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 The Planning News. By John F. Bailey. April 28, 2005; UPDATED 2 :15 P.M. E.D.T.: The Comprehensive Planning Committee met Tuesday night, and discussed the character of the White Plains core downtown area. At  conclusion, the 10 committee members present endorsed a policy of a 50-50 split between below market housing and market housing,  emphasizing mixed use of residential/retail, retail/office space for future development.

 

COMPREHENSIVE PLAN REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING TUESDAY EVENING before an audience of only The CitizeNetReporter. They endorsed continued residential growth to close the gap between below market housing and market rate housing which currently stands at 60% below market and 40% above market-price units after the filling of the City Center towers, Bank Street Commons and Clayton Park. The Comprehensive Planning Committee was given  a 5-page list of the City Administration Department recommendations for the downtown core area. Photo by WPCNR News.

 

John Martin, Co-Chair of the committee told WPCNR this afternoon that the committee agenda next Thursday, May 5 will discuss the Inner and Outer Neighborhoods, because they had not received much comment on those areas and feel they can do those areas in one meeting.

 

Future meetings, Martin said,  are scheduled for  May 18, May 24, and with a citywide public meeting June 14. Martin explained to WPCNR that  the Committee is planning on the large public meeting to discuss the Committee’s “Draft Report” of their analysis of the Comprehensive Plan. Martin projects he expects that draft document to be ready June 7, so citizens can bring their commentary and feelings about the Draft Report to the public meeting of June 14.

 

Martin said he say no reason why the city should withhold the Recommendations of Staff (see details at close of this article), from the CitizeNetReporter. Saying all documents of the committee in progress, interim, or final were available to the public simply by asking him.

In his speech for reelection Monday evening, Mayor Joseph Delfino referred in vague terms to developing the city’s West Side, and aid for businesses along West Post Road, and a promised Phase IV initiative which would expand the BID (Downtown Business Improvement Association) to that side of the city. The Bid requires a payment of businesses who wish to be apart of it, in order to enjoy its benefits, which appear to include, gum removal machine service for sidewalks, Downtown Ambassador Program, and Clean Streets “whiskers.”

 

The City of White Plans at 1,500 Feet, Looking South to New York City. At far right is Bank Street Commons. In Center of Picture are the City Center Towers. At far left, Westchester One. Photo by WPCNR News.

 

 

 

With two or three questions, the Committee expressed slightly differing opinions, one having to do with definition of keeping the character of the downtown until it reached a “critical mass” of housing, which the committee decided was vague.

 

Susan Habel, Commissioner of Planning advised this meant simply keeping an equal balance between affordable, below market, and market housing, keeping diversity and special uses in place within the downtown, not specifying what special uses were.

 

Earlier, Ms. Habel also said a critical mass (meaning size of development) needed to be present in the size of buildings to make the 6% affordable units statute acceptable economically for any developer, hence the need for large, tall residential units downtown. Habel said, “You need economic incentive if you’re going to have affordable housing.”

 

The Heart of White Plains (Core Area) Looking West  down Main Street at 1,000 Feet. City Center is at left, at top of the photograph is 10 Bank Street, the Centroplex, and the Train Station. Photo was taken last fall. Photo by WPCNR News.

 

Habel noted that the 80% of median income figure was the figure the statute was working with now for affordable housing income guidelines. Median income, she said was $93,400, which placed the income level at 80% of that at $59,800. She said that some professionals said that figure was too low for them to qualify, yet they still could not afford housing within the city.  In the course of the discussion, committee members reached a consensus that even lower incomes needed to be provided for in the definition of affordable: incomes, saying their should be units available at rents lower than $1,000 a month, instead of the $1,600 a month range where it is presently pegged.

 

Carlos Roskol said, “One thing I got out of the Slater Center meeting, it is inclusion. We think affordable housing should in units (not cash payments)”

 

Develop Gateway II

 

Discussion of remaining parcels to be developed in the downtown core area, the Commissioner of Planning, Susan Habel noted that the only major piece of property that leant itself to development in the downtown was the Gateway II  property which could be substantially developed approaching the lofty heights of the 221 Main Street Cappelli Hotel project.

