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Friday, March 30, 2007

Last Nights Ethics Board Meeting now on YonkersTV

http://yonkerstv.blogspot.com/

City of Yonkers "McMansion" Consultants now known to Community First website Readers

http://www.ppsaplanning.com/clients.shtml

Yonkers IDA Annual Budget now available online.

http://www.cityofyonkersida.com/PDFs/2006%20ABO%20Report.pdf

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Councilwoman McDow Holds Meeting on Power Station Friday March 30th 6:30pm


Yonkers City Council Majority Leader Patricia McDow (D - Dist. 1) is hosting a "Power Plant Introduction" on March 30, 2007 at the Hudson River Museum at 6:30 PM. The Majority Leader invites everyone interested in the Power Plant redevelopment to attend. McDow, who represents the area of the proposed development, said the meeting, "Will provide residents and neighbors of the power plant an ideal opportunity to review the developer's plans. More importantly, it is an opportunity to share ideas and suggestions with me and directly with the developers." The developer, REMI Companies, will review proposed plans with the public, but will also have hands-on activities planned for attendees. Children and teens are encouraged to attend. For more information, please feel free to call the Council office at 914-377-6311

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Tonight: City Hall at 7:00pm The State of The City Address by Mayor Philip Amicone


This event according to today's Journal News will be broadcast on both News Channel 12 and Chanel 78 both on the Cablevision System at 7:00pm.

Two Meetings Tomorrow: Kimber Manufacturing Meeting and the Ethics Board: See Below for details.

http://communityfirstdevelopmentcoalition.blogspot.com/2007/03/kimber-meeting-with-liam-mclaughlin.html

The Ethics Board will meet in the Mayors Conference Room City Hall Thursday March 29th at 7:00pm

Monday, March 26, 2007

The City Council will vote on the SFC FINAL SCOPING document for the Tomorrow March 27th 2007 at 8:00pm

Any member of the public wishing to speak on this or any agenda item at the 7:30 PM "committee of the whole" must sign up by calling the City Clerk at 377-6020 before 3:00 pm Tuesday.

Agenda for the meeting can be read by using the link below:

http://www.cityofyonkers.com/citycouncil/index.htm

For more on the SFC Project

http://www.sfcyonkers.com/projects/index.htm

Glenwood Power Station: Exhibition



http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070326/NEWS01/703260364/1246/NEWS0224

for more information go to Rob Yasinsac's website

http://www.hudsonvalleyruins.org/




FYI The Landmark Preservation of this building has been sitting on the City Council Presidents Chuck Lesnick's desk, and that of the Real Estate co-chair Dennis Robertson since November 2005.

Friday, March 23, 2007

A Green Experiment

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/22/garden/22impact.html?ref=garden

Very Little still known about the FBI Probe: But Speculation Continues

http://lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070323/NEWS02/703230405/1018/NEWS02

and here's more

http://lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070322/NEWS02/703220423/1018/NEWS02

Reminder. Last Day for Brownfield Comments

Comments for Sun PolyChrome East site are due Today, March 23, for Sun Polychrome West site they are due on April 13th.

The DEC contact person is Michael Ryan and his e-mail address is:

mjryan@gw.dec.state.ny.us

Phone & Fax numbers: (518) 402-9564; (518) 402-9679

All the information can be found by going to this link.

http://communityfirstdevelopmentcoalition.blogspot.com/2007/03/brownfield-cleanup-program.html

Monday, March 19, 2007

Brownfield Cleanup Program

*********************************

Brownfield Cleanup Program
Site Name: Sun PolyChrome Corporation - East
Site Address: 80-94 Alexander Street
Yonkers, New York 10701
County: Westchester
Site No.: C360098
Requestor: SFC Sun, LLC

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) administers the Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP) pursuant to State Environmental Conservation Law (ECL) 27-1400 et seq. The BCP was created to encourage the remediation and redevelopment of contaminated properties known as brownfields. The requestor indicated above has submitted a BCP application for investigation of the site indicated above.

NYSDEC will accept public comments concerning the application. A copy of the application and other appropriate documents (application package) is available in the site document repository located at the address indicated below.

NYSDEC will review the application package and public comments received and then make a determination on the eligibility of the application.

