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)

Councilman Robert Greer Is Dead. 16 Years a Councilman.

Posted on June 28, 2006 by John Bailey

WPCNR MILESTONES. Special to WPCNR. June 28, 2006 UPDATED June 29, 2006: WPCNR has received word from Don Hughes that Robert Greer, suffering these last two years with Lou Gehrig’s disease died this morning at his home. The family will be sitting Shiva Friday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday from 2-5 at their home at 20 Cushman Road in White Plains. The service will be July 7th at 11am at Kol Ami, 255 Soundview Avenue in White Plains. Burial will be private.

Mayor Joseph Delfino of the City of White Plains, upon learning of Mr. Greer’s death issued the following statement: “The passing of Robert Greer is a tremendous loss to the City of White Plains and for me personally. Bob was a gentleman in every sense of the word, and possessed all of the attributes that allows a person to excel in public service. Bob’s leadership and his years of service as a Councilman will always be looked upon as a time of progress for the City of White Plains. Bob had a vision for what the City could and should be, and on that level we certainly related. Working alongside Mr. Greer during his time on the Council was special for me. He will be missed both personally and professionally.”

Robert Greer, Election night, 2003. Robert Greer is shown with his longtime colleague, Benjamin Boykin, center, Representative Nita Lowey and, far left, County Legislator, Bill Ryan. Photo, WPCNR News Archive.

Robert Greer was a member of the White Plains Common Council for 16 years.

He had Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS) for over two years.

Councilman Greer was a White Plains District Leader since 1983.

He was chairman of the party, and he ran for Mayor in 2001.

Some of the things that he saw as his accomplishments while on
the Common Council included:

* Voting for the improvements leading to the Westchester Mall;
* Supporting SHORE´s imaginative plan for combining housing for working families and formerly
homeless families;

* Working to save The Greenway;

* Fighting for movies at Main and Mamaroneck.

* Fighting for a Stop & Shop supermarket.

* Sponsoring legislation establishing minimum fines for landlords violating occupancy codes.

* Working to end the badge drain.

* Trying to encourage White Plains to take advantage of 21st century technology.

He was especially proud of working for the construction of the new children’s room at the White Plains Public Library and the opening of the White Plains Performing Arts Center.

Bob recently received an award from the City’s Human Rights Commission for his work with agencies that include Family Services of Westchester, Head Start, and the White Plains Public Library.

During a Common Council meeting early last year Mr.Greer said, “one area of the body that is not attacked by ALS is the mind. I will always be me. My life has been enriched by the opportunity to serve as your councilman for the past 14 years. I intend to remain your councilman and serve the White Plains community as long as I am able.”

Let us all offer our support with cards and calls to his family as they work through the final part of
this devastating disease.

— Don Hughes

Architect Advising Committee on $67.5M Project, Fees Based on Total Cost

Posted on June 28, 2006 by John Bailey

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. June 27, 2006: Kaeyer Garment & Davidson, preparers of the White Plains City School District Facilities Review and advisors to the Capital Projects Committee reviewing the feasibility and scope of the $67.5 Million infrastructure and facilities upgrading project for the Board of Education, will make millions in commission based on the total cost of the Capital Project, based on their contract currently being considered by the school board it was learned Monday evening.

The architectural firm originally proposed $95 Million in recommended construction, which was then reduced by the district to $67.5 Million. The architect will make it appears, millions in commissions included in the cost of the now $67.5 Million capital projects effort now being considered by the school district for referendum in the fall, according to sketchy details of the contract outlined very briefly by the Board of Education Monday evening.

The Board of Education, at the suggestion of Peter Bassano, tabled voting on the contract for KG & D, architects for the 2001-2004 high school renovation ($27 Million). Bassano told WPCNR the Board had not been given an opportunity to review the contract prior to Monday evening. Bassano remarked Tuesday evening in the Board session that KG & D’s fee for their work on the capital projects would be based on 8% of the infrastructure projects under $5 Million and 7% of new construction over $5 Million.

This would result in KG & D earning approximately $5 Million in fees over the five year construction period, ($3,382,643 from the new Post Road School project, $744,604 on the Mamaroneck Avenue School project, and $1,062,544 on the infrastructure improvements.

The details of the contract were not made available, and it is not known at this time if there are other fees in addition to these percentages that the firm will be paid, or a cap provision is written into the contract.

KG & D Defends costs.

KG & D is the source for estimated costs on the $67.5 Million project, in addition to the construction management firm (Triton Construction, a long-time collaborator with KG & D), and stands to earn more the higher the costs of the project, which have been pointed out frequently by the architect, will rise past $67.5 Million the longer it takes to get the project started. Planning now is to begin construction on infrastructure in 2007, and in 2008 on the new school, allowing the new Post Road School to be completed by 2010-11.

The architectural firm is serving as sole advisors on the school board-appointed committee reviewing the scope, cost, financial and physical impacts of the project on the district to make a recommendation to the Board of Education on which aspects of the project should proceed to referendum, if any should, in the fall.

In meetings attended to date by WPCNR , KG & D has consistently defended the costs of the project as being cost-effective in the long run for the school district. They recommend and support the synthetic turf installations and new stands to be installed at Loucks Field and Highlands Parker Stadium. They have consistently urged a new school construction at Post Road School, and the construction management firm Triton Construction which is working with KG & D on five other projects around the region has supported KG & D’s preliminary costs on the $67.5 Million endeavor. The only matter KG & D conceded their costs might be out of line was on the windows estimates for Damman House at the high school which called for replacements of windows at a cost of over $600,000.

