We Applaud WP Common Council’s Decision to Reject Platinum Mile Plan

Mr Feiner apparently doesn’t have a stand-alone stranglehold on spot zoning and bad decisions for development in our Town. Neighboring White Plains, a city – therein a significant difference – had a request from Senlac Ridge Partners to tear down an office building at 701 Westchester Avenue and build a five story, 360-unit apartment building. The overall presumed goal is to repurpose what had been a vibrant office space known as part of the Platinum Mile into residential property, as business occupancy has dramatically declined over recent years.

Similarly, there was another proposal for a project also on Westchester Avenue for a mixed use development of 175 apartments at 70 Westchester Avenue, including the failed model of street level retail space, a restaurant and amazingly, a car dealership sales space - now that’s original. However, by throwing in all of the various zoning caveats, could they be seeking to throw in the kitchen sink should one (or more) of these fail to materialize and something else be needed in it’s place? And, while 11 of the 175 units will be subsidized (re: low income), these units will be purchased by the government (White Plains Affordable Housing Assistance Fund) to dole out as they see fit, changing the dynamic of the project.

By blanketing the area to fall under the White Plains’ Planned Campus Development District overlay, encompassing their Comprehensive Plan, several City Council trustees wisely voted to wait before taking a vote.

“The Common Council takes its responsibilities very seriously, one might say soberly,” Council Member Victoria Presser said. “We listen to our constituents, we review all the documents, we make site visits whenever we can, and we take the time to think through these matters because it is our job to make decisions for the benefit of the entire community.” Frankly, this sounds like the platitudes we’ve often heard from the Greenburgh Town Board regarding almost every development placed before them that one or more neighborhoods might be against or are questioning, followed by their phony “due diligence” speech.

“In this instance, it is to the benefit of the community that we deny this proposal,” Presser said. Truer words have not been spoken in many of our communities. Although, if you follow developments throughout the County, there have been several communities that have not given into developer’s wishes and tried to maintain the integrity of their communities. Don’t get the wrong idea. We believe property owners, whether new or established should be able to build . But that right to build should be tempered within the confines of the zoning. We also don’t believe “spot zoning” such as Mr Feiner and his Board routinely do, helps anyone but the developer. Sure, the Board will enact new zoning to enable the developer before them to proceed and then say that it applies Town-wide, covering their political hides.

It’s refreshing to see communities around us slowing the developer gravy train and seeking to really represent the taxpaying residents and established businesses. Progress doesn’t have to disregard neighborhoods, Comprehensive Plans (real ones, not political statements such as Greenburgh has), zoning and community inputs. If only we could get this in the Town. It’s how we’ll get A Better Greenburgh.