TONIGHT AT 8 ON “PEOPLE TO BE HEARD” FERTILITY EXPERT BINA BENISCH ON WAYS TO SOLVE FERTILITY PROBLEMS AND HOW TO SOLVE THEM. ON FIOS CH. 45, WP OPTIMUM CH 76 AND www.wpcommunity media.org

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JOHN BAILEY INTERVIEWS BINA BENISCH ON INFERTILITY TODAY AND WHAT OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE

 

THE STATE OF INFERTILITY TODAY WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF THE DROPPING BIRTH RATE

OPTIONS FOR WOMEN ATTEMPTING TO CONCEIVE 

WHAT IS INVOLVED.

A special rebroadcast on a contemporary national problem

 

 

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ABINANTI STRIKES BACK, CLAIMS SHIMSKY IS MISTAKEN ON EDGEMONT POSITION

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SHIMSKY BETRAYED HER
HOMETOWN OF GREENBURGH.
  
NOW SHE IS LYING ABOUT IT.
Greenburgh residents rightfully feel betrayed by Assembly member MaryJane Shimsky. Her most recent actions reflect her feeling of vulnerability but, regretfully, not her remorse.
On June 10, 2023, Ms. Shimsky voted for Assembly Bill A7761, which she sponsored, exempting the Edgemont section of Greenburgh from New York State laws which protect every other New York town.
In response to the anger directed at her by her constituents, this week Ms. Shimsky published a statement on her official Assembly webpage and issued a second statement to the press which falsely describe her record. Clearly panicking, she denies her support of Edgemont’s incorporation and falsely accuses community members of “lying” about her record.
In her statement she said that she “never supported an exemption for Edgemont from the new laws” and “never sponsored legislation to that effect.” That is blatantly false. Public NYS Assembly documents show that Ms. Shimsky voted for and sponsored Assembly Bill A.7761 which effectively excludes the village-incorporation efforts of Edgemont residents from tough new state requirements for the creation of a village.
This Shimsky-sponsored law paves the way for Edgemont’s third attempt at incorporation. It exempts Edgemont from mandated state commission review and, most importantly, final approval. It exempts Edgemont from the requirement that a proposed village have no serious detrimental impact on the fiscal condition, services, and taxation of residents in the rest of the town.
Ms. Shimsky’s direct actions have placed the entire Unincorporated Town of Greenburgh in great jeopardy. Her failure to take any action to support her constituents during their struggle against an Edgemont incorporation has generated justifiable anger. Now, as she faces a potential challenge in the June 2024 Democratic Party Primary, she is suddenly decrying the legislation she herself sponsored and is lying about her record.
Ms. Shimsky’s credibility is in serious question when she cannot own up to legislation she sponsored.
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PLANNING BOARD WITH LOTS OF CONCERNS TO DRAFT LETTER TO COMMON COUNCIL TO CONSIDER SPECIFIC AMBIGUITIES

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CONCERNS RAISED OVER AMBIGUITY, INTERPRETATION, ZONING CHANGES, NEIGHBORHOOD PRESERVATION.

WPCNR PLANNING BOARD BRIEFING. By John F. Bailey. March 26, 2024:

The White Plains Planning Board spoke out Tuesday evening on the status of numerous unclear statements (in their opinion) in the OneWhitePlains Draft Comprehensive Plan before it is submitted to the Common Council for review.

  • Their issues ranged from the administration ability to change zoning even if the new OneWhitePlains Comprehensive Plan (if adopted) conflicted with requested zoning changes
  • Whether affordable housing requirements should or should not be increased.
  • The  need for an independent architectural review of new project design of large projects such as The Galleria project.
  • Plan lack of clarity on how the plights of the city minority quality of life could be improved.
  • The need for feasibility studies  detail to make decisions on city-suggested initiatives.
  • Require city departments to handle environmental review of developer plans.

Most were issues raised arose from what several characterized as the vagueness of the plan.

Commissioner of Planning Christopher Gomez repeatedly answered and explained matters of concern, and admitted some matters written in the plan could have been clearer.

At  the close of the meeting, John Ioris, Chair of the Board, said he wanted all the concerns of the members to be conveyed to the Common Council.

He said their comments would be drafted into a letter that would be considered at the next meeting of the Planning Board, April 16.

The discussion of the OneWhitePlains Draft plan began approximately 730 PM and ended at 9 PM.

 

The meeting can be seen in its entirety on the City of White Plains website under “Common Council Meetings and agendas, and clicking on View Common Council meetings and clicking on Planning Board.

 

 

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MOVIES COMING BACK TO CITY CENTER IN NEXT 3 MONTHS

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WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE EXAMINER By John F.Bailey. March 26, 2024:

In the city council work session Monday night KITE  management announced in response to Councilperson Jen Puja’s question that   Kite is in the final stages of  signing a contract WITH a major theater chain that would see movies rolling again in the City Center in the 2nd quarter.

All equipment, technical and projection equipment had been retained by Kite when National Amusements vacated.  Puja remarked last night was the first the Council had heard movies were coming back.

