WPCNR'S KING KOMMENTS. By Councilman William King. September 9, 2003: Councilman King has noticed the conspicuous and ugly tops on the Bank Street Commons Buildings and discusses his quest for an answer to why the mansard roofs have still not capped the buildings.

I have asked this question a few times already over the past ½ year or so and have not gotten an answer.  Several residents have asked me about this including again today a resident I hadn't met before.  Other residents and I feel that the roof-top mechanical equipment is unsightly at a major gateway to the city.  Also, the project was proposed to and approved by the Council with the green mansard roofs. 

When I walk by the buildings there are also taped onto the first floor windows the artist's renderings of the project not only with green roofs but with green awnings above the 2nd and/or 3rd floor windows.  Both features of the design are also needed to add color to the project.  As I recently read that 200 of the 250 units in the first building are ready for occupancy, with many of those 200 occupied, the time is near it would seem when the developer should be installing the green roofs as promised to the Council, the Mayor and the Building Dept. 

I would say the temporary certificate of occupancy for the 2nd building (which the first building already seems to have) should not be granted until the roofs are installed on both buildings.  If a TCO is granted for the 2nd building and it starts becoming occupied by new tenants, I don't see what remaining leverage the city readily has to make sure the roofs are erected. 

 Thanks a lot. 

White Plains Councilman William King