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WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. January 21, 2005: Common Council President Tom Roach told WPNCR this afternoon that it looks like Monday before the Council and the Mayor will jointly announce the citizens they have decided upon to make up the Mayor’s Comprehensive Plan Review Committee. Mr. Roach said he was trying to keep everyone on track, and promised an announcement Monday “for everybody.”
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WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. By John F. Bailey. January 20, 2005, 2nd Edition, 10:20 P.M. E.S.T.: On Tuesday of this week, Moody’s Investors Service assigned a Aa-1 Rating with Negative Outlook to White Plains latest $8, 177,000 bond issue that will pay for renovations to the children’s library, acquisition of property for open space (off the Greenway), water and sewer improvements and street reconstruction. Moody’s also assigned a rating of MIG 1 to the city $1.9 Million Bond Anticipation Notes to finance police and fire and Department of Public Works rolling stock and the purchase of multi-space parking meters, due in two years.
MOODY’S GRADES THE CITY. Photo by WPCNR News
Moody’s continues the Aa1 rating and negative outlook it gave White Plains last year for a second straight year, in addition assigning the rating to White Plains’ entire $74.6 Million in long term parity debt, as well as the current issue.
The Moody’s report on the new issues came about when the city invited Moody’s Analyst Edith Behr to city hall last Friday to meet with Mayor Joseph Delfino, Budget Director Anne Reasoner and an entourage of City Hall personalities to review the city’s economic development on the occasion of the issuing of the city’s new bonds this week.
Moody’s analyst Baer told WPCNR, this evening: “We were invited to
Baer said “Aa-1 is a very strong rating, in fact it is next to the strongest rating that we have. The negative outlook reflects three years of operating deficits which the city has plans to address, but we’d like to see the results from fiscal 05 before we adjust the rating.”
Let’s Go to that Report
Moody’s new report released Tuesday, January 18 states “the Aa-1 rating reflects the city’s large and growing economic base, satisfactory financial flexibility, and a modest debt burden….The negative outlook reflects challenges the city faces restoring structural balance and maintaining a satisfactory financial position following three years of operating losses and expenditure pressures for fiscal 2005 and beyond.”
The Financial Perspective According to Moody’s
The Moody’s outlook takes into account city moves to bolster their finances:
“Moody’s expects the city’s financial operations, which reflect losses in each of the past three years, will be challenged to stabilize or improve in the medium term, given continuing expenditure pressures. Fiscal 2004 (ended
Moody’s makes this comment about the tax base:
The city’s tax base, which is 55% residential and 45% commercial, is expected to benefit from substantial ongoing development in the medium term. This growth is reflected in the aggregate value of building permits issued in fiscal years 2002 and 2003, which were almost four times the aggregate value of building permits issued in fiscal year 2001. In addition, there is over $2 Billion of construction in progress as well as projects in various stages of approval. Despite annual average full value growth over the past five years of 12.3% reflecting market value appreciation and new construction, assessed values have declined an average of 0.7%, as a result of successful tax certiorari.”
However, Moody’s says PILOT agreements have “off-set” the impact of declining assessments. The Investors Service reports “together they (the PILOTS) are expected to increase an average of 1% over the next five years.” In fiscal 2005, Moody’s reports PILOTS will produce an additional $690,000 in fiscal 2005.
“Financial Operations Challenged by Ongoing Expenditure Pressures.”
The report acknowledges what it terms “expenditure pressures,” and presents the big picture:
Despite expenditure pressures including salaries, health insurance and pension costs, fiscal 2005 is expected to end with a slight surplus reflecting an increase in the property tax rate, fee increases, and stronger than budgeted sales tax revenues. Property tax rates were increased 12.75% ($4.4 Million) while PILOT’s (Payments in Lieu of Taxes) are expected to yield an additional $3.9 million. Sales taxes were budgeted to equal fiscal 2004 projected receipts and, for the first quarter (July-September) were 15.6% ahead of last year’s receipts. The city expects sales tax to exceed budget in fiscal 2005 by $3.3 Million. Moody’s negative outlook reflects the challenges that the city faces in restoring its financial operations to structural balance.”