Comments should be submitted by March 23, 2007 to:

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Division of Environmental Remediation - Remedial Bureau C
625 Broadway - 11th Floor
Albany, New York 12233-7014
Attention: Michael Ryan

Repository address:

Yonkers Public Library
One Larkin Center
Yonkers, New York 10701


*******************************************************************************
Site Name: Sun Poly Chrome Corporation-West
Site Address: 137-145 Alexander Street
Yonkers, NY 10701
County: Westchester
Site No.: C360099
Requestor: SFC Sun, LLC

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) administers the Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP) pursuant to State Environmental Conservation Law (ECL) 27-1400 et seq. The BCP was created to encourage the remediation and redevelopment of contaminated properties known as brownfields. The requestor indicated above has submitted a BCP application for remediation of the site indicated above.

NYSDEC will accept public comments concerning the application. A copy of the application and other appropriate documents (application package) is available in the site document repository located at the address indicated below.

NYSDEC will review the application package and public comments received and then make a determination on the eligibility of the application.

Comments should be submitted by April 16, 2007 to:

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Division of Environmental Remediation, 11th Floor
625 Broadway
Albany, NY 12233-7014
Attention: Mike Ryan

Repository address:

Yonkers Public Library
One Larkin Center
Yonkers, NY 10701

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

CHARTER REVISION COMMISSION meeting Tomorrow Night

There is a CHARTER REVISION COMMISSION meeting this Wednesday, March 14, in the Mayor's conference room beginning at 7:00 pm.

For those of you interested in the Atlantic Yards Project, check out the Blog Below

http://atlanticyardsreport.blogspot.com/2007/03/unclean-hands-judge-raps-boymelgreen.html

Also pay a visit to the Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn site

http://dddb.net/php/latestnews_ArchiveDate.php

and the detailed Blog of No Land Grab

http://www.nolandgrab.org/

The Bills the City of Yonkers wants to keep secret. Do you wonder why?

To read the FOIL requests heres the link. More to follow.

http://foilyonkers.blogspot.com/

Monday, March 12, 2007

Council Meeting Tomorrow Night: See Details Below

Hi, please note that the final Scoping Document for the SFC Phase 1 project will be discussed at a REAL ESTATE committee meeting scheduled for 7:00 pm TUESDAY, March 13, before the regularly scheduled City Council meeting (see below). The final Scoping Document is on the Council agenda for a vote that night -- agenda is able at

http://www.cityofyonkers.com/citycouncil/agendas07/20070309-100247.pdf
If you wish to speak on any matter on the City Council agenda at the 7:30 pm "Committee of the Whole," you need to call & sign up with the City Clerk's office (377-6020) by 3:00 pm TUESDAY.

POWER TO THE PEOPLE: NY TIMES ARTICLE ON CON ED

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/11/opinion/nyregionopinions/11CIschewe.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&ref=nyregionopinions&pagewanted=print

Sunday, March 11, 2007

PLANNING BOARD MEETING WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2007 AT 5:30 P.M. IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS

PLANNING BOARD Roman Kozicky, Chairman

PLANNING BOARD AGENDA
YONKERS, NEW YORK
AGENDA: FOR A REGULAR MEETING OF THE YONKERS PLANNING BOARD TO BE HELD ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2007 AT 5:30 P.M. IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL, 4TH FLOOR, YONKERS, NY.
PLEASE NOTE: ANY MATTER REQUIRING A PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE
HEARD AFTER 7 P.M. ITEMS MAY BE TAKEN OUT OF ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE PUBLIC COMMENT.
MINUTES:
1. MINUTES OF THE REGULAR PLANNING BOARD
MEETING HELD ON FEBRUARY 28, 2007.
OLD BUSINESS:
SITE PLAN 2. SITE PLAN REVIEW FOR A PARKING LOT
REVIEW AT BLOCK: 5039 LOT: 16 ON THE PROPERTY KNOWN AS 829 MIDLAND AVENUE PURSUANT TO ARTICLE IX OF THE YONKERS ZONING ORDINANCE
JOHN SPENCER, JR., REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE PROPOSAL
A. SEQRA: UNLISTED ACTION
LEAD AGENCY: PLANNING BOARD
DECISION ON THE PROPOSAL


