Councilmen Benjamin Boykin and Dennis Power, each candidates for reelection to the Common Council November 5, called for compensation from Cappelli Enterprises if the council were to grant the Louis Cappelli firm a 120-day extension to complete affordable housing he needs to finish before receiving certificates of occupancy for the second Ritz-Carlton Westchester residency Tower.

The ½% sales tax increase was tabled  until the council work session of October 25 at the request of Council President Rita Malmud by a vote of 5-2 with Councilmen Boykin, Bernstein, Malmud, Power and Roach for tabling, and Councilman Glen Hockley and Mayor Joseph Delfino against. Councilperson Malmud said that the tabling request was made because the council had not received explanations or figures from the Mayor’s office, as requested, detailing the projected 2008-2009 expenses that the $10 Million in expected revenue is expected to cover. Assemblyman Adam Bradley, expected to introduce the home rule request in the state assembly, has requested such information, which the Mayor has said he would supply closer to when the legislature reconvened in January. The council has balked at releasing the home rule request until Mr. Bradley is supplied the information.

May we Please Have Some More Cappelli Bucks?

The Council referred out Cappelli Enterprises request for a 120-day extension beyond August 8, 2008 as the deadline for completing 24 affordable housing units on the Corner Nook site. Councilmen Benjamin Boykin and Dennis Power each stated that the business-related events delaying the construction of the affordable housing Mr. Cappelli owes was unfortunate but that the affordable housing had been delayed at the expense of White Plains residents in need of affordable housing. Both councilmen suggested that the new design of the affordable housing building Cappelli Enterprises proposes appeared to be an enhancement but the delay in bring affordable housing to the people who needed cried out for compensation of some kind from Mr. Cappelli. Both Councilmen suggested the Cappelli compensation would be put into the city's affordable housing fund. Previously, Mr. Cappelli had told The Journal News he would be amicable to negotiating such compensation.

Anemic Trees on Proposed Hotel Site.

In the public hearing on the proposed extended stay 142-room hotel proposed for the 1133 Westchester Avenue property, developer Robert Weisz told the council the trees the hotel construction would destroy were anemic trees that whose healthy growth was inhibited by the conditions of the property which had been used to store rubble from previous construction. He said the trees were a regrettable but worthwhile sacrificing because he would relandscape the area adjacent his hotel site with strong trees. Councilman Power encouraged him to continue to work with the city on his site plan to mitigate the damage to the area the hotel will occupy.  The hearing was continued to the November  5 Council meeting.

Mr. Weisz in some six months has not yet presented a three dimensional rendering of the hotel he plans to build on the site and last night he still did not show a rendering of how the hotel will look from Westchester Avenue and I-287 and how it would impact the county golf course, Maple Moor fairway.

The council denied a cabaret license to the Aura club at 107 Mamaroneck Avenue. The owner pleaded with the council to reconsider the denial, but Councilpersons Rita Malmud, Dennis Power and Glen Hockley and Thomas Roach each recited “a litany of abuses” according to Malmud documented by the White Plains Department of Public Safety that lead to the decision.  Roach pointed out there were 6 underage drinking violations in two years. Malmud said there were 5 fights related to the club in two years.

The Council voted to rename the Court Street extension  in front of the Ritz Carlton Westchester, “Renaissance Square.”