WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. By John F. Bailey. February 21, 2003:At a full-to-the-brim work session Thursday evening the Common Council agreed in principle to committing $800,000 to opening Liberty Park in Silver Lake by July 4. They agreed to go ahead with creating a streetlevel, doubledeck parking lot behind Mamaroneck Avenue, providing overnight parking for residents of Old Mamaroneck Road, and they went along by consensus with hiring two top consultants on urban planning and mass transit (at developer Louis Cappelli’s expense) to evaluate and suggest ways to integrate the Cappelli-Bland Hotel & Office Plex on Main Street into the fabric of the city’s future. The income guidelines and tenant profiles were presented for the city’s “Moderate Income Apartment Lottery.”
LIBERTY PARK ON SILVER LAKE was presented by architect John Imbiano of Imbiano/Quigley, designer of the recently completed White Plains “streetscapes design.” Iambino presented a plan calling for the construction of a boat house one-third of the way North on the Western “White Plains” Shore of Silver Lake, and a fishing pier (at the top of the picture jutting out into the lake) . A launching area for kayaks and rowboats is also planned off the green oval, and trails leading to the county portion of the Silver Lake preserve at the top of this picture. The oval will appear this summer.
Photo by WPCNR News
Commissioner of Public Works, Joseph Nicoletti, said the cost to proceed with design was $150,000, and an additional $650,000 would cover the cost of opening the park by July 4, which would not include the boathouse construction, or enhanced trails, but would enable the public to use the park this summer.
ADIRONDACKS STYLE COMES TO WHITE PLAINS: The design for the boathouse, top, and the fishing pier recall the tranquil architecture found shoreside on peaceful lakes deep in the wilderness of upstate.
Photo by WPCNR News
REFUGE FOR “THE SPACELESS” of Old Mamaroneck Road. The council is behind Doubledeck Parking from the Gulf gas station on Bryant and Mamaroneck to Dunkin Donuts on Mamaroneck Avenue at the Bloomindale Road Fork. Below is the photo of the strip now. At top is the conception of how the second decade would appear. (Look for the persimmon band…that is the elevation of the deck. It would also have an entrance from the deck to Bryant Avenue.
Photo by WPCNR News
The council agreed by consensus to buy Commissioner Nicoletti’s plan to create an additional 430 parking spaces behind the Rader’s, Post office, Francesco’s restaurant-Dunkin Donuts block extending from the corner of Bryant Avenue and Mamaroneck Avenue to the Bloomindale Road fork.
The cost is pegged by Mr. Nicoletti at $5.5 Million, and should take 10 months to construct. He plans to start it in August and complete it by spring 2004.
The Bryant double-decker debt service will be paid for out of White Plains Parking Authority funds.
Two of the Three Mesquiters Present 2003 Police Plan
Deputy Commissioners of Public Safety, David Chong and Dr. Charles Jennings presented the 2003 direction of the White Plains Department of Public Safety. Commissioner Frank Straub was on vacation. With Deputy Commissioner Chong handling the slide presentation in his animated, smooth and intense style, the council was given the department’s new take on priorities for 03.
Chong said that the department had been reorganized to recognize and contend with the growth of White Plains which is making the city an attractive target for terrorists. He said the department had increased police presence with heavily armed officers at strategic locations in the city, to patrol in the downtown with the bicycle patrol and the mounted division. He pointed out, as an example that the department reached out to all synagogues in the city, briefing each congregation last Friday on the current terrorist alert. Commissioner Jennings said he is briefed each morning at 6 A.M. by the New York City Terrorist Task Force on potential threats.
Confidential Intelligence Specialist to be hired.
In an effort to make sense of and evaluate the intelligence reports and what they mean to White Plains, Chong said the department is planning to hire a Confidential Intelligence Specialist whose responsibility will be to brief the Commissioner on intelligence, counter terrorism and threat assessments. The officer will also is seen as “advising on emerging technologies and methods in order to identify best practices in the areas of intelligence, policing and fire protection.”
DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC SAFETY DAVID CHONG takes a question from the Common Council on the new intelligence officer position.
Photo by WPCNR News
The new operative will also be in charge of internal departmental investigations involving complaints or allegations involving police personnel and he or she will report directly to Commissioner Frank Straub.
Chong said the officer, “in no way” will be conducting investigations of White Plains residents or gathering intelligence on city residents, when asked that question by a reporter. Chong said they hoped to pay between $50,000 to $60,000 a year for the position, and that it is being filled with money for a presently vacant position.
The council appeared to back the request, especially when Elizabeth Wallace, Personnel Director, said the union had given its blessing for the hire.
What to Do If
Councilman William King raised the issue of devising evacuation plans for the city, and “what to do if” scenarios. Chong said that was not the department’s plan at this time to do that, that their mission was to deter and be ready. He said the best course of action for residents, was “to stay in your house and give first responders the time to identify the threat.”
Help for Louis Cappelli
Michael Gerard of Arnold & Porter, the environmental lawyer who consulted for the city on the New York Presbyterian Hospital SEQRA review last year, reappeared for a new assignment from the city. Gerard has been retained to assist the city in reviewing the Cappelli-Bland Hotel & Officeplex presented last week and intended for the Main Street corridor from Church Street to Court Street.
Gerard recommended two heavyweight consultants to respond and conceptualize on behalf of the Common Council on both the design and integration of the Cappelli-Bland Hotel into the city fabric.
Heavyweight Consultants
One is Dr. Eugenie Birch, of the University of Pennsylvania, and urban planning specialist now on the Lower Manhattan Redevelopment Corporation, and inputting on the rebuilding of the former site of the World Trade Center.
The other is a transportation expert, John Zupan, whom Councilman William King had great respect for, and so did Mr. Gerard.
THE SULTAN OF SEQRA RETURNS: Michael Gerard of Arnold & Porter listing to the Council Thursday evening.
Photo by WPCNR News
Councilmembers expressed concern. Rita Malmud asked that Mr. Gerard and his two new consultants look into how the city will manage the new influx of people brought in by Cappelli’s new project; how the traffic could be handled. William King suggested transportation options be looked into. Robert Greer wanted to khow they see development advancing down Mamaroneck Avenue. Benjamin Boykin expressed the need to ask them how they saw open space fitting into the city central area.
As these consultants’ names were announced, two observers from the Cappelli empire were looking on impassively. Cappelli Enterprises as provided by the SEQRA process will pay for Mr. Gerard’s fee, and the fees charged by the two consultants, the fees not to exceed 2% of the development’s cost. The Cappelli-Bland Hotel & office plex is priced at roughly $360 Million.
Apartment Lottery
A Draft copy of the pecking order for 40 moderate income housing units in Bank Street Commons and Clayton Park coming on the market, as provided as part of the city approval of the developments was presented. Currently 100 persons have already signed up with the Planning Department to have a shot at these apartments.
According to Susan Habel, Commissioner of Planning, the persons who will be considered first for these apartments will be either employees of the city or the school district; next in line would be retirees from the city government or the city school district; next to be considered would be residents who worked lived and retired in White Plains, and finally persons who fit the income levels.
For singles, the income levels are: Median, $63,900; Moderate, $51,000.
For two persons, Median Income, (combined) $73,120; Moderate Income (combined), $58,500.
For a three-person household, the combined income for Median income is $82,000; Moderate, $73,000.
For information on how to apply, contact the Planning Department.
