WP Zoning Board Upholds Building Commissioner’s Decision on Sunrise Detox Attempting to Move into Nathan Miller Nursing Home

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WPCNR ZONING ZEN. Special to WPCNR from Ken Howard, Carhart Neighborhood Association. March 6, 2014:

Last night in a unanimous decision the White Plains Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) upheld an August 13, 2013 decision by Commissioner of Building Damon Amadio to not consider Sunrise’s proposed Application for an “alcoholism facility” at 37 Dekalb Avenue as a Community Residence.

Sunrise sued White Plains in federal court, but a judge tossed the matter back to the city for further review.

The ZBA felt that not all alcoholism facilities should be considered community residences and that length of stay was a significant factor in their decision.

The Carhart Neighborhood Association has led the fight against locating a short-term drug & alcohol detox center in their quiet residential neighborhood.

Sunrise initially attempted to establish a detox facility at 37 Dekalb and then made an attempt to call it an alcoholism facility, but both were deemed not to be community residences.

It’s unclear what Sunrise’s next steps will be, but it seems likely they will go back to federal court in another attempt to sue White Plains for discrimination against the disabled.

For additional information, please contact the Carhart Neighborhood Association at nodetox@gmail.com

 

 

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Astorino’s Running for Governor. Attacks Cuomo on Common Core, Raising Taxes, Calls for More Charter Schools Not Less; Says He’ll Junk Common Core

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WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. March 5, 2014:

Westchester County Executive Robert Astorino announced in a strong 6 minute video today he would run for Governor against Andrew Cuomo.

He said New York was losing under Governor Andrew Cuomo’s three years of leadership, saying Cuomo has raised taxes not lowered them, and blamed Governor Cuomo directly for ” Governor Cuomo’s Common Core,” saying he would work for better teachers and better testing. He also criticized the Governor for delaying a decision on fracking for three years.

View Mr. Astorino’s announcement at http://www.robastorino.com/?mf_portfolio=35

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WPCNR WEATHER SCOOP for White Plains NY USA

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  • Today: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 35. North wind 6 to 9 mph.
  • Tonight: A slight chance of snow showers before 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 14. Wind chill values as low as zero. North wind 11 to 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
  • Thursday:Mostly sunny, with a high near 25. Wind chill values as low as zero. North wind 7 to 11 mph becoming east in the afternoon.
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City Assessment Drop Means School District Will Have to Raise Taxes 3%. Property tax of $650,000 home will go up about $300

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WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. By John F. Bailey. March 4, 2014:

If the school district continues with its policy of using all the tax levy it can legally impose on White Plains property owners under the New York State imposed tax cap, ($167 Million), the middle market priced home will pay an additional $280 to $300 in property taxes  to make up the difference caused by the drop in the assessment roll.

The million drop drop in the school district city assessment roll from $279.3 Million to $278.3 Million in 2014, just released by the City Assessor’s office Monday, automatically hits the White Plains property owner with a $17 increase in the school tax rate from $583.21 per thousand dollars of assessed this year to $600 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, if the school district levys all the taxes it can under Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s tax cap.

Currently that is the plan.  The district is figuring on levying $67.1 Million dollars on the district, pending delivery of the instruction budget next Monday that will show the final proposed budget. Of course some surprise state aid may be give a cash transfusion at the last moment limiting the damage.

The school district Monday reported the increase in the state-sanctioned levy is 2.53%, but because of the million dollar decline in the school district Assessment roll, the TAX RATE has to be raised $17 to make up the loss.

That is a 3% tax increase. Since the district is eager to stay within the 1.5% tax cap, and earn rebate checks for tax payers, the impact may be less.

The impact on the city tax rate to make up the shortfall of  $761,498,000 from last year is substantially less. The city tax rate will only have to go up 56 cents to make up the tax levy shortfall. But, obviously, we have no idea how much the city will have to raise the 2014-15 city budget. That will become clear in April when the budget currently being crafted in city hall out of the public eye is made public.

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For Whom the Roll Tolls. It Tolls for Thee: City Assessment Roll Down ¾ of a Million Dollars. School Assessment Roll Down $1 Million.

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WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. By John F. Bailey.March 4, 2014:

The Assessor’s Office of the City of White Plains released the 2014 Assessement Roll Monday and the assessed value of White Plains property is $276,979,095, down $761,498.

