FASNY Opposition Signs Stolen From Local Lawns
About 30 signs, protesting the French-American School of New York's project at the former Ridgeway Country Club site, were found tossed onto the school's property Saturday.
Those on both sides of the debate, over whether the French-American School of New York (FASNY) should build its campus at the former Ridgeway Country Club site, are puzzled over the weekend theft of lawn signs opposing the project.
Terence Guerriere, president of the Gedney Association—which opposes the development and represents the Gedney Farms neighborhood where the site is—said about 30 of the signs were stolen from lawns on Ridgeway and surrounding streets between Friday night and Saturday morning.
“We have no idea who took these signs,” said Guerriere. “We’re not pointing fingers. A lot of people were affected, so it occurred to me that this was more than just a prank. We’ve had signs taken before during political campaigns—its just part of that territory.”
The signs were found tossed onto the former country club site, where FASNY has applied to build a day care through twelfth grade campus on the 129-acre site.
White Plains Public Safety Commissioner David Chong said police were notified on Saturday by a Hathaway Lane resident that several "Stop FASNY Now," signs were stolen off the homeowner’s lawn.
“We have security people who are on site 24-7 and found the signs thrown on the property and immediately notified police,” said FASNY spokesperson Geoff Thompson. “As regarding who would have done this, we have no idea.”
Guerriere said residents were concerned about having individuals walk onto their property in the middle of the night. Chong said the signs were returned to their owners and that no other reports or indications of property damage were found.
“We are investigating this as a mischief complaint and will have the patrol units keep extra vigil out and about the area,” said Chong. “We will also be reviewing any video available to us in the area.”
Gedney Farms' president said that the neighborhood association would continue its opposition of the project, which he says just isn’t a good fit for a residential neighborhood.
Some White Plains residents feel the project would overwhelm the neighborhood would traffic; impact flooding and other environmentally sensitive issues on the site; reduce city property values; and would drain money from the tax base. Gedney Farms recently got in a shipment of about 100 new signs and will continue ordering new signs and car magnets as people ask for them through the association’s website.
“With regard to the petition, there’s no surprise there,” said Thompson. “The residents actively opposed the project from the moment we event considered buying the property. At the same time we’re working on a variety of issues and matters that we think are a value to the entire city.”
FASNY says its campus will bring revenue into the city; will install better drainage and storm water mechanisms than was previously on the site; will create mechanisms to mitigate traffic and will pay for traffic or infrastructure improvements the City of White Plains deems necessary; and will dedicated part of the property as public open space.
Thompson said the school is focusing on its committee that is brainstorming possible ideas for the Gedney Preserve, a 60-acre swath of the land dedicated as public open space, such as an educational nature center or agriculture site. FASNY has a petition of its own in support of the preserve on their website.
In the meantime Gedney Association is looking ahead to FASNY’s submission of its draft environmental impact statement in the spring—as well as the City’s rezoning efforts that would turn certain areas, as well as the former country club site, into a recreational zoning district.
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worriedinwp
6:32 am on Tuesday, January 31, 2012
What FASNY has is certainly not 24/7 security people on site. What they have is maintenance people living there illegally as part of their payment for "maintaining" the property. There is suppose to be NO ONE living in the Clubhouse. It was not allowed when it was a country club and certainly should not be allowed now. We have not been able to get the city to do anything about this. There is absolutely NO security on the site. You NEVER, EVER see anyone patroling in the evening and night or even during the day. There is garbage all over the place. I am sorry Patch but this article reads more like a campaign ad for FASNY. Thompson always spinning his nonsense trying to pit one neighborhood against the other with his promise for a "preserve" that no one knows nothing about and will only cost WP taxpayers even more. This 60 acre land is all enviromentally sensitive land that can't be built on. Any developer that considered this property always included either leaving that as open space or giving it to the city because it CAN'T BE BUILT ON. So we are being given snow in the winter. The lake on these wetlands is not being maintained at all. The city ordered FASNY to do certain things regarding maintaining this lake back in September and NOTHING has been done. They completely ignored the city.
I urge everyone to look at http://www.thedailywhiteplains.com/news/police-30-anti-fasny-signs-stolen-white-plains for more information about the signs.
Reply
Dan Seidel
7:31 am on Tuesday, January 31, 2012
For the past several weeks, the lights are on at night. The upstairs "residence" light is on as well. This is the most night light I have been subject to since moving into my house in 1994. The club NEVER put the lights on throughout the night - now they are on till dawn - this is light pollution - exactly what is coming with the school. Llights will have to be on at the fields at night for security purposes and liability purposes.
The French School will be a nightmare in this outlying residential zone, just like the 6 page memo put out by Sue Habel on the Sassower property - hey Sue: What is good for the goose, is good for the gander, right?
BTW, the hawk(s) does (do) the food search about 9:30-11 a.m. around the driving range/12th Hole/clubhouse area. This is usually daily. I believe we have about 6-7 breeding pairs of Red Tailed Hawks at this site and in the corridor. They are thriving in this area. Yesterday, one hawk took off from my backyard and the tail, when fanned out, is brilliant rust color red. Real magnificant sight!
We let the French School build on Ridgeway, what's to stop a Madrassa from buying Westchester Hills and opening, with minarets and loudspeakers? RLUIPA!!!
MAKE THIS CORRIDOR A NO GROWTH AREA, NO BUILD AREA!!! FIND THE $$$ TO BUY OUT THE SCHOOL!! CONDEMN THE LAND!! PURELY PUBLIC PURPOSE WITH NO PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT!!!
Joan's WP
9:42 am on Tuesday, January 31, 2012
I don't know why the police are investigating the theft of the anti-FASNY signs as "a mischief complaint". This is not mischief. It is an ongoing and determined campaign by a person or persons unknown, who wants to stifle the rights of Gedney Farms residents to visibily show their opposition to the inappropriate, garguantuan school campus FASNY wants to build on highly sensitive land smack in the middle of a residential neighborhood. The difference this time is that so many signs were stolen at once. As to the supposed 24/7 security FASNY is providing for its property, that is just a joke. If there was actual security, nighttime partyers and paintball players wouldn't be trampling over the property. As for Geoff Thompson, FASNY's paid spinmeister, just what is he smoking? To say that the campus will mitigate traffic is complete nonsense. FASNY will CREATE traffic and they know it. The meaningless words of a paid spokesman insults our intelligence. No surprise there, FASNY has been doing this all along. They should bid us adieu and move elsewhere. Since the "Gedney Preserve" was raised in this article, I note that there is a growing area of water in a depressed area visible from Hathaway Lane. It looks like the wetlands is expanding. Is this the result of FASNY's proud and determined neglect of the land they bought? It should be investigated by experts as part of the scoping process. FASNY is a sinking ship. I don't want them to take the rest of us with them.
Dina Sciortino
10:29 am on Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Sorry, you feel that way worriedinwp, but I don't write advertisements. I strive to fair and balanced. If you feel that what they are doing is illegal and it is bothering you, then you might want to call the City or the police. I can follow up on this, as well as the dam, in the future. If you have any other concerns you'd like to speak to me about I'd be happy to do that. My email is dina.sciortino@patch.com and phone number is 914.610.8525.
Dan Seidel
12:11 pm on Tuesday, January 31, 2012
AS of 15 minutes ago, 2 trucks and about 4-5 workers at the berm site by the pond. They are playing with some sort of blue plastic tube thingy and digging. I have pictures of I guess the same guys from about 4 weeks ago doing something there as well. Get the shots from Hathaway.
Dina Sciortino
4:23 pm on Thursday, February 2, 2012
An arrest was made for the theft of some signs http://patch.com/A-q8Fv