From the Village Board: Trees, Parking and a New Ass't Village Manager

Emily Giovanni, Ruby Tower, Alex Marshall and Stephen ShalloTrees, the pool and the appointment of a new Assistant Village Manager were on the agenda of the Village Board meeting on October 14, 2025.

Mayor Justin Arest opened the meeting with some reflections on the season. Though Scarsdale was spared the effects of the weekend rainstorm, he thanked first responders for their preparations. He noted the observance of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Breast Cancer Awareness Month and wished joy and peace to those celebrating Diwali on October 20. With Election Day coming in just a few weeks on November 4 he encouraged residents to make a plan to vote.

Village Manager Alex Marshall noted the following:

-Leaf pick-up has begun. She asked residents to pile leaves near the curb, on the edge of their property – but not in the street. She also warned that leaf piles should not contain branches or twigs.

-The Heathcote Bridge is currently being painted and one lane will be closed for six weeks.

-Central Taxi is operating and ready to serve customers.

-There will be a Fire Prevention Fair at the Crossway Firehouse on Saturday October 18 from 10 am to 2 pm.

Deputy Mayor Dara Gruenberg noted that “Paint the Dale,” a community mural painting event has been moved to October 26, 2025.

Garden Road Development
During public comments developer Eilon Amidor of 69 Morris Lane spoke about a proposed project for a subdivision at 80 Garden Road. He noted that the area faces serious drainage issues and the Village is waiting for grants for stormwater improvement projects to alleviate flooding.

Amidor said that the proposed development site is only 3% wetlands and that the project would reduce the amount of water draining into neighboring homes.

He suggested that the real estate taxes from the additional homes could be used to fund the stormwater improvement projects. He said, “The subdivision will generate $600,000 to $1,000,000 a year in taxes. The work can be done and paid back over time with residents’ tax revenue. We will win because we can develop the property….. The Village would issue a bond that would be paid back from revenue from the subdivision. What is not an option is doing nothing. That does not make sense for anyone. This turns the problem into an opportunity.”

The Mayor responded, “Since there is currently litigation and the matter is before the planning board we cannot comment.”

Alternative Device Fair
Ariana Green and Lisa Berman discussed their work on delaying kids’ use of social media. They are hosting an alternative device fair at the Scarsdale Library on November, 22, 2025. See more here.

Resolutions:

Tennis Courts
The Board approved two resolutions: $656,880 to build three new tennis courts at Crossway Field and $204,000 for repair and resurfacing of tennis courts at the middle school and the high school. The Mayor said that the school district is expected to reimburse the village for half of the cost of the work at the middle school and high school.

Parking
The Board approved a resolution to extend metered parking from 11 pm to 12 am to allow people to park in the Village later at night. Trustee Kofman pointed out that the current Metro North 11:15 pm train arrives at 12:07 am and wondered if the metered parking should be extended to 12:15 am. The Board agreed to monitor it.

Pool Project
In preparation for the pool project, the board approved $67,250 for subsurface investigation for Geotechnical Investigation Services.

Taxis
Regarding taxis, the Board passed a resolution to allow 25 taxicab licenses for 2026.

Assistant Village Manager
A new Assistant Village Manager was appointed at the meeting. Ruby Tower, who now works in Rye, will join the Village Manager’s Office in Scarsdale on October 27, 2025.

Trees
After considerable discussion, the Board approved new regulations that require licensing for companies doing tree cutting, pruning or removals. The law requires the vendor to purchase a license for $250 and display a decal in their vehicle. Tree work can only be performed between 8 am and 6 pm on weekdays (except for emergencies.) The law will take effect on January 1, 2026.

Trustees asked if Con Edison subcontractors would also need licenses and the response was yes.

The Village will work on a communication plan to let residents know who to call if they have questions about tree removals or believe that illegal removals are in process.