“Minimal” Debt.
The report says Moody’s expects the city debt position to “remain minimal, and characterizes the debt as “well-structured.” The city has 68% of its debt amortized (principle paid) in ten years.
Moody’s observes the city may renew the bond anticipation notes in April 2005, fund a parking garage and finance “a portion” of the city pension liability.
Moody’s justifies its negative outlook on the city’s bonds in these words: “The negative outlook reflects three consecutive years of operating deficits and fiscal pressures faced by the city in the medium term.”
Factors to Watch – The Moody’s Challenge.
Moody’s reports that to remove the negative outlook, the city needs to restore: “Structural balance of General Fund operations for fiscal 2005.”
Conversely, Moody’s cautions that what could change the rating DOWN would be “a fourth consecutive year of operating deficits and erosion of the General Fund balance.”
Bond insiders tell WPCNR that it is unusual to continue a negative outlook rating into a third year, as Moody’s has done this week.
Six months to go.
Asked if Moody’s planned to review the city’s condition on the quarter, Ms. Baer told WPCNR, “We review our ratings periodically, when we think it’s necessary, and when we think the investor community is interested in hearing our thoughts. We will likely review the (White Plains) financial results from fiscal 05, and if there is a reason to report our finding to the market we’ll do so at that time.”
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WPCNR PRESS BOX From Jen Carlo, NY-NJ Juggernaut. (Edited). January 20, 2004: League officials have announced new ownership for the New York/New Jersey Juggernaut franchise of National Pro Fastpitch (NPF). John Schmitz of Long Island, NY has officially purchased the ball club, and will resume front office team operations in midtown Manhattan.
NEW YORK’S ONLY WORLD CHAMPION RETOOLS FOR DEFENSE OF TITLE: The National Pro Fastpitch World Champions, August, 2004, Firestone Stadium, Akron. Ohio. The team will be different this year as Olympic Champion Julie Smith rebuilds the Champions. Photo, Courtesy Nick Leto
In just their second year of operating as the NPF, the nation’s only women’s professional fastpitch softball league, individual team owners have assumed complete ownership of the league from its original investors, the Cowles family. Heading the management of the league is Chicago Bandits owner and new NPF president, Bill Conroy.
The Juggernaut were one of six inaugural teams in the NPF, who captured the Cowles Cup after defeating New England in the championship game of theplayoffs last year in Akron, Ohio. The Juggernaut played their 2004 season on the campus of Montclair State University in Little Falls, NJ, finishing the regular season with a 39-21 record.
Julie Smith, 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist, has been appointed the General Manager and Head Coach of the 2005 squad. Smith, the two-time first team All-American from Fresno State University and a native of Glendora, California, will oversee all business and fastpitch operations for the franchise, bringing a vast knowledge of fastpitch to the restructured Juggernaut. Smith, a former WPSL All-Star, is excited to once again join the ranks of professional softball, but this time from the other side of the baseline. The veteran fastpitch star of the past, coach of Team Smith that toured the U.S. two years ago, said, in a statement:
“I am proud to be a part of the World Champion Juggernaut. Our goal is not only to field the best team, but to serve our community by promoting a healthy lifestyle for girls and women participating in sports. In this day and age, professional sports need great role models that extend past the core fundamentals of the game. The Juggernaut, and in fact the entire NPF, have just that; successful college graduates who want to give back to their community.” Jennifer Carlo, former director of media relations for the 2004 Juggernaut, will serve as the Assistant General Manager for the club, working on a broadcast deal for the 2005 season and managing corporate sponsorship.
Flamethrower Jodie Cox, Ogee, Hofstra and Brakette legend, Alicia Smith join Lightning Leto and the Spiderwoman.
The Juggernaut have announced the signing of two members from the 2004 squad, that was decimated when the league released the roster from their contracts in September.
