FASNY: WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON?

October 14, 2013

Dear Mayor Roach, Councilmen Boykin, Smayda, Martin, and Kirkpatrick,

I have your flyer for the Democratic Team seeking reelection.  I would hope that your desire to continue to serve the residents of White Plain is the reason you want to be elected again.  However, I was at the Common Council meeting when all 5 of you agreed to accept FASNY's FEIS.  This was in spite of the many errors in the document, and the many untrue claims they have made about solving all the traffic and other problems that exist.  You said that didn't mean you were going to vote to give them the needed permit.   

I don't understand how you could accept as valid a document that is filled with misinformation and statements that are far from the actual facts.  I believe you have received documents that take issue with the FEIS and state that much of what was said was likely to prove untrue.  I know that you have heard at previous Common Council meetings the many reasons that FASNY will be a great detriment to White Plains.  You must be aware of the tremendous amount of additional traffic that FASNY will bring in an area where we already have traffic problems, where we already have six schools with traffic at school opening and dismissal times, as well as concern for the safety of the children who walk to these schools.  

I know you have heard the contradictions to the many claims that FASNY has made about being a benefit to White Plains that have been presented at the Council meetings. The real facts of having FASNY here have been sent to you by mail and told to you at the meetings.  I would like to think that you will represent White Plains in your decision rather than FASNY.  If you really have White Plains interest at heart, you will vote NO on giving FASNY a permit to intrude their monstrous school complex on what is a narrow, quiet residential street.  

You are the elected officials whose job it is to protect the interests of the residents of White Plains.  I can't imagine that any of you would like to have a school entity the size of the FASNY project stuck into the middle of your residential area nor would you enjoy having 5 to 10 years of major construction in the middle of the quiet residential area where you live.  The FASNY school parents would not want this unwelcome complex stuck in the middle of where they live either.  If you are really interested in the welfare of White Plains, you have to vote not to give FASNY a permit to build their outsized school project on Ridgeway.  To do otherwise would be to take the side of FASNY against the city that you represent.  I can't imagine a good reason for you to do that.

Thank you,
Pat Silbert
White Plains