Harrison REVIEW THE
April 1, 2016 | Vol. 4, Number 14 | www.harrisonreview.com
Playland review deadline extended to late April By JAMES PERO Staff Writer
Crosstown Traffic
Starwood Capital Group, the prospective developer of the former United Hospital site in the village of Port Chester, is preparing to present their traffic findings. The issue of traffic has been at the forefront of concern for the city of Rye, which shares a border with Port Chester. For story, see page 3. Contributed photo
Manhattanville wants to go solar, seeks town approval By ANGELA JORDAN Staff Writer In an effort to reduce its carbon footprint, Manhattanville College is hoping to install solar carports in its campus parking lots, which would provide the campus with approximately 20 percent of its overall electricity. Jon Strauss, Manhattanville College’s president, appeared before the Harrison Planning Board on March 22 to promote the project. “All in all, this is a good project that will encourage our students and others to be more conscious of our sustainability imperative, will assist the college and our region in minimizing carbon impact, and will be a source of pride to us all,” Strauss said.
The carports proposal is just the latest eco-friendly initiative that Manhattanville has put forth in the last few years. In 2009, the college joined the The American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, which is a national network of U.S. colleges that have pledged to drastically reduce their carbon footprint in an effort to address global warming. According to Greg Palmer, vice president of operations at Manhattanville, the college has managed to reduce its carbon footprint by 35 percent in the past seven years so far. This was achieved through means such as installing energy-efficient windows, switching to LED lighting, and replacing things like
boilers and heating systems with more energy-efficient ones. The school is partnered with Energy in the Bank, a company that finances, installs and operates solar carports for municipalities, nonprofits and businesses. If the carports are approved, the college will enter into a Power Purchasing Agreement with the company, which means that the company will own the ports, and the school will pay them for the electricity provided. Palmer said that in comparison with electricity rates from Con Edison, the carports are also financially beneficial to Manhattanville. He said that the solar panel-generated electricity will cost the school about 10.5 cents per kilowatt an hour, as opposed to 17.5 cents per kilowatt
an hour for conventionally generated electricity. The school estimates that this would add up to approximately $125,000 in savings per year on electricity after the switch. At the board meeting, Strauss addressed some concerns he thought the Planning Board might have about the logistics of installing the carports. In an effort to assuage any concerns about how the carports might affect the local community, Straus told the board that the solar panels are being positioned to have “minimal visual impact” on Purchase Street and Anderson Hill Road, and are designed to minimize glare. He also said that the school has communicated solar continued on page 7
An agreement between Westchester County and the management company Standard Amusements to transfer management of Rye Playland will spill over into late April as the Board of Legislators works to whittle down the deal’s $58 million in countyfunded capital projects. A newly proposed deal by members of the county Board of Legislators, according to board Chairman Michael Kaplowitz, a Yorktown Democrat, would suggest a new price tag of $30 million in county-funded infrastructure projects, cutting the former proposal by nearly half. As a part of an amended agreement struck between Standard and Republican County Executive Rob Astorino’s administration, which was reached in late February, Standard is also planning to invest $30 million of its own money into making necessary improvements to the park. Ned McCormack, spokesperson for Astorino’s administration, said that the new proposed dollar amount isn’t set in stone, but will be part of an ongoing conversation with the Board of Legislators and Standard. “The negotiations are between Standard and the board,” McCormack said. “If they come up with a number that’s less than $58 million then that’s between them.” According to Kaplowitz, the proposed $30 million in county-funded projects for the park represents a much more feasible split between the two partners. “We showed that a 30/30
[split] is the sweetest spot,” Kaplotwitz said in reference to both partners putting in $30 million. “It’s a significant investment but it reduces our financial cost quite a bit.” Kaplowitz added that through 2027, the deal with Standard will ensure that the county spends $4 million less than they would if there weren’t a deal agreed upon. Additionally, proposed legislation—which will be voted on by the Board of Legislators after press time—aims to extend the current agreement’s March 31 deadline until April 29, effectively prolonging Standard’s option to walk away from the deal. According to Kaplowitz, Standard has showed a willingness to negotiate with the county. “They’ve shown quite a bit of flexibility so far,” he said. The latest extension of the deadline comes after a string of alterations to an agreement originally struck between Standard and Astorino in June 2015 to transfer over management and operations of the park to the private company. While the initial agreement proposed only $22.5 million in county-funded capital projects to the ailing 88-year-old amusement park, an amended agreement introduced in February 2016 nearly tripled that amount. Since the newly amended agreement was introduced, backlash from members of the county board—who claim that the terms of the new agreement are too burdensome on taxpayPLAYLAND continued on page 8
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