The theaters were closed when National Amusements declined to renew their lease

Since then Kite has been working to bring back the movies as a draw to City Center.

The surprise announcement  came about when Ms. Puja stated her concerns about the vacating of the Center by several tenants, and of course, the theaters.

Here is the interchange between Ms. Puja and Kite spokespeople.

 

 

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SHIMSKY ISSUES STATEMENT SAYING SHE OPPOSES EDGEMONT INCORPORATION AS A VILLAGE

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***STATEMENT***

Statement from Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky on Edgemont Incorporation

I oppose the incorporation of Edgemont as a new village.  I have spoken with many in the 92nd Assembly District about the issue and have found overwhelming consensus from them that this is a bad idea for our community.

 

While I look forward to seeing CGR’s complete assessment, the study itself was done on a very compressed time frame and with a number of costly items left unexplored.  Even so, none of the data they provided has changed my underlying concerns about what this would mean for Greenburgh overall.

The issue of Edgemont incorporation has been discussed for many years and predates my time in Albany.  When I arrived in the Assembly, I co-sponsored two pieces of legislation to modernize and strengthen New York’s village incorporation laws — legislation which passed during my first year in office.

But, unfortunately, I had also inherited a situation where Edgemont was now cut off from Greenburgh and the rest of the district, through a redistricting process approved by my predecessor.

This has set up a situation in which Edgemont is no longer represented in balance with the interests of the Town as a whole.

Former Assemblyman Abinanti failed to pass any legislation on village incorporation during his 12 years in office, and yet has chosen to misrepresent my record for his own political gain.

But, the fact remains that I never supported an exemption for Edgemont from the new laws, and I never sponsored legislation to that effect.  Rather, I have spoken out and voted against a carve-out for Edgemont, and I have worked to make Greenburgh’s voice heard in Albany.

Moving forward, I will continue to listen to the people of District 92 and provide my support for keeping unincorporated Greenburgh whole.

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MARCH 25–COVID, FLU, NOROVIRUS GETTING QUIETER ON THE EASTERN FRONT

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COVID, FLU, NOROVIRUS GETTING QUIETER ON THE EASTERN FRONT

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PLANNING BOARD MEETS TUESDAY 7 PM–AGENDA

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WHITE PLAINS PLANNING BOARD

AGENDA FOR THE SPECIAL MEETING OF
MARCH 26, 2024 – 7:00PM

(Adjourned meeting that was scheduled for March 19, 2024)

NEXT REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD April 20, 2024

ADOPTION OF FEBRUARY 20, 2024 and FEBRUARY 27, 2024 MEETING MINUTES

SCHEDULE PUBLIC HEARINGS

(207-24) 3 Kenneth Road – Site Plan Amendment, Legalization of a Deck –
Environmentally Sensitive Site.

PUBLIC HEARINGS

(200-24) 20 Paddock Road; R1-20 Zoning District – Site Plan Amendment for an Inground Swimming Pool. Environmentally Sensitive Site – Steep Slopes.

OTHER
(203-24) 60 South Kensico Avenue – One Year Extension of a Site Plan Approval
for a 12-Unit Building.

(204-24) 63 Lake Street (formerly 65 Lake Street) – One-year extension of the site
plan approval for the proposed 56-unit multi-family residential project.
Sixth Extension – Common Council referral.

(205-24) 146 Westmoreland Avenue – One-year extension of the site plan and
special permit approval to allow the construction of a mixed-use building
with 62 apartments, and ground floor retail space. Seventh Extension.
Common Council referral.

(206-24) Galleria Site – Petition to (1) amend the Zoning Ordinance to establish a
new zoning district entitled “Transit Development-2 (TD-2) District”; and
(2) amend the zoning map of the City of White Plains to reclassify section
125.75, block 4, lots 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 from the B-6 Enclosed Mall District to the
newly established TD-2 District. A DEIS is required. The DEIS Draft Scoping
Outline is referred to the Planning Board for comment.

(201-23) One White Plains Comprehensive Plan – Review of Draft Document

(208-24) 199-201 East Post Road – Amendment to the approval resolution to allow the
option of payment of a fee in lieu of upgrading sanitary sewer infrastructure.

ADJOURNED

(104-22) Farrell Estates at Ridgeway Subdivision – 336-400 Ridgeway, _ Gedney
Esplanade, 213-223 Bryant Avenue; R1-30 Residential Single-Family Zoning
District – 106 Lot Subdivision. Environmentally Sensitive Site.

(234-23) 154 Purdy Avenue; R1-12.5 Zoning District – Site Plan Amendment for a
house Addition. Environmentally Sensitive Site.

(202-24) 15 Commerce Street; R1-5 Zoning District – Site Plan Application for a
Single-Family House. Environmentally Sensitive Site.

