Sound Shore

Whole Foods has signed a lease to open a store at the former A&P market on Post Road in Port Chester.

The announcement came yesterday in the company’s quarterly earnings report. The store is planned for opening in late 2013, spokesman Michael Sinatra said today. Given the available site, which is just of Interstate 287, “Port Chester was just an obvious choice,” he said.

This would be the third Whole Foods store to open in Westchester, after White Plains and Yonkers.

Not so fast, Mr. Astorino.

Responding to County Executive Rob Astorino’s announcement that his administration is well ahead of schedule on the affordablehousing settlement, Westchester County Board of Legislators Chairman Ken Jenkins says the self congratulations are premature.

The board, the Yonkers Democrat noted, hasn’t seen any report that shows that the county is in the clear on the decree reached with the federal government in 2009 that has had its share of challenges.

“The Westchester County Board of Legislators has yet to see any of the documentation to support the information in the Administration’s Quarterly Housing Report regarding the number of new fair and affordable housing units that are ‘in the pipeline,’ and so it’s difficult to respond accurately to such a simple declaration,” Jenkins said in an email. “The Administration’s self-congratulatory tone in its statement (Monday) needs to be balanced against the fact that the County has been asked by a federal court to answer a set of questions concerning the Administration’s position on source of income legislation passed by the Board, which, according to the terms of the stipulations of the housing settlement, may end up nullifying the settlement and exposing the County to a judgment  of upwards of $500 million.”

In its quarterly report to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the federal monitor, the Astorino administration maintains that 540, or 72 percent, of the required units are at some point in the planning pipeline.

“The county has made extraordinary progress and it is the result of our approach to work closely and cooperatively with municipalities, developers and non-profits around common goals,” Astorino said in a statement released Monday. “This will continue to be the county’s approach until we have fully met our obligations under the settlement. The numbers tell the story.”

The federal housing settlement mandates that Westchester spend $52 million to help build 750 units in mostly wealthy and white communities over seven years. It also sets benchmarks along the way, notably that 200 units have financing and 125 have building permits by the end of 2012. The county expects to meet those goals by spring.

Despite a continued stalemate with the federal government, County Executive Rob Astorino says Westchester remains well ahead of schedule on its affordable housing settlement.

In its quarterly report to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the federal monitor that was released today, the Astorino Administration maintains that 540, or 72 percent, of the required units are at some point in the planning pipeline. Read the report here.

“The county has made extraordinary progress and it is the result of our approach to work closely and cooperatively with municipalities, developers and non-profits around common goals,” Astorino said in a statement. “This will continue to be the county’s approach until we have fully met our obligations under the settlement. The numbers tell the story.”

The federal housing settlement was reached in 2009 and mandates that Westchester spend $52 million to help build 750 units in mostly wealthy and white communities over seven years. It also sets benchmarks along the way, notably that 200 units have financing and 125 have building permits by the end of 2012; the county expects to meet those goals by Spring.

So far, 15 communities including Ardsley, Briarcliff Manor, Cortlandt, Hastings, Larchmont, New Castle, North Castle, North Salem, Pelham, Pleasantville, Rye Brook, Rye, Somers, and Yorktown are at various stages of approval or in construction.

One three-family house in Pelham has residents living in the units.

More than 200 site reviews have taken place across all 31 communities, according to the report. The county has also set up a $2.5 million revolving loan fund to acquire and rehabilitate foreclosures in eligible municipalities. The county expects to an additional 14 units under this program.

But progress hasn’t been easy, in part, because of disagreements with HUD and the federal monitor, James Johnson, on a range of issues, including local zoning and an income discrimination law that Astorino doesn’t support. HUD has also held back millions in community development block grant monies because of differences.

Those disagreements are now being addressed in court.

“Even though that’s going on, we’re continuing to make progress,” said Ned McCormack, Astorino’s senior advisor and director of communications. “It’s important to keep moving … The process is working.”

HUD had no immediate comment today.

 In an act of protest, the Board of Legislators today opposed County Executive Rob Astorino’s cancellation of a bus route in Rye.

Lawmakers, in a meeting that was called to address this matter, won’t back Liberty Lines application to the state to reconfigure a route that covers some stops lost with the elimination of Route 76 line.

