REMEMBERING THE PAST: Many in White Plains miss the great mayors who served homeowners so well in the past.
THINGS WENT DOWNHILL: Unlike Mayor Tom Roach who has allowed White Plains to flounder with dollar stores and negativity effect taxpayers, there were great mayors like Joseph Delfino , who led a renaissance that transformed and energized the City and attracted both national and international recognition.
HE CARED ABOUT HOMEOWNERS: Mayor Joe Delfino was always active in a variety of community and service organizations and always put White Plains homeowners first
He was elected to the White Plains Common Council in 1979.
During his 10-year tenure he held a variety of leadership positions, including Council President. In 1989, he was elected to the #WestchesterCounty Board of Legislators representing White Plains, where he served on key committees and as Vice-Chairman of the Board.
After #JoeDelfino, became mayor in 1997, he has conceived and spearheaded the revitalization that attracted $3.8 billion in #PrivateDevelopment, creating a vibrant downtown with multiple new shopping and entertainment venues and thousands of new residential units.
This was when a "Billion Dollars Was A Billion Dollars"
#MayorDelfino established the City’s first Open-Space initiative which has led to the acquisition of 53 acres of open space and a new multi-use waterfront park on Silver Lake,
But today Mayor Tom Roach is pushing through the destruction of the #GoodCounsel Green Space for an April vote with out listing to homeowners and neighborhood associations.
More than physical enhancement of the city’s downtown, Mayor Delfino’s career has been distinguished by his encyclopedic knowledge of White Plains and his personal relations with thousands of residents.
But things are so very different now.....
The same residents that Thin Skinned Mayor Tom Roach seeks to silence by keeping "Citizens To Be Heard" and other programs off of public access TV in White Plains.
FIGHTING TO KEEP THE BEAUTIFUL GOOD COUNSEL PROPERTY FROM DEVELOPERS
TRYING TO BE HEARD: Two of the activists spoke at the last Citizens to Be Heard On March 5th, But Mayor Tom Roach Censors Their Comments And Will Not Allowed To Be Heard On Public Access TV..... LOL... Tom Roach Only Wants His Meeting On The Public Channel, Without Homeowner Comments
MARIA GALLAGHER: This landmark designation status discussion has been going on since November of 2015. The same month of that year the property was bought by George Comfort and Sons.
WHITE PLAINS: These developers have petitioned the city to re-zone the property to allow for a 14+ story, two tower, 400 rental complex, graduate school housing and an assisted living care facility (the property is presently zoned for three story structures).
The petition also called for the Chapel to be preserved and for the Historic Victorian building known as Mapleton to be "relocated" to make room for their proposed development.
All other buildings on site would be demolished.
George Comfort and Sons knew they were purchasing a property with 10 buildings designated on the National and State Registers of Historic Places in April of 1997, known as "The Good Counsel Historic Complex.”
Did Comfort and Sons not factor there may be some cost involved when certain buildings or the entire complex may be designated local landmarks?
Or did they assume that saving 2 out of 10 historic buildings was good enough for the City of White Plains?
White Plains homeowners find it very disappointing to think the developers could constantly push ahead and not take into consideration the historic value and significance this property and buildings have for our city.
The vote now goes before the Common Council for approval.
The Council can either take a vote, or not act upon the recommendation, in which case the recommendation by the Historic Preservation Commission would go into effect.
Westchester County and #NewYorkState Historic Commissions have also voiced their recommendation of local landmark status for this complex.
This designation could hamper the developers' desired proposal, since all future structures most keep in the character of the historic complex, and buildings cannot be demolished or changed without city agency approvals.
Please Read....
JOURNAL NEWS: Good Counsel housing plan concerns neighbors
WHITE PLAINS - As the city prepares for an environmental review of the massive, mixed-use housing proposal at the former Good Counsel Academy, residents say they're concerned about the impact it could have on their neighborhood.
"It could run 1,000 cars a day through our neighborhood, which would be devastating," said Barbara Allen, president of the new Stewart/Ross Neighborhood Association, which was formed in response to the development proposal. "We'll never be able to get to or from our homes."
Plans submitted by WP Development NB, LLC, call for construction of two 10-story towers with 400 apartments, a 90- to 95-unit assisted living and memory care facility, and 70 dormitory-style suites for up to 120 people, to be rented to graduate students attending the nearby Pace University's Elisabeth Haub School of Law.
