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WPCNR THE LETTER TICKER. Special to WPCNR From the Rosedale Residential Association. January 12, 2023:

In January and February this year, the city was going to vote on a very large solar array farm on the property of 1133 Westchester Ave.  This property borders our neighbors in North St. and Ridgeway at White Plains.  During that time, we asked RRA members to join with other south end communities to take action to block this project. As a result of the protest, the Common Council investigated the development plans and determined that the plans violated existing zoning laws.  Below is some background information on the project.

Background:

1. In 2021, a giant solar farm was proposed at 1133 Westchester Ave, the size of 5 football fields and 22 feet high. This is surrounded by residential neighborhoods on three sides. This is not your roof top variety of solar panels.
2. Only two years before that, the Flatts residential housing was approved as an accessory use at 1133 Westchester Ave site, where they cut down 10 acres of trees to build.  A concern with the Flatts is that RPW, the landlord, opted out of providing the required park and recreation area for its residents, and preferred to pay a fee of $971,000.  Still, they were offered a credit of $766,000 and paid only $205,000 in fees in return for creating an apparently unusable 12,000 square foot patch on a hill, next to the driveway and storm management area. 
3. Since last fall, nearby residents raised serious concerns about the scope, location and specifics of the solar project and about how little notice was given and how no regard for the community was considered.
4. It took many attempts by concerned citizens to get the city to recognize the obvious zoning error that was made in preliminarily approving the proposal.  Just this past January the city rejected the proposal.
5. Just two months later, White Plains City Council called a special meeting to propose an amendment to the zoning ordinance that is oddly similar to the specifications of the proposed 1133 Westchester Ave solar project and offers few, if any, reliable protections for residents.  Common Council members asked questions, nearly all of which were skirted by the presenter with no real answers given.  The topic is scheduled for the June 6 WP Common Council meeting.
6. If approved, 59 properties (which have not been divulged) in White Plains would be eligible to erect giant solar farms.

     The RRA is not anti-development or anti-solar power projects.  We would like to ensure that if projects are built in or adjacent to our neighborhood, that have a say in the size and scope of development that might impact the safety or character of our neighborhood.  If a project like this can go up at 1133 Westchester Ave, it could also go up at other corporate parks like 1313 Mamaroneck Ave, which boarders our neighborhood, or even the old Windward property.
      Large-scale solar arrays generate energy to be sold for profits.  These carport mounted arrays used to sell energy to ConEd are by definition a utility.  They should NOT be zoned as an accessory use and instead maintain the special permitting process required for energy utilities. They belong in industrial zones and building roof tops, not in or adjacent to residential neighborhoods.  These large-scale arrays have a negative impact to the aesthetics of our neighborhoods and decrease the value of our homes.  

     Proposed local zoning ordinance changes permitting large-scale solar farms surrounding our communities will negatively impact all neighborhoods in our city. 

Below are summary points as to why this project would not benefit our neighborhoods:

1. Solar-related zoning proposals should be part of the Comprehensive Plan process (in progress) rather than be pushed through for special interests
2. Manufacturing and selling energy is a utility scale application and should only be permitted in the 3 White Plains industrial zones, rather than next to residential neighborhoods via loopholes (“accessory use”)
3. There are no known benefits to White Plains citizens associated with the 1133 Westchester Avenue solar farm proposal; the purported 10% utility bill discount is already available
4. Studies show that nearby property values decline after solar farms are installed
5. If White Plains insists on negatively impacting neighborhoods, solar arrays should be setback at least 300-400 feet from residential zone borders and complete screening from eye sores mandatory
6. The current proposal could lead the way to large solar farms on 59 sites in White Plains, likely next to us! 

Feel free to email us at [email protected] if you have questions or would like more information.

Voice your concern to the Mayor and City Council members before it is too late (topic of August 1st City Council meeting).  The city will not be taking any more public input on this matter after 6/19.

WHITE PLAINS PIONEER of INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION — THE STEPINAC HIGH SCHOOL  CELEBRATES  75^TH ANNIVERSARY BY FORGING FACULTY MISSION OF THE FUTURE

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. January 11, 2023:

George Couros author of  the acclaimed The Innovators Mindset held 70 Stepinac Faculty members listening intently through his highly personal stories of his past as educator and administrator grabbing seasoned teachers’ collective attention instantly and holding it nonstop.

