Two New Playgrounds to be Installed and Kudos for Departing Village Employees

Plans for new equipment at Aspen ParkMayor Justin Arest opened the August 12, 2025 Village Board meeting by thanking the community for a successful food drive for Feeding Westchester. He reported that 3,400 pounds of food were donated which is enough to provide approximately 2,833 meals for those in need.

He thanked and praised two departing Village employees, Treasurer Ann Scaglione who will become Comptroller for the Town of Cortlandt and Assistant Village Manager Charles Hessler who is leaving to take the job of Village Administrator in Irvington.

He also discussed continuing gaps in wireless coverage in the Village and possible solutions.
See the Mayor’s full comments below.

Village Manager Alex Marshall thanked Assistant Village Manager Charles Hessler for being an incredible member of her team. She said,”He’s not afraid to ask difficult questions and always approaches problem solving in a collaborative way. He is a great sounding board for ideas and always looking for ways to make improvements.” She told Hessler, “I know you will be an incredible Village Manager.”

About Central Taxi, she said that there are still a limited number of drivers available and can still be reached at their phone number.

Public Comments

Elizabeth Lawrence of Walworth Avenue spoke about the sidewalks and urged the Board to do something about all the sidewalks in disrepair, especially the ones on Walworth Avenue.
She said, “It is an urgent situation. I have to walk on the street. If we don’t fix the sidewalks I am going to have to move.”

Marian Green, Chair of the Council on People with Disabilities said the consultants (PMG) found that sidewalk conditions are merely fair. But 35% are good, 20% are fair, 30% is poor and 12% are excellent. The only portion that are excellent are in the Village Center. I am optimistic that we are moving forward.

New Playgrounds for Willow and Aspen Parks

Good news for Scarsdale families. The trustees approved contracts to replace two dated Village-owned playgrounds with new climbing equipment, slides, catwalks and swings to delight children of all ages.

Equipment at both parks was outdated and broken and replacement parts of the existing equipment was no longer available. Willow Park at 37 Wayside Lane was built in 1999 and Aspen Park, at 7 Aspen Road was built in 1997.

Costs to replace the equipment has risen dramatically since the Village originally budgeted $40,000 for the replacement of Greenacres equipment years ago.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the board approved $342,00 for each playground.

What’s the schedule? The Mayor said, “We're hoping no later than the spring for Aspen Park and fall for Willow Park, and if it can be done sooner, obviously, that that is the goal.”

See the renderings here and see more detailed drawings of what’s coming in the Village agenda packet here: 

Equipment Shed

Trustees approved a gift of $4,460 from the Scarsdale Youth Football Association to build a 10 x 10 equipment shed adjacent to the tennis courts at Crossway Field for storage of set-up equipment. Examples of essential football program equipment include pylons, tackling dummies, and blocking pads, among other items.

Minimum Age for Service

The Board held a public hearing on a code change regarding board and commission membership requirements. The proposed amendment would lower the minimum change for councils, committees and commission membership from age 21 to age 18. And it would allow one non-resident to be appointed to an advisory council provided that they live within the boundaries of the Scarsdale Union Free School District.

Mayor Arest explained that the proposal was made because an applicant for a council who was already participating was a non-resident.

Traffic Light Coming to Edgewood and Post Roads:

After several accidents, residents called for the installation of a traffic light at the intersection of Post and Edgewood Roads to allow pedestrians to safely cross Route 22. Since this is a state road, the light needs to be installed by the New York State Department of Transportation who needs to acquire Village property both in Fee and a Temporary Easement for the construction. At the Village Board meeting on Tuesday August 12, trustees agreed to accept $23,025.00 for a 274 square feet piece of land and grant a temporary easement for a total of 435 square feet. The land currently contains an asphalt path between Post Road and Windsor Lane. This pathway will continue to exist at the completion of the project.

See a detailed map of the area here:

Appointment to the Board of Architectural Review

Jason Young, who is currently an alternate on the BAR was appointed to be a full member.

Demolition of Sanitation Incinerator Building

The Board approved a resolution to spend $38,093 to demolish a non-operational sanitation incinerator building that was built in the 1930’s and is severely deteriorated. The contractor will perform a full scale asbestos and hazardous material removal.

Licensing for Tree Removal Contractors:

The Village is seeking to strengthen laws regarding tree removals by requiring all businesses performing tree cutting, pruning, or removal to obtain an annual license from the Village. Licensees would need to meet insurance requirements, hold a valid Westchester County Home Improvement Contractor’s License, and comply with specified operating standards. The law includes provisions for enforcement, penalties, and potential suspension or revocation of licenses for noncompliance.

