WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER SETS RECORD VISITS FOR YEAR 7,017,658 VISITS! 2,098,003 VISITORS MADE 6 VISITS A DAY EVERY DAY. 63,330 UNIQUE VISITORS MADE 133,730 VISITS IN DECEMBER. WPCNR AVERAGED 17,284 VISITORS A WEEK, VISITING 31,270 TIMES.

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WPCNR West Side Story. By John F. Bailey. February 8, 2007: Mayor Joseph Delfino, four of his commissioners, the Executive Director of the BID, and members of the Mayor’s staff  made an earnest and positive start to the “renaissance of South Lexington Avenue” last night.   The energetic Mr. Delfino, in a virtuoso peformance, acted more as emcee of the meeting, taking questions for 3 hours as he and his staff sought the ideas and dreams that Winbrook residents, merchants and property owners have for their East Post Road and Lexington Avenue neighborhood.

The Mayor did not ruleout eminent domain to achieve cooperation among business owners, but held out hope that compromise and negotiation would make eminent domain unnecessary. The Mayor also said another meeting would be held with the neighbors after the BID vote had been taken. The Mayor said a mix-use of affordable housing on Lexington Avenue was the city’s idea on how to revitalize, but said only if the neighborhood agreed with him.

Mack Carter, Executive Director of the White Plains Housing Authority, galvanized the community with an earnest declaration that the residents needed to express their vision for the kind of face they wanted their neighborhood to have, and to create for their children the atmosphere that would help their children fulfill their potential. Carter criticised the present establishments landlords rented to along the Lexington Avenue across from Winbrook, saying that had to change to change the neighborhood.

Carter said many of the stores were much higher priced than stores elsewhere in the city for food goods and that the food was not good food for the residents, being of the fast food nature. He also criticised the multiple liquor stores on the Lex stretch. Carter’s talk which I have just sketched here galvanized the audience who agreed with encouraging comments that Carter was right on the money.

Mayor Delfino started the meeting telling the residents that “Winbrook is here to stay,” imploring the residents to contribute their ideas how how they wish the west side of South Lexington Avenue to look. He had his Commissioner of Planning, Susan Habel, and Commissioner of Public Works Joseph Nicoletti explain the street scape designs scheduled to be installed on South Lexington Avenue this summer, beginning at Main Street and working South towards East Post Road. The Mayor announced a $1 Million grant secured by Senator Hillary Clinton for the street facelift. A more precise explanation of the grant is expected from City Hall Thursday morning.

About twenty speakers came to the podium and spoke on concerns and visions. Topics that the residents said needed to be addressed to make the neighborhood prosper was the need for jobs for young people 14 to 25. One speaker said the youth unemployment rate in the neighborhood was 45%.

At least seven persons spoke on the need to improve the Thomas H. Slater Center. The Mayor said he was waiting input from the ministers of the area and anyone else who wished to give the city their ideas for upgrading the center.

There were a few comments about the need for affordable housing in the area, but they were far outweighed by complaints of residents about parking, fears that Albert Moroni (Commissioner of Parking) was going to install meters along Winbrook curbs.

There were about five persons who stressed the need for more minorities and minority contractors to be hired on jobs in the future Lexington Avenue rebuilding. The mayor responded by agreeing at Mack Carter’s suggestion to create a Directory of Minority Contractors to provide to contractors as the rennaissance hit Lexington Avenue.

The Mayor said that beyond the streetscapes the character of the neighborhood would depend on what the neighborhood, the property owners on Lex and East and West Post Road would envision it to be. Later in the meeting the Mayor said his vision was to build more affordable housing and said he would work to rezone to make the Lex stretch multi-use zoning (mix of residential and retail) which the Mayor said would enhance the value of property owners’ parcels.

The Mayor said affordable housing was the city’s vision of what would uplift the Lexington Avenue neighborhood but hastened to make it clear to the residents that if that was not what they wanted, the city would not force it.

