THE WORLD READS WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER — 8,324,077 VISITS IN ONE YEAR | 2,905,611 VISITORS VISIT 8,324,077 TIMES 3 TIMES EVERY DAY IN ONE YEAR. HIGHEST ACTIVITY IN WPCNR HISTORY.White PlainsCitizeNetReporter lifted its worldwide visits from unique visitors to wpcnr.com to 8,324,077,a 1,306,419 increase in visits in one year from 7,017,658 visits to the site last year which covers White Plains and Westchester County. The 8,324,077 visits were made by 2,005,611 unique visitors who visited wpcnr an average of 3 visits a day. ON JULY 20- -2026 visitors have accessed wpcnr and made 3,072 visits an average of 1.6 visits. In the last week 33,495 individual vistors made 54,458 visits, averaging 1.6 visits. In the last month, 152,940 visitors recorded 229,338 visits (1.5 visits)

Council Takes Up Urban Renewal Extension Thursday.

Posted on April 22, 2009 by John Bailey

WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL-CHRONICLE EXAMINER. From The City Clerk. April 22,2009: An agenda has been issued for a Special Meeting of the Common Council Thursday evening, at which extension of cabaret licenses for two pubs, including one roundly criticised for rowdy patrons cluttering a neighbor-business parking lot. The Council will then take up the budgets of the Traffic Department, Recreation and Parks, and the White Plains Public Library (proposed to be cut some $640,000) and the North Street Community request for a special permit to run an assisted living facility out of the former St. Agnes Hospital, capital improvements on the Slater Center, zoning application fees. The agenda, written in the usual criptic, uninformative style City Hall is known for, also talks about discussing Winbrook Community Houses, with no further explanation. The agenda:

COMMON COUNCIL

REVISED

AGENDA

SPECIAL MEETING

April 23, 2009

6:00 P.M.

RESOLUTIONS:

1. Communication from the City Clerk in relation to a request submitted by La Colmena Restaurant Corp., d/b/a Karamba Cafe, 185 Main Street, requesting a waiver of the thirty (30) day notification requirement set forth in the New York State Alcoholic Beverage Control Law for the renewal of a liquor license.

2. Resolution of the Common Council of the City of White Plains waiving the thirty (30) day notification requirement set forth in Section 64(2)(a) of the New York Alcoholic Beverage Control Law in regard to an application submitted on behalf of La Colmena Restaurant Corp. d/b/a Karamba Cafe located at 185 Main Street for a renewal of its license to sell alcoholic beverages.

3. Environmental Findings Resolution regarding the proposed extension of the Special Permit for a Cabaret Use at 199 and 201 East Post Road on behalf of Tri-Kelly Inc.

4. Resolution of the Common Council of the City of White Plains approving the application submitted on behalf of Tri-Kelly, Inc., d/b/a Kelly’s Pub and Grill and the Thirsty Turtle for a three (3) year renewal of a Special Permit to allow the operation of a Cabaret Use at 199-201 East Post Road (Section 125.84, Block 4, Lot 3) subject to certain conditions contained herein.

DISCUSSION:

5. North Street Community, LLC – amendment to the Zoning Ordinance.

6. White Plains Housing Authority – Winbrook Community Buildings.

7. Capital Project – replace fuel pumps at Public Safety

8. Urban Renewal Central Renewal Project Plan – ten year extension.

9. Slater Center Rehabilitation – Community Development.

10. Proposed amendment to the Zoning Ordinance – application fees.

11. Entertainment of a motion to enter into executive session for the purpose of discussing the employment history of a particular person or persons.

12. Proposed Tax Budget of the City of White Plains for Fiscal Year 2009 – 2010 – Traffic Department, Recreation and Parks Department and White Plains Public Library.

LCOR: HERE’S NEW 55 BANK STREET PROJECT. CREDIT STILL FROZEN.582 Units on FISH

Posted on April 22, 2009 by John Bailey

WPCNR DEVELOPER NEWS. By John F. Bailey. April 22,2009: LCOR presented the new design for their now 582-unit rental housing project (previously it had been 535 units), Tuesday evening at the Planning Board. Peter Gilpatric, the LCOR executive, said that financing for the project was currently not forthcoming due to frozen credit markets, but the newly designed project was of interest to potential funding sponsors. He advised the Planning Board that Phase One would be built first which would include the southern 28-story building with seven-story parking garage.

New 28 story Buildings on Bank. Parking Facility behind proposed for 55 Bank Street.

Bird’s-eye View of Plan. Bank Street at base of picture.The “Hotel-to-come” would be built on the green portion. The brown rectangles are the footprints of the two 28-story apartments. Units, Mr. Gilpatrick said, would be built smaller especially the 2-bedrooms, making up 582-units of which 117 would be affordable housing.

The project will be presented to the Common Council next who would then refer it out to departments, Commissioner of Planning, Susan Habel said. In the new design, the garage portion of the retail-residential complex will be built to the rear of the two-building complex, which fronts on Bank Street.

The new Buildings approaching from Fisher Avenue.

In commenting on a question about the possibility of a hotel being built, Mr. Gilpatric said he did not know when that would happen and there were no immediate prospects due to the present decline in the hotel industry. He also described the present White Plains rental housingmarkets as in decline with rents being lowered and incentives being offered by landlords to lure and keep tenants. He said it was a good time to rent an apartment because the rates are lowering.

