WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. By John F. Bailey. September 24, 2004, UPDATED 3:00 A.M. E.D.T.: The Common Council Work Session called for Thursday evening found the council not objecting to Susan Habel’s report that city departments: Planning Dept., Planning Board, Environmental Officer, Traffic Commissioner, Conservation Board and Public Works found that conditions in White Plains have not changed significantly to merit a full scale review of the New York Presbyterian Hospital proton accelerator/biomedical research project. She said those departments recommend that the New York Presbyterian Hospital site plan to build a proton accelerator/biomedical research facility be extended for another year at October’s Common Council meeting.
NOTHING'S CHANGED: Susan Habel,Commissioner of Planning advises Common Council that city departments find the city environment has not changed substantially. Photo by WPCNR News.
PARK YOUR CAR SIR?
DIRECTOR OF PARKING, AL MORONI, introduced Laz Parking as the designated Valet parking concern selected by the city. Photo by WPCNR News
The council also appeared to be in agreement with the Department of Parking selection of a firm named Laz Parking (not a misprint), to handle the valet parking concession at the City Center at no cost to the city. Albert Moroni, Director of Parking, said the valet parking would be available 7 days a week for both restaurant and general shoppers at the City Center at a cost of $5.
Mr. Moroni told WPCNR after the meeting that all cars would be parked by the valets and pay at the city going rate of 50 cents an hour. He said the valet firm makes its money on the convenience charge of $5 for 3 hours. Legal Seafood and Zanaro’s Restaurant elected to participate in the Valet Parking arrangement, and Applebee’s did not. Moroni said that the two participating restaurants would give back some of the valet fee for patrons dining at those establishments.
Valet Parking Hours
Valet Parking is available, according to Mr. Moroni, 7 days a week for all patrons of the City Center: On Monday through Thursday from 5 P.M. to 11 P.M.; Friday, 5 to midnight; Saturday, 12 Noon to Midnight, and on Sundays from 12 Noon to 9 P.M. Moroni also told WPCNR that all meter sticker corrections had been executed throughout the city, and the city was now ticketing until 9 P.M.
VALET ALLEY ON MAMARONECK AVENUE AT CAPACITY AT 5 MINUTES TO 6 THURSDAY EVENING. Mr. Moroni said the Department of Parking and the Department of Public Safety was going to monitor the placement of the Valet Podium and the queing of the vehicles awaiting valet service at the City Center. Photo by WPCNR News
Rita Malmud raised the issue that the Valet Parking area seemed to be creeping up the block past the 140 feet from Martine Avenue where the ordinance says it should be. Mr. Moroni explained that the Zanaro’s manager had been demanding of the Valet men to move the Valet stand closer to his door than the door to Legal Seafood. Mr. Moroni vowed that his department was on it, and would enforce the exact position of the Valet Podium.
Cappelli Asks to Pay Taxes With the Rest of the Guys
A media horde (Suburban Street.com, WPCNR, The Journal News, Westchester County Business Journal) showed up for the Cappelli PILOT matter on the agenda, expecting something very exciting. However, when Louis Cappelli and his entourage of efficient-looking men in suits only appeared to request a change in payment date on the City Center Payment In Lieu of Taxes which the council appears to be willing to approve.
Currently Mr. Cappelli has to pay his taxes 1-1/2 years in advance of Clayton Park, LCOR and JPI, which was requested of a previous Cappelli financial partner.
Last night, Mr. Cappelli has asked for a relaxation of this timetable, because it has created a burden on his tenants at City Center.
Cappelli is asking that the 1-1/2 years in advance be trimmed to 30 days in advance of when the other three developers pay theirs. The Legal Department and the Finance Commissioner indicated no problem with that. Mr. Cappelli pointed out the city loses no money, because the $2.5 Million payment is held in escrow anyway. Photo by WPCNR News
Habel: Department Heads Say “No Significant Change” in Conditions
Warranting extensive review of NYPH Permit.
After the Valet Parking and Cappelli matters were dealt with, Susan Habel Commissioner of Planning, briefed the Council on the Administration’s analysis of the New York Presbyterian Hospital Site Plan Extension request.
SUSAN HABEL, COMMISSIONER OF PLANNING, DISCUSSING THE TWO YEAR JOURNEY TO GROUNDBREAKING. Photo by WPCNR News
Habel said construction on the proposed proton accelerator/biomedical buildings on old driving range in the NYPH property at the East End of the City, could not have begun until the state had signed off on the storm water detention plan, the on-site pools, and until the landscaping plans for the access road along side the Bloomingdale’s driveway had been o.k.’d by city departments.
Council Caused the Delay by Imposing Environmental Conditions: Habel
She pointed out that the Common Council placement of extensive environmental conditions on the project had contributed to the length of time, (two years), it has taken to secure approvals from the state on the storm water retention plan, and the city requirements for entrance road tree removal and tree replacement after its construction.