The Spiderwoman Back at the Hot Corner. Jaclyn Pasquerella. Photo by WPCNR Sports
Third baseman and Long Island native, Jaclyn Pasquerella, known to teammates as “The Spiderwoman” for her third sacker reaction time and second baseman and El Cajon, California native, Carri “Lightning” Leto, the best leadoff hitter in the league and feard clutch hitter have been signed.
Lightning Leto at the keystone sack. Photo, Courtesy NY-NJ Juggernaut.
Pasquerella and Leto, both 2004 NPF All-Stars, played an integral part in leading the Juggernaut
to their first world championship. Leto, a 2004 Northwestern graduate, recently completed the USA Softball National Camp tryout and is very eager to wear her pinstripes and defend the NPF crown.
Leto said, “I am thrilled to be playing for the Juggernaut again this season. It will be a great opportunity to start a legacy as a franchise and as a team. I look forward to playing under Julie Smith, as I respect her a lot as a former player. Our fan base was great last season and hopefully it will continue to explode into 2005!”
Alicia Smith, August, 2004, interviewed by WPCNR after Nauts final home game. Photo by WPCNR Sports
Other athletes joining the squad include former Hofstra University All-American, seasoned Stratford Brakette outfielder and heavy hitter Alicia Smith, whose bat could replace Kellie Wilkerson’s power contribution, and two former NPF California Sunbirds, Kim Ogee and the league’s dominating hardluck blonde southpaw, Jodie Cox. Ogee, an All-American outfielder from the University of Nebraska, was twice named the Cornhuskers Offensive Player of the Year and served as the team captain in 2003.
Cox, a dominant left-handed pitcher, graduated from Cal-State Fullerton in 2003 and currently serves as the assistant coach at Syracuse University. As a senior Titan, Cox was selected a third-team All-American and Big West Co-Pitcher of the Year. Cox is a workhorse fillie who pitched a ton of innings for the Sunbirds last year who simply did not hit for her. She had some memorable duels with Juggernaut Amanda Scott.
Cox won 7 and lost 23 for the Sunbirds in 04, throwing 188 innings with an ERA of 2.80, with 18 complete games.In her 188 frames she fanned 152 and walked 118 and allowed 159 hits.
Ogee hit .150for the Birds on 23 for 153 with 17 walks and an OBA of .240.
The Juggernaut plan to release the 2005 schedule, complete roster and ticket information by the end of the month. The team website, just as last year is www.nynjjuggernaut.com. Contact the team at 1-212-907-6561 in their new headquarters in New York’s Chrysler Building.
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WPCNR THE PLANNING NEWS. By John F. Bailey. January 20, 2004: President of the Common Council, Tom Roach, interviewed by WPCNR Wednesday evening, said that the Common Council and the Mayor’s Office had agreed to work together to name a Comprehensive Plan Review Committee of between 13 and 18 persons, and that the members would be announced. Friday.
Benjamin Boykin who presented to the Mayor with Mr. Roach, said the secret meeting Tuesday between the three, Tuesday evening lasted two hours and discussion covered planning and legal issues. “ Tom stated our legal position to the Mayor. He presented his. We agreed we would put together a citizen’s committee with all seven of us (The Common Council) participating. We did not go in with a list of names,” Boykin said. “We came to an agreement that the committee would represent a cross-section of the community.” Asked if that meant representatives from every neighborhood, Boykin repeated, “It will be a cross-section.”
Boykin told WPCNR, “Once we get the Committee constituted, we will begin the review of the (Comprehensive) plan and the public issues. The key is to have the public involved. This is a work in process.”
Mr. Roach said he had asked the four other councilpersons not at the meeting, Arnold Bernstein, Larry Delgado Robert Greer, and Rita Malmud for nominations for the committee and that he was meeting with Paul Wood, the city Executive Officer today as the next step in the process. He promised announcement of the Comprehensive Plan Review Friday.
The process, Boykin said, would be determined by the Comprehensive Plan Review Committee once it was formed. He did not expand on whether the Common Council would pass judgment on the plan review procedures the Committee decided on.
