Hits: 66

NEW  AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR LYONS PLACE ON TAP

WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CLARION-LEDGER. NEWS & COMMENT BY JOHN F. BAILEY:

At 6:30 PM THE White Plains Common Council will see a new affordable housing apartment building planned for Lyons Place.

There will also be a consideration of legislation making 100 Main Street, the former Galleria now closed and awaiting building of a residential, retail, affordable housing and possible intergenerational community center for all ages. The transfer to transit district status would presumably allow the Galleria City owners to develop other vacant sites owned by the city  (such as four lots adjacent the Metro North Station) at the present time in the future without a special permit.

The new White Plains Hospital garage design will be presented

The council will also discuss the sale of land to the Galleria City project.

It has long been known the developers of The Galleria City project have desired to buy the present city owned garage from the city to construct the project.

In a scheduled Executive Session, the Council will discuss the terms of sale of real property to the Galleria developers.

To date a site plan of exactly what the city council and present administration of the city has considered as acceptable for the scope of the project is in the works, perhaps it will appear tonight.

Presumably if the city garage is the property under consideration to be sold, we should learn the terms this evening, if the city after meeting approves whatever conditions it considers acceptable for the sale.

Previously there have been no disclosures from the city on the conditions the city considers acceptable for sale of the garage coveted by the developer of Galleria City and what they will do with it.

Should whatever sale of land to the Galleria City Developer be tentatively accepted by the Common Council tonight. The city may hold a public hearing on the sale, or may not. An approval could come as  soon as next Monday, November 3, the eve of Election Day next Tuesday.

This pure speculation at this point, but if the Galleria City proposal is planned to be approved by the city by end of the current Mayor’s term, they have two months to do that.

The strategy of the current administration appears to get the Galleria decision done, so the new Mayor whomever he may be, Justin Brasch or Leonard Lolis, could not interfere with an approved project, or could not change it too much.

An Environmental Review presumably would have to be done very quickly to get the largest project in Westchester County history since the original Galleria in 1980..

However, several circumstances that behoove the city and the next Mayor of the city to conduct thorough review as to long term feasibility of the project and effects, which I have mentioned clearly as a concerned reporter are:

Capacity of the White Plains Main Street Sewer network.

Is anybody else worried about this the way I am?

No.

 

With 4 new residential buildings on Hamilton Green  plus the County affordable housing apartments on the Board of Elections site, the former Berkeley site on Court Street, the number of residents being added by whatever the new improved Galleria City plan includes the sewer system has to be ready to take the New Effluence.

No one in the public least of all the press, has seen the finished site plan, eagerly awaitrd unless of course the city in its wisdom feels it has a good plan worked out acceptable in their opinion.

There are going to be 15,000 persons living in that  downtown residential strip in 5 to 10 years.

There were 56,000 persons living in White Plains in 2007 the year The Ritz-Carlton and condominiums were finished. Currently there are 59,000 living in the city.

If 15,000 persons will be living in White Plains  the majority in that downtown strip in 5 years, that is a 27% increase in population from  what the sewer system handled 18 years ago.

Has the sewer capacity been upgraded for 27% more capacity since that time when 4 buildings filled it up? Can the present web of conduits have the capacity to accommodate “The New Effluence.”

It would behoove the council and the present Mayor, or the New Mayor to have the Commissioner of Public Works inspect present sewer resiliency and capacity and plans to take on “The New Effluent” and how much more gallonage it can wrangle.

The previous Commissioner of Public Works, 20 years ago took a yard stick and checked the sewer before final approvals of the Ritz Carlton, and found it was topping off.

rRght up to the top of the pipe on Main Street.

He said he could approve the construction without a new sewer bypass pipe from the Ritz Carlton and its condominium towers.

“The Ritz Carlton Bypass” solved the problem  and carried away the new efflunce and prevented the city from serious losses as well as national embarrassment.

I am just saying to new Councilpersons and the new Mayor to look at this closely.

Get a big stick and see what the sewer is running now. Note the connections.  In buildings  opening now and going up now, have ancillary sewer pipes connecting been planned strategically without contributing substantially to overtaxing the existing line

The old Common Council should ask such questions.

It is now or never.

Or cross your fingers.

The new Mayor if the sewer assurances made by envirommental consultants assure you the infrastructure can handle it, trust them but verify or regret.

 

REPLACEMENT PARKING FOR THE THOUSANDS OF PARKING PLACES LOST.

Will the garage if sold, be demolished straightway? Parking is supposed to be built underground in the new Galleria.

However if it is demolished last, it would be very good for the persons who use it for parking every day now.

If it is demolished partially or fully, the the city has to provide or the developer has to provide alternative parking during the course of the comstruction.

Well perhaps this will be told us tonight.

Pull up a chair as Vin Scully would say and watch another Work Session it is where the action is tonight. Take notes!

 

Here’s your Scorecard

COMMON COUNCIL
AGENDA
SPECIAL MEETING
OCTOBER 27, 2025
6:30 PM
ROLL CALL: City Clerk

PRESENTATION:

1. Proposed amendment to a site plan pertaining to property known as 1 Lyon Place
and 10 Lyon Place.

2. Proposed development of the East Post Road Parking Garage by the White Plains
Hospital Center, 34 EPR LLC and East Post Road LLC.

3. Communication and presentation from the Commissioner of Planning on the
proposed zoning amendment to create a new “Transit Development2 (TD-2)
District” affecting real property known as 100 Main Street, White Plains, New York

ITEM FOR INFORMATION:

4. Communication from the Mayor regarding the appointment of members to the
Judicial Review Committee

MOTION;
5. Motion to enter executive session to discuss the proposed sale of real property.