February 2024 Newsletter
Updates
Recap of February 5, 2024 Public Hearing.
Ben Brown and Milagros Lecuona spoke on behalf of CAWS at the February 5, 2024 public hearing on the City’s draft Comprehensive Plan, raising the issue of displacement of residents, urging that affordable housing at the Galleria site be calculated to serve the 50% and 60% area median income levels, asking for transparency in the planned use of the White Plains Affordable Housing Assistance Fund, and urging a more inclusive planning and implementation process. View the video of the comments here.
Although they spoke on behalf of organizations other than CAWS, C. Tom Kissner of the Westchester Martin Luther King, Jr. Institute for Nonviolence / Ad hoc ALICE Committee Partnership and Evelyn Santiago of the White Plains Democratic City Committee, Issues Committee both made comments that we feel are interesting and relevant to our work, particularly about the need to include affordable housing that serves households designated by United Way as “ALICE” (Asset Limited / Income Constrained / Employed) households. View Tom Kissner’s comments here and Evelyn Santiago’s comments here.
February 6, 2024 County Planning Board Meeting.
Yvonne Gumowitz and Ben Brown observed and commented at the February 6, 2024 County Planning Board meeting, where White Plains’ Commissioner of Planning, Christopher Gomez, presented the City’s draft Comprehensive Plan to the County.
We were surprised to find out that the County Planning Board members share CAWS’ view that municipalities should not allow developers to “buy out” of affordable housing obligations via fees-in-lieu of affordable housing. The City deviates from recommended County policy in this regard.
When it came our turn to comment, we emphasized our own opposition to the fees-in-lieu arrangement, we explained our viewpoint that the Galleria redevelopment is an enormous opportunity to generate a large number of designated affordable units serving 50% and 60% area median income levels, and we expressed our disagreement with the City’s planned transfer of public parking garages without public auction or sealed bids.
We also used our comments to state that the City’s draft Comprehensive Plan ought to have a robust environmental review. We noted that Department of Environmental Conservation regulations classify “the adoption of a municipality’s land use plan” as a type of action that “carries with it the presumption that it is likely to have a significant adverse impact on the environment and may require an [environmental impact statement].” Notwithstanding this regulatory guidance, at a special White Plains Common Council meeting on October 30, 2023, Commissioner Gomez stated that the City is planning to issue a “negative declaration” for the draft Comprehensive Plan, which would have the effect of dispensing with most aspects of environmental review. (See Oct. 30, 2023 meeting recording at 48:25.)
White Plains’ $ 10 Million ‘Downtown Revitalization’ Grant.
CAWS is interested in how this recently announced grant will interplay with the Galleria redevelopment. (See Feb. 9, 2024 City of White Plains press release.) The grant targets the area containing and surrounding the Galleria site. It is essential that we research and understand the guidelines for use of these funds, and advocate use for publicly beneficial purposes. An important starting point for research is the City’s successful application for the grant.
Looking Ahead
March 4, 2024 continued public hearing. The public hearing on the City’s draft Comprehensive Plan which began on February 5, 2024 has been continued to March 4, 2024. The Mayor stated that if you already spoke on February 5th, you can’t speak again on March 4th; but individuals who have not yet spoken will be given the opportunity. The March 4, 2024 Common Council meeting, which will include the public hearing, begins at 7:00pm.
We would very much appreciate anyone who is willing to volunteer to speak on behalf of CAWS at the March 4, 2024 Common Council meeting. We’ve included suggested talking points below.
March 12, 2024 Council of Neighborhood Associations meeting. As part of a coordinated presentation with other organizations, CAWS will briefly discuss its work regarding the Galleria site at this upcoming meeting.
Our suggested talking points (pick and choose the points most resonant to you personally):
The Galleria redevelopment project should include affordable housing with three, key characteristics:
- A percentage of included affordable units beyond the minimum amount currently required by the City’s Affordable Housing regulations.
- Units that primarily target households at the 50% and 60% area median income levels. (These households are underserved, as much of the existing and in-development affordable housing units in the City target the higher 80% area median income level.)
- Absolutely no monetary buy-outs of affordable housing obligations (no fees-in-lieu of actually including affordable units).
- The Galleria redevelopment should include significant open, green space that is not just open to the public, but actually owned, controlled, and operated by the City Department of Recreation and Parks.
- Talk about desired features of open space, e.g., trees, plants, and other naturalistic features.
- Affordable retail and foodservice, so that the redevelopment is a shopping and social destination for *everyone.*
- Public auction and competitive bidding are the best ways to dispose of the site’s publicly owned lands and structures.
- The redevelopment should use union labor and fair wages.
