THE WORLD READS WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER — 8,324,077 VISITS IN ONE YEAR

 WPCNR NEWS AND COMMENT. By John F. Bailey. November 9, 2017:

TO HEAR THE SOUTH END GEDNEY ASSOCIATION TELL IT, THE FRENCH AMERICAN SCHOOL OF NEW YORK PLAN TO BUILD A NEW CAMPUS ON THE OLD RIDGEWAY COUNTRY CLUB IS STILL A FIERY ISSUE IN WHITE PLAINS.

HOWEVER, THAT HAS NOT APPEARED TO EFFECT MAYOR TOM ROACH’S POPULARITY IN THE LEAST.

OVER THE LAST 6 YEARS —(THIS JANUARY IT WILL BE 7 YEARS IN DISCUSSIONS), THE FASNY SAGA THE LIKE OF HAS BEEN A HISTORIC EXERCISE IN INERTIA. I HAVE AND THE CITY HAS SUFFERED THROUGH, SITE PLANS, BEHIND-THE-SCENES MANEUVERS, STRIDENT CITIZEN PARTICIPATION, AN ENTRANCE ON RIDGEWAY, AN ENTRANCE ON NORTH STREET, NOW BACK TO AN ENTRANCE ON RIDGEWAY. THE PROCESS HAS MADE LEGAL FIRMS AND CONSULTANTS SWIMMING POOLS OF MONEY LIKE SCROOGE McDUCK.

THE FASNY SAGA IS THE STUFF MOVIE CLASSICS ARE MADE OF.

THROUGH THIS PERIOD, THE ROACH ADMINISTRATION HAS IN EFFECT MANAGED TO DELAY BY INTENTION OR JUST BY THE INERTIA OF GOVERNMENT BY PROCEDURE—MOVING THE  APPROVAL OR DENIAL FARTHER OUT.

BUT THE END IS NEAR. MAYBE.

LAST MONTH THE COMMON COUNCIL SCHEDULED A SPECIAL MEETING TO DISCUSS THE NEW, IMPROVED FASNY SITE PLAN. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THEY HAVE MET ON IT TO ATTEMPT PROGRESS SINCE THE CITY DENIED THE FIRST PLAN IN AUGUST 2015.

A JUDGE THEN FOUND THE CITY HAD DELAYED THE PROCESS AND CALLED FOR A REVOTE  

AFTER FASNY SUED THE CITY,  THE CITY REACHED AN AGREEMENT WITH FASNY TO CONSIDER A NEW PLAN AND THE JUDGE SET UP AN EXPEDITED TIMETABLE FOR THE PROCESS TO CONSIDER THE NEW PLAN.

THAT NEW PLAN PUTTING THE ENTRANCE BACK ON RIDGEWAY IS WHAT THE COMMON COUNCIL CAME TO DISCUSS TWO AND A HALF YEARS AFTER THAT AUGUST 15, 4-3 DENIAL OF THE NORTH STREET ENTRANCE.

 THE COUNCIL RAISED SOME ISSUES ON THE NEW REVISED PLAN  AT THEIR SPECIAL MEETING THE THIRD WEEK IN OCTOBER.

THE COUNCIL QUESTIONS WERE ASKED WITHOUT A REVIEW OF THE PLAN BY THE FRENCH AMERICAN SCHOOL OF NEW YORK.  THE FASNY SPOKESMAN, GEOFF THOMPSON TOLD THIS REPORTER THE COMMON COUNCIL DID NOT REQUEST A FORMAL OVERVIEW OF THE PLAN TO BE SHOWN AT THAT MEETING. SO THE PUBLIC VIEWING THE MEETING WHICH WAS POORLY MIKED AND HARD TO UNDERSTAND EVEN WHEN VIEWING IN THE CHAMBER AND ESPECIALLY UNHEARABLE ON TELEVISION AT HOME. AT LEAST ONE CALL CAME IN FROM A VIEWER COMPLAINING THE TELEVISION FEED WAS UNHEARABLE.

AT THE MEETING NADINE HUNT-ROBINSON, THE COUNCILPERSON WHOSE VOTE KILLED THE FORMER PLAN THAT WOULD HAVE CLOSED HATHAWAY LANE AND HAD ENTRANCE FROM NORTH STREET BY WHITE PLAINS HIGH SCHOOL SAID SHE WAS STILL CONCERNED ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.

SHE SAID SHE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE DOUBTS RAISED BY CITIZENS ABOUT ABOUT FASNY DEVELOPING OTHER PARCELS OF THE PROPERTY A PROCESS KNOWN AS “SEGMENTATION”.

SHE SUGGESTED THESE DOUBTS ABOUT FUTURE DEVELOPMENT COULD BE PUT TO REST BY PROHIBITING ANY OTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE REST OF THE COUNTRY CLUB PROPERTY FOR 50 YEARS.

THIS  WOULD APPEAR TO BE A WAY THE HUNT-ROBINSON VOTE MIGHT BY MOVED TO “YES.”