Asked by one property owner if the city  would use eminent domain to acquire properties, the Mayor said the city and the Common Council had not used eminient domain in the past and was reluctant to use it. He said he hoped to negotiate with property owners to convince them to bring about the new businesses that could revitalize the stretch. One resident suggested a large supermarket with better prices. The Mayor explained he did not think that was possible because of the parking requirements most large supermarkets required for viability.

The Executive Director of the Downtown Business Improvement District, Rick Ammirato, explained the benefits the BID would bring to the area, and said that a meeting would be held in March to explain all the BID could do to business owners in the Lex corridor, to be followed by a vote. He said that if 51% of the business owners or 51% of the largest property owners voted against joining the BID, he would attempted to assemble businesses on an individual basis to join the BID. He noted that The Galleria is in the district and is currently not in the BID.

Mayor Delfino told WPCNR that after the BID decision was made, he would hold another meeting with the neighborhood just as he did tonight to encourage them and draw out from them more reaction and to articulate more of their vision.

The neighborhood support for the renaissance coming to Lexington Avenue was there.

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. February 8, 2007 UPDATED 10 A.M. UPDATED February 9, 2007: WPCNR has learned from two sources that the City School District has been ordered to pay a settlement to a former contractor on the high school addition project completed in 2003.  The school district had withheld payment from a contractor over certain matters, and the contractor sued the district. Calls to the district business office, the clerk to the school board and the Superintendent of Schools have been made by  WPCNR for details on the case. The possible payout to the bondholding company, Travelers Casualty and other contractors could be, according to court papers received by WPCNR may be  $2,000,000 plus. The amount is being determined, and whether or not the district will appeal is being examined by district lawyers at this time.  

The case developed out of the delay-plagued $28 Million high school addition, begun in summer 2000, predicted by its architects, Kaeyer, Garment & Davidson, to be completed in a year and a half (fall 2002). However the project was not completed until the close of 2003, a full 3 years plus. The Class of 2004 of White Plains High went to high school for all four years with construction going on during their school day.

During the construction there were disputes at the outset which lost 17 consecutive days of labor in summer 2000 due to a mix of non-union and union contractors. The district, according to one highly placed source, withheld payment from the contractor, which has had a history of contract disputes with  eventually terminated the lead contractor and sued the insurance company, Travelers Insurance Company for $2 Million. Other contractors on the project sued the district for $6 Million because of delays.

The attorney on the case Charles Goldberger appeared at an executive session last week, but it could not be determined that he was reporting on this particular matter.  

Kaeyer Garment & Davidson has been awarded another major project by the district to design and supervise the $69.6 Million capital improvements project now under way in the school district. This  includes the building of a new Post Road School for $39 Million, two synthetic turf football stadiums for $9.6 Million and $15 Million of infrastructure repairs to the high school, elementary schools and middle school and other district buildings. Kaeyer Garment & Davidson will be paid approximately $6 Million in commission for the entire project, expected to be completed in three years.   

 

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WPCNR’S VIEW FROM THE UPPER DECK. By Baseball Bailey. February 7, 2007: The Milwaukee Braves workhorse righthander, Lew Burdette died at age 80 yesterday. The alleged master of the spitball, the slider, and incomparable pitch selection and impeccable control won three games in the 1957 series to lead the Milwaukee Braves to their only World Series win over the New York Yankees.

 

No. 33 00 Selva Lewis Burdette of the Milwaukee Braves early 1950s

He and Warren Spahn were the most feared National League 1-2 pitching duo who kept the Braves contending for eight years from 1955 through 1963. I saw Lew Burdette pitch in the 1957 Series and his offspeed pitches and control kept the Yankee free-swingers off-balance. Lew pitched a perfect game against the Phillies. He won 203 games in the bigs with 144 losses, a winning percentage of .585. He won twenty games twice and completed 158 of his 373 starts (more than half). I loved his snakey, smooth leisurely pitching motion. Lew Burdette was a “money pitcher.”  Here is an ode to Lew and his buddy, Warren Spahn.

Spahn and Burdette and Forget

By Baseball Bailey

 

Over sixteen years the Bravos Duo discoursed,

Throwing off the high red mounds of rolling greenswards

In friendly confines of ball’s legendary yards

Baseball Sidekicks, Spahnie the Southpaw and Lou the workhorse.

