WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. By John F. Bailey. May 8, 2007: The Common Council after "informal discussions" during the day did not approve the 55 Bank Street 538-unit twin tower approvements last night, instead bringing Peter Gilpatrick of LCOR back for a Work Session Wednesday evening at 6 to discuss in more detail the financial terms he explained to the Council last night.

Gilpatric pressured the council saying if they wanted affordable housing they could say yes. The Mayor persuaded the council that they could vote to approve the project next Monday.  Gilpatrick emphasized the $480,000 a year PILOT arrangement was equal to the cost of building the 107-108 affordable housing units shortfall -- however he did not say what the building would pay in taxes if all units of the towers were taxed at full market value which WPCNR believes is $39 Million according to what he told the Westchester County Industrial Development Agency last week.

In the course of the hearing the $39 Million figure floated to the Industrial Development Agency as a PILOT by Gilpatric never was mentioned or  brought up by any member of the Common Council.

Gilpatrick continued to extoll the hotel he expects to build ajacent to the Bank Street towers as a benefit of the  55 Bank Street project, (pumping out $655,000 in taxes a year), when in fact, it is a distinctly separate project that LCOR could have built any time in the last seven years and no hotelier has been signed for to this reporter's knowledge. It may never get built. At no point did any member of the Common Council ask what the 55 Bank Street project could be assessed for, if they did not have a PILOT agreement -- and what it would cost the city in tax revenues.

Gilpatric also revealed that LCOR had responded to an RFP (Request for Proposals) sent out by the city. This was news to WPCNR that the city had ever RFPeed the municipal parking lot, since the city went to great pains to explain why the land was not put out for bid originally and had chosen LCOR because of their ease and familiarity with the city and the city's needs. Hines, a national developer of housing was very interested in the property, but the city ignored their interest.

Along about 12:15 A.M., this morning Councilperson Rita Malmud accused the Mayor of "telescoping" the Bank Street project, not giving the council enough information on the financial details -- which just surfaced last Thursday at the Westchester County Industrial Development Agency. The Mayor scornfully said Malmud could vote "No" on the project, and that way she was "making the four councilmen voting for the project take the hit." The Mayor accused Mrs. Malmud of creating a negative perception of the project by criticising the financing in the press two weeks ago. Mrs. Malmud said, "I stand by my comments." 

BID in Home Stretch

In the hearing on the BID expansion, Rick Ammirato, the Executive Director of the Downtown Business Improvement District, said to date only 11 property owners had written the city clerk opting out of the project. The Common Council closed the hearing, and within 30 days, should more than half of the landowners not opt out of the project or the major landowners not opt out, the BID will ask the State Comptroller to approve the BID expansion.

Councilman Dennis Power chided Mr. Ammirato on not contacting all the landowners. Ammirato said the BID had Fedexed those not receiving the notice of the BID intentions. At no time did any member of the Common Council suggest that the BID telephone each of the 192 Landowners and take a survey of who wanted to opt out and opt in to the newly expanded BID. Property owners must contact the city clerk or the BID to get the form to turn down BID expansion. The city clerk may be reached at 422-1227.

Ammirato outlined in a slide show the BID's ambitious plans for hiring professional Community Ambassadors, and "green machines" to keep the sidewalks clean, and expanding city entertainment events with the additional $1 million the expansion of the BID to the south west and east of the city would bring to BID coffers.

Berg: No Way We Can Pay for Electric on the Garage 23

Mrs. Malmud, Dennis Power, Benjamin Boykin and Arnold Bernstein also took Bruce Berg of Cappelli Enterprises  for not agreeing to subsidize the electric heat on the 23 units Mr. Cappelli plans to build in the City Center garage. When Berg said Cappelli Enterprises had already paid $1.2 Million in affordable housing assistance in connection with the City Center project, Benjamin Boykin bristled saying that was "unfair," as that was part of the Trump Tower payment to satisfy the affordable housing commitment on that building.  The approval for the 23 apartments could come as early as next Monday. The council agreed to have further discussions on the electric rate subsidy. Berg was adamant saying Cappelli Enterprises would not subsidize the electric bills on the 23 affordable units Cappelli Enterprises is building to satisfy its obligation in connection with their Ritz-Carlton project.

The council approved White Plains Hospital Center as the principle renter of the parking spaces in the Longview Avenue Garage, clearing the last part of the Kensington White Plains LLC senior assisted living project targeted for Maple Avenue, that also helps the Hospital parking problem.

The council adjourned the North Street Community project to June, but the impression on that project is that most of Wyndham Close objections have been met, with that neighborhood organization dropping their complaints about the size of the project, and instead focusing on landscaping. This project looks good for a June approval.

The lights for Gedney Little League field were approved as part of the consent agenda.

The budget hearing was uneventful, with the League of Women Voters suggesting the city deliver some revenue aid to the school district. Steve Kass, another speaker on the budget encouraged the city to hold the school district exempt from certiorari impacts, but he was not clear in exactly how he expected the city could do this. The Mayor said the school district approves all PILOT agreements, and said that perhaps their lawyer is unable to communicate this to the School District.