WPCNR WEST SIDE STORY. By John F. Bailey. March 14, 2006, UPDATED 12:40 A.M. E.S.T.: Thirteen property owners and “stakeholders” met with Mayor Joseph Delfino, David Maloney and Melissa Lopez of the Mayor’s office Tuesday morning at the invitation of the Mayor to hear their ideas on how to extend the “White Plains Renaissance” to the West Post Road, Lexington Avenue area.

What emerged from the testy and tense one hour meeting, was a consensus from all that a first step was for the White Plains Police to enforce anti-loitering laws, crack down permanently on businesses described as “fronts” for alleged illegal activity, and make the area safer.

At the conclusion,  property owners and Winbrook representatives said  a good first step to securing the area for the residents and business revitalization was to establish a police “substation” in the heart of the Lexington Avenue area, perhaps in the Winbrook public housing complex. The consensus that all invitees agreed on was the South Lexington area was inadequately policed. Property owners appeared to agree to meet among themselves with other interested parties to discuss what each could do to upgrade their properties and enhance them. Mayor Delfino said that he and his staff would have to evaluate how the process of deciding how to revitalize would proceed.

Lexington Avenue Revitalization District. Winbrook complex is at top of area, Lexington Avenue runs diagonally through center. Photo, WPCNR News.

Owners to Meet to Talk Over Their Visions -- Yet to be Set.

Cary Frankel of White Plains Lincoln-Mercury, suggested the owners next get together among themselves and discuss ideas for revitalizing the area as to what each owner could do or might be willing to do. Bill Campbell, President of Grant House, professed fears this would be “a secret meeting,” and was assured by owners at the table it would not be, that he could be present.

Mayor Joseph Delfino said he did not know when the next meeting on the revitalization would be held, that he and his staff would have to discuss how next to proceed, but the Mayor assured that Battle Hill, Fisher Hill and Highlands neighborhood associations would be involved.

The Players Assemble. In attendance were Barry Warwit, Juan Camacho, Hector Garced, Mack Carter (White Plains Housing Authority), Bill Campbell, Patricia Diggs (President of Tenants Council), Bob Sholz, Frank Seymour, Councilman Tom Roach, Reverend Lester Cousin, Rick Ammirato (The BID), Ron Jackson, Gabe Arrango, Frank Williams, Joseph Nutono, Cary Frankel, Rod Johnson, and representatives from Bethel Baptist Church and Trinity Methodist Church. Photo, WPCNR News.

Security Blamed for Lack of Incentive to Develop

Concerns about security were voiced by both automobile dealerships, Sholz Buick and Cary Frankel of White Plains Lincoln-Mercury, as well as Mack Carter, Executive Director of the White Plains Housing Authority which manages Winbrook, owners Hector Garced who owns properties along South Lexington Avenue, Gabe Arrango, and Juan Camacho who own on West Post Road.

Another View. Photo, WPCNR News.

Mayor Joseph Delfino was skeptical about on the numerous observations that loiterers, persons drinking in public and hanging out on corners could be curtailed by the police because of possible human rights violations. He said “That (loitering enforcement) can be looked at. The laws being what they are, it’s hard.”

Loitering Enforced Elsewhere in City.

Security Guards within City Center itself do not allow young persons to wait and congregate inside the City Center (“hang out”), according to  this week’s issue of The Orange, even though the young persons have attended movies there. White Plains Police have been known in the past to move youths along when they hang out on Mamaroneck Avenue.

Mayor Delfino did not comment on the alleged illegal activities in businesses around Lexington Avenue and Post Road or their reality, if any.  There was no representative of the White Plains Department of Public Safety in attendance at the meeting to answer security concerns of the owners.

A WPCNR NewsCall to the White Plains Department of Public Safety for comment on the feasibility and legality of anti-loitering enforcement and the extent of the alleged infestation of “front” businesses for illegal activities had not been returned as of 5 P.M.

The Intersection of South Lexington Avenue and Post Road: One of the strips envisioned for revival. Photo, WPCNR News Archive(2004)

Whither Winbrook?

