WPCNR Southend Times. May 28, 2004, UPDATED:  Mike Graessle, former White Plains Commissioner of Planning will spoke on  Planning the Future of Downtown White Plains at an ad hoc town meeting Thursday evening at the Our Lady of Sorrows Gymnasium, which attracted 75 persons.

Del Vecchio's Executive Officer, Delfino Planning Commissioner Says Comprehensive Plan Done: Mike Graessle Speaking Before a Citizens Gathering Last Night. Photo by WPCNR News

Graessle called for the Mayor, the Common Council, Planning and citizens to convene a conference to take a new look at the 1997 Comprehensive Plan (15 year plan) for the city because, as Graessle put it most of the objectives of the plan have been completed in seven years and the city needs to think about what is next. Graessle stopped short of calling for a moratorium on development, noting that Yonkers and New Rochelle are developing too and could affect the White Plains economy if White Plains stopped developing. He said there needed to be "a balance." 

Tom Roach, Common Council President,  speaking to WPCNR after the meeting said he agreed that it was a good idea to reevaluate the Comprehensive Plan, and said Councilman Robert Greer had been talking about the same thing for awhile now.

Graessle also noted that St. Agnes Hospital, now closed, offered an opportunity to rethink the city's approach to how New York Presbyterian Hospital develops. (The proton accelorater-bioresearch project approved in 2002, has yet to have ground broken for the project.)

In answer to a lament about the dismissal of the CCOS Article 78 action against that project approval because of CCOS and individuals not having "standing", Assemblyman Adam Bradley said his bill eliminating the "standing" argument that requires litigants to "show harm" to prevent judges dismissing lawsuits out of hand, had passed the Assembly and was waiting action in the State Senate.

Graessle in his comments pointed out the Delfino administration had executed the stated objectives of the 1997 Comprehensive Plan, but did not say the methods and nature of the projects were what he himself would have done to achieve them.

No action was agreed on by the citizens present at the conclusion of the meeting.

Robert Stackpole, opening the meeting, convened the town meeting with Robert Levine, and began by  criticisizing the efforts of  the daily newspaper, complaining that the present daily did not cover city news in needed detail. Photo by WPCNR News

Barbara Benjamin blasted the city for not making Commissioners available to citizens to answer questions, and charged that the city government was not a democracy. At the conclusion of the meeting, Paul Wood, City Director of Economic Development and Public Spokesman, rumored possible successor to George Gretsas, was noted speaking in amiable, earnest exchange with Ms. Benjamin.

Mr. Stackpole, a member of the Planning Board, noted that citizens complaining about city officials not listening to them, often do not appear at public hearings when important matters are being discussed. He said, "I assure you we listen."  (Editor's note: more persons appeared at this meeting than for any of the six months of hearings on the 221 Main Street Cappelli Hotel project.)

David Epstein, a younger resident of White Plains, complained about the lack of reaching out to the younger population of the city of White Plains, noting the lack of racial and age diversity  (WPCNR observed no black or Hispanic persons attending) in the hall. Comments by the moderators urged the younger residents in an earnest way to involve themselves rather than wait to be reached out to.