ZONING 3. REFERRAL FROM THE YONKERS CITY COUNCIL
AMENDMENT FOR A PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE YONKERS ZONING ORDINANCE RELATING TO HOUSING LOCATION FOR REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS
A. SEQRA: TYPE I ACTION
LEAD AGENCY: CITY COUNCIL
RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL
SITE PLAN 4. SITE PLAN REVIEW FOR A PROPOSED
REVIEW HANDICAPPED RAMP AND ACCESS STAIRS AT BLOCK: 2359 LOT: 24 ON THE PROPERTY KNOWN AS 10-16 LOCKWOOD AVENUE PURSUANT TO ARTICLE IX OF THE YONKERS ZONING ORDINANCE
THOMAS HAYNES, REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE PROPOSAL
A. SEQRA: UNLISTED ACTION
LEAD AGENCY: PLANNING BOARD
DECISION ON THE PROPOSAL
SUBDIVISION 5. PRELIMINARY PLAT REVIEW FOR A PROPOSED
APPLICATION THREE LOT SUBDIVISION AT BLOCK: 6351
PUBLIC HEARING LOTS: 28 & 29 ON THE PROPERTY KNOWN AS 25
(CONTINUED) THURTON PLACE PURSUANT TO THE CITY OF
YONKERS SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS
MICHAEL MCGARVEY, REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE PROPOSAL
A. PUBLIC HEARING (CONTINUED)
B. SEQRA: UNLISTED ACTION
LEAD AGENCY: PLANNING BOARD
DECISION ON THE PROPOSAL


SITE PLAN 6. SITE PLAN REVIEW AND PROPOSED CHANGE TO
REVIEW SWEP COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN
FOR A PROPOSED COMMERCIAL LAUNDRY (CINTAS) FACILITY AT BLOCK: 3455 LOT: 1 ON THE PROPERTY KNOWN AS 325 CORPORATE BOULEVARD PURSUANT TO ARTICLE IX OF THE YONKERS ZONING ORDINANCE
AL DELBELLO, REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE PROPOSAL
A. SEQRA: UNLISTED ACTION
LEAD AGENCY: PLANNING BOARD
B. COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN/ SITE PLAN
PLANNING BOARD REVIEW
OFFICIAL 7. REFERRAL FROM THE YONKERS CITY COUNCIL
MAP ACTION REGARDING A REQUEST TO DISCONTINUE A PAPER STREET KNOWN AS COURTSIDE TERRACE
A. SEQRA: UNLISTED
LEAD AGENCY: CITY COUNCIL
RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL USE 8. SPECIAL USE PERMIT AND SITE PLAN REVIEW
PERMIT/ SITE FOR PROPOSED PHILANTHROPIC USE WITH
PLAN REVIEW/ SOCIAL SERVICE AT BLOCK: 124 LOTS: 42-46 ON
PUBLIC HEARING THE PROPERTY KNOWN AS 485 AKA 487 SOUTH
(CONTINUED) BROADWAY PURSUANT TO ARTICLE IX AND
ARTICLE VII OF THE YONKERS ZONING
ORDINANCE.
JEFFREY BUSS, REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE PROPOSAL
A. PUBLIC HEARING (CONTINUED)
B. SEQRA: UNLISTED ACTION
LEAD AGENCY: PLANNING BOARD
PLANNING BOARD REVIEW


SITE PLAN 9. SITE PLAN REVIEW FOR HILLVIEW RESERVOIR
REVIEW AT BLOCK: 8002 LOT: 1 ON THE PROPERTY KNOWN AS 100 CENTRAL PARK AVENUE PURSUANT TO ARTICLE IX OF THE YONKERS ZONING ORDINANCE
RICHARD ZUNINO AND SANDRA JACKSON, REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE PROPOSAL
A. SEQRA: UNLISTED ACTION
LEAD AGENCY: PLANNING BOARD
PLANNING BOARD REVIEW
NEW BUSINESS:
PRELIMINARY 10. PRELIMINARY SITE PLAN REVIEW FOR A
SITE PLAN PROPOSED MULTI USE BUILDING AT BLOCK: 161
REVIEW LOTS 15, 17, & 19 ON THE PROPERTY KNOWN AS 303 SOUTH BROADWAY PURSUANT TO ARTICLE IX OF THE YONKERS ZONING ORDINANCE
STEVE ACCINELLI AND JAMES VENERUSO, REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE PROPOSAL
A. SEQRA: UNLISTED ACTION
LEAD AGENCY: DETERMINATION/ COORDINATED REVIEW
PLANNING BOARD REVIEW
SITE PLAN 11. SITE PLAN REVIEW FOR PROPOSED SITE
REVIEW IMPROVEMENTS AT BLOCK: 3415 LOT: 42 ON THE PROPERTY KNOWN AS 1020-1022 NORTH BROADWAY PURSUANT TO ARTICLE IX OF THE YONKERS ZONING ORDINANCE
ROYDEN LETSON, REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE PROPOSAL
A. SEQRA: UNLISTED ACTION
LEAD AGENCY: PLANNING BOARD
PLANNING BOARD REVIEW