Starting his talk from the floor  in the midst of the audience, not from the podium he commanded the seasoned professionals by putting himself on their level in conversation serious banter with direction that did not bore for a second. WPCNR PHOTO

His style was strategic rambling that you followed nodded and were lead along impressed as he built block by block belief in his philosophy by concrete example. He was talk show host impressive that made education sound like the most rewarding career you can do in life.

This was the most exciting 90 minutes I have listened to in years.

Every minute inspired and  came to life by his relating real life success stories from students, learners, teachers he has met around the country. He showed the Stepinac faculty how to engage every student, unlock their potential, establish a trusting relationship  with every student Wednesday morning.

Drawing often from his own family, and what his parents (Greek immigrants and restauranteurs), he painted a picture of the difficulty of teaching if the student does not believe you care about her/him.

He started off saying he was speaking down in front  because “I learn from you as well, because I have no idea what’s going on in the classes… There must be a balance between what you want for your child and what they are interested in.”

He suggested that the way he relates is by telling stories to illustrate a point. Showing pictures of his children and how they related to him in a series of personal videos he demonstrated the human interaction in the first years childhood that builds the trust and knowledge of the new child in you the parent. These were touching videos that drove home the point, as I saw it, that without a relationship that the child recognizes you really care about them, the building infrastructure is not there.

This foundation at home, he brought to his experience teaching Kindergarten. Mr. Couros said the home atmosphere has to be recreated in the classroom, “it starts in the family on strengths and in school if those strengths are recognized by their teacher(s) they are contributing to the success of the class and the school as a whole.”

He told amusing story about his first job as Principal. He was asked to have his picture taken for the wall of all the Principals of the school. He refused. He said the Principals are not what is important in the school, it is the kids. He suggested putting pictures of every child in the school alternating each week. Well management said no, the principals is a tradition. (This also brought a knowing laughter across the hall.)

Couros belives to make the child enthusiastic in class the teacher has to find out what they are really excited about and encourage it. “The innovative teacher may skip what they are usually doing to ask participation from all others.”

He introduced the concept of “co-creating” with the community using the example what happens to the class if someone “does not show up,” to show how the class dynamic is hurt.

He used his father’s restaurant as an example. He remembered his parents who ran the restaurant for 35 years as always greeting customers and being attentive to them. He said the customer (the child in your class) is so important in education because “without customers there is no restaurant.”

He shared an Ohio State study what showed that “Building relationships makes teaching better. “Social Capital” is three times more effective in improved performance than financial investment in improving math and reading scores.”

“The child that knows you know who they are, they think different.(about you as the teacher).

He said technology is not helpful for technology sake, “Technology can be more than a tool. Technology in the hands of a great teacher can be transformative!”

He showed  astounding stories of innovations by teens who through their freeform  thinking created an energy making device using sun wind and water, and another who explained a complicated biological process with a simple diagram.

He said he believed in turning our children into “Empathetic Problem Solvers.”

Mr. Couros says you get the most out of students by turning them loose on a problem, and more to the point, involving students to approach how to solve a problem collectively as a team, or identify a problem are just some of the talents every child has. (Congress should invite Mr. Couros to the Capitol and give them this presentation.)

Couros left no stone unturned.

He asked the rhetorical question, are we preparing our kids well for the future after school? No, we are not. Laughter filled the Major Bowes Auditorium when Mr. Couros asked the faculty, “Would you like to spend the whole day being  in your classroom?”

He reminded all that learning was not a straight line but a very crooked wandering path with reversals and hard work, that children had to understand.

The highlight of the talk was his suggestion that when students leave school they should have “Leverage Networks that are accessible by their first and last name by Google so they can show case themselves to any firm, school or organization across the country. This was a revelation to me. I said that’s a great idea in my head.  He was not talking about the frivolity that marks personal websites today. He was talking nuts and buts solid achievements packaging their awareness of what corporations, institutions and non-profits are looking for—writers, video experts, programmers, math savants, communicators and old-fashioned work ethic.

Mr. Couros, Adjunct  Professor with the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania, began the keynote day and is currently spending the day visiting classes, leading discussions, and workshops today.

Frank Portanova, Stepinac Class of 1993, Vice Principal for Academics and Curriculum brought Mr. Couros to Stepinac because “We are excited to welcome Mr. Couros, a globally recognized educator to our professional development program, who will inspire our faculty to take Stepinac’s commitment to create an innovation mindset of our students to the next level.”

I’ve been a reporter listening to speakers to the public for 23 years. I have never heard a talk like Mr. Couros gave today that was so timely, candid, and relevant to anyone making opinions or decisions about how to educate our children going forward. Filled with facts. Filled with solutions to common educational problems.