FASNY: WHO PICKS UP THE TAB?

Following up my article printed in the Journal News Sunday, I want to convey to you the possibility that if FASNY is given a Special Permit to build, the resulting environmental disaster could leave the City of White Plains liable for astronomical mitigation costs and even a FASNY lawsuit because the city is responsible for making sure its building permits are feasible.

As I stated in my previous letter to you, during my 40 years as owner of Nature's Way Landscaping, I often worked on the Ridgeway Country Club golf course, addressing e.g. landscape construction, tree service, turf and drainage consultation. 

I would like to sketch out what is likely to happen if you give FASNY a special permit to build. 

Actual construction will begin immediately as FASNY knows at any time their permit could be tabled by the courts. They know that if they start fast and furious, the likelihood of stoppage will decrease significantly.

FASNY will descend on the site with a small army: a massive number of trucks and equipment the likes of which White Plains has never seen before. The site will be dug up, torn up, and stockpiled. There will be huge mountains of soil, gravel, stone dust, drain pipes and so on. Within days, the site will look like a World War 3 movie set. 

There will be an endless stream of huge dump trucks and excavators everywhere in and out of the site for years to come, delivering massive amounts of materials to be stockpiled. The drone of the construction traffic will be endless, constant and LOUD!  During warm season there will be a constant dust cloud with dirt covering streets,cars, houses, lawns everywhere for miles, for years.

And then disaster strikes – IT RAINS!  Rain is the single most devastating act of nature that can happen to any outdoor project.  But this will be different.  This site will have no ability to drain because many of the drain pipes will have been destroyed by the excavators. So it rains, forming huge ponds and small lakes much larger than anything seen during the golf course era.  The difference being that they will remain!  Most construction sites have viable drainage solutions by pumping water out of the site. However, this site has nowhere - NOWHERE - to pump the water.

NOW WHAT?  Now you will see the Army Corps of Engineers, DEC, EPA and more descend on FASNY’s project and shut them down from further construction. 

Then what? The site could stand like this for years while massive plans are laid out and meticulously scrutinized.

The cost to install the proper drainage to the Mamaroneck River will be astronomical.  WHO WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS COST?  While FASNY has a huge budget, this could break them – as it does many projects that run into environmental problems. 

It is my thinking that White Plains will ultimately be left with this bill. Either FASNY walks away and declares bankruptcy, or stays in and sues White Plains for financial assistance for allowing a building permit on wetlands. For this reason alone, every citizen in White Plains should be concerned!

I actually believe FASNY would have a case as it is the City’s job to make sure building permits issued are feasible. 

Meanwhile, what happens to our neighborhood, the surrounding areas, and all tax-paying citizens of White Plains? The site and the city will take decades to recover both environmentally and fiscally.

I am not saying this will happen. I am saying this absolutely could happen, as it happens everyday, everywhere with environmental issues on a much smaller scale than this.  If nothing else, our Mayor and Council need to protect us from this possible scenario.

I am available anytime to discuss these problems in depth and detail to provide you with the vital information needed to make the correct decisions regarding this project.

Sincerely,

Chuck Hill