Following the Work Session discussion, the draft legislation has been updated to incorporate several clarifications and enforcement enhancements, including:

-A definition of “pruning” to clarify the law’s applicability.
-Expanded license restrictions, barring issuance to revoked licensees, their affiliates, or
businesses in which they hold a 10% or greater interest.
-Explicit requirement to comply with the full Noise Code, not just specified hours.
-Revised hours of operation, prohibiting work before 8:00 a.m. or after 6:00 p.m. on
weekdays, and entirely on weekends and legal holidays.
-An emergency provision allowing the Superintendent of Public Works to temporarily lift
hour restrictions after major storm events.
-A new requirement that all tree debris be removed daily and not placed in public rights-of-
way.
-Clarification that each instance of unlicensed work or missing decals constitutes a separate
offense.
-Increased penalties for business or corporate offenders, with higher fines for repeat
violations.
-Addition of appeal rights under Article 78 for suspended or revoked licenses.

The Board scheduled a public hearing on the proposed changes to the code for September 9, 2025.

Mayor’s Comments

As we gather this evening, I want to take a moment to recognize that August holds a number of important observances and celebrations. August 7 is Purple Heart Day, when we honor those who have been wounded or killed in combat in service to our country. Today, August 12 is International Youth Day, which celebrates the creativity, energy, and contributions of young people around the world. August 26 is Women’s Equality Day, a reminder of the ongoing work toward equity and opportunity. It is also a season when our community is especially active, with neighbors filling our parks, families enjoying our downtown, and volunteers giving their time and energy to causes that matter. This past weekend’s Farmers Market was a perfect example. It was wonderful to see Chase Park and our Village Center full of children and families, enjoying the best of Scarsdale together. My thanks to the Scarsdale Business Alliance for all of their efforts in collaborating with the Village to make Destination Scarsdale a success. And a quick reminder that this Thursday, August 14, at 8 PM in Chase Park will be the final installment of the Westchester Band for this season. I encourage all residents to come out and enjoy this great community tradition.

That spirit of giving is front and center in our collaboration with Feeding Westchester. My sincere thanks to Christine Sciandra in the Manager’s Office and Bob Kaczmarek, Assistant Superintendent of PRC, as well as Deputy Mayor Gruenberg for leading the Village’s efforts in this important partnership. Through the generosity of our residents, the Village collected 3,400 pounds of food, enough to provide approximately 2,833 meals for those in need. Their dedication, along with the kindness of those who contributed, reflects the very best of Scarsdale and shows how much we can accomplish when we work together.

I want to take a moment to recognize Treasurer Ann Scaglione, who will soon depart to become Comptroller for the Town of Cortlandt. When Ann joined the Village, she succeeded a beloved Village Treasurer and inherited systems in need of modernization. From the start, she brought energy, persistence, and expertise, tackling the challenges with focus and determination. Ann introduced meaningful improvements to our operations and moved us toward a truly digital and even more transparent budget process. Her work has strengthened the Village’s financial foundation, making our practices more efficient, more accessible, and more responsive to our residents. While there is always more work ahead, Ann’s contributions have been significant. We thank her for her dedication and service to Scarsdale and wish her every success in this next chapter, along with a shorter commute.

I also want to thank Charles Hessler, who will be leaving us to serve as Irvington’s next Village Administrator this fall. I think we have all seen Charles grow in this role. He has served at a time when we needed significant information technology upgrades, including enhancements to our cyber security systems, and he handled those challenges with diligence and steady leadership. He embraced the demands of the job, navigated change thoughtfully, and made a real impact on the way we work. I have no doubt he will be an excellent administrator for Irvington, and we wish him the very best.

To Christine, Bob, Dara, Ann, and Charles, thank you. Your efforts, leadership, and service have strengthened our community, and we are truly grateful.

Before we close, I also want to acknowledge that we continue to receive concerns and complaints about wireless coverage in the Village, particularly with Verizon Wireless. While some improvements have been attempted over the past few years, the results have been limited and, frankly, disappointing. Our conversations with the carrier remain ongoing, but in the meantime the Village Manager is working with the Technology Advisory Council to explore independent resources that can evaluate our service, assess what has and has not been done, and help identify possible solutions. Unfortunately, there has not been a quick solution but we continue to work on this and will continue to keep the community informed as this work progresses.