SITE PLAN 12. SITE PLAN REVIEW FOR A PROPOSED ADDITION
REVIEW AT ST. JOHNS HOSPITAL AT BLOCK: 3535 LOTS: 68 & 100 ON THE PROPERTY KNOWN AS 967 NORTH BROADWAY PURSUANT TO ARTICLE IX OF THE YONKERS ZONING ORDINANCE
GREGG DEANGELIS, REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE PROPOSAL
A. SEQRA: UNLISTED ACTION
LEAD AGENCY: PLANNING BOARD
PLANNING BOARD DESCISION
SITE PLAN 13. SITE PLAN REVIEW FOR PROPOSED NEW SIGNAGE
REVIEW AT CHASE BANK AT BLOCK: 4350 LOT: 6 ON THE PROPERTY KNOWN AS 2195 CENTRAL PARK AVENUE PURSUANT TO ARTICLE IX OF THE YONKERS ZONING ORDINANCE
RICH HEKIMAN AND JAMES INGUNZA, REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE PROPOSAL
A. SEQRA: UNLISTED ACTION
LEAD AGENCY: PLANNING BOARD
PLANNING BOARD DESCISION
SITE PLAN 14. SITE PLAN REVIEW FOR A PROPOSED OFFICE
REVIEW BUILDING AT BLOCK: 3455 LOT: 13 ON THE PROPERTY KNOWN AS 225 CORPORATE BOULEVARD PURSUANT TO ARTICLE IX OF THE YONKERS ZONING ORDINANCE
KIMBERLEY MARTELLI, REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE PROPOSAL
A. SEQRA: UNLISTED ACTION
LEAD AGENCY: PLANNING BOARD
PLANNING BOARD REVIEW


SITE PLAN 15. SITE PLAN REVIEW FOR A PROPOSED 70 UNIT
REVIEW APARTMENT BUILDING AT BLOCK: 185 LOT: 50 ON THE PROPERTY KNOWN AS 7- 17 LUDLOW STREET PURSUANT TO ARTICLE IX OF THE YONKERS ZONING ORDINANCE
ED WEINSTEIN, REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE PROPOSAL
A. SEQRA: UNLISTED ACTION
LEAD AGENCY: PLANNING BOARD
PLANNING BOARD REVIEW
ZONING 16. REFERRAL FROM THE YONKERS CITY ORDINANCE COUNCIL REGARDING AN AMENDMENT TO
AMENDMENT THE YONKERS CITY CODE TO PERMIT A NEW
(TEXT) "PLANNED NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT" SECTION IN THE ZONING ORDINANCE
A. SEQRA: UNLISTED
LEAD AGENCY: CITY COUNCIL
RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL

OTHER
BUSINESS
17. REVIEW OF CROSS COUNTY SHOPPING CENTER
STATEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
18. SCHEDULE WORK SESSIONS AS NECESSARY

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

Real Estate Committee Meeting & Education/Budget Committee Meeting are on Tonight

Please be advised that a Real Estate Committee Meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday, March 7, 2007 at 6:00 P.M. in the City Council Conference Room, City Hall, Fourth Floor, Room 406.
The following items will be on the agenda:

1. Discussion of Final Scoping Document for SFC Project
2. Boyce Thompson
3. Any additional items that may properly come before this Committee
Please make every effort to attend. Thank you.
Dennis M. Robertson
Chairman, Real Estate Committee
Chuck Lesnick
Co-Chairman, Real Estate

Education/Budget Committee Meeting March 7th

Please be advised there will be an Education Committee meeting on Wednesday, March 7th, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Conference Room, City Hall, Fourth Floor, Room 406.