 

A Possible New “GatewayPlex” :GATEWAY I is the third dark building from the left. The Gateway II site is immediately to the right. Water Street and the two properties mentioned by Ms. Habel are three quarters of the way from the left in the photograph. The MetroNorth Station Clock Tower can be seen in the middle of the photo. Photo by WPCNR News.

 

That, Habel said, could happen if the Gateway II lot and garage property (now housing the bus stop and a parking garage), were combined with the Infinity property and One Water Street. Should Gateway II be combined by a purchase of those two adjacent properties, Ms. Habel said it could be developed for residential-retail mixed use with buildings that could approach 40 stories, the same height as the Cappelli hotel.

 

 Habel said presently Gateway II could be entertained as a place to put up 600,000 square feet of business-office space, or 700,000 square feet of residential to a height of 28 stories. Acquisition of the Water Street properties would give it the possibility of rising to 40 stories in height, because it would would meet the 350,000 square feet threshold, taking the lid off for a 40 story leap.

 

The Comprehensive Plan Committee, (10 Present), meeting Tuesday evening. Photo by WPCNR News.

 

The Comprehensive Plan Committee gingerly endorsed this concept. Habel said most of the other properties in the downtown core were privately owned and did not have the potential for combination, (unless, WPCNR points out, a series are bought up and purchased). Habel isolated the Halpern property, owned by Devon Realty, lying between Mitchell Place and Martine Avenue on the East Side of Mamaroneck Avenue. Another site that came up was the Silverman – Minskoff split-owned property slightly South of Renaissance Plaza Fountain. Habel said that property was only eligible for the 28-story height.

 

Transfers Not a Problem Says Habel.

 

Discussion also centered on transfer of development rights briefly, where Ms. Habel assured the committee that  rights could only be transferred out of an already-owned property, that it was not a back-and-forth situation. She said the council still held the right of approval of any variance in height from the 28-story Central Business District core.

 

Going Up Is Better Than Pancaking.

 

Mary Cavallero, Co-Chairperson of the Committee, noted to the CPC that in the Cappelli Hotel site, the Planning Board recommended going up with the twin residential towers because the developer could have built his buildings horizontally instead of vertically. However, she said, the Planning Board strongly advised the Common Council that taller, slimmer buildings were more desirable because the Planning Board felt more open space at ground level was the more desirable way to go. Ms. Cavallero’s statement appeared to be an endorsement of higher is better in whatever development takes place in the rest of the Core Area.

 

The committee, after Ms. Habel’s explanation of how Gateway II could be eligible for loftier heights than the 28 stories allowed by zoning, did not raise any objections to this kind of development on that site, appearing to endorse it as of last night.

 

Assessibles Question.

 

Carlos Roskol asked about an explanation of future assessibles related to certioraris asked for by the committee two weeks ago. Ms. Habel said the Assessor, Eyde McCarthy was planning to address the school board with that information Monday, May 2, and that would be shared with the committee after that. (The School Board has been waiting for Ms. McCarthy to do this for eight weeks.)

 

Trolleys Should Run Frequently. Taxis Need Tighter Control

 

On the matter of a trolley service for the downtown, Anne Edwards noted that the trolley service would have to be more frequent than one loop an hour. Habel contributed the opinion that the trolley would have to address the finding that pedestrians generally will not walk more than 1,600 feet to another destination, but would rather return to their car and drive to it. Habel said the city is looking at various trolley systems with the grant they have. In essence, the committee is behind the trolley initiative.

 

The state of taxi service in White Plains, was raised by Pat Austin, who said it needed enforcement on the cabbie requirements, and definitely had to be upgraded.

 

Crumbling City Hall

 

The matter of a new city hall came up, and the committee was more inclined to keeping and preserving the present city hall. Patrick Austin suggested the city study the city work force needs and how they are affected by the present city hall, before committing to construction of a new city hall.

