White Plains CitizeNetReporter - Eastview Leader Presents "Eastview-Broadway Bill of Rights" for City Leaders

WPCNR WHITE PLAINS VOICE. By Renee Cohen. January 8, 2003: As a District Leader, before future elections, I am going to ask my party's candidates to support the Eastview/Broadway Bill of Rights. This Bill of Rights is merely showing respect for the open space, clean air, views, and pedestrian safety of those who live in the Eastview/Broadway neighborhood, and is asking our city law-makers to show responsibility for those rights.

But, because Bloomingdale Road only divides the city on maps, the open space, clean air, sky views, and pedestrian safety of that downtown area affect all residents of White Plains, on the north or the south.

Many planners in our country admire and are creating the "new urbanism," which is building for mixed use--for living, working, shopping, and mingling--all in the same area. Here, in the Eastview/Broadway neighborhood, we already have urbanism, in all its positive glories, and do not want it tainted by Big Foot Developers hungry for profits.

Clayton Park apartments on Canfield Avenue received a zoning variance to build several stories higher, as did the apartments being built at the City Center (many stories higher, in this instance); and now a condominium planned for Windsor Terrace, off Main Street, will attempt to so the same. The zoning regulations were carefully written to protect neighborhoods and our city.

Our city placed a number of bicycle route signs. What about pedestrian routes? Seems to me that there are many more walkers than bicyclists. What about signs indicating pedestrian routes?

Part of E. J. Conroy Drive was permanently obliterated to satisfy the developer of the City Center. Plans for the hotel/condominium complex near Grace Church on Main Street may ask for the extension of Court Street through to Hamilton Avenue. What about the parking spaces and the seasonal Farmer's Market that will be destroyed?

The new Fortunoff, Stop & Shop, and City Center parking garages are massive, monolithic, ugly, and uncreative. Couldn't they have been designed with some varied glass brick detail, ceramic murals, Gaudi-like eccentricity, or a bit of the fun squashed-up Gehry style? Parking garages do not have to look like prisons. (Stand at Eastview School and look at the new supermarket garage.)

Speaking of parking garages, who knew beforehand about the atrocious Stop & Shop/Westchester One garage ramps (on Westchester and S. Kensico Avenues)? And who knew about the supermarket's major pedestrian entrance on Westchester Avenue? Most of the pedestrian shoppers walk from the opposite direction, and thus must make their way hazardously through the parking lot and garage, from the north. I hope signs indicating pedestrian use will be posted.

Increases in sales tax receipts and renting/upscaling of Mamaroneck Avenue stores, the latter benefiting owners of commercial real estate, should not be the most important goals in this city. Safety, livability, respect for apartment and home dwellers, and a pleasant, welcoming, easy-to-enjoy downtown are the most important goals.

Who elects the office holders in this city? To whom are elected officials responsible?

Here is the Eastview/Broadway Bill of Rights that I will ask the candidates I support to sign:

"I may live in a certain neighborhood, most of my support may come from certain areas, but I promise to support all the districts and neighborhoods of the city, so that they remain livable, viable, and pleasant.

"I will certainly ponder the possible effects of traffic, closed streets, cement canyons, blocked views, and pollution. I want a downtown that is walkable. I will respect the zoning codes that exist. If developers want zoning changes, I will seriously consider the ramifications of those changes. Are the changes motivated by greed?

"I will research, instigate, and support attempts to make all new structures, including parking garages, eye-appealing. I will work to make the appearance of existing buildings more palatable.

"I will represent all the people and all the neighborhoods of the city, including the Eastview/Broadway area. I will respect the open space, clean air, views, and pedestrian safety of those who live in the Eastview/Broadway neighborhood, and I will have legislative responsibility for those rights."

©Renee Cohen (Published by WPCNR with permission.)


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