Petitioners File Lawsuit to Void the 2016 Revaluation
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A group of 151 property owners from the Village of Scarsdale, called the Scarsdale Committee for Fair Assessment, has filed an Article 78 proceeding and a civil action on behalf of themself and the other Scarsdale taxpayers in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of Westchester. The suit was filed on January 13, 2017 to comply with a deadline to file not more than three months after the official 2016 assessment roll for the Village of Scarsdale was filed.
The property owners, representing about 2.6% of the total property owners in the Village of Scarsdale, are represented by Attorney Robert Bernstein, an Edgemont resident who has been a champion of the incorporation of Edgemont for many years. The petition was verified by Mayra Kirkendall-Rodriguez of the Village of Scarsdale. The suit names Village Assessor Nanette Albanese, the Village of Scarsdale and the Mayor and the Board of Trustees of Scarsdale.
The petition asks the court to annul, void and rescind the 2016 assessment roll of the Town/Village of Scarsdale and permanently enjoin the Village from levying taxes on the 2016 roll while rolling back assessments to the prior tax roll which should be "adjusted by the results of any and all grievance proceedings, tax certiorari proceedings and any additions or subtractions to the assessment roll by the assessor in the ordinary course due to new construction and improvements."
If the Village does not rollback assessments to the prior year the petition asks for refunds for the petitioners who "paid more than their fair share ... as determined by what they would have had to pay had there been a rollback of the assessment roll."
The 81-page lawsuit details the history of both the 2014 and 2016 the revaluations, questions the validity of the direct market model used in the 2016 revaluation and contends that owners of Scarsdale's smaller homes now bear more than their fair share of the local property burden.
The filing contains many exhibits, presumably gathered from FOIL requests for emails to and from the Village Assessor's office, Village Manager's office, John Ryan, Al Gatta, John Wolham and others.
It documents errors in the data collection process. In a May 31, 2016 email from Albanese to Ryan she writes, "Gerd marked parcels with plus location adjustments for reasons that are not readily obvious, understandable or explained. In a similar fashion , he also marked other parcels with location and/or size adjustments for reasons I can't figure out either. We'll need good explanations for these types of adjustments and will need them ASAP ... the phone will start ringing off the hook real soon ... Yikes!"
It also claims that prominent elected officials were given favorable tax treatment and presents emails to backup this assertion. In a May 10, 2016 email from from Albanese to Ryan concerning a house at 42 Olmsted Road, Albanese says, "FYI ... this sold for a very high price 2 years ago, or so ago and was subsequently completely gutted (see photos in PAS.) Geothermal heating system, new high-end finishes etc. She's the president of the Scarsdale Board of Education and could be ... Well, you know. Will keep trying .... Thanks." There is no evidence that any Village official requested special treatment.
The filing includes emails documenting many errors in data collection and valuations. A June 10, 2016 email from Patrick McEvily in the assessor's office to Ryan says, "Mrs. Kadison does not have a pool on her property. I removed the pool from the inventory but there is no change in the value. If we make changes in inventory and they impact value, shouldn't the new assessment reflect this change or do I make the change by hand?"
In one lengthy note, Albanese offers an explanation of how circumstances caused the perfect storm to undermine the second revaluation. She cites the following:
Staffing: The assessor's office was short staffed and under stress to handle 756 small claim filings from the 2014 revaluation to prepare and file the 2015 tentative assessment roll.
Complaints: "A never-ending bombardment of nasty complaints from residents, brokers and potential buys about the 2014 reval, including continued pressure and demand for responses to certain issues, documentation and questions about the 2014 reval, long after the May 27, 2014 presentation by Tyler Technologies."
Software: Inadequate assessment software system that is "not written in modern computer language, lacks valuation capabilities applicable to revaluation and the corresponding revaluation components." The department then opted to use NYS RPS software but struggled to bridge it back to the Village SCA software system.
John Ryan: "He became increasingly more difficult to work with and to pin down a timeline for delivery of final values and sometimes refused to do things that I asked of him by responding to my emails. He compounded our computer system problems by not staying on top of our vendor and did not see that it was his responsibility to our taxpayers to shoulder the burden."
The list of the 151 petitioners includes some who often spoke out at Village meetings including Mayra and Brice Kirkendall Rodriguez, Phil Maresco, Norton Rosenzweig and Gregory Soldatenko, but does not include others who also fiercely criticized the Trustees, the Assessor and the 2016 Revaluation including Robert Berg, Robert Harrison, Steve Rakoff and Ron Parlato. We asked Berg why he did not add his name to the list and he explained that since his assessment went down between 2014 and 2016 he had nothing to gain from the action. This may also be the case with Rakoff and Parlato.