WPCNR has learned that the two councilpersons told the Mayor they had 5 votes of the council that would not approve any committee that was solely selected by the Mayor.
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WPCNR EAST SIDER. By John F. Bailey.
UPDATING THE DREAM: They heard a spell-binding, emotional, entertaining direct challenge to update the Martin Luther King, Jr. “I have a dream” message for the world of today, delivered by the dynamic crusading judge from
Morgan, (who has created a tracking system in Raleigh to follow the case progress of abused children as just one of his accomplishments), ended challenging the audience to remember King’s little quoted words from that humid day in August 42 years ago, “1963 is not an end but a beginning,” calling on White Plainsians to continue “the evolution of a dream, a faith, and a hope, facing the rising sun of a new day begun. Let’s march on until we’re free!”
Judge Morgan was engaged to deliver the keynote address by Executive Director Charlie Booth of the
Tuesday morning, Judge Morgan delivered an in-touch, realistic view of what he sees from his bench in
Judge Morgan from his first words, after being introduced by Mistress of Ceremonies, Arlene Gordon-Oliver, the first black woman to become President of the Westchester County Bar Association, and Judge Barbara Leak of the White Plains City Court, won his audience over and worked their emotions, their reason, their memories, their sensibilities, to resurrect a Martin Luther King Jr. dream for today.
“THEN MY LIFE SHOULD NOT BE IN VAIN:” Reverend Lestor Cousin set the emotional keynote with this rousing gospel number as Judge Morgan looks on. At left, Wiley Harrison, Board of Directors, Slater Center, and Arlene Gordon-Oliver, Mistress of Ceremonies. He had them from “Hello” when he complimented Reverend Lestor Cousin’s emotional delivery of a lyric that keynoted Dr. King’s motivation, singing “If I can show somebody they are traveling wrong, then my living should not be in vain,” thanking
“We come to celebrate the 76th anniversary of the birth of a preacher, a teacher, a seer, a risk taker and history maker, one of the greatest leaders to ever walk this earth,” were his first words. Photo by WPCNR News.
That lifted the audience of close to 200 right up out of their chairs.
He noted the number of children in the audience, approximately 18, and praised them for getting out of bed and coming today, taking up the theme that Martin Luther King Day, is “a Day on. Not a Day off,” noting that “there’s too much we need to do to lay in bed, watch TV, or go shopping. There’s too much we need to finish. It’s not a day for shopping, but a day to do what needs to be done to further justice for all people in this great country.” He contrasted how how easy it is “to lay around, sit around, and never get around,” while in 1963, others “sat in, stood out, got hosed down, got beat up.”
The Scene: Monday Morning 9 A.M. at The Crowne Plaza. Photo by WPCNR News.
Promising to speed up his southern drawl, Judge Morgan proceeded to spin a major address that got more interesting, powerful and relevant with every sentence, every unexpected change of direction that worked the keys of the human emotional keyboard.
The Dream Speech is NOT a sound bite.
He criticized the tendency to “pigeon-hole” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1963 address, saying it was time “to update the dream” to address the issues of today as he imagined Dr. King would be doing, had he not been assassinated in 1968. Calling the King speech, “one of the greatest pieces of oratory of all time,” he said “it shaped the consciousness of society, its shortfalls and shortcomings,” but now it was typically relegated to “sound bites.”
Doing so, Morgan said freezes the speech in time, and “gives a false notion of Dr. King (by simply referring to his analogy) of 4 little children.”
The truth, Morgan said is “We ain’t where we have been, then again we ain’t where we need to be.” He said “we” have not “sustained” the will to “destroy the vestiges of racial inequality.”
Humorously he noted how as we age, we change in time, citing several humorous references to celebrities, and said similarly Dr. King’s dream speech needed to be updated: “To freeze the speech in time would be an injustice. We need to update the dream to facilitate the agenda of it in 2005…we cannot afford to delude ourselves that the literal portion of the substance of the dream (has been accomplished). That does not mean that racial inequality doesn’t exist…methods to perpetuate inequality continue to evolve. We must update to reality our society’s shortcomings and what is happening now.”
