Westchester County and Mount Pleasant officials should require the developers of the $1.2 billion biotechnology research center that is under review (The 60 North project) to build sidewalks on Knollwood Road and Grasslands Road -- two roads that are used by students at Westchester Community College.
The college is located on roads that will be used by many of the employees who will work at the new biotechnology research center when it is built. This project, when completed, will be enormous and will generate significant traffic: medical offices, research, retail, restaurants, a hotel and a children’s museum. The first phase would include about 500,000 square feet of development.
The developer has estimated that the project will create 4,000 construction jobs and 8,000 permanent jobs, pay $7 million in annual rents to the county and generate $9 million a year in local real estate taxes.
Many of the students who attend Westchester Community College don't have cars. It's already dangerous to walk on Knollwood or Grasslands Road. Students have been asking for sidewalks for years. This new development is a great opportunity to make both streets safer for pedestrians and for students at the college and to make our area the bio tech capitol of New York State.
I have no objection to developers making money from this deal. And think it's great that the county will generate much needed revenue. But don't want pedestrians or students to be less safe when walking to school.
PAUL FEINER
Greenburgh Town Supervisor