 

Habel offered a suggestion as to how City Hall could be saved and a new facility erected.

 

 

City Hall and Municipal Parking Garage on Hamilton Avenue located at the foot of CIty Center North Tower. View is looking South at 1,000 feet. Habel said the Municipal Garage could be sold, parking placed underground and a new city hall built on first series of floors of any new building. Photo by WPCNR News.

She said that during the Schulman Administration, 1993-1997, the prospect of selling the city municipal garage and sinking the parking below grade, and raising a building on top of it, was still a viable alternative. Habel said the city could occupy the first series of floors on such a new building, and the developer of such a building occupying the floors above. WPCNR notes that if the city sold the City Hall and Municipal Parking lot, that this becomes an “adjacent site” to City Center, qualifying it for a perhaps 40 story height.

 

Such a sale, Habel said, would enable the city to preserve the present historic City Hall.

 

John Vorperian said this prospect of a new city hall needed more discussion, and it was agreed to discuss it at a future date.

 

The next meeting the Comprehensive Plan Committee will be May 5, at 7:30 P.M., in the Council Chambers  in which the close-in neighborhoods, the main corridors, and the outer neighborhoods would be discussed by the committee, according to Mr. Martin, Committee Co-Chair

 

The Administration’s Recommendations Are Withheld.

“You Have to File a FOIA.”  Martin Surprised.

 

 When The CitizeNetReporter asked for a copy of this document, Commissioner of Planning Susan Habel said I could not have a copy until Wednesday Morning after it was distributed to the Common Council.

 

When WPCNR called Planning to drop by and pick up my copy, I was told by the Secretary, they would have to check with Ms. Habel. WPCNR was then told by the Planning Department secretary that I would have to FOIA, file a Freedom of Information Act request to acquire the document, because she said that Edward Dunphy, City Corporation Counsel, advised “this was an interagency document.”

 

WPCNR has since obtained a copy of these recommendations.

 

John Martin, speaking to WPCNR today, said he saw no reason why WPCNR was denied those documents, saying, as far as he was concerned all documents, every step of the way of the Comprehensive Plan Committee’s deliberations could be distributed to any one. “If you’d asked me for them, I would have given you the set last night,” was Martin’s statement.

 

Martin said that the Recommendations of the Staff distributed last night contained new material, and were not “rehashes” of Commissioner Habel’s previous released analysis of the Comprehensive Plan, presented in Mid-January.

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WPCNR County Clarion-Ledger. From Cappelli Enterprises (Edited). April 28, 2005: Westchester’s Louis R. Cappelli, announced today that he has reached an agreement with the City of New Rochelle that will allow him to redevelop a full downtown block that will serve as a centerpiece in the continuing renaissance of the city’s downtown.

 

For the second time in one year, the World’s most prominent developer, Donald J. Trump, is joining forces with Westchester’s most prominent developer in creating one of the two new luxury high-rise residential buildings.

 

Cappelli and the City have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that provides exclusivity to Cappelli as the redeveloper of an entire square block within the Lawton Street Urban Renewal District.  On the site he will construct a new luxury residential-retail-hotel-office complex that will feature two 32-story, 390-foot towers.

The two-acre site comprises five tax parcels.  It is bounded by Hugenot Street on the north, Anderson Plaza on the south, LeCount Place on the east and North Street on the west.

 

This Urban Renewal District has been targeted for re-development by the City for several decades.  It is strategically situated between Cappelli’s New Roc City complex, the Parcel 1A site upon which Cappelli will construct the 32-story Trump Plaza luxury residential tower, and Avalon Bay’s luxury rental apartment towers.

 

“The redevelopment of this district provides a vital connection in the revitalization that is taking place in downtown New Rochelle,” Cappelli said.  “The downtown development that is taking place on Main Street and all around us is impressive.  When you combine our Trump Plaza project with Avalon Bay’s breaking ground for construction of its second tower, the stage is set for a dramatic new phase in the renaissance of New Rochelle.

