Wetlands Protection and Bike Safety Laws Approved by the Scarsdale Board of Trustees

New code changes to protect wetlands, bicycle and e-bike regulations and handicapped accessible taxi cabs were among many subjects reviewed at the Village Board meeting on October 13, 2026.

Before they got started, the Mayor and Deputy Village Manager addressed public safety and some upcoming events.

Suspicious Man in a Van

I want to address the recent reports of students being approached by an individual in a white van. On October eight, the Scarsdale Police Department and the Scarsdale School District issued a joint notice to families outlining two reported incidents and providing important safety guidance. As this remains an active investigation, there is a limit to what I can share this evening. But I want to assure our residents that we take these reports extremely serious. The safety of our children and our community is, and always will be, our highest responsibility. Our closely with neighboring municipalities and other law enforcement agencies. If you see something happening that is an emergency, call 911. Anything else that is suspicious or concerning, please sign back to the police department. For our parents, please take a moment to reinforce basic safety precautions with your children. Never approach an unfamiliar vehicle. Never accept a ride from someone they do not know. Walk with friends whenever possible, and tell a trusted adult right away about anything that makes them uncomfortable

Halloween

About Halloween safety, the Mayor said trick or treaters should carry a flashlight over something reflective. Younger children should be accompanied by an adult, and everyone should stay on sidewalks and cross-eyed corners. Where drivers, please slow down, watch carefully for children that evening.

Freightway

About Freightway, the Mayer said that the Village Board is potentially adopting a final GEIS – or scope at their October 27 meeting and will discuss possible school impacts. Additional meetings on Freightway are planned for December 3, 10 and 15 and the Village will seek public input during those meetings.

Fire Fair

Deputy Village Manager Emily Giovani announced that the Scarsdale Fire Department will host its annual fire fair at Fire Station Three, located at 56 Crossway, on Saturday, October 17th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will feature live fire demonstrations showing the dangers of unattended cooking, hands-on fire extinguisher training. The Red Cross will be on hands to teach hands-only CPR, share emergency preparedness tips, and sign residents up for free smoke alarm installations.
Halloween Window Painting

Halloween

Halloween Window Painting will be held on Sunday, October 18th, in Scarsdale Village and around town. At the same time the Farmers M arket will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. with family activities from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  The Rec Department will host its annual Halloween Parade on Friday, October 30th at 3:30.

Taxicab Licenses
Deputy Mayor Gruenberg introduced a public hearing on a resolution to issue taxicab licenses for up to 25 cabs for the calendar year 2027.

Ann Moretti from 10 Pinecrest Road spoke about the lack of accessible taxis for people with disabilities. She called Scarsdale a “Transportation Desert” for those requiring wheelchair accessible vehicles. She noted that the Village provides $25 in reimbursement to disabled seniors, but questioned how these vouchers could be used since no accessible transportation is available. She noted that in the city, accessible transportation is readily available but there is no way for a wheelchair bound person to use cabs to get to and from the train station, or around town in Scarsdale.

Mary Leptak of 140 Bradley Road agreed with Moretti. She said, “There's so many people in Scarsdale that have needs in terms of accessibility, be it wheelchair or other needs where they need a different kind of car than simply a regular sedan, and there are accessible vans available that are not tremendously expensive.”
The Village Attorney responded saying, “The ADA specifically exempts taxi cabs from accessible tax caps. There was litigation on this in 2012 in New York City, where the Second Circuit, held that New York City did not have the authority to require accessible taxing cabs.

Elizabeth Lawrence of 7 Walworth Avenue said, “I am 100% for having an accessible taxi. Becoming a person who is disabled has changed my life greatly. I cannot get dinner. I cannot go to the movies. I cannot do many things because I cannot get help, and it has really changed my life greatly. So I would say I'm 100% for this model town that we live in, this model village, to be a model of what the right things to do to have accessible taxis for those residents that are disabled.”
The Board approved the resolution to grant the taxicab licenses.

Core Burn Pilates

The Board held a public hearing on a special permit application for Core Burn Pilates to operate a Pilates studio in approximately 1,539 square feet of space on the ground floor at 100 Christie Place, formerly occupied by Bank of America. The special permit was approved.

Freshwater Wetlands

A public hearing was held on proposed changes to Village code regarding building in freshwater wetlands.

The new code changes the definition of wetlands. A memo from the Village Attorney explains, the new definition utilizes “State and Federal definitions, without lessening its protections. This will help ensure that New York’s robust and flexible definition of “wetlands” are consistently applied within the Village. For ease of implementation “watercourses” are now defined as “freshwater wetlands.”

The new code requires administrative approval process for minor structures within 50 to 150 feet of a wetland, and a process for administrative approvals of cutting trees within 50 to 150 feet of wetlands. Under the new code activities are controlled on all land within 150 feet of a sensitive drainage area. Disturbances to land within 25 feet of wetlands are not limited unless there are extenuating circumstances.
The resolution was approved.

Public Comment

However, the code revisions to protect wetlands may have been passed too late to stop development on a small lot on Spier Road.