The meeting started with Mr. Garced asking to know the status of the Winbrook projects, whether they would stay or be taken by the city.

Mack Carter, Executive Director of the White Plains Housing Authority, said there was no truth to the speculation that Winbrook was going to be torn down. He said the Housing Authority had undertaken to install an extensive security system in each building, and had hired property managers for each building for the first time in the history of the housing complex, who are charged with upgrading and keeping up the buildings.

He said that the exterior of the five buildings would be sandblasted perhaps next year to improve the exterior appearance. This year the bathrooms in the five buildings were being renovated. He said the federal government owns the Winbrook complex. He expressed hope that the government would partner financially in the Winbrook upgrade.

What's the Vision?

David Maloney, of the Mayor’s office who ran the meeting was asked the goal of the strategic plan for the area. Maloney said there was “not an agenda” that the city hoped “to upgrade the area, perhaps some housing. Some retail.”

The owner of the Swift Electric property,  Barry Warwit of the  134 South Lexington Ave. Corp, asked “The projects are not changing. So I don’t know what the vision is.”

Ron Jackson, a former resident of Winbrook said, “Quality of life is the issue. I am looking forward to the revitalization of Lexington Avenue, but there are stores that are questionable.”

Before Mr. Jackson could elaborate, the Mayor said, “We get your message, Ron.”

South Lexington Avenue from The Sidewalks of Winbrook.December, 2004.  Photo, WPCNR News

Police Challenged.

Gabe Arrango, echoed Mr. Jackson’s vague security concerns, saying “the police do not want to do anything. There’s problems with drugs and all kinds of  strangers there (along Post Road and Lexington Avenue).”

Mr. Maloney said he did not want the discussion to degenerate into a discussion of the future of Winbrook.

Juan Camacho sounded the theme that “the projects across Lexington Avenue need to bring out a life, a bit of pride.” Mr. Camacho added that he would be pleased to work with his tenants in redeveloping their properties.

Mack Carter, defending Winbrook, announced the Housing Authority and his Board of Directors was formulating an additional agenda for Winbrook, “a redevelopment plan” for Winbrook, which he said,  was not too far along at the present time, but would be looking at “beautification of the area.”

Winbrook as Prey

Carter said a lot of persons who do not live in Winbrook and come into the city from other communities to  “prey on the people living in Winbrook.” He said an improvement in street lighting was needed, and said one of Winbrook’s most urgent needs was parking. He said he had 167 spaces for over 400 residences. Carter promised the Housing Authority was upgrading Winbrook, but told the owners across the table, “We need your help.”

Mayor Joseph Delfino said in response to the representative from Trinity Church on Lexington Avenue, said “We want to complement Winbrook. What do we need there to complement Winbrook?”

At this time, 8:33 A.M., Jon Schandler, Chief Executive Officer of White Plains Hospital Center arrived, excusing himself for being late, because his letter of invitation had given him the wrong time.

Hector Garced, at this point was telling the story of how he wanted to put a pizza store in on one of his vacant properties, recently but was denied it by the Planning Department. (Later, he told WPCNR, the Planning Department had told him they wanted to see a restaurant with at least twenty tables and waiter service there. Garced remarked to WPCNR, “That would have died in there.”)

Garced asked “What is the zoning? What will the city allow there? What do you want to see there?(On Lexington Avenue)?”

West Post Road. Viewed from Lincoln-Mercury. December, 2004. Photo, WPCNR News

White Plains Hospital Center Enters

At that juncture the Mayor introduced Mr. Schandler, who expounded on the White Plains Hospital position. He said they needed to expand to get the right capacity to handle the hospital's increased demands put on by the closing of St. Agnes and United Hospitals. He said “We are not going across Post Road toward Winbrook. The hospital has been talking to Mr. Sholz (of Sholz Buick) about opportunities for future development down to the corner where the auto dealership is.”

(Mr. Schandler in a Tuesday morning story appearing before this morning’s meeting was held was reported in The Journal News as wanting new housing and office space for the hospital staff as part of the Lexington Avenue revival. Upon checking, WPCNR has learned the garage mentioned in the story is the garage planned for Longview Avenue.)