 

“However, for the city to achieve the true potential of an interconnected downtown district, the block for which we have now acquired the redevelopment rights is key. It is the vital link that will finally allow the creation of a defined downtown district..”

 

We are excited to have the opportunity to continue our strong public-private partnership with the City of New Rochelle which will help accomplish what the City has dreamed of for so long.  Since the opening of our New Roc City complex in 1999, we have found New Rochelle is a great community.  The strong leadership of Mayor Tim Idoni and the progressive City Council and Development and Building departments has given the confidence to businesspeople like myself to continue to invest in the City.  We are proud to continue to play a major role in the City’s success.”

 

The property covered by the MOU is currently occupied by an apartment building at 5 Anderson Street, the 9,600 square-foot Planned Parenthood office and a variety of retail stores that are on month-to-month leases.  Cappelli is assuming the responsibility for all costs associated with the acquisition and, relocation to comparable housing for the residents of the 38 unit apartment complex now on site.

 

The company has also committed to the relocation of the Planned Parenthood office to a mutually agreeable location at Cappelli’s cost and expenses.  Cappelli said he is already toured possible new locations with Planned Parenthood.

 

The block also includes the U.S. Post Office.  Cappelli said his goal is to create a new Post Office within the new complex he will build.  At the same time, he said that his company will seek to work with the U.S. Post Master to find a suitable new location for the loading and unloading of large trailer trucks.  The trucks now use a loading dock at the current postal facility.

 

Commenting on the agreement, Mayor Tim Idoni said:  “This new project will be the centerpiece in over $2 billion in redevelopment that is now taking place in our downtown.  It’s a major step forward not only for the downtown, but the entire city.”

 

The Mayor continued:  “For more than 30 years the city has hoped to see this key downtown block redeveloped.  It has now emerged as one of the most important locations in the entire downtown because it forms a vital connection linking the Library Green park and Main Street with all of the exciting new development taking place along the Huguenot Street corridor.  The redevelopment of this block will unify various components of our downtown.”

 

Cappelli said his approach for the site is to create an attractive and dynamic complex that brings new retail, office and residences to the downtown creating activity in the heart of New Rochelle.  Many of the major pieces are already in place, and this remaining block lies in the middle,” Cappelli said.  “The City recognized the importance of this development block many years ago when it was designated for Urban Renewal.  We’re pleased that this long-held redevelopment goal at last will be realized.”

 

Ground will be broken shortly for Trump Plaza that will rise more than 390 feet and offer spectacular views of Long Island Sound.  It will be built on a two-acre site on Huguenot Street, formerly known as Urban Renewal Parcel 1A, which the City has been seeking to have redeveloped for more than 30 years.  The building will be one of the tallest in Westchester County.

 

The 353,600-square-foot Trump Plaza will consist of 141,500 square feet of retail space on two levels at the base, topped with the 30-story luxury residential condominium tower.  There will be 181 residences — 51 with one-bedroom, 101 with two-bedrooms and 29 with three-bedrooms.  Private Parking for the residence will be provided on-site.  In addition, the project will be linked to New Roc City and its new modern parking garage by an enclosed pedestrian bridge.

 

Mr. Cappelli said:  “I am pleased that Donald has agreed to invest with me in a second luxury high-rise in Westchester.  The unparalleled success we have experienced together in White Plains has been spectacular, with 235 of the 241 residences at Trump Tower and The Lofts at City Center having sold in only six months.  Our sales to date at White Plains have topped $200 million.  Our goal is to capitalize on that success in New Rochelle, a city that is undergoing its own renaissance.  To have the Trump Plaza as the centerpiece of the emerging New Rochelle skyline is an endorsement of the City and its proximity to Manhattan, which creates a highly desirable residential location.”

 

Trump said he looked forward to partnering with Cappelli in a second venture.  “I have been very impressed with the turnaround that has taken place in White Plains.  I believe a similar renaissance is imminent in New Rochelle.  As many people will recall, this is not the first time that I have been intrigued with the real estate potential of New Rochelle.  I am happy to be coming back as a part of what I promise will be a truly spectacular new project.”

