White Plains CitizeNetReporter - Council Kills State Early Retirement Option for City Employees

WPCNR Common Council Chronicle-Examiner. By John F. Bailey August 29, 2002:At Wednesday evening's work session, the Common Council voted against granting an Early Retirement incentive program to city employees by a 6-0 vote. The Council saw plans for the new Calvary Baptist Church on Orawaupum Street, was presented with a unique office condominium project for Church Street behind City Hall, and heard a new proposal for swapping developmental rights between properties in the downtown.

TOO LITTLE SAVING was the verdict of Betty Wallace, City Personnel Director at head of table, and Deputy Budget Director, Ann Reasoner, (to Ms. Wallace's left), on presenting the budget impact of offering the state-approved Early Retirement Plan to "targeted" employees last night. Reasoner said, after extensive consultation with department heads, it was projected that only $250,000 would be saved over and above the $1.4 million it would cost the city to implement the program. The Council voted the proposal down, which would have offered all city employees one month extra of service for each year served up to 36 months towards their state pension. An employee of the Community Development Corporation affected by the possible proposal said "It's embarrassing if you would vote that way (against it)."
Photo by WPCNR

The council saw an elaborate model of the new sanctuary envisioned by the Calvary Baptist Church. The round structure soaring 165 feet high to be built attached to and behind the present Calvary Church on East Post Road and Orawaupum Street.

THE CALVARY OF TOMORROW as conceived in an model presented to the Common Council Wednesday evening. It was presented by Gary Warshum, its architect and the Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church Wednesday evening. The 165 foot high structure, with four levels of pew seating is to be constructed into the side of the Orawaupum Street Hill on the site of the former Sholz Cadillac dealership already acquired by the church. On the right is the present Calvary Baptist Church. Photo by WPCNR

VIEWS INTO THE PEWS in a close-up of the proposed new Calvary Baptist Church sanctuary. The circular house of worship would have four levels of pew seating for 1,500 worshippers. The architect advised that cost estimates of the structure were now being assembled. The church's pastor told WPCNR that about 25% of anticipated funding had been raised and that efforts to raise the balance were under way. Funds to construct the building are expected to be lent by the Bank of New York. The council was very complimentary of the design, Rita Malmud saying, "I'm delighted to see God's miracle here tonight. I'm delighted to see miracles continue to unfold."
Photo by WPCNR

AN IDEA WHOSE TIME HAS COME: THE OFFICE CONDOMINIUM? The Council saw the plans owner of 40 and 44 Church Street has for erecting an 11-story "Office Condominium" behind City Hall on Church Street.
Photo by WPCNR

The only catch is the building would have parking on each "office floor" accessed from the Main and Hamilton parking garage, requiring an easement from the city and a sale of rights from the city to the developer.

Benjamin Boykin said he saw a thicket of legal issues. George Gretsas, the Mayor's Executive Officer, said the city would explore the ramifications of allowing entry for parking from the city's garage if the council was interested in the proposal.

They were. The city will make an appraisal of the garage property being "eased," and the issues of making a land use agreement with the developer.

Anthony Scarcella, the attorney who is planning the project, said he saw each floor of the building selling to private professional firms for about $800,000 to $950,000 dollars. To his knowledge this concept has never been offered before, because it was, he said, what he had looked to buy when he was looking for office space.

Susan Habel's New Plan: Euclidian Zoning

The evening wrapped up with a new idea for the downtown core zoning from Planning Commissioner Susan Habel. Ms. Habel presented a plan for transferring Floor Area Ratio rights to "non-contiguous" properties within the downtown.

She told WPCNR the concept was given birth by the Cappelli City Center project, in which Louis Cappelli said he would purchase air rights over the Main-Martine garage if the city would consider swapping such rights elsewhere in the city.

A MOMENT OF ZONING ZEN, was presented by Planning Commissioner Susan Habel in which she proposed the city consider adopting an ordinance allowing transferral of an allowed floor area to another non-contiguus site. Above the Commissioner is the target area for this new ordinance: the downtown core.
Photo by WPCNR

Wednesday evening Ms. Habel presented the plan, saying the ability to swap a developmental right among properties in the downtown core would give the city the ability to direct the growth of the city with more control instead of being forced to simply consider developer "as-of-right use" on a specific site.

The council listened, glassy-eyed but dogged, and agreed to consider the swapping possibilities Habel described in a series of "what-if scenarios." William King allowed that the ability to swap office space rights had to be watched closely, because of the glut of office space in the city. Glen Hockley suggested transfer fees be attached to such migrations of Floor Area Ratios to other sites. The council adjourned to go into executive session on a sale of land, the nature of the land sale and location were not revealed to the media.


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