The View from Battle Hill of the new complex, looking East.

Prudential Rand Acquires Wolff Century 21

Posted on April 21, 2009 by John Bailey

WPCNR MAMARONECK AVENUE AMBLER. April 21, 2009: Prudential Rand, the White Plains realtor, WPCNR has learned, is acquiring the three remaining offices of Wolff Century 21. According to a source close to the Woff Century 21 operations, Prudential Rand will be taking over the Yonkers office and the Wolff Century21 office at 490 Mamaroneck Avenue will close, with employees moving from there to One North Broadway.

PSC OKs CON ED HIKE OF14.3%. BILLS GO UP 6.1% With Legisltr Assessment Grab

Posted on April 21, 2009 by John Bailey

WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS -THE POWER NEWS. By John F. Bailey. APRIL 25, 2009, UPDATED WITH COUNTY EXECUTIVE STATEMENT. April 21, 2009UPDATED 11:40 P.M. E.D.T.: The New York State Public Service Commission approved a 14.3% increase in the Consolidated Edison Delivery Charge portion of consumer electric bills Tuesday in Albany by a 4 to 1 vote.

Friday, Westchester County Executive Andrew Spano reacted to Tuesday’s increase, first reported by WPCNR two weeks ago, with this statement:

“Once again the state Public Service Commission has put Con Edison’s interests ahead of those of the electric ratepayers of Westchester and New York City. This latest increase is unwarranted and particularly in the midst of the current recession is a crushing blow to our residents and businesses already struggling to pay their bills,” County Executive Andrew Spano said.

The 14.3% increase in Con Ed “infrastructure” charges, when combined with the $198 Million increase in Consolidated Edison assessment decreed by the state legislature to increase revenues in the general fund, will increase the typical Westchester area bill 6.1% according to PSC official testifying today at the approval hearing in Albany. The full increase approved this afternoon is $721.4 Million.

The Public Service Commission Cut Con Edison’s request by $60 Million, requiring them to find an immediate $30 Million in savings to help pay the reduction, and come back for “relief” from Commission if they could not save another $30 Million.

Bob McGee, spokesperson for Con Edision issued this statement to WPCNR late Tuesday evening:

Since most of a customer’s bill is used to pay supply costs and government taxes, it is troubling that the only costs being slashed in today’s PSC decision are the funds used to maintain the system and provide reliable service.

We will analyze the PSC order when it is issued, but the imposition of further “austerity” in light of the substantial efficiency measures we continue to take strikes us as counter-productive to our efforts to maintain our electric delivery system.

We are disappointed in the PSC action. We will continue to seek operational savings wherever it makes sense and to serve our customers.

The effect: For example on April 2, a White Plains electric customer paid $132.67 for 648 kilowatt hours. On May 1, when the new charges will be in effect that bill will rise $9.02 to $140.76, providing Supply Charges stay the same. On May 2, the rate increase goes into affect. The $9 PSC estimate is line with WPCNR estimates reported two weeks ago.

The 6.1% overall affect of the decision was said by a PSC analyst, speaking in testimony today in Albany, was the expected affect on the overall customer bill, when the $234 Million Con Edison Assessment charge is added to customers’ bills. The PSC said that 1/3 of half the 2% increase in assessments would be borne by the utility companies and the balance of the increase would be passed along to consumers.

The increased assessment was introduced by Governor David Paterson’s office to create more revenue for the General Fund. The assessment increases Con Ed’s Assessment to $283 Million, up 857% in 2009-10, up from $33 Million this year. It will raise Westchester and NYC area residents utility bills an as-yet-unspecified amount in a few scant months. The assessment must be paid this year.

Legislature Clandestine Assessment Hike Blindside:857%

The state assessment is a straight cash payment decreed in the new state budget passed the first week of April, as first and exclusively reported, so far by WPCNR.

Con Ed is faced with an increase of 857% up from $33 Million the state charged Con Edison this year.The assessment increase affects all utilities’ intra (within) state revenues across the state and pours billions into the state General Fund for unspecified use “related to energy.”

One PSC Commissioner expressed bewilderment as to why the increased assessment was going to the general fund, but received no explanation from the PSC Administrative Law Judges who made the recommendations accepted today.

Con Ed’s Property Taxes Up 23%

In the course of testimony, it was reported that Con Edison pays $1 Billion in property taxes, and experienced a 23% increase in its property taxes this year from various communities and cities this year. The state assessment is separate from that amount.

The reasons for the Delivery Charge increase, separate from the $198 Million Assessment addition to the bill were Con Edison’s increases in pensions, were Con Edison’s cumulative property tax increases, rate relief, revenue return (10%), rate of depreciation of equipment, and the18A Assessment increase, in addition.

PSC Extracts Savings from Con Edision

The PSC decided, from observations of the hearing by WPCNR, to limit the amount of the Delivery Charge rate increase from the $585Million asked for by Consolidated Edison to authorizing only $523.4 Million, requiring that Con Ed execute $60 Million in savings, to make up the difference, rather than by guaranteed the entire rate request. From the hearing observation, it appears Con Edison is required to save $30 Million, and will,if they cannot create $30 more in savings three quarters into the year, have to petition the Commission for “relief,” i.e. an additional surcharge, or rate relief.