Recently, I’ve posted several posts on the issue of the French American School of New York and their purchase of the Ridgeway Golf Club. Previously many of the home owners in Gedney Farms enjoyed the wonderful vista of golf course views from their back yards. Most bought their homes with the understanding that should the golf club disappear, the local zoning was for very low-density housing . Now FASNY wants to build a major campus for 1200 students on the grounds.
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Over the past week, I have been weighing the pro and con arguments of the city of White Plains purchasing the Ridgeway Golf Club. My first reaction to the possibility of the golf course being purchased by the city was that of relief. I grew up in Gedney Farms. Both my parents and grandparents owned homes facing the Ridgeway Golf Course. I played on that golf course at night. I climbed the apple tree in our back yard and watched the golfers from that vantage point. So I have hesitated in offering an opinion. Was nostalgia for a lifestyle whose time has passed clouding my judgment?
How can the city justify spending that kind of money during a fiscal crisis?
One of my problems was endorsing such a massive purchase which would increase debt while taking a large parcel off of the tax rolls. White Plains is in a fiscal crisis. A few months ago I actually wrote about how necessary the drastic cutbacks the city was enacting were for maintaining property values. At the time, I wrote that keeping the tax burden down for home owners was essential for stabilizing housing prices and I still hold to that. How does that square with deliberately taking a large property off the tax rolls and going into a hole to purchase it?
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This has been a most unusual spring. It’s been up to 80 and down to 30 degrees all within the space of a day or two. We had a “hurricane without a name” that caused untold damage. But over the past few days we have had the most brilliant and colorful blossoms against a background of dark cloud cover. The light filters through the dark clouds creating an eerie and often surreal effect. The bright spring greens and pink blossoms against the gray sky is haunting. I finally had my camera on me. These photos were taken in White Plains NY on Mamaroneck Ave – on the outskirts of Gedney Farms. Years ago, White Plains Beautification planted cherry trees along the median of the main road in White Plains. These trees extend from the Southern tip of White Plains to the beginning of the downtown area where the median disappears. The result is a very colorful entry point to the city for a few weeks each year. Enjoy the pictures. I’ll be taking more!
© 2010 Ruthmarie G. Hicks – http://thewestchesterview.com – All rights reserved.
Gedney Farms White Plains NY:
When buyers are looking for high-end single family homes in White Plains NY – A home with plenty of green space and old-world charm – Gedney Farms is the first neighborhood that comes to mind. Gedney Farms was named after John Gedney who bought the land in 1740. Gedney Farms was a working farm that remained within the Gedney family right through the Civil War. It has long ceased to be farmland and is now a well established neighborhood.
Through much of the Gedney area the zoning is for no more than three homes per acre, so most lots have at least .33 acres of land which for lower Westchester is very difficult to find at a decent price. The roads are fairly narrow the wind around giving the feeling of country roads. No checkerboard streets here! This is also a plus because the streets are generally quiet as this discourages cut-through traffic that sometimes occurs in other parts of White Plains. The homes are a mix of Tudors and colonials many of them built during the Great Depression or before with a smaller percentage being built in the 50s and 60w. This is a mature neighborhood with very little buildable land remaining.
The Ridgeway Golf Course:
The Ridgeway golf course defines the neighborhood and depending on your location. It bisects the Gedney neighborhood in several places and many of the homes have spectacular golf course views. Some even have the fairways coming right into their back yards giving an illusion of almost endless open space. This type of amenity is difficult to match in lower Westchester and is a world away from the hustle and bustle of the City Center and the Ritz Carlton of downtown White Plains. Some homes have their back yards extending right into the fairways. It looks like open space as far as the eyes can see.
Unfortunately, at this time the fate of the Ridgeway golf club is not settled. Although the club has no wish to sell its land to developers, difficult financial times may force that issue. So far they have been holding on. Much of the area is wetlands, so the quantity of building would be quite limited. Nevertheless, the loss of such a vista would be a blow to the area. Everyone is hoping that this issue will resolve itself as the economy continues to improve.
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