White Plains Council Discusses FASNY Scoping

• Correction: It is Councilman Dennis Power, not David Power

The White Plains Common Council discussed the French-American School of New York’s (FASNY) scoping document at a special meeting Tuesday, and is expected to vote on whether to accept the document at a December meeting.

“What we have before us, the scope, is basically a set of questions and issues that need to be addressed in the DEIS (draft environmental impact statement),” said Mayor Tom Roach.

FASNY’s application to build a school campus at the former Ridgway Country Club requires them to conduct studies that assess the impact of their project. Click for details on their project.

The scoping document determines what will be addressed in the studies. The council must vote on whether to adopt the scope, as addressing all issues and concerns raised through public comment and by City staff. Click for a full background on the approval process FASNY must undergo.

“One thing I think might be particularly important for a project in a residential area is considering having a mechanism so interested residents and immediately affected residents are kept up to date on what to expect week-to-week in terms of construction on the site,” said Councilman David Buchwald. 

Steven Silverberg, who the City retained as legal counsel to assist with its state environmental review process application (SEQRA) for a study on the city’s open space, said that mechanism should be worked into a resolution and would be more appropriately addressed during the DEIS process.

“We are talking about seven years of construction going on in a residential neighborhood,” said Councilwoman Milagros Lecuona. “You are going to expect seven years of a residential area constantly being disrupted by construction equipment, by vibrations, and construction in the form of light and heavy machinery. Also, noise pollution and dust.”

FASNY’s lawyer Michael Zarin said including a section that addresses outreach wouldn’t be a problem.

“It seems fair,” said Councilman Dennis Power of the scoping document. “It doesn’t seem like we’re stretching beyond what the world should allow.”

Scoping documents, that were updated on Nov. 14, are posted on the City’s website at cityofwhiteplains.com (scroll down). White Plains Planning Commissioner Susan Habel said that a copy of the updated scoping document, to be voted on by the council, will be posted on the City’s website Friday or sooner. That version may undergo some language changes before the council votes on it.

Though the is over, if there is something that’s been left out of the scoping the City will decide if its appropriate to be included. The document was streamlined so that only relevant issues were included and items weren’t duplicated. Language of comments may have also been altered, and posed in a way so that they aren’t bias and are non-judgmental

“It says what we’re going to study, so that the council can have a reasonable basis for judgment,” said Habel. “Ultimately the council has to determine whether the project has a significant adverse impact—and which ones [impacts] can be mitigated, and which ones cannot.”

Habel said that if there is something that was left out of the scope, it could be later included with a supplemental environmental impact statement (EIS).

“But there are standards and not everything can be added as a supplemental EIS,” said Habel.

White Plains Council of Neighborhood Associations (WPCNA) Co-president Frances Jones said after the meeting that she was disappointed that only four members of the public showed up since there was such short notice of the meeting, and that the WPCNA was not sent the agenda. The City sent White Plains Patch the meeting agenda on Nov. 21. White Plains Patch at 4:54 p.m. on Nov. 21.

Jones said she wanted to confirm whether her comments made it into the scoping documents, and that the City should directly reach out to individuals whose comments are being altered. 

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