NEIGHBORHOOD ACT GROUP ENDORSES PASSAGE OF SETTLEMENT WITH FRENCH AMERICAN SCHOOL OF NEW YORK

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WPCNR LETTER TICKER. September 6, 2016:

FASNY’s alternative compromise plan, announced last (Thursday) evening, is an opportunity for an enormous win-win for the entire City of White Plains — including the Gedney Farms neighborhood where I live.
It’s a plan that gives our City leadership  the chance to represent thousands who have voiced their strong support for the creation of a publically-accessible park and top-notch school, while concurrently addressing the objections of the small minority of vocal opponents.
  1. White Plains just got an enormous nature conservancy: With the 51-acre conservation easement filed earlier this week that includes miles of bicycle and pedestrian paths, FASNY has made official its promise to create the largest privately held nature conservancy in South Central Westchester. This is an incredible asset for everyone in White Plains.
  2. Families get more safety: For children who want to walk or ride to school, the pathways through the park will provide safe passage to and from White Plains High School, eliminating the dangers of Ridgeway and Bryant Avenue.
  3. Taxpayers stop footing the bill for wasteful litigation: This plan immediately eliminates litigation costs – already exceeding $100,000 — and the enormous financial risk to our City’s residents of a multi-million dollar damages suit.
  4. We gain an excellent school: The international school community will add to the cultural richness of our already diverse City, and bring economic benefits to our downtown businesses.
FASNY’s plan leaves sensitive environmental areas untouched, reduces by 42% the number of students (and associated traffic), scales back development to only 28 acres, and immediately opens 51 acres of parkland and trails. The compromise plan addresses the entirety of the Gedney Farms Association’s stated objections. Any further opposition would be nothing short of selfish, “NIMBY” (Not In My Backyard”) behavior.
As a member of the vast majority of Gedney Farms residents that support FASNY, we’re thrilled to be on the cusp of this major win-win for all of White Plains: an incredible asset with none of the perceived risks. My neighbors and I urged the City Council to finally vote on Tuesday to represent the ever-growing number of White Plains residents who are squarely in favor of this beautiful, publicly-accessible park and respected international school.
Optimistically,
David Kohl on behalf of White Plains Neighbors ACT

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