WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2007. By John F. Bailey. June 21, 2007: Robert Levine, Robert Stackpole, and Marc Pollitzer, renegade independent candidates for the Common Council opened their assault on the Common Council with a low key stance in delivering an analysis of why the city needs new leadership on the Council.

The three passionate advocates for the future called for ending PILOTS for new proposed developments, protecting zoning, ending sales of city assets to balance the budget, and called for hiring independent consultants to develop a new Comprehensive Plan for the city. They advanced no proposals as to how they would rein in the city budget, manage infrastructure needs brought on by development, and stopped short on declaring a moratorium on development.

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The forum began with homilies by Mike Graessle, former City Commissioner of Planning, detailing controversial planning issues at risk (Ridgeway Country Club, Amodios, how city develops now) and Dr. Saul Yanofsky, former Superintendent of Schools, arguing the city policies on finances, particularly PILOTS are hurting the school district.  The three renegades, then made their cases for the reasons why the public should vote them in and Dennis Power, Benjamin Boykin and Milagros Liquona, their prospective opponents in November out.

An audience of 50 persons, plus Mr. Power, Mr. Boykin, Councilman Tom Roach and Ms. Lecouna observed the dignified presentation which took place after a business meeting of the North Street Civic Association at Ridgeway School.

Levine said “Planning is not a game of darts hitting one place or another with nothing interconnected.”
Levine, a real licensed architect and planner, now retired called the city’s planning process a “privatization of planning,” saying "we have allowed, even encouraged, development initiatives by private developer interests with scarcely any but the most benign official oversight. The type, location, timing, size and appearance of speculative projects are governed primarily by the developers’ requirements…Tell our elected representatives to kick the foxes out of the hen-house. Tell them to stop the privatization of the planning and implementation process now."

Levine said the 1997 Comprehensive Plan and its "predictably inadequate 2006 update fall short." He said both plans do not take into account the population shift, health care facilities infrastructure, civic amenities, transportation systems, traffic/parking, new retailing and city school facilities needs. He calls for the city to prepare a Request for Proposals for a " well-qualified objective planning professionals to assist in the formulation of a new Comprehensive Plan."

No More Cave Ins on Zoning

Marc Pollitzer, speaking next, called on city zoning to be protected and not changed just because a developer wanted it. Pollitzer cited the example of some councilpersons working to make more city information available to the people, and praised the council for listening to the people and voting down the Exclusivity Agreement requested by Louis Cappelli for his Station Square Development. Mr. Pollitzer did not mention that the council voted it down only after it had been exposed by this reporter that the council had known about the plan for 5 weeks without saying anything about voting It down. Mr. Pollitzer also did not mention the council rush to approve the LCOR project for affordable housing, nor the vote on a trolley system without having read the study recommending it last week.

Cappelli Did Make an Offer for Ridgeway

Mr. Pollitzer, who is a member of Ridgeway Country Club was asked if Louis Cappelli had made an offer to buy that country club. Pollitzer said Cappelli had made the club "a nebulous offer." Asked afterwards by WPCNR whether the offer had been discussed with the membership at large, Pollitzer said it had not, but he was expecting that it would be. He said he did not have a figure.

Stackpole Shocker 

Robert Stackpole followed and made sharp criticism of the city's financial position making note that the taxes for one developer, Louis Cappelli on $1 Billion of development in the city should be $12 Million, but as a result of his PILOT payments, the Cappelli developments are paying the city $1,092,265, according to documents from the City of White Plains Finance Department. This brought a gasp from the crowd.

Stackpole warmed to his task, criticising the sale of land for quick fixes, saying that bond rating agencies do not like to see the city balancing its budget by selling assets. Stackpole called for an end to PILOTs, because now the city no longer needs to attract developers with incentives. He also said there is no chance the legislature will approve an Industrial Development Agency for White Plains, because of an ongoing investigation into IDA improprieties in the state. He also noted how difficult it is to get information from the county IDA on valuations of PILOTed properties it owns the assets.

Councilman Benjamin Boykin got up and declared that 221 Main, the Ritz-Carlton development, did not have a PILOT because it was a hotel and condominium.

Mr. Stackpole, a gentleman,  politely did not inform Mr. Boykin that 221 Main is listed on the Top 40 Tax Payers of 2007-2008. provided by the city Finance Department as paying $193,654 in City Taxes. Mr. Stackpole also did not make the point to the audience that PILOTs payments are not equal to taxes the property would pay if it did not have a PILOT, something that has been said falsely by the Mayor and particular Councilpersons, who have said people do not understand PILOTS.

The three said they would be speaking out more on specifics.