Noting that music media has gone from 78’s to 45rpm records to LPs to CDs and now MP3’s, “it’s still music,” Morgan said. “The message of Dr. King is still freedom, justice, fairness, equality, and we still want it in the best way. We should not lock up Dr. King (to a place in time).”
He challenged to think of how Dr. King would react and speak out today had he lived, having been murdered at age 39 in 1968:
“A Dr. King in his 40s would speak on
Addresses pop culture and youth.
Judge Morgan connected with young and old by addressing the experiences he has had with young persons brought before him on the bench. He said the young persons of today are asking the same questions youth has always asked, “Who am I? Why was I put here? Where should I go? And what choices should I make?”
He said “Negative peer pressure is the leading destroyer of the development of our youth. They are being plucked off by under-achieving, unsavory, unconcerned individuals.”
He scathingly ridiculed pop lyrics put out by black and white groups alike that promote a lifestyle of indulgence, sex and disrespect. Rewriting the one performer’s message, he said, “It’s not all about business and all the money you can get. It’s about self-respect. Fairness. Decency…to be at your best – the best you can be all of the time.”
He brought laughs and drove home a message by rewriting popular pop lyrics: saying instead of singing “pass the Courvoisier,” he said he would rather hear “you passed your test with an A,” and rather than “don’t drop it like it’s hot,” “I want you to drop it like they’re not (hot).”
Giving examples of youths that come before him, Judge Morgan pointed out how drug pushers who cut mix and grade their “stock” represent “chemistry gone crazy,” and another young man who could leap and turn on a sprinkler system in prison, “physics gone wrong,” and offenders in line who can compute their bail, examples of “mathematics gone mad.” The points caused uneasy but very knowing, hollow laughter.
Concluding this segment on youth, Morgan pleaded with his audience that the minority youth of today “can’t afford to have a backward way of life,” and their education neglected.
He challenged all to the task of “updating the dream to do justice to Martin Luther King, Jr., and do justice to Martin Luther King’s legacy, and to do justice for our childen and future generations, we must update the dream.”
Mayor Joseph Delfino took the podium next, obviously as emotionally overcome as everyone else by Judge Morgan’s speech and said everyone across
Paul Wood, City Executive Officer, who is handling the Juneteenth Committee liaison for the Mayor’s office, said a little over than 200 tickets had been sold at $100 each as of Monday afternoon. To support Juneteenth, the celebration parade saluting the freeing of the slaves
The program concluded with a moving performance by Reverend Lester Cousin’s daughter-in-law, Dawn Cousin, and the morning of renewal ended with the ballroom joining hands and singing “We Shall Overcome.”
It was one of the great speeches this reporter has ever heard. Judge Morgan’s wife, Patsy, said he writes his speeches out longhand, but she would try and get WPCNR a copy.
DAWN COUSIN rendering a Selection. Photo by WPCNR News
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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Westchester County Board of Elections. January 19, 2004: The Westchester County Board of Elections today announced that it has entered into a Consent Decree with the United States Department of Justice in an effort to better serve Hispanic voters throughout Westchester County by providing a series of fifteen categories of election materials in Spanish. By entering the Consent Decree, the Westchester County Board of Elections is not making any admission of liability on any claim in this case.
“While the Westchester County Board has diligently provided voting materials in both English and Spanish for some time, we are also keenly aware that more needs to be done for communities that are predominately Hispanic to firmly assure a seamless voting process for all,” said Republican Commissioner Carolee Sunderland.
“The ‘Hola Votantes’ program (a program initiated by the Board of Elections prior to the consent decree agreement) is designed to heighten awareness and address language barrier issues as they relate to the growing Hispanic population in Westchester County,” added Democratic Commissioner Reginald LaFayette. “Using a comprehensive approach, this program directly targets all government and political parties involved in the voting process in an effort to bring about positive results.”
