WPCNR SOUTH END TIMES. November 6, 2006: The Commissioner of Planning for the City of White Plains, Susan Habel, updated WPCNR on the Kempner subdivision Monday evening, as proposed by the German School, and as was reported to us by Don Hughes who attended last week's Zoning Board of Appeals meeting where William Null, the German School attorney made some statements about the subdivision.
Ms. Habel pointed out that the subdivision was original brought up in March 2003, not in 2006, which WPCNR had understood because of the remarks the attorney for the German School was reported as having delivered at the Zoning Board of Appeals meeting. Ms. Habel explains the current situation:
"1. There is NO VARIANCE REQUESTED!!!!!! The German School has requested an amendment to its special permit to increase the number of students permitted to 500. A SPECIAL PERMIT IS NOT A VARIANCE.
2. The Board of Appeals is the special permit approving agency for private school special permits.
3.Well over three years ago the German School bought the property at 800 North Street, the former Kempner Property and proposed that the German School be expanded onto this property.
4. In 2003, the Planning Department pointed out to the German School and its legal counsel that expanding the German School use onto the Kempner Property was inconsistent with the Comprehensive Plan which specifically stated that institutional uses, other than houses of worship, should not be expanded in residential neighborhoods.
5. In 2003, the Planning Department advised the German School that the Kempner property could be subdivided into residential lots, as were the adjacent lots on the two adjacent cul-de-sacs. Residential subdivision of the property was "as of right" and the property was not an environmentally sensitive site.
6. In March 2003, NOT 2006, the German School applied for a standard subdivision of the Kempner property. This subdivision has been fully reviewed by the Planning Board, but the Planning Board can not take any action as the Lead Agency for the subdivision application and any action with respect to the Kempner property is the Board of Appeals.
7. The ZBA declared itself lead agency for the review of an increase in the number of students at the German School and the subdivision was one of the alternatives examined in the DEIS.
8. The German School has presented the subdivision as one of the alternatives in the DEIS review.
9. The City has requested an updated traffic study for the subdivision and German School project.
The matter of the German School is pending before the Board of Appeals. The application for a subdivision is over 3 years old. Mr. Null's comments nothwithstanding, there have been no discussions or meetings between the City and the German School regarding the Kempner Property or the German School. The environmental review of the project is underway and the CIty has no intention of recommending an action until the full environmental review process has been completed.
Your article's statement that Mr. Null said that "additional time was needed to work with the city staff to develop the new proposal " and that "He also indicated that they hope to have something to present in February" is unknown to the Planning Department as we have had no communication with the German School regarding their application for several years. "
WPCNR thanks Ms. Habel for clarifying the present situation regarding this issue.
