WPCNR VIEW FROM THE UPPER DECK. August 14, 2008: Dan Woodard, former White Plains High Principal, and tireless advocate for athletic achievement in White Plains, with football coach Michael Skip Stevens presented a $1,000 check from this week’s NFL Hall of Fame inductee and White Plains High great, Art Monk, witha a crystal spire trophy to Ray Mitchell the star running back and receiver for the 2007 White Plains football team at Loucks Field today. Number 33 Ray Mitchell chosen outstanding 2007 Football Senior, receives Art Monk Award. Coach Michael Skip Stevens, left, Dan Woodard, former White Plains High School Principal, at right. Mr. Mitchell will play football while attending Hartwick College in Oneonta, starting practice this Saturday, he said. He plans to major in business, and hopes to fit in, any way he can on the team, and help Hartwick, which he described as a strong winning program continue its football success. Ray Mitchell, hanging slightly back, about to set up a TD (Center of action) following James Bryant about ready to throw a key block that would spring The Rayman at 3rd and 10 from the 39 for a 24 yard run to the 15 yard line to set up the first Tiger Touchdown in the second quarter in WP’s victory over Scarsdale last season. Mitchell praised his White Plains High experiences, saying that former players such as Marcus Austin who come back to help the program were a great inspiration and created a strong White Plains football performance ethic. He said he appreciated the team efforts of coaches to help each other and work for the betterment of the program. Complimented on Mr. Mitchell‘s proclivity for orchestrating comebacks and making big plays when the team was behind, Mr. Mitchell attributed that to the former players who helped him and the coaches: “At White Plains, we never believe a game is over until the scoreboard reads 0:00.” Mitchell said he planned to use his $1,000 for purchase of books and academic needs. Mr. Woodard thanked Mr. Monk for his $1,000 gift, which Mr. Monk has given to deserving White Plains football seniors annually for the last fifteen years. Woodard said Mr. Monk always tells him to give the money to the player he believes most deserves it for their academic and athletic contributions.
Build 240 Main Street to 28 Stories, 50 Stories, 65 stories and Up.
WPCNR THE DEVELOPER NEWS. News & Comment. By John F. Bailey August 14, 2008: Reporter Keith Eddings description of the impasse on the Cappelli Enterprises affordable housing obligation before the developer can open the Ritz second tower: whether to collect $1.2 Million from Cappelli Enterprises and let that firm off the hook for 17 units of affordable housing for the Trump Tower, or extend the developer more time to build them is interesting. Here you have Mr. Eddings quoting Paul Wood, the Mayor’s Executive Officer to wit, “The question is, what do you get for $1.2 million? Can you build 17 units for that?” White Plains B.C. –1950s. B.C. (Before Cappelli) Dead in 2001, shunned by big time developers and property owners. (WPCNR Collection) White Plains 2008 A.C. (After Cappelli) 4 towers, 1 hotel, 1 four level shopping center, built in 7 years (WPCNR Photo) And later in the same report, Louis Cappelli is quoted as saying, “How can you build affordable housing for $450,000 a unit?” in his lament that the city designated the 240 Main Street building as a high rise increased his cost and made the project unaffordable. The interesting thing is, last Friday, the Common Council agreed to a deal that pays LCOR $50.5 Million in real taxpayer dollars (abated taxes) (over 24 years) to build 107 affordable units, which works out to $472,000 a unit. So the city itself is paying $472,000 a unit for one affordable housing unit at least in the LCOR deal. This is being reported as only about a $27 Million tax abatement, but by the city’s own figures sheet they list it as a $50.5 Million tax abatement which are the real tax dollars. Now the City Hall WPCNR Monitoring Service noted this in the first edition of the article, and Paul Wood diplomatically called and said that $27 Million is the real value of today’s dollars of the abatement, it is costing LCOR, he says $221,000 a unit to build in today’s dollars. Mr. Wood says the city is giving LCOR a “subsidy” to build the affordable units, paying them back in cheaper dollars, $50.5 Million of them. He says the net value of those $50.5 Million is $27 Million. Nevertheless, no matter what the inflation-eroded value of the $50 million, 500th dollar you are still giving $50.5 Million dollars away. At the time that the $50 million, five-hundredth dollar is deducted from LCOR’s tax in 2032, that is a whole real dollar in 2032. Now, of course there is a way out of this. As has been reported on my weekly television show, White Plains Week, for at least three years now, the 240 Main Street spot is too valuable a piece of real estate to sully with affordable housing. But if the building were made higher, providing more units I believe any developer would be happy to build there. Perhaps if the Council allowed Cappelli Enterprises to increase the height of the building say to 65 stories, enabling the firm to build a building that could pay for itself and be a true high rise which could be marketed for satisfying profit, maybe, maybe Cappelli Enterprises might consider building it and even adding to the affordable housing inventory beyond the 17 units. I think a 70-story building marking a renewed interest of Cappelli Enterprises in White Plains would be a grand solution to a situation that the Common Council created themselves anyway. Cappelli Enterprises was ready to build the units. They would not let him. They wanted Ginsburg Development to build them. (Such is the credibility of WPCNR, and the thousands that believe and rely on WPCNR for the news that is true, I regret the concern, alarm and panic expressed by a caller, that I was advocating a 70-story building on the 240 Main site. I was exaggerating to make a point, satirizing if you will. ) The council said no, they felt the city should be open to other developers and relied on another developer to build Cappelli Enterprise affordable commitment. It did not work out. Now, Cappelli Enterprises is being victimized by the Council’s own naivete. WPCNR placed a call to Cappelli Enterprise public relations firm, Thompson & Bender, to see if an overture to build a higher, tonier 240 Main Street 50 stories, 65 stories — the sky’s the limit– was perhaps on their leader’s mind, and whether that opportunity might solve the hand-wringing over the affordable housing. Makes sense to me, However, why should the council turn down $1.2 Million