Both the Consent Decree and the County’s ‘Hola Votantes!’ program share many of the same tenets and long-term goals. According to Board of Elections’ officials, much of the subject matter outlined in the Consent Decree are practices that have been in place for years, while others are already in the works.
“We have undoubtedly demonstrated our earnest commitment to serving the Hispanic population here in Westchester,” said Sunderland.
“The Consent Decree essentially reiterates what we have been working towards for many years now,” said LaFayette. “Our efforts are clearly evident in the numerous bi-lingual materials we provide and the extensive efforts we continue to put forth to do even more.”
1) Voter Registration forms
2) Absentee Ballot applications
3) Absentee Ballots
4) Sample Ballots
5) Voters’ Bill of Rights
6) Death Certificate form
7) Voter Assistance Instructions and Notice
8) Voter Challenge Oaths
9) Voter Correction of a Mistake in Enrollment Form
10) Annual Mail Check Card
11) Post-Registration Challenge Affidavit
12) Affidavit Ballot Envelopes
13) Affidavit & Emergency Ballots
14) Absentee & Affidavit Ballot Instructions
15) Notice of bi-lingual assistance and a Hispanic Hotline for use on Election Day (Spanish)
· It is the policy of the Board of Elections that any correspondence to voters who complete a Spanish form will be in both English and Spanish.
Other Efforts:
· Correspondence to Party officials
· Correspondence to Hispanic Organizations & Liaisons
· Press Releases to both mainstream & Hispanic media sources
· Two new Board of Elections staff positions (Hispanic community liaisons)
· Targeted effort to identify, recruit and retain additional bi-lingual poll workers
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WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. By John F. Bailey. January 19, 2004: As the media blackout at the Mayor’s Office continued into the early afternoon hours, with no statement issued, confirming Commissioner of Planning Susan Habel’s announcement to the media that the Mayor and Council had reconciled over the question of who gets to serve on the Committee that will review the City Comprehensive Plan, Councilperson Rita Malmud has stepped forward and confirmed that the Mayor has agreed to give the Council equal responsibility with him in naming persons to the Committee.
Ms Malmud outlined the official results of yesterday’s secret meeting between Tom Roach, President of the Council and Councilman Benjamin Boykin and Mayor Joseph Delfino. Rita Malmud has confirmed to WPCNR “there has been an agreement reached under which all 7 members of the Common Council will work together on selection of a Comprehensive Plan Review Committee.”
Malmud’s confirmation confirms that the Mayor has given way under intense Council pressure for more council say in who gets to determine White Plains future direction of growth. Originally last week, the Mayor said he was going to appoint them. As late as yesterday afternoon, Executive Officer Paul Wood was claiming the city was not bound to allow the Common Council to do that, if it did not want to.
Malmud now reports exclusively to WPCNR that Councilman Roach reported this agreement to her last night after he had met with the Mayor. Malmud said “We’ve agreed to proceed.”
Asked how the Mayor and Council were going to proceed, she said, “Amicably.” Asked what was next, Ms. Malmud said, “This (selection of the committee) is the first step certainly to have all 7 of us involved in the process.”
She said no decision had been made yet on who would be on the committee and that councilmembers were now submitting names for consideration. She said selection to the committee and presumably the number of citizens on it “would be a give and take arrangement among all 7 of us.”
Malmud saw the process going forward in this manner: 1.)The announcement of the names of the persons on the committee, and 2.) Setting a date so the citizens could begin their work, and 3.) Multiple public meetings well publicized, she added.
She said she had received the Susan Habel-authored 1997 Comprehensive Plan Review as of last night from Mr. Roach, after he had met with the Mayor.
She told WPCNR she has already submitted some names but said it would not be appropriate to tell me her choices.
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Berg said the 8-story structure most likely have a restaurant on the first floor at street level, and would be available either as “affordable” rentals or condominiums ($80,000 median income to qualify) to satisfy the remaining 42-units he owes the city to fulfill Mr. Cappelli’s commitment to satsisfy the Common Council’s 6% affordable housing requirement in the Central Business District.