The resolution, which passed 10-5 with one Republican supporting it an a Democrat voting against it, merely sends a message to the state Department of Transportation that the county board doesn’t agree with any route changes that don’t encompass all of the lost stops.

“It eliminates bus service to an important area in Rye,” said Legislator Judy Myers, a Democrat from Mamaroneck who represents part of Rye. “There is a great need for this (bus). This is definitely an area that needs to be served.”

Myers and other legislators don’t like that the county executive cancelled a contract with a smaller carrier operating the Route 76 line and that Liberty Lines, the operator of the county-wide system, would only cover part of the line with its changes to the Route 13 line. They were also upset that there was no public hearing.

All the legislators want is for some excluded areas, notably Milton Point, to be covered under a new route, they say.

Legislator Sheila Marcotte, R-Tuckahoe, said while she understood their concerns, this resolution may hurt riders because it could jeopardize all of the modifications. She said the wise thing to do is to talk with Liberty Lines to see if they’ll cover the entire route.

“(It’s) going to hurt the residents they’re actually trying to help,” she said.

Democrats, however, also feel snubbed that Astorino made the changes without consulting them and after they added the roughly $243,000 back into the county’s $1.8 billion budget to continue this service.

Any changes should have been discussed with them, they say.

“The law says there is a process for that and that was not followed,” said Majority Leader Peter Harckham, D-Katonah.

Pelham Road—Two tires worth $1,008 were stolen off of a 2012 Mercedes Benz that was parked on Pelham road between 7:30 p.m. Feb. 4 and 7:30 a.m. Feb. 5., New Rochelle police said.

Palmer Road—Four tires worth $2,000 were stolen off of a 2012 Hundai that was parked at 2333 Palmer Ave. between 1 p.m. Feb. 5 and 6 a.m. Feb. 6., New Rochelle police said.

Radisson Plaza—A GPS and iPod worth $320 were stolen from a 2010 Honda parked on Radisson Plaza between 6 a.m. and noon Feb. 5. The passenger side window of the car was smashed to gain entry, New Rochelle police said.

Horton Avenue—An iPod was stolen from a 1999 Isuzu that was parked on Horton Avenue between 1 p.m. Feb. 4 and 11:20 p.m. Feb. 5.

Former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer will explain why voters should make him president in 2012 on Journal News/LoHud.com columnist Phil Reisman’s “High Noon” radio program today at noon.

Roemer is a Republican presidential hopeful.

“High Noon” airs from noon to 1 p.m. Thursdays on WVOX 1460 AM and online on www.wvox.com.

Or check back at LoHud.com during the show for a link.

Call in with your opinion during the show at 914-636-0110.

 Scarsdale’s Ian Klein celebrates with James Nicholas following Nicholas’s third goal on the night against New Rochelle at The Ice Hutch in Mount Vernon Jan. 31, 2012. Scarsdale’s won 6-4.

Circuit Road—Two tires were stolen off of a 2011 Honda Accord that was parked
on Circuit Road sometime between Jan. 27 and Jan. 28, New Rochelle police said.
The tires were worth $300. Police said the same thieves may have stolen two
tires from a 2011 Honda Accord that was parked on Elm Street between 3:15 and
4:30 a.m. Jan. 28.

A water main break in Rye Brook this morning may be leaving customers in the area with little or no water pressure or discolored water. United Water Westchester crews are on the scene of the break on North Ridge Street near Crawford Park to make repairs. One lane is closed on North Ridge, Police Chief Gregory Austin said.

Information is available from United Water Westchester at 877 266 9101 or uwwccustomerservice@unitedwater.com.

The Rye library’s annual chess tournament for children is noteworthy for its low-key atmosphere—an antidote to the super-competitive suburban world, Gary Stern writes on LoHud.com. For the story and video, see here.

(Photo: Organizer Thomas Levine shares some tips after a match was a draw at the annual Chess Tournament for ages 6-14 Saturday at the Rye Free Reading Room in Rye. Levine started the round-robin tournament in 1979 and prizes are awarded to the top three players. Tania Savayan / The Journal News)