FASNY: TRAFFIC AND SAFETY

October 7, 2013,
Dear Common Council and School Board Members:    
   FASNY will have negative impacts. FASNY has creatively argued all opposition to their project for the past two-plus years. These negative impacts far outweigh anything positive for White Plains. TRAFFIC AND SAFETY are the key issues.                 Two years ago, on his way to WPHS, our son was hit by another driver who ran the stop sign and turned left off of Monroe Drive.      Fortunately, only minor injuries were suffered, and within five minutes, there were two fire trucks, three police cars and one ambulance responding. Ridgeway was shut down.        
   Imagine the impossible mess an accident will cause with the additional FASNY traffic. Accidents can and will occur.  Travel times will be longer. Many local school children walk to Ridgeway Elementary, WPHS, OLS, The German School and Stepinac schools using Ridgeway and North Street.  Long stretches of Ridgeway do not have sidewalks which will make this already dangerous walk treacherous.            FASNY's newest proposal for an entrance on North Street creates construction, added traffic and safety concerns for neighborhood children and adds to the already congested traffic at WPHS.  
   All FASNY traffic will still need to travel on Ridgeway to get to the entrance on North Street.  How does this solve anything?           
   Another change includes closing off Hathaway Lane from Ridgeway.  This road is used on a daily basis by many local residents for their commute, walk or bicycle ride. This road is owned by the city and we believe paying taxes affords us the right to continue its use.  FASNY is trying different alternatives to mitigate the TRAFFIC and SAFETY issues by proposing an entrance on North Street across from WPHS.  FASNY's new North Street proposal still includes the original entrance on Ridgeway, for "buses" only, once construction is complete.                  No one driving to FASNY from Mamaroneck will continue to travel another 10-15 minutes to get back to the FASNY buildings right off of Ridgeway.  Without a police officer to enforce this "rule" for the rest of its existence, we believe FASNY will relax their "buses only" rule and eventually allow this to become an entrance for all vehicles. Back to square one!     
   Negative impacts include: decimation of a quiet and safe residential neighborhood, increases of storm water run-off, which will cause added flooding to hundreds of homeowners including neighboring towns (the Mayor of Mamaroneck voiced his very legitimate concerns at one hearing), possible 5-10 years of construction causing noise and air pollution, the very real safety concern of the large construction vehicles, the added financial strain on our White Plains police, fire, transportation and sanitation departments, and the loss of tax dollars.                
   FASNY's buildings, parking lots, additional roads, playing fields, evening programs and summer camps  will generate daily activity 7 days a week, all year round. Consider the traffic and safety issues all these activities will generate and the fact that this part of their operation has not even been addressed!        
   Once they break ground, tax-exempt FASNY will longer be obligated to anyone. The tax burden of every tax-paying White Plains resident will increase by approximately $1,700 per year (quoted by an economist at a public hearing).        
   The two negative impacts that make this project impossible to approve are TRAFFIC and SAFETY.  We often wonder why this project wasn't originally denied.  FASNY bought a dream without the due diligence on the actual reality of their dream in this specific location.    Care about your constituents and the children of White Plains and vote NO to FASNY's special permit.  Respectfully,  
Jim and Mary Lou Avery