A certiorari filed by The White Plains Pavilion accounts for $625,000 of that figure according to the Asessor’s office, and another $250,000 is attributable to 10 Bank Street.

The 2014 Assessment Roll the School District uses to determine the school tax rate has declined $1,006,773 to $278,335,896. Assistant Superintendent for Business of the White Plains City School District, Fred Seiler, said he has not looked hard at the decline to determine how far the City School Tax Rate would go up to make up the million dollars in lost assessments.

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Assemblyman David Buchwald Marries Lara Samet

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WPCNR MILESTONES.From the Buchwalds. March 4, 2014:

State Assemblyman David Buchwald (D-Westchester)  announced his marriage to Ms. Lara Samet on Saturday March 1st at the Tarrytown House Estate in Tarrytown, NY.

Mrs. Buchwald, a litigation attorney at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, is a native of New Jersey and a graduate of Duke University (magna cum laude) and NYU School of Law (cum laude).

Assemblyman Buchwald is a native of Westchester County and a resident of White Plains, where he served on the City’s Common Council for three years prior to his election to the State Assembly in 2012. He represents the towns of Bedford, Harrison, Lewisboro, Mt. Kisco, New Castle, North Castle, North Salem, and Pound Ridge and half of the City of White Plains. Assemblyman Buchwald is a graduate of Yale University, the John F. Kennedy School of Government, and Harvard Law School (cum laude). For the six years prior to serving in the State Assembly, he was an attorney in the tax department at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP.

“Lara and I are thrilled to be married, and we feel blessed to have shared this special occasion with the people we love” said Assemblyman David Buchwald. “We are partners in every sense of the word, and Lara’s kindness and intelligence make me a better representative for the Westchester communities I serve.”

             Their wedding was officiated by Rabbi Alan Silverstein, and was featured in Sunday’s New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/02/fashion/weddings/lara-samet-and-david-buchwald.html

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City Settles 4 year contract with Teamsters through 2015. 2% magic number. City Retirement Health Contribution changed for workers hired after July 1, 2011

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WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. March 2, 2014:

The Common Council will vote Monday evening on whether to approve a negotiated settlement with Local 456 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. There are about 58 teamsters employed by the city.

The settlement provides for no raise in the 2011-12 year, and 2% raises in 12-13,13-14, and 14-15, and creates a new schedule of health care insurance premium contributions by the city for workers hired after July 1, 2011.

Retroactive payments covering the settlements for 2011-12, 2012-13, and 2013-14 will be paid from money set aside in the city Reserve for Financing, according to City Corporation Counsel, John Callahan.

The teamsters  have been without a contract since July 1, 2011.

The new settlement that still is pending a vote by the union calls for no increase in the 2011-12 year; and 2% increases in step levels in contract years 2012-13, 2013-14, and 2014-15.

Health Care benefits are  changed as follows:

For an individual hired after July 1, 1995, and before July 1, 2011 with 20 or more years  service, the city will continue to pay 100% of individual and family health care costs after retirement.

For retired individuals with 15-19 years  service, the city contribution is cut to 80% of an individual/family health care plan.

For retired employees  with 10 to 15 years of service, the city contribution will be 50% for an individual and 35% for a family plan.

For retired employees  with less than 10 years  service the city will pay no contribution.

The city contribution changes as follows for workers hired after July 1, 2011 the city contributions are changed:

For workers hired after July 1, 2011, after 20 years city service, upon retirement the city will contribute 85% of the health care premiums for individual and family health plans.

For workers with 15 to 19 years city service, upon retirement the city will pay 65% of health care premiums for individual and family.

Workers with 10-15 years of city service, upon retirement, the city will pay 50% of the premium costs for an individual plan and 35% of premiums for family coverage.

Workers with less than 10 years of city service, after retirement: the city will pay no contribution toward health care premiums,

The contract also increases pay $2 an hour for operators of the city new, one-arm side loader garbage trucks.

The complete agreement may be read at www.cityofwhiteplains.com by going to Common Council, clicking on Common Council agenda, and then clicking on Council Backup Agenda, and scrolling down to item 7, once you scroll past the main agenda.

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Mass Transit Committee Recommends “Streamlined” Bus Rapid Transit. Now Must Bell Cat. 5 Years Away. WP RAIL STATION 15 YEARS AWAY

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WPCNR IN TRANSIT. From the Mass Transit Task Force. (Edited)March 1, 2014:
The Governor’s  Mass Transit Task Force  is recommending a new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system to be in place when the new bridge is open in 2018. If all the recommendations are implemented, the new BRT system will increase transit ridership by 10,150 people per day in the region, cutting commuter travel times by 20 to 25 percent.

