White Plains–One election you may have missed was that in the White Plains City Hall Monday, where the Council approved the controversial, hard fought bid by the French-American School (FASNY) of New York approval to build a school at the former Ridgeway Country Club in White Plains.
The standoff between the two sides went on for nearly seven years.
FASNY has locations in Larchmont, Scarsdale and Mamaroneck, but residents in White Plains have fought them on the proposal to build a new campus there.
FASNY purchased the Ridgeway Country Club in 2011, and since then has scaled back plans significantly, such as a proposal to have nursery classes through fifth grade, which would have accomodated twice as many students.The French American School‘s lower school campus in Larchmont has occupied a section of St. Augustine’s Church for many years, the Upper School is in Mamaroneck and the Pre-School in Scarsdale.
The original proposal was a planned consolodation move to the 129.69 acre site of the Ridgeway Country Club.
“Maison a vendre!”
My neighbors and I have fought the French American School plans because their even now – they are too ambitious for the site. Our neighborhood is already host to two high schools – White Plains HS, and Stepinac HS, along with Ridgeway Elementary School, the German School, and Our Lady of Sorrows School. Our local streets (so narrow that parking is permitted only on one side) are already crowded by school buses, along with cars driven by car-poolers and teenage drivers. Ridgeway is just 2-lanes wide, and is already overwhelmed by traffic during morning and afternoon school schedules. Where will additional traffic go?
Yet, Gedney Farms is a lovely area with beautiful homes. Many residents have delayed putting their houses on the market because of FASNY’s plans. Now, we’re hoping that parents with FASNY- children will want to move in. Maison a ventre!