Saxon Woods Pool in the Sun Thursday afternoon
Westchester County Pools Open. Including Saxon Woods as Humidity Continues.
HUD MONITOR: COUNTY DRAGS OUT ANALYSIS OF IMPEDIMENTS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN 17 OF 31 COMMUNITIES: STANDS TO LOSE $5.2 MILLION MORE IN 2012 HUD FUNDS PERMANENTLY PRESENTLY WITHELD
WPCNR HUD WATCH. From the County Board of Legislators. June 26, 2014:
James E. Johnson of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, the HUD Monitor appointed to supervise Westchester County compliance with its affordable housing settlement, challenged the county yesterday to do better and put together an acceptable “Analysis of Impediments” to building affordable housing to compete HUD’S demand the city provide 750 of affordable units.
Failire to do so, in a timely fashion will result in a permanent loss of additional $5.2 Million in HUD community development aid withheld from the county in 2012, bringing the total of aid taken away from the county to $12 Million. He concluded his 70-page chronicle of the dispute to date with this paragraph:
“If the parties are unable to resolve this dispute, the County will lose an additional $3,915,674 in CDBG funds, $846,884 in HOME funds, and $465,789 in ESG funds, a total of $5,228,327 in funds that would aidthe County in furthering the purposes of the Settlement as well as bettering its community.
The uncompromising concluding paragraph ended a 70-page Progress Report on the ongoing dispute between Westchester County and the Department of Housing and Urban Development over resolving alleged discrimination in zoning in 31 Westchester Communities.
Johnson wrote 17 of the 31 communities have failed to adopt a model ordinance that would remove zoning restrictions. Johnson writes in the report:
“As of March 31, 2014, 17 of the 31 municipalities have failed to adopt a versionof the model ordinance. See Ex. 16 (2014 Q1 Report) at 17. Paragraph 33(c) of the Settlement requires the County to “create and fund campaigns to broaden support for fair housing . . . including public outreach specifically addressing the benefits of mixedincome housing and racially and ethnically integrated communities.” A concerted public education campaign directed at existing Westchester residents would raise awareness and reduce the potential for the local approval process to be used as a vehicle for racialanimus. The County has yet to fulfill this obligation under the Settlement.”
In the report, Johnson blames County Executive Robert P.Astorino for blocking the Board of Legislators initiative to pave the way for creating a zoning code that could meet HUD’S adjustments, writing:
“…the Chairman of the BOL (Mike Kaplowitz) engaged with HUD in an effort to resolve the impasse. In a letter dated May 6, 2014, the Chairman represented that the BOL had the “necessary authority” to provide the requested assurances to HUD, and provided the legal justification for doing so.
HUD requested that the Chairman provide HUD with: (1) a timeline and benchmarks for enacting a local law that commits the County to providing the necessary assurances; (2) a “plan for completing the required zoning analysis;” and (3) an “explanation of the Board’s authority to subsume traditional executive functions necessary to implement” astrategy to overcome exclusionary zoning practices. As part of its effort to revise the County’s AI (Analysis of Impediments), the BOL asked the Monitor to task his housing experts to conduct an evaluation of the 31 eligible municipality’s zoning ordinances under the federal standard for exclusion
The Monitor (Johnson) agreed to oversee the analysis, and provided HUD, the BOL, and the County Executive with the proposed methodology to be used in conducting the analysis, and requested that the parties notify him with any objections.
The County Executive (Mr. Astorino) has opposed this approach. In a press release issued on June 5, 2014, he characterized the Monitor’s letter as “a plan to rewrite the 2009 federal affordable housing settlement” in such a way that would give HUD “unprecedentedpower to dismantle local zoning.”
The County Executive also sent a letter to the 31 eligible municipalities stating that the alleged “changes to the Settlement” would result “in the loss of Home Rule, your authority to control local land use – as guaranteed by the New York State Constitution,” and that “HUD could dictate local zoning changes and open your municipality to never-ending investigations by the federal government.”
County Exec Astorino Announces $329,250 in IDA incentives for Renovation of 101 East Post Road
The 101 East Post Road Building–currently empty–bankrolled with IDA tax credits will be renovated to house offices to serve the White Plains Hospital expansion, according to Westchester County spokesperson.The project is expected to cost $6 Million
Photo (l. to r.): Paul Guillaro, president and CEO of Unicorn Contracting; Bill Weinberg, principal of Bilwin Development Affiliates, LLC; Martin Berger, principal of Saber Dobbs Ferry, LLC; Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino; Jim Coleman, executive director of the Westchester County Industrial Development Agency; William M. Mooney III, director of economic development for Westchester County.