PREVIOUSLY HUNT-ROBINSON VOTED AGAINST THE CLOSING HATHAWAY PLAN BECAUSE OF SAFETY ISSUES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS.

COUNCILMAN DENNIS KROLIAN, ANOTHER NEGATIVE VOTE ON THE FASNY ISSUE RAISED AN ISSUE OVER POLICE MONITORING OF TRAFFIC AT THE MAMARONECK AVENUE AND RIDGEWAY INTERSECTION ON WHETHER IT WOULD BE MONITORED AT ALL BY THE WHITE PLAINS POLICE. THE POLICE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER SAID THE POLICE WOULD MONITOR IF THEY RECEIVED COMPLAINTS.

THE THIRD NEGATIVE VOTER ON THE NORTH STREET ENTRANCE IN AUGUST 2015, MILAGROS LECUONA ALSO MADE A DEMAND THAT ANY APPROVAL RESOLUTION SHOULD PERMANENTLY CAP THE FASNY NUMBER OF STUDENTS ATTENDING THE CAMPUS AT 615.

OBSERVERS OF THIS MEETING SEEMED TO FEEL THAT ROBINSON-HUNT HAD SET OUT HER CRITERIA FOR  GETTING TO YES AND “APPROVAL.”

WHETHER FASNY WOULD AGREE TO A STIPULATION THAT WOULD MAKE THE REST OF THE PROPERTY UNATTRACTIVE TO A POTENTIAL FUTURE BUYER OR POSITIVE USE OF THE PROPERTY UNDER FUTURE ADMINISTRATIONS IS A BIG QUESTION.

WHEN A RESOLUTION WOULD BE READY AND HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE TO HAMMER OUT A RESOLUTION WITH RESTRICTIONS  FASNY COULD LIVE WITH WITHOUT FILING ANOTHER LAWSUIT, IS UNCERTAIN AT THE TIME OF THIS REPORT.

YOU COULD LOOK FOR IT IN DECEMBER OR AT A SPECIAL MEETING OR JANUARY OR FEBRUARY. PERHAPS AT A NEW YEAR’S EVE MEETING, A FEW MINUTES BEFORE MIDNIGHT

 THIS MAKES MY PREDICTION THAT FASNY WOULD NOT BE VOTED ON BEFORE THE 2017 NOVEMBER ELECTION A REALITY. THOSE ELECTED IN NOVEMBER DID NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH ANY FASNY FALLOUT. HOW DID I KNOW THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN? JUST LUCKY, I GUESS.

 

 THE RACE FOR WESTCHESTER COUNTY EXECUTIVE BOILS DOWN TO WHO DO YOU TRUST?

COUNTY EXECUTIVE INCUMBENT ROBERT P. ASTORINO, WHO CLAIMS NOT TO HAVE RAISED YOUR TAXES IN 8 YEARS.  SAVED ZONING IN COUNTY TOWNS BY BATTLING HUD.  BROUGHT IN MAJOR NEW BUSINESSES

OR GEORGE LATIMER, EXPERIENCED TWO-TIME STATE SENATOR, THREE-TERM COUNTY LEGISLATOR. MR. LATIMER’S MESSAGE TO WESTCHESTER IS YOU CANNOT TRUST MR. ASTORINO BECAUSE OF HIS ALLEGED PLAY FOR PLAY DEALS MADE WITH A NUMBER OF HIS CAMPAIGN DONORS, AND LATIMER PORTRAYS HIM AS A DONALD TRUMP PUPPET NOT SUPPORTIVE OF WESTCHESTER VALUES.

LATIMER CHARGES  MR. ASTORINO DID  RAISE TAXES FOR COMMUNITIES INCLUDING RYE, EASTCHESTER, GREENBURGH, MAMARONECK. BUT MR. LATIMER NEGLECTED TO SAY THE TAX RISES WERE THE RESULT OF LOCAL REVALUATIONS OF ALL HOMES IN THOSE TOWNS BY THE COMMUNITIES THEMSELVES AND THE COINCIDENCE OF RISING HOME PRICES.

MR. ASTORINO HAS HAD ONE ISSUE: MR. LATIMER’S FAILURE TO PAY PROPERTY TAXES TO RYE, PARKING TICKETS AND LIENS ON A THIRD HOME LATIMER OWNS.

LATIMER ACKNOWLEDGED THE TAX DEBT, BUT SAYS THEY ARE HIS WIFE’S RESPONSIBILITY. LATIMER SAYS ASTORINO IS JUST RESORTING TO PERSONAL ATTACKS.  

IT’S A MYSTERY WHY MR. LATIMER DID NOT PAY ALL THESE OBLIGATIONS SOME WAY BEFORE HE STARTED HIS COUNTY EXECUTIVE RUN LAST SPRING.

MR. LATIMER HANDED MR. ASTORINO AN ISSUE ON A PLATTER WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT INFLUENCE VOTERS TO DENY HIM THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICE TODAY.