Friday, March 2, 2007

Call for a Special City Council Meeting to be held on Tuesday, March 6, 2007 at 7 p.m.

AGENDA
CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF YONKERS
SPECIAL MEETING
TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2007
TIME: _______


PRESENT: PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL
CHUCK LESNICK

DISTRICT
1 MAJORITY LEADER PATRICIA D. McDOW
4 MINORITY LEADER LIAM J. McLAUGHLIN
COUNCIL MEMBERS:
DISTRICT
2 SANDY ANNABI
3 DENNIS M. ROBERTSON
5 JOHN M. MURTAGH
6 DEE BARBATO

I, THE UNDERSIGNED PRESIDENT OF THE CITY COUNCIL, PURSUANT TO RULE 1 (2) OF THE CITY COUNCIL RULES, DO HEREBY CALL A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL, TO BE HELD ON TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2007 IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, FOURTH FLOOR, CITY HALL, YONKERS, NEW YORK AT 7:00 P.M. FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSE:

TO DISCUSS AND TAKE ACTION ON:

1. ALL ITEMS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE 2007 LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE.

2. ALL ITEMS PROPERLY COMING BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL.

CHUCK LESNICK
CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT

Mark Your Calenders IDA Meeting

Yonkers IDA Meeting
Thursday, March 22, 2007
8:30 a.m.
Yonkers City Hall
Mayor’s Reception Room

Thursday, March 1, 2007

The Empire Zone Strikes Back

http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070301/NEWS05/703010386/1035&template=printart

Open Space Analysis: Park Hill Land Conservancy, Inc.

YONKERS PHASE 1 - DOWNTOWN REHABILITATION
OPEN SPACE-POPULATION DENSITY ANALYSIS

February 19, 2007
Compiled by: Terry Joshi
Park Hill Land Conservancy, Inc.

COMPARISON OF THE
PHASE 1 SCOPING DOCUMENT AND THE NRPA STANDARDS AND GUILDELINES

1. National Recreation and Park Association (www.nrpa.org)
The National Recreation and Park Association’s nationally recognized standards and guidelines recommend that an urban municipality provide a minimum average of between 6.5 – 10.5 acres of open space per 1000 residents. (NRPA provides a wide latitude in its definition of open space: everything from golf courses, vest pocket parks, ball fields, and passive parkland, to small neighborhood playgrounds, wilderness areas and conservancies. Sidewalks, esplanades and walkways are not considered open space within the classification system developed by the NRPA.

2. Yonkers – current open space
Based on a Yonkers city population of approximately 200,000 residents, the city should have 1600 acres of open space if one uses an average of eight acres from the NRPA ratio cited in (1) above.

Based on the Yonkers Parks Department’s own analysis, the city is woefully under-served with open space. In 1989, the last year for which city-compiled data is available, the Yonkers Citiwide Parks System contained approximately 400 developed and undeveloped acres. (Even when factoring in county parkland within the city borders, the city was still under the proposed ratio by at least 500 acres.)

Based on a 2004 Westchester County open space acreage by municipality report, Yonkers ranks third in an open space comparison with New Rochelle and White Plains.

3. Palisades Point
SFC plans to build 436 apartments at Palisades Point. Assuming an average of 1 ½ persons per apartment, that is a total of 654 new residents on Parcels H&I. Current plans call for 3.1 acres of open space.

Based on the NRPA standard, at least 5.28 acres of open space should be provided for Palisades Point new residents alone.

4. River Walk Center
SFC plans to build 950 apartments at River Walk Center. Assuming an average of 1 ½ persons per apartment, that is a total of 1425 new residents at the former Chicken Island site. The City Council scoping document does not show any provision for open space other than along the margins of the daylighted Saw Mill between Elm and New Main Streets.

Based on NRPA standards, there should be a minimum of eleven+ acres of new open space at the River Walk Center alone.

Summary:
The woeful lack of citywide open space represents a significant quality-of-life issue for city residents, particularly those in the southwestern quadrant where apartment living is the norm. Without even addressing the issue of our current open space shortfall of 1200 acres of city-owned open space, we should at the very least consider the fact that to meet accepted standards we should provide over sixteen acres of open space for just the additional population created by River Park and Palisades Point as they are currently envisioned.