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WPCNR THE LETTER TICKER. December 15, 2014:
On Saturday, December 6, Tuesday, December 8, and through Wednesday, December 9, three and a half inches of rain fell on White Plains. Marie and Ron Rhoads, (who have written often on what they perceive as flawed planning and the burdens traffic to the proposed campus on the former Ridgeway Country Club), made these observations about the effects last week and possible future effects of similar heavy rains on the French American School of New York campus if it is approved and built:
Dear Mayor and Common Council,
We’re now calling the old Ridgeway golf course “Water World”. . .after last week’s Nor’easter dumped so much rain on it. By the proposed North Street Entrance internal campus roadways would have been flooded, Conservancy bike and walk paths would have been underwater and throughout FASNY’s 53-acre building area numerous flooding areas occurred. Below are some representative photos from this Nor’easter. Can FASNY build roadways and buildings in areas that flood before their 10-year construction even starts?
Some of the water evaporated into the air, some drained into the underground streams and the rest flowed into our neighborhood resident basements. . .now we are almost back to normal. This has happened before after heavy rains and we all are used to dealing with the after effects and moving forward. However, we wonder what will happen if this Common Council allows FASNY to change the natural environment by building on 53 acres of current Open Space?
The questions on Water that we keep asking and getting no response to are :
1. If FASNY builds foundations on top of underground streams. . .where will the water in these underground streams be diverted to? Our neighborhood homes?
2. And if FASNY covers 53-acres of current Open Space with buildings, impervious roadways, paths and parking lots. . .where does all the current rainwater flow to? Our neighborhood homes?
It would have been nice if the Army Corps of Engineers were to step in and evaluate FASNY’s building plans. Unfortunately we heard FASNY representative Zarin say at the December 4th meeting that the Army Corps gave FASNY the go ahead with their building plans. While we’re guessing, like everything else these FASNY Representatives say, that “there is more to the story”. . .for the time being we’ll just have to wait until the real story comes out. There’s some concern that the Army Corps may have been working with maps that didn’t identify all of the underground streams.
We have the utmost faith in our Commissioner of Public Works and his staff to protect WP residents and the City’s environment. . .if they are left free of politics from above. We also know the Common Council has the responsibility of insuring the Health, Safety and Welfare of its citizens.
Looking at the Big Picture. . .will this Common Council stand-down to the first of many large developers who want to make our City’s Zoning just a suggestion? Whatever favoritism you give to FASNY now. . .won’t you have to give the same to all future developers? Or will this Common Council stand-up for your elected responsibility to safeguard the Health, Safety and Welfare of residents and protect the environment?
We report. . .you decide. Your Truth Police, Team Rhodes
Marie and Ron Rhodes