Mr. Berg did not bring up to the Planning Board Mr. Cappelli’s original suggestion that he could build all 41 units on the site of
Berg told WPCNR exclusively that Mr. Cappelli was no longer considering that option. Asked twice if Mr. Cappelli was still negotiating for 187
Berg explained to the Planning Board that instead of 400 foot Towers at 221, the towers would actually rise to 435 feet, if you include the mechanics of each tower which go on the top of the structures.
Cappelli Zoning Request for 400 feet Accepted After Troubled Questioning.
The Planning Board after much questioning by Planning Board members, Steve Alexander and J. Russell Imlay, referred to the Common Council the Zoning Request that would allow 400 foot heights on sites of 300,000 square feet in the Central Business District 4. This is the ordinance which will pave the way for Council acceptance of the 400 foot condo-rental spires Cappelli plans to build on the 221 Main site. The Board also said that they preferred increasing the amount of onsite open space at ground level to 25%.
Alexander questioned why the developer was writing zoning ordinances for the city, and said he had a big problem with the new ordinance language which did not spell out details of what conditions would allow 400 foot heights past the 300,000 square foot assemblage of property. At one point, Ms. Habel, the Planning Commissioner, interrupted Alexander and overrode him, not allowing him to finish, explaining that developers had the right to petition for a zoning change. A chastened Alexander was read the riot act.
J. Russell Imlay raised the question of whether sites like the Silverman property, using the transfer of development rights legislation created by the Common Council that is in play allowing Mr. Cappelli to build the 221 Main project, could be factored in with property in the Central Business District to create another lot assemblage of 300,000 feet or more, paving the way for additional 400-foot towers as of right. Ms. Habel explained that there was only one other property where that could be achieved and that was The Galleria.
Not to Worry About Transfer of Development Monsters Habel Says.
Habel also said that the Planning Board should not be concerned that the 400 foot height as of right ordinance would extend to the CB3 (East on Main to North Broadway) and UR4 zones, because it was the Planning Department feeling (at this time) that this would put too much density on the adjacent residential neighborhoods. Habel did admit though that a Transfer of Development rights could occur were a developer to assemble adjacent properties that were on opposite sides of a street and adjacent to each other (as exists between the
Given that the Silverman-Minskoff properties on Mamaroneck Avenue are diagonally across Main Street, it appears that additional acquisitions by a developer assembling properties along the north side of Main Street could be assembled. If such a developer ever obtained the Silverman-Minskoff properties, you could conceivably see the assemblage of a 300,000 square footage between the two properties on an angle to each other across Main Street.
The 400 Foot Club.
Ms. Habel stressed that any 400 foot building would have to be built in the Central Business District 4, but could not be built on the Silverman-Minskoff jointly owned block immediately behind the Plaza Fountain in such an arrangement. Habel said a 400 foot high property could be built on The Galleria property, for example, (owned by Mills Properties), as it now stands.
A site other than the Galleria that might have a possibility of qualifying for the 400 foot club in the Central business District would be The White Plains Mall, which consists of four acres (about 160,000 square feet), and if the White Plains Mall owners acquired adjacent property they could qualify to build perhaps to 400 feet. Previously the city had planned to have aerial sidewalks moving persons from buildings in the downtown across streets.
The former owner of The White Plains Mall, James Benerofe, recalls he had planned to purchase the Centroplex building at one time, which is adjacent to The White Plains Mall. That, Benerofe said, would easily have made up 300,000 square feet between the two cites, the Centroplex and The White Plains Mall.
Metropolitan Condos Bog Down in the Parking Lot. 6% Issue Not Decided.
In another hot development issue, The Metropolitan Condominiums slated for
A legal representative for The Metropolitan said that the issue of whether or not the council’s requirement that new residences being built devote 6% of their units to affordable housing applied to The Metropolitan is still at issue. Ms. Habel volunteered the information that The Metropolitan is not in the Central Business District. It is legal counsel Bill Null’s contention that the Metropolitan being not in the Central Business District is not subject to the 6% rule.
