Common Council Roundup: July 5

Though the main event was on zoning and land use changes, here’s what else happened at Tuesday’s White Plains Common Council meeting.

Slater Center Contract Renewed

During the regular meeting, the Common Council agreed to authorize the mayor to renew the annual contract with the Thomas H. Slater Center.

Lecuona to Serve on Budget Committee

Councilwoman Milagros Lecuona was appointed to the Budget and Management Advisory Committee; she will serve through the end of the year and joins Councilwoman Beth Smayda on the committee.

Sidewalk Sale Concerns

When the subject of the city’s upcoming sidewalk sale (July 20 to July 24) was raised, Lecuona expressed concerns—relayed to her by constituents, she said—about the common practice in the city of restaurants providing outdoor dining areas that abut the street. For some residents, she said, including those pushing strollers and those with mobility issues, a hazard is created by servers crossing the sidewalk with heavy trays of food and drink.

Current law prohibits even temporary obstruction of sidewalks, let alone permanent obstruction that some restaurants create, Lecuona added, and the issue needs to be looked into, she said.

Urban Renewal

The Common Council agreed to delineate and designate the expanded Post Road/South Lexington Avenue Urban Renewal Project. Councilman John Martin said that any proposed changes to the area would be subject to public input and public hearings, and that large area stakeholders like the White Plains Hospital Center, the Winbrook public housing complex, and the Fisher Hill and Highlands neighborhood associations would also be consulted. The resolution calls for the preparation of a phase 1 urban renewal plan for the area.

Youth Bureau Business

The Council also approved newly donated funds for the White Plains Youth Bureau. ShopRite Supermarkets made a donation toward supplies for the Youth Bureau’s Growing White Plains Community Agriculture Project. The Westchester Community Foundation also awarded a grant toward the Growing White Plains project.

A grant from the New York State Department of Health, managed through Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic, was accepted to support the Youth Bureau’s Comprehensive Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program (CAPP).

Employment services for in-school and out-of-school youth were given a boost when the Council accepted grants in relation to a contract with the Westchester/Putnam Workforce Investment Board through the Westchester Workforce Development Academy.

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