Hundreds Attend FASNY Public Hearing
The French American School of New York (FASNY) public hearing on the Special Permit for a private secondary school, held Wednesday, April 5 in White Plains, was attended by hundreds of interested parties with about 100 speakers submitting their names for a five-minute comment.
The hearing was held at the White Plains Performing Arts Center at City Center to accommodate the anticipated larger crowd.
Comments, often made by speakers who have been vocal about the FASNY plan over the several years the application has been in process, both supported the FASNY plan and opposed it.
Many neighbors of the former Ridgeway Country Club at 336 Ridgeway commented that they thought FASNY as a school “is great” – “but, go somewhere else.”
Fifty-eight-year White Plains resident, Beth Wallach, welcomed the conservancy the school has offered as part of its plan, calling it “a once in a lifetime opportunity,” and “better for the community than a chemically treated golf course.”
Issues of transparency in the approval process were mentioned several times and many speakers in opposition said they thought the property should be kept on the tax rolls. Dangerous traffic flow patterns in the neighborhood were of major concern.
Bob Stackpole, who has publicly opposed the FASNY plan since its inception, said the school had not done its due diligence before buying the property. “The building height exceeds the zoning requirement of the R-130 zone by four feet,” Stackpole said. The Common Council cannot vote yes until that issue is resolved, he added. “The building size proposed is almost the same size as Stepinac,” making it beyond capacity for the student population of 600 FASNY has claimed.
A coalition of White Plains religious leaders came out in support of FASNY, saying they looked forward to cooperation with the school and the conservancy.
One speaker, representing several neighborhood associations in White Plains, quoted from a letter that had been sent to the White Plains Council expressing disapproval of the FASNY plan from neighborhoods all around the city – commenting that the plan had a negative impact on all neighborhoods of White Plains, not just the Gedney neighborhood.
Written comments submitted after closure of the public hearing may be sent to the City Clerk for distribution to the Common Council up to April 15th.
The remaining decision process will follow requirements set out by the Court-mandated Stipulation of Agreement between FASNY and the City of White Plains.
