WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. Written by John F. Bailel, Special to WPCNR from Don Hughes. February 23, 2007: The Common Council, despite Rita Malmud’s objections that they had not gotten the paperwork on the agreements in time, voted to purchase the Greico property Thursday evening in the third Special meeting of the Council called in the last two months.
The Mayor bluntly informed the Council in a shouting barrage, when Council President Malmud complained about the short notice given the Council to review the arrangements with Greico and that there was no exact purchase price established, or how the city was going to pay for it, that the council responsibility was representative, and the Mayor’s office was “administrative” and he wasn’t going to change that and they would just have to deal with it.
The Mayor pointed out that the 45 day agreement the Trust for Public Land had negotiated with the Greico family in which the city would have the opportunity to purchase the proberty was due to expire in 15 days and that was why the urgency of acting last night was required. The Mayor did not explain why it has taken the city approximately a month to draw up the paperwork.
The Super Developer Explains it All
The Council received a visit from the Louis Cappelli who presented his analysis of his announcement last week that he wanted to build 23 units of apartments on the existing retail floor of the City Center Garage. Cappelli said it was unlikely that the affordable housing at the Pinnacle would be built at this time and that he (Cappelli) was protecting himself by moving to build the 23 units now. He said he could build them within 9 months.
The Super Developer said that if The Pinnacle should go ahead and build the affordables they plan for 260 Main, that he would sell the new City Center Garage units at market rates. Should the Pinnacle be unable to build the affordables at 260 Main, Cappelli would turn the new 23 City Center Garage units into affordable housing, enabling him to meet the affordable housing quota he is required to build as part of his approval for the Ritz Carlton project. Cappelli added that since he was approved for 600 units at the city center, and has only built 500, that he did not need Common Council approval to build the 23 units in the City Center Garage, because he already had that right. Our reporter, advised the Council was in agreement with Mr. Cappelli’s analysis.
The County Planning Department it was learned from remarks by Susan Habel, White Plains Commissioner of Planning, is checking into Ginsburg Development (builders of The Pinnacle) request for $2 Million towards their $17 Million it would take to build the 42 units of affordable housing, and according to Habel, found that the County Attorney has said this is not legal.
Cappelli added that to meet the requirement he build the other 19 units, he would build those at the buildings he as acquired on Main Street across Court Street and across from Macy’s.
Police OT
The council also approved $50,000 in additional Police overtime for patrol of The Galleria garage, and approximately $200,000 in other police overtime, which our reporter says is included in the budget.
Boot for Scofflaws Parked OT
The council also approved a new ordinance allowing the city to immobolize (or boot) scofflaw cars found to be parking overtime. Previously the law only allowed scofflaw cars to be booted if they were illegally parked.
The subject matter of the executive session was not revealed.