At this point, Mr. Jackson started to ask Mr. Schandler about something he (Jackson) had “heard through the grapevine” and Mayor Delfino swiftly cut Mr. Jackson off, saying, “No grapevines.”

Mr. Schandler said the hospital had opened a satellite in Rye Brook of 30,000 square feet to help serve hospitalization needs in that area, due to the closing of United Hospital in  Port Chester.

Mayor Delfino at this point, receiving some more doubts about Winbrook again stressed, “We’re not looking to force you into anything, we’re not that kind of government.”

Solve Security  and Tax Abatements, Please.

Security of the area continued to dominate the meeting. Mr. Warwit, told the group “That (security of the area) is a huge issue.”

Warwit also said that the revitalization process becomes an “evolution, you start at the beginning (with security) then would come the capital investment to do it.”

Mr. Frankel  of Lincoln Mercury, suggested the city should consider tax abatements to aid the owners in upgrading their properties.

Mayor Delfino said of the capital investment, “It can be looked at, with no commitment.”

Bill Campbell, President of Grant House challenged the owners, “to invest in your properties or get out.”

Parking for Mixed Use And a Police Substation.

This bestirred several owners to say the area cannot be redeveloped without addressing the parking issue to enable “mixed use” development.  

Mr. Frankel of Lincoln Mercury suggested the next step-- that the owners get together and brainstorm suggestions for the area as to what they could do.

Representatives of the churches and residents of Winbrook attending objected that the owners were meeting in secret.

Mr. Camacho said it would not be “a secret meeting” that representatives of Winbrook could attend. Bill Campbell said he wanted to attend the meeting.

Mayor Delfino when asked by Mr. Garced, said the Common Council could entertain zoning changes, “not 40 stories though.”

Mack Carter suggested, and all property owners agreed that a police substation would be a good start to making improvements in security that the owners want before development.

Thoughts Not Shared

Just prior to this morning’s meeting, in an excellent preview article of this meeting,  appearing in The Journal News, by Keith Eddings,  Mayor Delfino provided much more to Mr. Eddings than he did to the meeting attendees.

The Mayor was reported as saying he wanted new housing for a series of income ranges, professional offices – without the removal of the other businesses in the corridor.

Mayor Delfino’s Executive Officer, Paul Wood, has not returned a WPCNR NewsCall asking for clarification as to why Mayor Delfino had such a clear vision for Mr. Eddings, but did not share this “vision” in this morning’s meeting.

Wood, too,  was reported by Mr. Eddings as  going into more detail on design, saying the development would be built on top of the stores existing on Lexington Avenue presently, and on the sites of the auto dealerships.

Mayor Delfino did not share this cantilevered “vision” with the two auto dealerships present at the meeting, nor Mr. Garced, Mr. Arrango or Mr. Camacho or the entire meeting.

Mr. Wood also was reported by Mr. Eddings in The Journal News that the city had received $1,000,000 for streetscape improvement in the Lex-Post area.  Mr. Maloney mentioned streetscapes this morning, but with no detail on the $1,000,000 seed money.

The figure of $1,000,000 was not mentioned to the morning attendees, even though part of it was intended Wood told The Journal News for low interest loans to businesses to upgrade their storefronts. In view of the fact that owners asked about aid from the city for improvements, it is puzzling that the $1,000,000 federal seed money was not mentioned to the group.

No Questions About Appraisals.

Conversely, none of the property owners asked why the city had appraised their properties last year, as reported by WPCNR previously.

BID Discount?

Rick Ammirato, Executive Director of the White Plains Downtown Business Improvement District said that concerns about litter raised by several ministers attending the meeting could be met when the BID extended its area down Post Road. Ammirato noted his yellow-shirted street cleaners had really cleaned up the Mamaroneck Avenue area. No owners asked Mr.Ammirato if there were any discounts in the BID assessment to businesses being considered for Post Road or Lexington Avenue businesses to join the BID, should the BID be extended.