from Cappelli Enterprises? Take the money and run. At least, we know Cappelli Enterprises is good for it, and Cappelli Enterprises has no trouble getting a bankroll, unlike some developers recently. At least we know that when Cappelli Enterprises speaks, people, big time hoteliers, and markets listen, and the voice of Cappelli moves markets, even the world’s leading luxury hotel listened to him. Mr. Cappelli has given us City Center, the world’s premier hotel, Ritz-Carlton, and has actually paid us around $8 Million a year in tax payments for the last 8 years not to mention the the ancillary sales tax effects. I cannot see consistency from the Common Council in their positions. Take the money and run, Council. Or kiss and make up with Cappelli Enterprises and forget this high rise designation nonsense. No way an 8-story building is a high rise. Come on. But 70-stories — that’s a high rise. That would make sense to an Ultra-Developer, but I am not advocating 70 stories, take it easy out there, people. A profitable one at that that will be poised for the boom and bring back the only developer who has ever really helped the city to survive when all else are hemorraging red ink — fast. Mr. Eddings also in a rare coup — a speak-to with Donald Trump — reports Mr. Trump is considering partnering with Mr. Cappelli elsewhere in the county. How about “Twin Trumps” in White Plains? With the right height anything’s possible, right? With the economies of other cities in the county tanking, where would you build if you were an Ultra-Developer? It is not Cappelli Enterprises fault that the city mismanages its assets, buys open space for millions, never fights a certiorari bandit, and overspends on its school system. Yet last week, the Common Council gave to LCOR exclusive development rights to city property on Bank Street on a project that has not even been designed yet — while a year ago they denied the same sphere of favored developer status to Cappeli Enterprises on the Station Square project — saying they wanted other developers to have a chance. Where is the consistency? Station Square was great. The LCOR project is an aesthetic mystery at this time — a bad idea. Why can’t the Council negotiate a better 240 Main Street project and kiss and make up with the developer who created the rennaisance? Are we going to keep the Super Developer developing for White Plains, or really say “good bye?” You’re going to need him the next four years.
Photograph of the Day–Bill Ryan is Back!
WPCNR PHOTOGRAPH OF THE DAY. By a WPCNR Roving Photographer. August 13, 2008: Today’s photo, taken last night at the White Plains Council of Neighborhood Associations features Chair of the County Board of Legislators, Bill Ryan with legislator Judith Meyers, who addressed the CNA on the millions of county dollars available for flood control projects.
So far only 9 of 46 Westchester Communities have applied to the county for projects taking advantage of this aid. Meyers told WPCNR that it is possible that White Plains could have the county repair the decades-of-incompatible city-county drainage systems in the Railside avenue area where a 20 inch city sewer main pipe drains into a 16-inch county pipe, which was blamed by the city for flooding in that area last year causing basement flooding in scores of homes.
Bill Ryan is Back!. Legislator Judith Meyers demonstrates color coded county drainage schemes. Photo by WPCNR Roving Photographer, Lou Bruno.
Mr. Ryan, appearing for one of the first times in public since a heart operation earlier this summer, seemed in excellent spirits and well on the road to recovery. Ryan said he hoped that the city leadership would encourage city commissioners to seek out and use county department expertise and facilities to work together to solve problems, flooding and otherwise.
Pilgrim Road flooding off Railside Avenue. County, City pipe incompatibility still unaddressed. WPCNR File Photo
Planning Board Blesses Saxon Woods Assisted Living Complex Rear of Ethical Soc.
WPCNR THE PLANNING BOARD REPORT. August 13, 2009: The Planning Board voted 4 to 1 Tuesday evening to advise the Zoning Board of Appeals that it had no problem with approving a zoning variance for the assisted living facility proposed to be built on Saxon Woods Road, with access through the Westchester Ethical Culture Society entrance off Saxon Woods Road. The project has been stalled for six years due to previous adamant opposition from the city to the project.
Coming to Saxon Woods: The Renamba assisted senior living project of approximately 115 units was greenlighted by the Planning Board last night. It is planned to be built to the left of the Ethical Culture Society of Westchester top building with access off of Saxon Woods Road (the fork off Mamaroneck Avenue (green and yellow road). The white rectangle in lower center of your picture is the Saxon Woods Pool & complex. Photo by Google Satellite.
John Garment Chairman of the Planning Board said that Secretary to the Planning Board, Eileen McClain had not typed up the actually Planning Board conditions under which the board determined the project could go ahead, but expected them ready by Friday.
Garment said the finding effect was “that if it (the Zoning Board) sees fit, it is appropriate to approve the project.”
Garment said the Planning Board had no problem with the city granting access to water through the city system, or granting access to the Scarsdale site through the Ethical Culture Society property driveway. These two conditions, previously vigorously opposed by the city, had long been a road block to the project since former Planning Commissioner Mike Graessle and Department of Public Works Commissioner Joseph Nicoletti had strongly voiced opposition to the project six years ago.
Asked if Renamba LLC had changed the project in some way that alleviated the concerns the city had expressed six years ago, Garment said “that I don’t know. Basically this was the feeling of the members of the Planning Board, the members right now. We had access to the approvals made in Scarsdale approving this. We had the feeling this was not a question of appropriateness, but there wasn’t much we could do about it other than imposing significant conditions (upon any approval).”
The matter now comes before the Zoning Board of Appeals September 3. There was no public hearing at the Planning Board on the project after the representatives from Renamba made the presentation last night.
Renamba in order to gain access to the Scarsdale site off Saxon Woods Road, has agreed to pay The Ethical Culture Society of Westchester $400,000 for an easement, and $25,000 a year for the first ten years of use of the Society driveway.