The Sidewalks of White Plains

 

Mayor Delfino opposes Bryant Avenue location for proton accelerator and new Bourne Lab proposed by the hospital.

Asks Councilpersons to submit their comments and concerns on New York Hospital accelerator/biomedical buildings by Tuesday, May 8, to be compiled and discussed in a Council work session May 14.

By John F. Bailey, Interview with Rita Malmud and Special Statement From The Mayor's Office

 

CityLine: May 7, 2001 -- City Hall

Mayor Joseph M. Delfino of White Plains is opposed to the building of the proton accelerator facility and the new Bourne Research Laboratory alongside Bryant Avenue, as planned by New York Presbyterian Hospital.

On Monday morning before the final scoping session public hearing on the two proposed buildings, Mayor Delfino issued a statement and letter to the media which he had previously sent to members of the Common Council last week. The Letter publicly defines his position on the proposed buildings and outlines his suggestion for how all Councilpersons can air the issues they have regarding the hospital proposal.

The Mayor's statement released to the media read: "I am strongly opposed to the Hospital's proposal to locate the proposed buildings in proximity to Bryant Avenue. I am also sure that we all want to understand more about the proposed proton beam facility and the nature of the uses being proposed for the second building."

The Mayor's statement was in response to several councilpersons who asked attorneys previously interviewed by the Common Council what "they thought the best procedure would be for including Council issues in the scoping process."

Delfino said the attorneys advised "there was no single best format."

The official city hall statement outlines a procedure: Each member of the Common Council is to "prepare a list of issues and concerns" and furnish it to the Mayor by Tuesday, May 8.

These Council issues and concerns of all the Councilmembers will be compiled by the city and returned to the Councilpersons by Friday. They will then, the Mayor suggests, be discussed in work session Monday evening, May 14.

The Mayor prefaces his suggestion thusly:

"There have been a number of discussions among us regarding how best to bring into the development of the scope for the New York Hospital proposal the concerns and issues of individual Council members."

Ms. Malmud, contacted by WPCNR, said the Council has been well aware of time lines from the beginning and were aware that May 8 was the final deadline.

"Council members were put on notice of when we had to have our concerns in," Malmud told WPCNR. "There have been an enormous number of issues already raised...and I am sure there will be more raised tonight (Monday). I want to review them in conjunction with our special environmental lawyer we have hired, and with staff. On the 14th, the Council will get a sense of a consolidated version of the scoping document. It has to pass muster with our staff and this may take more than one meeting."

Asked whether Ms. Malmud thought that the proton accelerator facility and the scope of its projected regional appeal as a treatment center was appropriate for White Plains, and whether she might be amiable to the facility if it were located elsewhere on the property, she remarked "I'd rather not jump to a conclusion at this point, because if I were to reject the location at this point in the process, I could be opening up the city to another lawsuit from the hospital."

 


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