THE ASTORINO STRATEGISTS HAVE BEEN SATURATING TELEVISION EXPLORING IN DEVASTING PRODUCTION DETAIL HIS TAX DELINQUENCY.

DOES IT MATTER HE HAS NOT PAID HIS TAXES? DOES IT MATTER THAT GEORGE LATIMER CAN LET HIS TAXES GO UNPAID FOR 5 YEARS, WHILE A NORMAL TAXPAYER MIGHT EASILY BE FORECLOSED ON OR HAVE LIENS PLACED ON THEIR HOME?

IT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER THE CITY OF RYE SIMPLY LET THE LATIMER TAX TAB GO BY IGNORING IT. THE COMPTROLLER’S OFFICE IN THE CITY OF RYE DID NOT RESPOND TO WPCNR CALLS ASKING IF RYE HAD ADVISED MR. LATIMER THAT HE COULD HOLD OFF PAYING THE TAXES UNTIL HIS WIFE’S ESTATE DISPUTE WAS RESOLVED. A SIMPLE LETTER TO THAT EFFECT  FROM THE COMPTROLLER’S OFFICE MIGHT HAVE SPARED MR. LATIMER THE PERSONAL PAIN INFLICTED BY THE ASTORINO CAMPAIGN. BUT THEN A LETTER OF LENIENCY ON THE TAX PAYMENT,  MIGHT MEAN THE CITY OF RYE WAS TREATING MR. LATIMER SPECIAL AND WOULD HAVE TO TREAT EVERYONE THAT WAY. MR. LATIMER HAS SAID HE HAD RECEIVED NO COMMUNICATION FROM THE CITY OF RYE TO THAT EFFECT.

ISSUES—REAL ONES THAT THE COUNTY FACES IN THE FUTURE HAVE NOT COME UP IN THIS CAMPAIGN.  

TAX INCREASES:

MR. LATIMER TOLD ME ON “PEOPLE TO BE HEARD,” HE DID NOT PLAN TO RAISE TAXES  IF ELECTED.

BUDGETING:

STATE SENATOR LATIMER SAID ON THE SAME PROGRAM HE  WILL CONDUCT  A TOP TO BOTTOM AUDIT OF ALL COUNTY EXPENDITURES TO FIND OUT THE COUNTY’S  FINANCIAL POSITION.

AIRPORT DEAL:

HE SAID HE WOULD WOULD ANALYZE THE COUNTY AIRPORT DEAL, PERHAPS REJECT THE LEASING PROPOSED BY MR. ASTORINO.

PLAYLAND:

MR. LATIMER CHALLENGED STANDARD AMUSEMENTS, THE DESIGNATED, CONTRACTED PLAYLAND OPERATOR TO PAY THE UPFRONT PAYMENT THEY OWE THE COUNTY BY  DECEMBER 31. THAT IS MR. ASTORINO’S CONTRACT DATE WHEN PAYMENT IS DUE  FROM STANDARD AMUSEMENTS TO SEAL THE PLAYLAND DEAL.

LATIMER SAYS IF THAT PAYMENT IS NOT MADE, “ALL BETS ARE OFF” LATIMER WILL REEXAMINE WHETHER TO LEASE PLAYLAND AT ALL OR HAVE THE COUNTY RUN IT, IF STANDARD AMUSEMENTS DELAYS THAT PAYMENT.

 

MEANWHILE, IN WHITE PLAINS MILAGROS LECUONA, CHALLENGER TO MAYOR TOM ROACH, CAMPAIGNED IN GATHERINGS IN SUPPORTERS’ HOMES. NO LITERATURE OR MAILINGS OF ANY SUBSTANCE AFTER THE DEVASTATING DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY RESULT WHERE SHE LOST BY A 3 TO 1 MARGIN.

SHE ATTEMPTED TO TURN AROUND HER CAMPAIGN FOCUSING ON THE ARTS LAST WEEK. BUT DURING THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS FORUM AT THE WHITE PLAINS PUBLIC LIBRARY A SIGNIFICANT EXCHANGE-INTERACTION HAD TO BE DEVASTATING TO THE DOGGED, DETERMINED MS. LECUONA

AT A COMMUNITY DEBATE, SHE ASKED WHITE PLAINS RESIDENTS IN ATTENDANCE  IF THE CITY WAS BETTER OFF THAN IT WAS 7 YEARS AGO.

THERE WAS A COLLECTIVE LOUD “YES’ FROM THE AUDIENCE. A DEVASTATING VOICE VOTE FROM PERSONS IN WHITE PLAINS WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THE MAYORAL RACE.

MAYOR ROACH SHOULD HAVE HIS WAY TODAY.

AS BOB GRANT THE ACERBIC OLD WMCA TALK SHOW HOST SAID WHEN HE SIGNED OFF HIS TALK SHOW,

YOUR VOTE COUNTS. USE IT.