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Lou the kid righty, joined the wily lefty

Took their starts in front of the jurybox faithful

Off the windy Charles in empty stands

Then going west, grew and gave joy to Milwaukee fans.

 

The mighty Brooklyns: Duke Jackie and Gil

The Redlegs’ Big Klu, Frank,Wally and Bell

Flailed at Spahnie’s hooks with flair

Beat into dirt Lou’s dropping doozies

Belt to knee out of midair.

 

Warren the Elegant and Burdette the Fidget,

Pranksters of clubhouse and fast friend

Swashbuckled the distance, disdaining gadget

No pitch counts for them, always there at game’s end.

 

Inseparable slayers of Bronx Bombers

Bringing joy to burghers on Wisconsin Avenue

In Yankee Stadium’s grandstand shadow those faithful Octobers

The wily Burdette, taking Spahn’s turn, New Yorkers would not forget

 

After Covington’s miracle backhand catch in foul line sun

 Of Little Bobby Shantz’s shot, Lou’s lanky, herky jerky finesse

Quieted Bomber bats in blue haze shadow foretelling the Yanks were done

Lou’s snake arm, slow stretch, induced grounder & pop and Casey was helpless.

 

The Burdette fadeway delivery.

 

Into Game 5 before County Stadium faithful’s enthrall

Into the breech Burdette the Magician cast his spell

On Enos, Gil, Moose andYogi. Adcock’s 6th frame single beat Ford’s best

1-0  in the Wisconsin sun. Bombers beat into dirt, Lou’s pitches blessed.

 

With his  pitching mate felled by flu and fate

Once more in Game 7, the redheaded workhorse kept his date with fate.

Taking Stadium mound in the House that Ruth Built on 2 days rest

Once more improbably, no Bomber touched plate, he shut out the best.

 

 

Burdette, Yankee Killer, of lazy stretch and leisurely leg kick

Had matched Brecheen of Cardinal lore and Coveleskie the Indian

Winning three games in the Fall Classic

Bringing joy to Milwaukee hearts and Yankee dynasty to oblivion.

 

Looking down through the blue cigar haze in the upper deck of memory,

I see his broad-stooped shoulders still — red bill on blue cap

His Calvary Captain eyes squint into the shadows of the plate, leaning for Del’s sign

His giant figure unwinding in the dazzle of the autumn rays of history

In hue of blue smoke, bending in sweeping stretch and snakearm snap.

 

Returning to mound he fidgets, licks fingertips, adjusts cap and bends again to toil

Slider, spitter, sinker catching corner or knee yelled by Conlon or Shylak

Bombers beating grounders  to Johnny, Eddie and  Red,

Pops to Wes, Hank and Andy.

 White zeros sliding in place on scoreboard black.

Innings dwindling down as the great Burdette bows his back.

 

Then to another night in the distance in Milwaukee when

The Workhorse and  hapless Haddix matched 13 straight Innings

Of scoreless ball. Til Adcock’s homer broke up The Kitten’s 36-in-a-row gem.

Described by some as the greatest game ever pitched of the Millenium.

 

Ye throwers of today: look back to the Diamonds Gone By

Days when the offerings of  Spahn, Burdette and forget

Haunted the sluggers of the golden 50s with guile, guts and style

When Spahnie and Lou stalked from the mound without regret.

 

The wily Burdette has left the mound for the last time in this mortal dance

Joining Spahnie on the Lord’s Staff, with Carl and Walter, Early and Matty

We keepers of the game watching in the stadium of remembrance yet

 See him pitching still in the shadows of autumn when

 It was Spahn and Burdette and Forget.

 

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WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. By John F. Bailey. February 6, 2007 UPDATED 3:42 PM: The New York Presbyterian Hospital is now open to all options for its vacant land in the heart of White Plains and is looking for ideas, according to an official statement released by the Hospital this afternoon. Geoffrey Thompson released the following NYPH reaction to the council-kill of its proton accelerator-bio lab project last night to WPCNR today:

“New York Presbyterian Hospital is disappointed by the White Plains Common Council’s 4-3 vote against renewal of the permit to create new laboratory and medical facilities at its Westchester Division campus.  The Hospital will now review all options regarding possible future uses of the property.”  