Ying Ying Na thanked the Board for strengthening the code, but wanted to know if the new provisions could be applied to an application to build a house at 0 Spier Road, a small steeped property near a watercourse. She said, “the amendments are intended to protect wetlands .. the environmental risks associated with construction near our water course do not depend on when application was originally submitted. The risks remain the same regardless of the application date. Zero Spier Road is a particularly relevant example. It is on a small road adjacent to an active stream. The proposed development has not yet been constructed, and the architectural design has been rejected multiple times by the board of architectural reviews. I also notice that Section Five of the September 2 draft expressly states that the amendments apply to both new and pending applications under Chapter 171. As the board prepares to vote on these amendments, I appreciate clarification on how these provisions relate to various attorneys' prior explanation, and whether the amendments law applies to any outstanding approvals or subsequent modifications at 0 Spier Road. More broadly, I hope the environmental protections are fully considered for this property. As of today, 431 new members have signed a petition to stop the development of 00.

The attorney responded, “Those that have received approvals would not be subject to the law that's being adopted.”

A Public Hearing was also held on a resolution regarding changes to the site plan approval process. However, the Planning Board discussed the proposed amendment at its meeting on September 23 and offered comments on site plan approval for cluster subdivisions and flag lots and the site plan referral process for the board of architectural review board and other land use boards. The Board agreed to schedule a work session to review the Planning Board comments.

Public Comments

Joe Lawrence of 7 Walworth asked the Mayor for an update on Con Edison’s plans to remediate damage to sewer laterals that occurred when the utility was installing a high transmission gas line on Walworth.

He asked the Village to get more “proactive with this project because the clock is ticking … and we’re coming into the winter months where the road is going to be frozen.” He said, “I want to remind the Village it is a public safety concern because it is an explosive gas line that, if not properly installed, could pose a threat to public safety.” He continued, “I have to say we're contaminating groundwater as we speak with all those lines not hooked up into our sewage system. It's bleeding out into the underground water.” He asked the Village Attorney to take a look at the releases Con Ed asked residents to sign before the repairs to the sewer laterals was done.

Lori Garfunkel of 63 Lincoln Road spoke about the noise from the temporary pickleball courts at Crossway. She said, “We have lived under intolerable circumstances for many years, and the situation has only worsened… we can't use our yard or open our windows, and even with the windows closed, I can hear constant popping sounds in my house, in my bedroom, in my walls whenever pickleball is being played. Decibel levels are consistently at least 60 decibels. … Ambient sound is about 48, and anything over, according to the American Acoustical Society, over 55 is just not acceptable.”

“The Mayor said we’re continuing to work towards the permanent courts that the community deserves. In August, Scarsdale10583 noted, the Mayor stated that it would probably take about a year to have these courts. I'm just asking you to please work expeditiously to move these courts. And I implore you to do so by this time next year. We have tried to be patient, and the pickleball courts at its current temporary location is a nuisance that we just can't live with”

The Mayor responded, saying that the pickleball courts are temporary and he could not “promise a timeline because it is part of the field project that is currently underway.” But he said, “It is part of the budget and the courts that are there-- while they are new--but much improved because the recreation department realized that the conditions really weren't fair to the residents who were using them, even if it is on a temporary basis. They really did a great job.”

About Con Ed, the Mayor said, “It's a priority. Things come in from Con Ed go to the top of the pile. The Superintendent of Public Works has made it unequivocally clear that the priority needs to be the lateral repair because homeowners might need to sell their houses or just don't want the potential for sewage going anywhere where it's not supposed to, and has been communicating with Con Ed to make. clear the type of documentation and input that we will require, We have not had a meeting with them since that public meeting. The next meeting will be when a realistic timeline is available.”

Referring to the request for the Village Attorney to review the release language he said, “The Village Attorney represents the village, so when I say he doesn't represent any homeowner who lives in that area, I don't want any homeowner in that area to be offended because he also does not represent me as a homeowner.”

Bicycles

The Village Board adopted code changes to restrict the use of bicycles, e-bikes and scooters on sidewalks in the Village of Scarsdale and at the Five Corners.
The new code says:

-No person shall operate a bicycle with electric assist upon any sidewalk in the Village of Scarsdale. Bicycles with electric assist may only be walked upon sidewalks.
-No person shall operate an electric scooter upon any sidewalk in the Village of Scarsdale. Electric scooters may only be walked upon sidewalks.
-No person shall operate an electric personal transportation device upon any sidewalk in the Village of Scarsdale. Electric personal transportation devices may only be walked upon sidewalks.

Commenting on the new code, the Mayer said, “I'm really happy with this.” He acknowledged input from Advisory Council on Seniors and said that he and Deputy Mayor Gruenberg met with the School Superintendent and the Board President and a bike safety program was discussed. He said that bicycle safety is included in the middle school physical education curriculum and that the Village will work on an FAQ about the new law and encourage the schools to share it with students. The Village also intends to post signs about the new law in the Village and at the Five Corners.

Pool Project

The Board approved up to $75,250 for supplemental geotechnical work related to the pool complex redevelopment, including $69,750 for a groundwater study to help evaluate potential cost-saving design alternatives, including relocating pool equipment to above ground and eliminating the partial basement needed for the year-round natatorium.

Subdivision Fee

The Board agreed to a subdivision fee of $42,500 for the subdivision of a lot at 74 Carthage Road.

Gift

The Board accepted a gift of a memorial bench and bronze plaque in honor of Vicki Vandenbark Mathias to be placed in Davis Park.