WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. By John F. Bailey. September 3, 2003: The Common Council voted to extend the New York Presbyterian Hospital site plan permit another year last night by a vote of 5 to 2 with Benjamin Boykin, Robert Greer, Mayor Joseph Delfino, Glen Hockley and Tom Roach voting for extension and Rita Malmud and William King demurring. Benjamin Boykin said he was convinced that the negotiated agreement allowing affiliates or associate researchers to use the planned biomedical center and proton accelerator facility was in the spirit of the original approval, and Messrs Greer, Hockley and Roach concurred. Mr. Roach spoke for many when he said it was time to move on and build a relationship with the hospital.

William King in his remarks to the Council on extension of the permit appeared to reveal that verbal information about the hospital's willingness to negotiate land had been broached to the Common Council, as reported by WPCNR.

Geoffrey Thompson of Thompson & Bender, spokesman for New York Presbyterian Hospital confirmed to WPCNR that the developer to be named later was a financial partner and not a tenant of the facility, indicating that some of the financing for the facility approved later in the evening was coming together. Alan Teck of Concerned Citizens for Open Space confirmed that CCOS had preserved its right to appeal the Article 78 decision by filing a Notice of Appeal several days ago. Teck in his remarks to the Common Council, for the first time said CCOS would support rezoning of the hospital as commercial (medical), providing development was confined to the oval and substantial meadow space was preserved as a park. (Just such an arrangement was presented to the Common Council as being something the hospital might do in return for rezoning the property medical commercial.)

In other action, Frederick Bland, of Beyer, Blinder and Belle architects presented a completely new design for the 221 Main Street project eliminating the Bar Building, during a lively reconvening of the public hearing on Cappelli-Bland hotel project proposed for the North side of Main Street between Church Street and Court Street. A crowd of 83 persons jammed the Council Chambers for this continuation of the August opening of the hearings on the project. The hearing will continue in October.

A highlight of the hearing was Carl Finger speaking for the owners of the Bar Building property who said that Louis Cappelli has not been negotiating for the building and that the owners had no intention of selling the property. Mr. Cappelli holding court with reporters at a midway break in the meeting dismissed Mr. Finger's comments saying it laid the groundwork for an excellent start to negotiations.

In resolutions passed, the Kensico Avenue affordable housing project of which Bill Brown is the principal, was approved. Mr. Brown would not reveal what his new pilot (Payment In Lieu of Taxes) was, an issue that was resolved in Executive Session last week.

Public Safety Day was set for September 13 between 9 AM and 3 PM at the Public Safety Building.