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SHIMSKY ON THE EDGEMONT INCORPORATION, PCB’S IN THE HUDSON, FRACKING PROHIBITION

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District 92 | News You Can Use

 

Fighting PCB Pollution in the Hudson River

This week, I joined my colleagues in the Legislature and the Friends of a Clean Hudson coalition in calling on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to enforce full remediation of PCBs in the Hudson River. From 1947 to 1977, General Electric dumped more than a million pounds this “forever” chemical into the Upper Hudson River, and dangerous levels have been found all the way down to New York Harbor — accumulating in the river’s sediment, fish, and plant life. The EPA must recommit to eradicating PCBs in the Hudson, for the public health and safety of all our communities.

Read my full statement here: 

Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky Calls on the EPA 
to Enforce PCB Cleanup in the Hudson River

 


 

Legislation to Prohibit Use of Carbon Dioxide 
to Drill and Extract Natural Gas and Oil

Both houses of the Legislature recently passed legislation that would prohibit the use of carbon dioxide to extract natural gas and oil resources, a process often referred to as “fracking” (A.8866/S.08357). In 2021, after an extensive investigation that studied the environmental impacts of fracking, New York banned high-volume hydraulic fracking, which uses a mixture of water and harmful chemicals. This bill expands the existing prohibition to include the use of carbon dioxide.

 


 

Edgemont-Greenburgh Update

On Wednesday night, the Center for Governmental Research (CGR) presented their draft assessment of the potential impacts of Edgemont incorporation. CGR’s study has provided much useful information to consider, but also raised more questions than it answered. 

Undertaken quickly and limited in scope, the study projects just one year post-incorporation, relies upon a number of questionable assumptions, and omits potentially significant contingency costs. I raised concerns at the meeting over the lack of projections for major capital projects in Edgemont — such as water infrastructure, climate resilience, and new municipal facilities — as well as for the loss of revenue in the Town of Greenburgh’s commercial tax base.

The complete report is due April 1, and will be available to the public on their Edgemont Impact Study website. In the meantime, the video recording of their presentation can be viewed here. To date, no petitions have been submitted in what would be a third attempt by incorporation advocates to qualify for a referendum vote on Edgemont. 

Last year, I co-sponsored two bills to modernize and strengthen the process for village incorporation in New York State (A.7754 and A.7761). Among other provisions, they created the requirement for current fiscal and operational impact studies of pending incorporation — similar to the study CGR is currently preparing for Edgemont and Greenburgh — and established a new State commission to determine the viability of incorporation. 

When chapter amendments were proposed exempting Edgemont and Greenburgh through 2040 (A.8572 and A.8573), I opposed them, and I voted against them when they came back to the Assembly in January. We should all want the safeguards that our new village incorporations laws provide, both to make sure that existing towns are protected and to provide voters with current information on which to base their decisions.

Read my press release here:

Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky Responds to CGR Study 
of Potential Edgemont Incorporation Impacts

 


 

A New Appointment

I am pleased to share that Speak Heastie has appointed me to the 2024-25 Joint Budget Subcommittee on General Government and Local Assistance. It was an honor to be selected, and I look forward to contributing to these joint sessions. You can find updates on the budget process here on the Assembly website.

 


 

Westchester County 
Community Needs Assessment 

The Westchester County Department of Planning is crafting its Consolidated Plan, a five-year plan to assess affordable housing needs and development goals in the 31 municipalities that make up the Urban County Consortium. The Plan defines strategies to address housing, community development needs, and current market conditions for all of the municipalities in the Urban County Consortium. Once completed, the plan helps to inform the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on how federal funding should be allocated through the CDBG, HOME, and ESG programs over the next five years.

To ensure the success of the next Consolidated Plan, the Westchester County Planning Department is seeking community input from residents, business owners, nonprofits, and public housing authorities through online surveys.

The communities that make up the Westchester Urban County Consortium are: Ardsley, Bedford, Briarcliff Manor, Bronxville, Cortlandt, Croton-on-Hudson, Dobbs Ferry, Elmsford, Greenburgh, Hasting-on-Hudson, Irvington, Larchmont, Lewisboro, Mamaroneck Town, Mamaroneck Village, Mount Kisco, New Castle, North Salem, Ossining Town, Ossining Village, Peekskill, Pelham Village, Pleasantville, Port Chester, Rye Brook, Rye Town, Scarsdale, Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown, Tuckahoe, and Yorktown.

Complete a survey as a community resident

Complete a survey as a stakeholder 
(nonprofit organization, business owner or public housing authority)

 


 

Presidential Primary Election

Early voting in the 2024 Presidential Primary begins today, March 23, and will run through Saturday, March 30. Westchester County residents can cast their ballots at any of 24 early voting centers. For a schedule, list of locations, and other information, visit Early Voting 2024 at the Westchester County Board of Elections.

Presidential Primary Day is Tuesday, April 2. The polls will be open from 6 AM to 9 PM. Voters can confirm their polling place here.

Please note that, in New York State, only registered Democratic and Republican voters are eligible to vote in their respective party’s presidential primary.

For registration, mail-in ballots, and all other voting information, visit the Westchester County Board of Elections.

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