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)

Engineering Firm Conducting Structural Integrity Survey of Galleria Garages

Posted on June 6, 2007 by John Bailey

WPCNR THE PARKING NEWS. By John F. Bailey. June 6, 2007: The city of White Plains is undertaking a comprehensive thorough engineering inspection of the 27 year old Galleria garages, opened in 1980.

The survey came to light as a result of a minor structural failure, reported by the Department of Parking at the Galleria garage Monday. A flooding at a juncture, as described by a person who witnessed the cascade, was caused, according to Commissioner of Parking Albert Maloni was described as being the result of a precast double T intersection.

The Commissioner said, “ What happened yesterday was the result of a precast double-T intersection located at the corner of a very heavily trafficked intersection, so to speak, where water intrusion problems over the years caused a minor structural failure. It could have been a big problem. We had a double-T fail like this in 1996, and it was repaired as this one will be in the exact same fashion, and it’s as good as new.”

WPCNR asked if this meant the garage was wearing out and needing replacing,or whether this was just routine problems.

“Absolutely not,” Moroni said.

The Commissioner revealed though that the city is taking no chances. Contrary to what was reported in the paper press, that Charles Sells Engineering was repairing the Double T break, it turns out the Charles Sells firm is undertaking a much larger job.

Moroni explained: “I’m not saying that there aren’t problems located throughout the garage. That’s why we’ve hired Charles Sells engineering firm They’re doing a comprehensive evaluation of both garages, the ramps, the staircases, the supporting beams. Everything there is to look at is being looked at, and we are going to take a look and see what we need to do. I would not want anybody to think that garage is not safe.”

WPCNR asked if the Galleria Garage would have to be reconstructed sometime soon.

Maroni said, “No. Not reconstructed. There are going to be repairs that are needed. Once we get the engineering firm comprehensive report, we’re going to chip away at those major issues (they uncover). Come July 1, we have in the capital program, $1.5 Million for relamping and relighting the entire garage and repainting the entire garage. We’re putting half a million dollars in multi-space meters into it, and we’ll put whatever money we need structurally. The bonds on that garage are paid off. It’s a major asset in the city economy.”

Pending Dump Settlement with DEC Does Not Preclude Cleanup

Posted on June 6, 2007 by John Bailey

WPCNR THE DUMP NEWS. By John F. Bailey. June 6, 2007: Wendy Rosenbach, spokesperson for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation told WPCNR Tuesday that the city and the DEC have not signed the final consent order, resolving the city’s 32-year dispute with the DEC on contamination in the City Dump. The Common Council authorized the Mayor to sign a settlement, paying the first $2,000 of a total fine to be disclosed at a future date. City “backup material documents” did not disclose the total fine.

Ms. Rosenbach told WPCNR that because the agreement on the fine had not been finalized yet, she could not comment on what the total amount was. She did say that the city still could be subject to cleaning up the site, as the fine “does not preclude any cleanup that would be required.” The site has been contaminated with TCE (Tri-chloral Ethylene), for 32 years.

Last spring, an independent DEC test found portions of the site to include contamination of 80 PPB over the 5 PPB permitted under DEC standards. In dispute now, WPCNR has been told is the extent of the TCE coverage.

Rosenbach said that the city might be allowed to cap the contamination rather than remediate it, but said no resolution after one year has been determined yet.

Paul Wood, Executive Officer, is in the process of seeking an update for WPCNR from Commissioner of Public Works Joseph Nicoletti as to the exact progress in determining the need of a clean-up or a capping and what the issues are.

Resolution Relieves Cappelli of Opening Affordable Housing Before Ritz Opens

Posted on June 6, 2007 by John Bailey

WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL-CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. June 6, 2007: David Maloney, press spokesperson for the Mayor’s Office confirmed today exclusively to WPCNR that the opening of the Ritz-Carlton hotel scheduled for next fall is no longer tied to completed construction of the 24 affordable housing obligations attached to the previous city approval of the Ritz project.

Paul Wood, City Executive Officer, Explains. In a statement, Paul Wood explained the approved delay in building and opening the affordable housing units until after the Ritz opened.

Maloney confirmed to WPCNR with the single word, “Yes” that passage of Resolution Item 119 effectively paved the way for the Ritz to open without the affordable housing units being built that are required by that project. A resolution passed late Monday evening granted a one year extension of a site plan for Cappelli Enterprises subsidiaries to build an 8-story, 42 unit “affordable housing” apartments at 240 Main Street which would satisfy Cappelli responsibility to build 24 units of affordable housing “in connection with the 221 Main (Ritz-Carlton project), and the 17 units Cappelli Enterprises still owes on the City Center project.

Paul Wood, City Executive Officer, explains the sequence of events in this manner: “The 240 Main Street extension request granted this week was necessitated by the Council support of the Pinnacle project. In effect, the Council agreed to a tolling period in fairness to Cappelli of 9 months while he was forced to stand by while the Pinnacle project continued to try to put their project together. Competition was not so good in this case because the Pinnacle failed to materialize and the eight story building proposed by Cappelli would have been built and occupied by now had he not been forced to wait.”

Asked why Cappelli Enterprises had not been asked for a bond in the amount of the estimate cost of constructing the entire building, (far more than $1.2 Million), Wood said that was all The Pinnacle had been asked for. However, WPCNR does not recall the amount of the bond The Pinnacle was asked for ever being made public.

A $1.2Million Guarantee

The resolution recognizes that Cappelli Enterprises has posted a $1.2 Million bond the city can “draw on…if LC White Plains LLC does not complete the Affordable Housing Requirement and obtain temporary or permanent certificates of occupancy for such 17 affordable units by August 31, 2008…”

Previously, members of the Common Council had stipulated as a condition of opening that the Ritz-Carlton could not receive Certificates of Occupancy until the affordables owed for that project were opened. This connection with affordable housing was, in effect, muddied when the Common Council was persuaded to allow Cappelli Enterprises to strike a deal with Ginsburg Development Corporation to build the affordable housing units for Cappelli Enterprises on the Ginsburg Pinnacle site on 240 Main Street. Ginsburg, previously expected to build the Pinnacle development, now described in the resolution passed as having “not fulfilled its obligations and the responsibility reverts back to LC Main, LLC and LC White Plains, LLC” (Cappelli Enterprise operations).

The resolution quietly passed Monday evening clears the way for a glitch-free opening of the Ritz-plex this fall without any affordable housing units opened.

63 Years Ago: Normandy Invasion Signaled Beginning of the End of WWII

Posted on June 6, 2007 by John Bailey

WPCNR FOR THE RECORD. June 6, 2007: In the predawn hours of June 6, 1944, the greatest naval, infantry and airborne operation in military history ever assembled approached the coast of Normandy in northern France in the chop of the English Channel approaching highly fortified beaches of northern France. At the end of the day, June 6, 63 years ago allied forces at horrible cost with amazing heroism had secured footholds and had begun the campaign to remove the German Third Reich, beginning the end of World War II. To recall this sobering day, WPCNR refers you to http://www.kansasheritage.org/abilene/ikedday.html which details the scale of this never-to-be-forgotten invasion.