WPCNR COUNTY-CLARION LEDGER From the Westchester County Department of Communications. June 26, 2014:
County Executive Robert P. Astorino today announced that Westchester’s Industrial Development Agency (IDA) has approved a series of incentives that will aid a $6,000,000 renovation of 101 East Post Road in downtown White Plains, and two other major economic development projects move forward: a Marriott Springhill Suites in the Village of Tuckahoe; a mixed-used shopping, entertainment, hotel and housing complex in the Village of Dobbs Ferry.
With a total of $83 million in private investment, the projects will create more than 940 new permanent positions as well as 725 construction jobs.
“These businesses have said ‘Yes’ to Westchester and chose to invest here because we are committed to creating an environment that allows them to thrive and succeed,” said Astorino. “Job creation is how we move Westchester forward.”
Construction on 101 East Post Road to Begin in Fall
The renovation of 101 East Post Road in downtown White Plains, proposed by Post Road Associates, LLC, is a $6 million project, which will receive $329,250 in tax incentives through the IDA ($251,250 in sales tax exemption, $78,000 in mortgage recording tax exemption). This project will create approximately 200 permanent jobs and 50 construction jobs.
“This $6 million renovation project will breathe new life into this building and commercial district,” said Paul Guillaro, president and CEO of Unicorn Contracting and general partner of Post Road Associates, LLC. “Thanks to County Executive Rob Astorino and his IDA team, this project was made feasible and will attract quality commercial tenants as well as high-paying jobs that will support the Mamaroneck Avenue retail and restaurant district.”
Construction on the 50,000 square-foot building is expected to begin this fall and will be completed by the spring of 2015.
Brush Up Your Shakespeare! City Introduces Shakespeare in a White Plains Park:TWELFTH NIGHT PLAYS Under the Stars July 15-16 in Turnure Park
WPCNR STAGE DOOR. From the City of White Plains (Edited). June 26, 2014 UPDATED June 27, 2014:
The City of White Plains is bringing Shakespeare’s TWELFTH NIGHT to Turnure Park July 15th and 16th.
The Curtain Call production of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night will be held on Tuesday, July 15th and Wednesday, July 16th (rain date July 17th). Show time is at 7:00 p.m. on both nights. This production is free and open to the public.
The White Plains Performing Arts Center box office, the local city sponsored non-profit theatre was unaware the Mayor’s Office was bringing in this production when contacted by WPCNR Thursday morning. WPCNR’s phone call was the first time they had heard of it.
Curtain Call is a non-profit production based in Stamford, producing plays on a year round basis, a staple of which is the company’s Shakespeare in the Park productions. Curtain Call also provides theatre classes and performance opportunities in the City of Stamford, very similar to the programs of the White Plains Performing Arts Center.
Last year, Mayor Roach received a letter from long time White Plains resident, Karen Hanley, suggesting that the City consider bringing Shakespeare in the Park to White Plains. A summertime tradition that is enjoyed all over the world should be enjoyed here in White Plains as well.
Ms. Hanley has appeared in one Curtain Call Shakespeare In the Park production as a member of the ensemble in Othello last summer, and most recently in the Curtain Call production of When We Are Married in January of this year.
After meeting with Lou Ursone of Curtain Call Productions, the City identified Turnure Park off Lake Street as offering the right setting for such a production. Residents will be familiar with Turnure as the location of the City’s Annual Cherry Blossom Festival. The performance will take place on the Great Lawn of Turnure Park.
Picnicking is encouraged! So gather your friends and family, bring your blankets and lawn chairs, and settle in for what is sure to be a thoroughly enjoyable evening.
“We are so pleased to be able to offer this new, family-friendly event to our residents in conjunction with ArtsWestchester,” said Mayor Roach. “We hope this performance of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night will herald the start of a wonderful White Plains summertime tradition!”
WPCNR placed a call to the White Plains Performing Arts Center, the city-supported theatre, and the box office persons we spoke to said they were unaware of this production. It was the first time they had heard of it.