The KG & D support of the Parker and Loucks Stadium renovations has backed off the substantial cost savings they referred in previously months to that of the advantage of sharply increased usage of the stadiums, and reduced injuries, once the fields are synthetic turf-equipped, noting that the turf may have to be replaced after 8 years.

Land Question Involved in New Post Road School Decision.

Presently the Capital Projects Committee of the school district which meets tonight at 7:30 P.M. to discuss the new Post Road School, is awaiting a “task force” review of other site locations in the city for a new school, making the case for the school district to ask for a variance from New York State Education Department on the rule that a new elementary school for 600 pupils has to be built on at least 10 acres of property. (The Post Road School property is only 5-1/2 acres).

In order to build the new Post Road School at the Post Road site, the school district has to show the NYSED why there is no land elsewhere in the city to build there. An NYSED Facilities Manager told WPCNR last week that a variance should not be a problem for the city school district provided the district makes a good case for Post Road being the only site possible to build upon in the city, and that there are no 9-1/2 acre sites available in the city.

Previously, the Capital Projects Committee has with 5 persons attending one meeting, and 7 persons another, stood squarely behind the synthetic turf installations and stadium stand construction at Parker and Loucks Fields at the cost of $9 Million; and similarly endorsed the Post Road School, after attending a tour of the school earlier this month, citing poor electrical facilities, a mildewing dampness to the school, cramped classrooms and split library facility. The tour convinced those members of the committee that a new school was definitely needed.

SCHOOL BOARD NEARS FINAL CONTRACT FOR STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR FUTURE.

Posted on June 28, 2006 by John Bailey

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. June 28, 2006: The Board of Education is nearing agreement with a strategic planning firm to pay a planning consultant to orchestrate a communitywide “planning review” to formulate school district goals, issues, and policies over the next 15 years, and identify and establish policy decisions.

The firm has been selected, but not officially announced yet by the Board, pending agreement on a contract. Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors stated he expected the firm would being in the fall and take eight months to execute the review. The “Strategic Plan Review” is being done independently of the Capital Projects review Connors has said previously because the planning organizations the district has been considering indicated linking the capital projects to the Planning Review was too much for the district to undertake simultaneously. Both planners being considered have told the district according to Connors that short-term facilities requirements should not be linked to long range planning.

Connors informed the Board of Education Monday evening that the Strategic Planning process would begin this fall with data collection from the district, interviews with district residents, school personnel and the Board, all stakeholders. Part of the process would consist of the forming of another city wide committee of stakeholders, numbering 75 to 100 people, whom the Strategic Planner would orchestrate through a process to evaluate, articulate and prioritize long term goals and objectives of the School District involving how students are educated, considering academic goals, growth of the district, school facilities, demographics, and community involvement, and other issues.

Connors said he would take responsibility for selecting the members of the Strategic Planning Committee which would be working with the Planner.

When it was suggested by Board Member Bill Pollak citizens be invited to volunteer for this committee at this time, Connors said to do so now would be premature, since the process had not been defined in detail.

North Street Community to Make Assisted Living Available to WP Residents

Posted on June 27, 2006 by John Bailey

WPCNR East Side Story. By John F. Bailey. June 27, 2006: In a citywide mailing this weekend, North Street Community presented a composite description of its senior residential community. A public hearing on the project is scheduled for July 5 at the next monthly meeting of the Common Council. The brochure announces for the first time that doctors’ services and the services of the renovated St. Agnes Hospital planned to feature residential apartments for those in need of assistance with daily activities and medical conditions requiring nursing care will be available to residents of White Plains.

C. J. Follini, one of the Managing Members of North Street Community confirmed this policy in an interview on the White Plains Week television program which will be -cablecast this Friday at 7:30 P.M. on WPPA-TV, in which Mr. Follini, interviewed by John Bailey, Peter Katz and Jim Benerofe stated the assisted living units and long-term care units would also be available to White Plains citizens needing end-of-life care.

Follini said the details of the financial arrangements and conditions had yet to be worked out. A White Plains resident seeking assisted living or long-term care, he said, would not have to own a condominium apartment in the complex to use either the doctors services or the St. Agnes assisted living/nursing care facility.

According to the 4-color brochure received by this reporter, the St. Agnes Hospital building will be converted to contain 40 “assisted living residential units” and 40 “long-term care” units and medical services. As has been stated publicly previously by Mr. Follini, emergency services will not be made available in the former St. Agnes Hospital site.

The condominium residential component of the project will consist of “390 independent living senior residential condominium units” that will be from four to seven stories in height. Follini notes on the program that the location of the condominiums is in a downward sloped section of the property to present the lowest profile possible to the surrounding area. The entire project, the brochure notes, will cost $125 Million. Condominium units are designed, and be price-pointed from $400,000 to $900,000. Projecting an approval by the Common Council this year, Follini expects the project to be completed by 2008.

In the program, Follini makes a case for the need for senior living facilities in Westchester County, and describes a continuum of health care standing by for condominium buyers, as well as White Plains residents who may avail themselves of the doctors’ services on site, as well as the choice of the planned assisted living and long-term care nursing facility in the remodeled St. Agnes Hospital.