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WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. By John F. Bailey. January 19, 2004, Updated 8:45 A.M. E.S.T.: WPCNR has learned Tom Roach and Benjamin Boykin met with Mayor Delfino Tuesday evening and extracted an agreement from the Mayor to allow the Common Council to participate in selecting a Citizens Comprehensive Plan Review Committee which in future weeks will help to hammer out the way the city will continue its development according to Susan Habel, Commissioner of Planning.
Habel disclosed the information privately to the press that the crisis of jurisdiction as to who would appoint the committee, and how the review and revision of the City Comprehensive Plan should proceed had been solved in a meeting between the three, though she did not report this to the Planning Board with whom she was meeting late Tuesday night. She told the Planning Board at approximately 9:30 P.M. Tuesday evening, as she was presenting her own Review of the 1997 Comprehensive Plan to Planning Board members, that the Mayor and Council were working on the procedure to review the Comprehensive Plan, but had no idea of what conclusions they had reached.
Rita Malmud, speaking to WPCNR last night before Roach and Boykin met with the Mayor, said the Council sought collaboration with the Mayor “between all 7 of us” in reviewing the city comprehensive plan, and the process to do it.” Apparently, according to Ms. Habel, this has been done and agreed to by Mayor Delfino. Malmud said the council wanted “collaboration” and any review “has to include the public, as much of it as possible.”
Tom Roach and Benjamin Boykin were not available for comment this morning to confirm Ms. Habel’s good news, but WPCNR expects to hear from them shortly. The Mayor’s Office has made no official announcement of the meeting of the minds.
Glen Hockley, interviewed this morning by WPCNR on the street, said he felt this “detente” was a good thing, saying it was the way it should be in a democracy, and that he hoped some members of the Citizens Plan Committee which precipitated the presentation of Ms. Habel’s own “Review” distributed yesterday would be included on the committee the council and Mayor chose.
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WPCNR THE PLANNING NEWS. By John F. Bailey. January 18, 2004, Updated 5 P.M. E.S.T.: The 1997 Comprehensive Plan Review and Analysis was picked up by WPCNR at the Department of Planning Tuesday afternoon, and is available to all citizens of the city. The Review written by the Department of Planning and incorporating reports, analysis, opinions from city departments, interpreted and compiled under the supervision of the Commissioner of Planning, Susan Habel, is the long-awaited review of how the 1997 Comprehensive Plan is being executed. WPCNR has also learned the Review has not been released to the Common Council.
It purports, (pending WPCNR analysis), how far the city has come, and purportedly gives a snapshot in time of where the city is at after seven years since the Comprehensive Plan was “accepted” by the city. At first glance the Introduction to the plan makes a point that the 1997 is only a “basic policy framework.” The first impression of the report is that there is no Executive Summary.There is no Table of Contents. It is hard to read. Sections have Overviews, with apparent recommendations, but it is tedious and slow going and the lack of an index makes it hard to cut to the chase.
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. HABEL. Citizens interested in the city’s report card on how they are doing following the 1997 Comprehensive Plan may pick up a copy at the Planning Department, while supplies last, for their home libraries. The number of the Planning Department is 422-1253. Photo by WPCNR News.
Though the WPCNR staff has not gotten into the dissection of the plan, one paragraph in the introduction makes a point of saying the Comprehensive Plan is not binding, which echoes Mr. Wood’s comments of a few hours ago (see previous story). The Habel review does so in the following manner with this paragraph, Introduction-Page 2.
The Common Council did not adopt the Comprehensive Plan, instead it accepted and recognized the Plan as the “basic policy framework” within which policy decisions are made. General City Law Section 28-a makes adoption of a comprehensive plan permissive and not mandatory. The Comprehensive Plan does not, therefor, in itself, represent and adopted policy of the City, nor does it compel specific actions. It provides, however, as stated above, a “basic policy framework.”