 

 

The “former” Proton Accelerator-BioLab Site  (previously the NYPH golf range)  Freed up for “other options” by Council Kill Vote last night demonstrated by TheCitizeNetReporter in May, 2002.  Photo, WPCNR News Archive.

The Proton-Accelerator and Biomedical Lab project (awaiting construction to begin for 5 years)  died early this morning at 12:15 AM, when the Common Council voted 4-3 to “take it off life support,” in the words of Councilman Benjamin Boykin. Rita Malmud, Thomas Roach and Dennis Power all voted not to extend the hospital extension request, with Mayor Delfino, Arnold Bernstein and Glen Hockley voting to extend. The four councilpersons voting to deny cited the hospital lack of appearance to inform the council on the future of the project as being the main reason for not granting the extension. Ms. Malmud called their reluctance to discuss the status of the project “a farce.” 

In an instant replay of the decision to sell Railside properties one year ago, the Council voted 4-3 to sell lots on Railside Avenue, with Councilman Benjamin Boykin casting the deciding vote to resell the lots to Voss Builders (who had purchased one lot previously)  for $1.7 Million. Mayor Delfino, Councilmen Hockley and Bernstein joined Mr. Boykin in reselling the properties against an impassioned parade of persons who pleaded, cried and emotionally tried to sway the council not to sell the lands a second time. Their efforts were ignored.

Corporate Counsel Edward Dunphy defended the right of the city to resell the land without public bidding as being a discretionary right of the city real estate committee according to the charter.

The Mayor blamed the withdrawal of previous buyers on the press, though Executive Officer Paul Wood said Monday afternoon that the buyers withdrew because the city refused to test the land for toxicity (due to possible contamination from the TCE-contaminated dump adjacent the property).

In other action, the North Street Community hearing was held open until the next council meeting on March 5. Developer Alfred Caiola repeated his stance that North Street Community has done all it can do to downsize the project. Opposition continued from Wyndham Close the neighborhood closest to the former St. Agnes Hospital development, with numerous persons continuing the rallying cry that the 332-unit condominium senior citizen project was “too high, too big, too dense.” Several citizens — Robert Stackpole, Dan Seidel, Marc Pollitzer — warned the city that created a Senior zone on the property was setting a dangerous precedent. Paul Bergens speaking for the North Street Community rendered the opinion that the ordinance creating the district was a one-time piece of legislation that, unlike a Special Permit, did not retain the same precedent-setting possibilities of granting a Special Permit.

The Bank Street lot reclassification of the commuter lots paving the way for a reported $16 million plus city land deal with LCOR was not opened and held over until March 5

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WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. By John F. Bailey. February 5, 2007: On this evening’s agenda an ordinance approving the sale of  lots 5,7,9,15,16, 17 and 19 on Railside Avenue is a resale of these lots to Voss Builders Corporation for $1,755,000.  Paul Wood, Executive Officer of the city of White Plains explained the resale matter developed when the former high bidders on the property, concerned by rumors the land was toxic, asked the city to test the lots they had agreed to buy to determine if the land was contaminated. The  Gedney Dump,  adjacent to the properties for sale has bwwn determined by the Department of Environmental Conservation as been contaminated by TCEs (industrial cleaning fluids). 

Wood said the city felt the land was not contaminated and refused to do the tests asked. Wood said this prompted the former buyers to back out of the deal. Wood said the city then went back to the two buyers still willing to purchase the land. The city negotiated the deal with Voss Builders, he said because that builder had already been assured the land they had was all right. The other buyer, Wood said, required a clause in the contract protecting the buyer in case the land should eventually be found to be contaminated. The city refused to do so, Wood said, and the buyer backed out.

Wood said the total sum to be realized from the land deal was $1.755 Million plus $400,000 and $345,995 from the sale of the first two lots for a total of $2,500,995, about $400,000 less than the original sale would have realized.