WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. By John F. Bailey. July 23, 2010:

Mack Carter, Executive Director of the White Plains Housing Authority,  painted a picture of a Winbrook Revitalization Project to five members of the Common Council that would be a product of the desires of  the citizens in adjacent neighborhoods after a community planning involvement process that he envisioned beginning this fall.

As part of this process, he said, community groups, residents of Winbrook and “stakeholders” from the business community around the city’s aging World War II vintage housing project would, in a series of meetings articulate their vision of the Winbrook of the future. Carter told the council a “feasibility study” was now being conducted by the designated, contracted developer combination of Jonathan Rose Associates and Avalon Bay, first reported by WPCNR three months ago.

 Susan F. Habel, Commissioner of Planning outlined a plan she asked the council to approve at their August  where the council would apply for a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Challenge Grant. To qualify the city has to put up $1,000,000 for a possibility of getting a $5 Million grant from HUD.

The Council would commit $150,000 city cash and $200,000 in city services in contemplation of winning a Housing and Urban Development grant that could be as much as $6,000,000 towards the community involvement process.

Habel told the council the city had gotten a the Housing Authority to commit an additional $200,000 in inkind services, $150,000 dedicated to land acquisition from the affordable housing fund, and  gotten an academic-related institute, the Michaelian Institute of  Pace University to offer planning advice and the Regional Planning Association to participate for a seed “stake” of $1 Million, which HUD would match with possibly as much as $5,000,000 for the planning process. This would possibly be awarded by  HUD in October, Habel said.

The council is being asked to approve this commitment for the grant  at their August meeting in order for the city to apply for the grant that would help fund the Winbrook, Post Road, Lexington Avenue planning process that would follow the “Feasibilty Study.

Carter reported to the Common Council that the White Plains Housing Authority had signed a development contract in June  with Jonathan Rose Associates and Avalon Bay, (a development reported two months ago by  WPCNR). Jonathan Rose Associates and Avalon Bay, Carter told the Council  are currently devising and funding a “feasibility study” to come up with what is possible to be built on the Windbrook site, the ratios of affordable housing and market rate housing in each new replacement Winbrook building, as well as mixed use development. The feasibility study is expected to be completed by October, Carter said, and Ms. Habel said the feasibility study will be a spring board for community participation and the Task Force that will be expected to give input in the fall.

Asked by  Councilman David Buchwald about funding for the project, Carter acknowledged that because it took longer than expected to select the developers (Jonathan Rose and Avalon Bay), that the Housing Authority had been unable to file for funding from HUD by June of this year, when filing was due. He said they expected to be ready for file for HUD financing for the project in June of  2011. WPCNR notes that one year ago, when the Common Council approved the Winbrook rezoning project without a clear cut concept of what was being proposed, the reason for approving it was precisely for the Housing Authority to apply for HUD funds by this year.

Mr, Carter stated that no residents of Winbrook are expected to be moved out, that all occupants of the present 450 units would be moved into new units built one new building at a time. The project, he said would take about 10 years.  Councilperson Milagros Lecouna worried about the ration of the 15 story buildings of market rate income units to the affordable units for the Winbrook residents. Bill Null, the lawyer for the Housing Authority it would be about 90 Winbrook rerserved units to 160 for market rate units in the 185-250 unit buildings expected to be built. Lecouna wanted to know where those units would be located in the buildings. Null said this was one of the key components being tackled by the “feasibility study.”

Carter said it was premature really to be talking to the council as the feasibility study had not been executed yet. He assured the council  the Task Force that would draw out community input from stakeholders, residents, neighbors, and businesses along Post Road and Lexington Avenue would play a key role in devising the final design and components of the development. “This is not a hidden process. We want to be very transparent. It’s an open process.”