White Plains · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in White Plains public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Leffell School campus expansion
The private school wants to add onto Building 1 and alter campus facilities. No enrollment increase is proposed, so traffic impacts shouldn't change — but neighbors may still weigh in.
Water Street Connector
The city would lease Urban Renewal Agency land along the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Extension to build the Water Street Connector — part of reshaping downtown connectivity.
1 Water Street site plan amendment
Councilmember Valerie Simmons flagged that the approved 1 Water Street project dropped its original three-bedroom units, urging developers and the council to plan more family-sized housing as household compositions change.
1 Water Street site plan amendments
The developer of the 380-unit transit-oriented project at Ferris and Water wants minor amendments: a bit more retail space, reconfigured below-grade parking, a larger public and dog park, plus rooftop solar and battery storage. Newer council members asked for the detailed August submission in writing before any decision.
Whitmore Estates subdivision of former Windward School property
A developer wants to turn the old Windward School site into 13 house lots with a new public road. Neighbors worry about drainage, rock removal and construction impacts, and won extra time to have an engineer review the plans.
78 Woodcrest Avenue four-lot subdivision and rock removal
A plan to split a three-quarter-acre lot into four building lots requires removing a large rock outcropping and an aging stone wall along Springdale. Board members pushed for alternatives that would preserve the rock and slopes, questioning blasting impacts on neighbors.
Farrell Estates at Ridgeway 105-lot subdivision
The former Ridgeway Country Club site is proposed for a 99-lot single-family subdivision on about 127 environmentally sensitive acres. Developers revised the plan to protect the Gedney Esplanade trees and wetland buffers, and the final environmental review could reach the board by April with action by May or June.
12-unit apartment building at 510 North Broadway
Comstock got a height variance to build a three-story, 12-unit apartment building — a small addition to the city's housing stock.
Adora Row mixed-use project extension
Two downtown-adjacent projects got more time: 'The Loft' at Court and Quarropas Streets received a one-year site plan extension, and the Adora Row mixed-use project at 80 Westchester Avenue has an extension application under review.
New 12-unit apartment building at 510 North Broadway
A vacant office building would be replaced by a 12-unit for-sale condo building near the North White Plains train station. The plan includes a stormwater system that would also fix existing flooding behind neighboring Brookdale and Holland Avenue homes.
Downtown and commercial signage approvals
A batch of sign decisions hit downtown businesses: approvals for Yale New Haven Health, The Altos, and Greystar's master retail sign plan, plus a do-over for Doner Haus's wall sign at 186 Martine Ave.
Brookfield Commons Phase 3 extension
The council signed off on lender-required paperwork for the third phase of the Brookfield Commons affordable housing development, which brings roughly $8 million in County infrastructure funding to the city.
Sale of City Center Garage to the City
The city is buying an interest in the major portion of the parking garage at 237 Martine Avenue, borrowing up to $11.1 million to do it. This shifts a piece of downtown parking infrastructure into public hands — a move that could affect parking rates and downtown development decisions for years.
23 Quarropas / Court Street permit extension
The 141-unit, 100% senior affordable project needs one more year to close financing, with Westchester Medical coming in as a healthcare provider. The board raised no objection.
Affordable housing buy-out fee calculation
A resident found that the Harlem and Holland Avenues development's affordable housing buy-out fee was calculated using 2021 income data, coming in at $3.03 million instead of roughly $3.9 million under current figures. He's asking why planning staff didn't flag the outdated formula citywide.
275 Main Street redevelopment
Argent Ventures wants to fill the vacant former Sears/Walmart building with below-grade mini self-storage (about 800 units), a trampoline park, pickleball courts and a gym — reviving a long-empty downtown building. The zoning amendment must come back for formal council action.
White Plains Hospital parking garage financing amendment
The variances allowing a 9-level parking garage next to White Plains Hospital got a two-year extension, keeping the hospital expansion project moving forward.
20 Haarlem Avenue project construction extension
A 296-unit, two-building apartment project by the North White Plains train station is finally under construction after financing delays, and the developer wants its 2021 approvals extended. Nineteen affordable units were bought out for roughly $3 million going into the city's housing fund, with five affordable units built on site.
Former Walmart building redevelopment at 275 Main Street
The empty former Walmart behind the transit center is slated for a health club, below-grade mini-storage, and recreation tenants like a trampoline park and pickleball venue, with a major facade upgrade. The board recommended approval to the Common Council.
Holland Avenue redevelopment site plan extension
NW Plains Venture asked for another year on its site plan approval for redeveloping 27 and 7-11 Holland Ave. The board reviewed it and had no comment.
Trinity Financial housing project extension
The affordable housing project at 161 South Lexington Avenue got a one-year extension of its approvals, with Council Member Simmons recusing herself because she works there.
1148 Mamaroneck Avenue in-ground swimming pool
A homeowner wants to rebuild an approved in-ground pool on an environmentally sensitive lot. A neighbor raised drainage concerns, which the applicant addressed with the stormwater mitigation plan and the fact that pools collect rainwater. The vote waits until August because the board lacked a fifth member.
Hunting Ridge Road subdivision extension
The developer finished building the new driveway for the existing house and got a certificate of compliance, so the board granted a one-year extension to finish as-built drawings and close out the project.
Houses on environmentally sensitive lots on Hall Avenue
Two remaining lots from an approved four-lot subdivision — 1020 and 1024 Hall Avenue — are proposed for single-family homes on land with steep slopes and rock outcroppings. Public hearings are set for July 21, where neighbors can weigh in on how the builders handle drainage and slope disturbance.
Fisher Hill apartment project extension
The planned 6-story, 154-unit apartment building with retail on Westmoreland Avenue got more time on its variances, keeping the project alive.
Mt. Hope Plaza senior affordable housing funding
The city put another $850,000 into finishing a 56-unit affordable senior apartment building at 63 Lake Street that's been years in the making. Costs rose due to tariffs and high interest rates, and the county is contributing $1.25 million more.
27-unit condominium proposal at 98 Broad Parkway
A surface parking lot would become a six-story, 27-unit condominium building with 44 spaces. Month-to-month parkers using the lot will have to find parking elsewhere.
Galleria Mall redevelopment subsidy terms
The nonprofit CAWS laid out four conditions for any public money going to the Galleria project: real affordability, good value for taxpayers, integrated affordable housing, and public discussion of deal terms before the council votes.