More than 650 parking spaces are included in the plan, distributed among ground level lots and a three-story garage. The 52 North Broadway property's iconic, sprawling, 3-acre front lawn would be preserved....
https://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/westchester/white-plains/2017/02/27/good-counsel-housing-white-plains/98248096/
GOOD OLE DAYS: When I was a young first time twenty something #WhitePlains business man I went to the Mayor Delfino office wanting an appointment to seek some advice from the mayor on how my small cleaning company could get into larger buildings in #WhitePlains
CITY HALL WELCOME: I was expecting to have to come back after getting an appointment, but was told if I could wait a bit Mayor Delfino could see me.
NICE GUY: We met he gave me many encouraging words about being a struggling entrepreneur,
GET THE LIST: Then Mayor Delfino said go over to the building department tomorrow morning and ask for a list of all of the elevator certificates. These he explained will have the property managers name and address on them for larger buildings in the city. He said elevator contractors get it all the time.
A CLASSY GUY: I left with Mayor Delfino's business card and said if I ever needed any help to give him a call. To this day I still have the business card Mayor Delfino gave me decades ago.
https://www.facebook.com/AdvancedBuildingMaintenance/
Its sad how things have changed in the White Plains mayorial office with Tom Roach.
Joe Delfino has virtually transformed White Plains with an entrepreneurial spirit in government.
Under Mayor Delfino, White Plains saw the renovation of several major corporate buildings, the opening of new stores, the creation of new ball fields and playgrounds, the establishment of an environmental protection program and open space policy
Tom Roach tries to take credit, but it was #JoeDelfino that got construction under way for new movie theaters, apartment complexes, stores and restaurants. Cappelli Enterprises of Valhalla is building a $250 million retail, entertainment and residential complex in the downtown where the vacant Macy's was.
And the new Stop & Shop -- the city's first major supermarket started construction on Mayor Delfino's watch.
The truth is Tom Roach doesn't even possess 10% of the Mr. Delfino's business acumen that Mayor Delfino had.
Sadly, Tom Roach has no interest in protecting residential neighborhoods from too much traffic, preserving open space, making local government more responsive to residents and increasing opportunities for middle-income housing, among other things.
Mayor Delfino a down-to-earth common sense guy who really cared about and could relate to White Plains Homeowners
FLASHBACK: As seen in the White Plains Examiner…
"In the 1980s, when Joseph Delfino was a White Plains Common Council member, there were several items on the city’s “To Do” list. One was to bring a movie theater to White Plains; another was to bring a supermarket. Not far down on the list was establishing a senior assisted living residence in the city."
The Kensington honored Delfino, naming its dining hall after the man who in his 12 years as mayor was a major driving force in making the facility a reality.
“To date, 67 residents have made it their home. In addition, we’re proud to say that we have provided jobs to 135 employees,” said The Kensington Executive Director Celina Watson.
“We couldn’t have realized this dream without you.” Delfino said he was able to pave the way for The Kensington to open by working with the Common Council and the various city departments.
“We needed an assisted living facility in White Plains,” he said. “It was just working together and now it became a reality.”
The Kensington, located at 100 Maple Avenue, is an enhanced assisted living facility with 87 suites
WP HOMEOWNERS NEED TO GET INVOLVED: Contact Your White Plains City Council Members And Tell Them You Have Had Enough Of Them Going Along With A Rubber Stamping Mayor Tom Roach's Failed Development Strategy
The City of White Plains Common Council:
Honorable Justin Brasch
Ph: 212-267-2500
jbrasch@whiteplainsny.gov
Honorable Nadine Hunt-Robinson
Ph: 914-315-7311
nhrobinson@whiteplainsny.gov
Honorable John Kirkpatrick
Ph: 914-997-2747
jkirkpatrick@whiteplainsny.gov
Honorable Dennis E. Krolian
Ph: 914-263-1020
dkrolian@whiteplainsny.gov
Honorable Milagros Lecuona
Ph: 914-406-0048
milagroslecuona@gmail.com
Honorable John M. Martin
Ph: 914-686-0239
jmartin@whiteplainsny.gov
The City of White Plains is governed by a Common Council which consists of the Mayor and six council members. The seven-member Common Council is the city’s legislative body. The Council's responsibilities include:
Adopting a budget
Appropriating monies
Enacting laws
Granting franchises
Selling or leasing properties
Approving Council appointments to boards and commissions and other appointments as required by law
Council members are elected at large and serve 4-year terms
https://www.cityofwhiteplains.com/index.aspx?nid=90
VIA
White Plains Newswire (Brian Harrod Editor / Publisher)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1423894477869818/permalink/2065629397029653/
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