 

He continued:  “The experience Louis and I have had working together in White Plains has been excellent.  He is a first rate developer and his vision has been a key element in sparking both the rebirth of White Plains.  He is playing a similar role in downtown New Rochelle, and I am looking forward to being a part of that. Trump Plaza will offer phenomenal views of the Long Island Sound and bring the style of living that the buyers of Trump residences have come to expect.”

 

Trump added that “Much like White plains, New Rochelle offers real estate investment opportunities for buyers that will not last long.  It would not be at all surprising to see this new tower sell out in six months.” 

 

Mayor Tim Idoni said he welcomed the involvement of Mr. Trump in the newest Cappelli project.  “Donald Trump is one of the greatest names in the real estate industry.  There is no better endorsement of the City of New Rochelle and its downtown that to have Donald Trump become an investor here.”

 

The Mayor noted that Cappelli has already played a major redevelopment role in the downtown when he created New Roc City, a $250 million mixed-use project that includes entertainment, retail and restaurant venues, as well as a Marriott hotel and a luxury apartment complex.  “Louis predicted that once New Roc City was built, other major development would follow.  The fact is that Cappelli will be investing another $750 million in our downtown as a result of these new projects.  This new investment coupled with all of the downtown development will bring us over $2 billion in new projects.  That would be impressive in any City in the United States, and it is happening right here in New Rochelle.  These investments are a turning point in the history of our City and its future.”      

 

The residences at Trump Plaza will feature the high-quality finishes and attention to detail that is the hallmarks of Trump residences.  Granite countertops, hardwood floors, upgraded appliances, designer cabinetry and marble bathrooms are among the features for which his residences are known.  Among the servicesfeatures to be provided to residents will be a 24 hour conciergedoorman, valet parking, Olympic swimming pool, full-service health club, business center, children’s playground, roof top garden and a state-of-the-art security system.

 

Mr. Cappelli said the construction of Trump Plaza is expected to take 18 months.  Sales for the condominiums are expected to begin in July.  A sales center will be created and open by summer 2005.

 

Headquartered in Valhalla, NY, Cappelli Enterprises Inc. has developed more than 10 million square feet of mixed use, retail, waterfront, residential, office building, laboratory and parking facilities including City Center and the Trump Tower at City Center in White Plains, and New Roc City in New Rochelle.  Cappelli has already begun construction of the Renaissance Square hotel-office-residential complex in downtown White Plains.  

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WPCNR’S ADAM IN ALBANY. By State Assemblyman Adam T. Bradley. April 26, 2005: Meeting in open conference committees, the Legislature reached a bipartisan budget agreement to secure funding that the governor tried to cut for our most valuable programs. The governor finally made the right choice by agreeing to the bipartisan budget.

 This past January, the Assembly began the year by enacting sweeping reforms[1] of the Assembly rules, among them was setting out a timetable to bring about an on time budget by:

 

 

·        agreeing to what revenues are available;

·        expressing the Assembly’s priorities in our budget resolution; and

·        immediately convening public Joint Budget Conference Committees to work out differences between the Assembly’s budget and those passed by the Senate

 

The adopted budget incorporated the plan I presented several years ago to cap Medicaid growth.  It includes a state takeover of Family Health Plus which provides $23.5 million in savings for Westchester taxpayers in the coming year.

 

While this is good news, I fully intend to continue pushing for my hard cap which the Assembly passed in our version of the budget, which would have provided $7.8 million more in savings for Westchester County this coming year.

 

Other steps to ensure quality health care while protecting taxpayers include:

 

·        slashing the governor’s sick tax on nursing homes and cutting his tax on hospitals in half;

·        agreeing to a Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21^st Century to determine the best way to protect services by eliminating costly excess capacity; and

·        ensuring regional needs would be part of any health care determinations

 

The Legislature rejected the governor’s attempt to make it more difficult to enroll in the Family Health Plus program. The final budget will allow the program to continue providing families with quality, affordable health care they need.

