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WPCNR SOUTH END TIMES. From the French American School of New York March 21, 2019 updated WITH CLARIFICATION, 10 A.M. SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2019:
IN A NEWS STATEMENT FRIDAY, The French-American School of New York (FASNY) has decided to divest part of its Ridgeway property in White Plains.
FASNY recently retained CBRE, a commercial real estate services firm, to market and sell three undeveloped portions of the property, while retaining the 28 acres that are approved for construction of its Secondary School campus and a 51-acre nature conservancy.
FASNY is selling what are known as Parcel B (14 acres between Gedney Esplanade and Heatherbloom Road); Parcel C (15.5 acres between Heatherbloom and Bryant Avenue); and a portion of Parcel D (18.4 acres starting from Hathaway Lane and heading towards Ridgeway) that is not part of the dedicated nature conservancy. The parcels are zoned for single-family residential use.
FASNY entered a stipulation of settlement with the City of White Plains and ultimately obtained site plan approval and a permit for a reduced project for its Secondary School (grades 6-12) campus only on Parcel A.
The conditions of the approval pertain only to Parcel A and the conservancy, with residential use remaining in effect for the balance of the property.
The FASNY Board of Trustees remains committed to the vision of a future permanent campus for the school and is working to create the best conditions to fulfill this vision.
John Sheehan, President of the Gedney Association involved in a legal action challenging the city approval of the new school construction on parcel A (not for sale) gave WPCNR this statement on this development:
“The Mayor and the Common Council has egg on their faces,“ was Sheehan’s first reaction to the news of three parcels for sale.
“They didn’t require information on what the school would do with the rest of the property after the revised (Parcel A) school plan was approved. When Councilperson Nadine Hunt-Robinson asked what they would do, the city was told by FASNY they would build nothing with the undeveloped property for 15 years. The Gedney Association will insist that the R-30, 30,000 square foot zoning of the (Parcels B,C, D) will be strictly enforced.”
CLARIFICATION: In a written statement to WPCNR Sunday, Mr. Sheehan added this information to clarify a White Plains Week program comment by John Bailey:
“I never said that the 47 acres now on the market) to be sold could accommodate approximately 50 homes. I might have said the entire property might accommodate 50 homes according to earlier estimates. I have no idea of the potential number for these parcels. I would say however that parcel c and d have mapped wetlands and steep slopes. Areas dedicated for new roads would also be deducted from any lots. Also, parcel A is approx. 28 acres, not 79.”
Asked if the Gedney Association might initiate a new legal action against this effort to sell of property, violating SQRA regulations forbidding segmentaion, Sheehan said “That’s an interesting question.”