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Riders will enjoy a new, clearly branded BRT system with high-quality transit stations that will include passenger amenities such as seating, real-time bus arrival information, Wi-Fi at stations and on board, and protection from the elements. The system will be used to travel between or within both counties on the same vehicles with one fare card, one fare payment system and one identity. This achieves a key objective of the MTTF – to provide travelers with an easy-to-understand, simple-to-use and convenient transit choice to get more drivers out of their cars and to cut congestion.

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The MTTF, established at the request of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo in December 2012, was tasked with making recommendations that are fiscally viable and meet the transit needs of the region, targeting major residential, commercial and employment corridors.

Short-term Recommendations (Next 5 Years):

  • New BRT Stations and Vehicles
  • High-Tech Transit Signal Priority Systems
  • Simple, Legible Routing
  • Dedicated Transit Lanes
  • I-287 Congestion Control: Ramp Metering
  • Traffic Signal Improvements
  • Route 59 “Smart Corridor”
  • White Plains Access and Station Area Study
  • Corridor Preservation Study
  • Interchange 10 Reconstruction / South Nyack Study
  • New I-287/87 Interchange 14X Study
  • Transportation Demand Management Programs
  • Transit-Oriented Development
  • West-of-Hudson Rail Improvements

Mid-term Recommendations (Up to 15 years after NNYB opens)

  • White Plains Station Redevelopment
  • Interchange 11 Reconstruction
  • West-of-Hudson Rail Improvements
  • In-Line BRT Station at the Palisades Center
  • New BRT Stations Along the Proposed Routes
  • Expanded Park and Ride Facilities in Rockland County

Long-term Recommendations (15 Years or more after NNYB opens)

  • Passenger Service on the West Shore Line
  • East-West Rail Options (Light Rail or Commuter Rail)

The MTTF met 12 times between late 2012 and early 2014 to develop its transit recommendations. In addition, 18 working sessions were held with local stakeholders to further refine the proposal.

The full Mass Transit Task Force report can be found here: http://www.newnybridge.com/documents/index.html

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WHITE PLAINS WEEK: BAILEY KATZ BENERFOFE NEWS BEDLAM on YOUR INTERNET

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The BEDLAM!

WHITE PLAINS WEEK:

This week:

THE BIG CHILL

THE BIG HOLES

THE DOUBLE SHOCK:

EXPENSIVE TENNIS ANYONE?

WHITE PLAINS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER FOREVER.

CAN WESTCHESTER’S YOUTH BE SAVED FROM GOING TO BROOKLYN AND MANHATTAN?

INSIDE THE CAMBRIA SUITE HOTEL TO BE ON MAIN STREET

ON YOUR PERSONAL NEWS CHANNEL

www.whiteplainsweek.com

PLUS

YOU’VE GOT

DAVE BUCHWALD

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Assemblyman of the 33rd Assembly District, David Buchwald, center, bantering with Peter Katz left, and Jim Benerofe on the set of PEOPLE TO BE HEARD — where People who Have something to say, have their say.

ASSEMBLYMAN AT LARGE 

INTERVIEWED ON 

PEOPLE TO BE HEARD

on his first year in the Big Albany

see him interviewed at www.whiteplains.com

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Meanwhile, Robert Astorino is Still Thinking: To Be Governor or Not to Be, That is the Question.

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Robert Astorino, Running for County Executive last November — he will make the run-norun decision for Governor of New York next week.

WPCNR WATCH ON THE MICHAELIAN BUILDING. By John F. Bailey. A WPCR Exclusive. February 28, 2014:

A spokesman for Robert P. Astorino, the Westchester County Executive, told WPCNR Friday afternoon that Mr. Astorino will tell his staff tonight whether he is going to run for Governor of New York.

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William F. O’Reilly, from his November appearance on PEOPLE TO BE HEARD, the White Plains Westchester Talk Show Mondays at 10 and Wednesdays at 10:30 on FIOS CHANNEL 45 and CABLEVISION 76.

William F. O’Reilly, the Astorino strategist told WPCNR moments ago when asked if Mr. Astorino was committing Friday, or not, issued this statement:

“Not.  He is telling staff his decision tonight.  We will announce yes or no midweek, next week. “

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