 

The Legislature led the fight for an on-time and responsible state budget that protects our families and invests in New York’s future. We partnered with the governor to deliver a bipartisan budget that benefits all New Yorkers.

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WPCNR Westchester Wings. By John F. Bailey. April 25, 2005:  WPCNR News has learned from reliable sources that the ill-fated Cessna airplane inbound for Westchester County Airport approximately 3:30 P.M. Saturday afternoon was below the minimum altitude to which it could have descended safely  while on final approach to Westchester County Airport Runway 16, moments before the aircraft crashed,  killing the flight instructor and his student. 

Westchester County Airport, Looking Northwest. Rye Lake is at left. The Cessna that crashed Saturday afternoon went down approximately 1/4 of a mile from the threshold of Runway 16 in the upper right of the photograph. Photo by WPCNR News.

The National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation continues into Saturday afternoon’s crash of a single-engine Cessna 172 airplane about 2 miles northeast of Westchester County Airport. The student pilot and his flight instructor received fatal injuries, and the airplane was destroyed by impact forces and fire. The airplane was returning to Westchester from Albany, NY, and was flying under instrument flight rules. An instrument flight plan had been activated for the flight, which means the student and instructor were following a specific route as cleared by air traffic control, while being tracked on radar by FAA controllers.

WPCNR has learned that a weather observation taken about 20 minutes before the accident recorded visibility at the airport as being only 1/2-mile in fog. At the time of the weather observation, there also was an overcast cloud ceiling of only 200 feet above the ground. The wind was recorded as being from 190 degrees at 12 knots, gusting to 16 knots, which would have resulted in a right crosswind when landing on runway 16.

WPCNR also has learned that the FAA air traffic controller who was handling the flight radioed a “minimum safe altitude warning” (MSAW) alert to the flightcrew while the airplane was established on its final approach course. Air traffic control computers generate visual cues on controller’s radar screens and also trigger aural warnings if airplanes drop below certain predetermined safe altitudes.

The last radio clearance sent to the student and instructor by the air traffic controller was the MSAW alert, indicating that they were a lower altitude than was prescribed at that point during the approach to the runway.

 

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WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. April 21, 2005: Fred Strauss’s friends in the city through him a party Wednesday evening at Vintage, in honor of his retiring after 25 years as the city’s Director of Cable Television. Mayor Joseph Delfino said his shoes would be big ones to fill and gave him a proclamation honoring his building of White Plains Cable Television. Gary Stukes of White Plains Cable who organized the party, gave Mr. Strauss a glass plaque recognizing his leadership through the years.

His Honor Does the Honors: Mayor Joseph Delfino presenting Fred Strauss, center, with Proclamation extolling Mr. Strauss’s pioneering work in creating White Plains Cable Television, and running it from 1982 to the present. Looking on, left,  is John V. Taddei,Chairman, White Plains Cable Commission.  Photo by WPCNR News.

Strauss said that presently the Cable Commission is considering three male candidates for his position selected as finalists from fifteen resumes received. The Chairman of the White Plains Cable Commission told WPCNR that Mr. Strauss would continue to consult until the new leader of White Plains cable is in place. Mr. Strauss told WPCNR he would be participating in the negotiations with potential new franchise operators as the city’s cable franchise is renewed.

Strauss told the gathering of fifty persons, including many city commissioners (not seen for weeks), that his most memorable moment was covering the September 14, Memorial Walk in 2001 where 7,000 persons marched from the White Plains Railroad Station to City Hall to honor the 9/11 victims.

Gary Stukes of White Plains Cabletelevision who has worked with Mr. Strauss 21 years presenting Mr. Strauss’s gift, a glass plaque. Stukes said Strauss had great leadership ability and concern for his employees, creating an “esprit de corps.”  John Taddei, Chair of the Cable Commission is in center of photo. Photo by WPCNR News.