Ms. Habel gave no reason for why the state permit drag developed. She did not say whether it was caused by New York Presbyterian Hospital being slow to turn over plans to the city departments, or city department delays in reviewing the Hospital plans for the storm water, road beautification and erosion control plans.
No one on the Common Council asked for an explanation of why a project that was supposedly approved with all plans in place two years ago (the requirement of any site plan), had to be redrawn up with consultation with city department heads after it was approved.
No Accelerator Tech Update Asked for. Compact Version Available in Europe.
The Council also did not ask if the NYPH-selected proton accelerator was still as viable a cancer treatment option in the view of NYPH doctors and the oncologist community today as it was two years ago. The original plans called for the Proton Accelerator/Biomedical facility to open in 2005.
Perhaps it should.
The Paul Scherrer Institute in Villigen, Switzerland, has developed a compact proton accelerator a few metres long, (not needing a six story building to house it) for delivery to existing hospitals to establish their own gantry bays to treat patients in their existing buildings.
The Institute is reported by the SwissInfo information service, in a story datelined today as having developed "a new extremely compact proton accelerator, called a cyclotron, just to supply (to hospitals) the protons for the proton therapy facilities."
One of these compact accelerators is being installed at the new proton therapy clinic in Munich, Germany -- the first commerical facility of its type in Europe. The clinic in Munich is reported by SwissInfo as ordering four gantries enabling it to treat 3,000 to 4,000 patients a year.
The SwissInfo article can be read at http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=511&sid=4911065.
WPCNR has an inquiry in to the Scherrer Institute for details, is following up on this development.
No Hospital Executives Show. No Explanation for Alleged Delay.
WPCNR queried Geoffrey Thompson, the lone representative from New York Presbyterian Hospital who was there, a media spokesperson for the hospital (no hospital executives or legal council were present), for an explanation whether it was NYPH delay or error in formulating the plans or demands of city departments or delays in improving them. He said he would ask the hospital what contributed to the delay.
Habel said the city had been working steadily with the NYPH on the plans since the site plan had been approved in the summer of 2002, permits had finally been received from the state in April and July of this year, and that Joseph Nicoletti, Commissioner of Public Works had approved water and sewer related matters at the end of August.
No Update on Technology
WPCNR also asked Mr. Thompson if the hospital could issue a statement on how the proton accelerator measures up as a cancer treatment option since completion now looked like it would not happen until 2007 (WPCNR estimate) two years after approval (in August, 2002). He said he would ask.
Habel noted that the Planning Board, the Commissioner of Public Works, the Traffic Commissioner, the Environmental Officer, had agreed that conditions in the eastern end of the city where project is to impact had not changed significantly and that all recommended the site plan be extended. Habel concluded by saying, “With respect to any changes (in the conditions), the Planning Department, Traffic Department, Conservation Board, Planning Board found no impacts and changes in circumstance that would affect this extension.”
COUNCILMAN TOM ROACH asked if the extension was being asked for “in spite of no substantial construction, or because of.” Councilman Benjamin Boykin, is at left. Photo by WPCNR News
Habel said, “because construction was not permitted until they had received these permits from the state,” as the reason for extending the permit.
Delgado: Three years the Max?
Mr. Delgado delving into the labyrinth of zoning zen on site plans quoted from the ordinance governing site plans noting that substantial construction had to be shown after three years. He asked if the hospital had only one more year to get the project going: “Are we looking here at a life (of the site plan) of three years?”
WHEN LARRY DELGADO SPEAKS, PEOPLE LISTEN: Councilman Delgado reviewing the apparent three-year time limit on getting "significant construction" accomplished on approved projects. Photo by WPCNR News
Ms. Habel said, “It (the site plan) could be renewed again. That position has not been held to the business community,” saying there have been other projects that have taken more than three years. Ms. Habel did not cite any such examples, though JPI is approaching three years.
It should be noted that Louis Cappelli built a 34-story building and the City Center complex in two years after site plan approval. Clayton Park built its apartments in approximately 18 months. Bank Street Commons was built in approximately two years. The two hospital buildings contemplated are six stories each.
Arnold Bernstein said the council should take a look at defining the words "substantial construction," as a basis for renewing a site plan.
Other Business
In other matters, the council was supportive of an expansion of a U.S.A. Storage facility on Kensico Avenue, and was advised that the developer selected by Westchester County to build the affordable housing complex, Horton's Mill Village by Liberty Park, would build the utilities and infrastructure for the project at a capped cost of $800,000. City Corporation Counsel, Edward Dunphy said the county would pay that cost. The evening concluded with a report on Library Interior renovation.
