed the masses while still looking unique. 

 

The Weddding Jeannie

Jeannie Uyanik

Wedding Planner to the World

WPCNR COLUMNISTA

 

From the start, let’s be clear that I have NO talent in the kitchen.  I don’t want to in anyway misrepresent myself as a cook, chef, or as having capable hands to assist anyone cooking anything.  But what I do very well is measure and follow directions. 

 

It takes me longer than about 90% of the population, but with good directions and a solid recipe, I can fool anyone into thinking that I know what I am doing.  That and a live-in chef have saved me from much embarrassment over the years.  But these are all tried and true family recipes, coming from as far back as my great-grandmother,  (the unique  Gertrude Pinneo of Sunnyside Avenue in Pleasantville), who knew how to throw a party and a Sunday dinner for 40 without blinking an eye. 

 

And I have personally made each of these dishes, so I know that anyone can do it. 

 

The key to the following dishes if used in conjunction, is that they will cater to each of your crazy guests:

 

The health nut (the organic lentil salad),

 

The carb hound (great grandma’s baked pimento ziti),

 

The I have seen it all on the grill (garlic lobster tails & Turkish hamburgers),

 

 The picker (Jello fruit salad mold). 

 

While I can’t cook to save my life, I usually host a gathering for about 20 to 40 people at least once a month at my home.  It’s clear that the key to a successful, and oft remembered weekend or event, is variety in the menu and putting things out there that most have not seen before. 

 

That’s tough to do for larger crowds or more relaxed barbeques.  But the menu above hits the spot in terms of mass preparation and keeps guests thinking you threw everything together just before they arrived. 

 

If you have any questions, I would suggest that you not write to me, but since that’s probably your only option, I promise to get you an answer from someone else who knows about cooking. 

 

And for the dessert, I leave that to the chef, but last week he made a fantastic cheese cake and I contributed my Duncan Hines brownies; of course when asked for the recipe, my response was “a little of this and that and a flick of the wrist.”

 

Organic Lentil Salad

 

One bag of green lentils – usually 1lb, but any size will do, just increase the ingredients below accordingly. 

Set the lentils in water overnight in a bowl; make sure there is plenty of water, well above the level of lentils.

Next day, boil the lentils in water, don’t over cook them as you don’t want them to be mushy. After a 5min-7min of boiling, just taste a few every few minutes to see when they are done, then soak in cold water, to stop the cooking process.

Chop the following as finely as you can and all ingredients should be organic if possible:
-1 dozen radishes
-1 small bag of baby carrots
-1 bunch Italian parsley
-1-2 bunches of scallions
-1 red pepper
-1 orange or yellow pepper (or half of each)
-2-3 small cucumbers (the small ones are perfect for this salad)
-2-3 stalks of celery

Add, salt, black pepper, cumin (this is the KEY ingredient), squeeze 1 lemon, and plenty of extra virgin olive oil.  (no exact measurements for these, so build it up slowly until the taste gets to your liking. For olive oil start with 1/2 cup, and add from there)

 

Mix all the ingredients and serve cold. 

 

Grandma’s Baked Pimento Ziti

-2 cups uncooked Ziti

-2 cups cheddar cheese cut up

-2 cups bread crumbs (real bread cut in small 1 inch pieces)

-1 jar sliced pimento

-5 cups of milk

-2 eggs

-3 tablespoons of chopped onions

-2 teaspoons of salt

-1/4 teaspoons of pepper

-3 tablespoons of butter

 

Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees with no cover.  Let stand 15 minutes.

 

 

Garlic Lobster Tails

-4 lobster tails (Costco is a great place to get good tails, but try and buy the smaller ones because the meat is more tender)

-3 or 4 cloves of crushed garlic

-1 bunch cilantro, medium diced

-3 medium sized tomatoes, finely 

– ½ cup of olive oil

-1 lemon squeezed (fresh)

-salt, pepper to taste

 

Keep the lobsters in their shells and combine all other ingredients mixing everything together in one large bowl.  Marinate overnight or for as long as possible (at least 10 hours).  Lobsters should be cooked on the grill, leave on high heat for 10-12 minutes total.

 

Turkish Hamburgers (aka Kofte)

-1.5 pounds of minced beef

-1 medium finely chopped onion

-1 bunch Italian parsley finely chopped

-1/2 a cup of plain breadcrumbs

-1 egg

-2 tablespoons of cumin

-1 teaspoon salt

-1 teaspoon pepper

 

Knead all ingredients together by hand well for at least 5 minutes.  Pick meatball sized portions and create mini burger patties (not regular sized hamburgers) and prepare on a tray.  Grill to preferred temperature (like hamburgers) and if cooking in the oven, heat at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. 

 

Jello Fruit Salad Mold

-1 packet Jello (raspberry or strawberry only)

-1 container of fresh raspberries

-1 small container of fresh blueberries

-1 cup of cut strawberries

-1/2 a pear cut into small pieces

-1/2 an apple cut into small pieces

 

Directions for making the Jello will be on the box (usually 1 cup of boiling water added to the powder, and then one cup of cold water to follow).  Allow Jello to cool and become SLIGHTLY firm (usually about ½ an hour) in the fridge and then add all the fresh fruit ingredients.  Its important not to use fresh pineapple as the Jello will not set.  The key to a beautiful Jello salad is the use of a Tupperware dish created just for Jello to show off some design skills.  Target has plenty of options on their website (from July 4^th molds to the traditional round bowl molds).