One petitioner who was not over assessed joined the suit anyway. He explained, "I joined the Article 78 even though I wasn't over-assessed after grieving my initial valuation. The issues here go beyond economic harm. Taxation lies at the very heart of municipal government. If taxes cannot be assessed in the most competent and open way possible, it creates a fault line at the heart of the entire system. I do believe that the Trustees who voted for this latest assessment were misled and that the Village attorney has acted in good faith in laying out the Village's options or lack thereof. The blame seems to lie with the person who carried out the assessment, John Ryan, who misled, coerced and ultimately showed his incompetence. That being said, I view this Article 78 action as a way for residents to act on the Village's behalf. The Village cannot nullify its published tax roll, but residents acting on its behalf can do so. I do hope the Village sees the Article 78 proceeding as a lifeline that extricates it from a rotten situation and given that, chooses not to fight it."
We asked the Mayor and Village Attorney Wayne Esannason for a comment on the suit. Esannason declined to answer questions about who would defend the Village and what the potential cost might be to taxpayers. He said that the Article 78 had been received, but that the Village had not yet been served and he could not comment on active litigation.
In the past, Mayor Jon Mark repeatedly owned up to flaws in the 2016 revaluation, but said that the grievance process was the way for residents to address inequities. At the October 16, 2016 meeting of the Village Board, Mark quoted legal precedent which says, "The town board, therefore, has no authority to substitute its judgment for that of the assessor and the exclusive remedy available to a property owner, who considers himself aggrieved by reason of any assessment made by the assessor, is that which is provided by Article 5 and Article 7 of the Real Property Tax Law."
He also reviewed the possibility of asking the NYS Legislature to void the revaluation, offering the following; "The threshold question before us is not whether we can make such a request, but rather if we did and even if it were granted would that be the best result for the Village as a whole. It is on this threshold question that I have a different view from those residents who have urged us to make such a request. I believe that even if the final 2015 assessment roll could be reinstated, that would not be the best result, have stated so previously and will repeat some of what I have said before on this subject."
He explained, "As a practical matter, if authorizing legislation was passed, implementation would likely not be feasible until deep into 2017 either concurrent with the time for issuance of initial tax bills – or even after initial tax bills went out based on the 2016 valuations still in place. This would create a chaotic scenario in the administration of taxes on the County and local level increasing the possibility of incorrect billings, the need to issue refunds and additional tax bills. Such a scenario would be another source of distress for residents that cannot be dismissed."
Robert Berg, who headed The Assessment Revaluation Committee who recommended the first revaluation, said that he repeatedly raised red flags about the 2016 revaluation before June 1, 2016, calling it a train wreck waiting to happen.
Berg said, "The Village has already acknowledged that Ryan screwed up. The New York State Office of Real Property Assessment found that the Ryan reval undervalued Scarsdale real estate by $1 billion and assigned an equalization rate to bring Scarsdale up to fair market value."
Berg predicted that "It was going to be tough for the Village to defend this revaluation," and suggested that it might be less expensive for the Village to settle the case, give refunds for overpayment to the 151 petitioners and rollback assessments to the adjusted 2014 tax roll than to litigate and perhaps lose in court.
About the Mayor's claim that the Village had no recourse once the flawed tax roll was filed, Berg said, "The Village had a basis to challenge this and should have pursued it." Berg concluded, "The Village is in a real pickle here and it could have been avoided had they waited another year or two to do this next revaluation."
Another resident took the long view. "It is their right to sue, and I am not suggesting that the reval situation was/is a good one, but legal merits aside, it will cost the taxpayers more money, so it seems a counter-productive action to me. The Village will now have to hire counsel and pay for the defense of the suit, using already stretched time and money resources ... and these very people will have to pay for that, too. It's illogical to me! Can't help but wonder if they will be the first to complain that they are not getting the treatment they feel they deserve on the ordinary business of the community? As for the merits, the legitimate concerns about the practices and oversight of the Ryan Reval are unquestioned by most, including the Trustees, so accusations of corruption on the part of our volunteer Board of Trustees? Really? That is way WAY too far! I am further confused by the energy spent to return to the last reval... didn't it also have over 1000 grievances? Didn't a whole bunch of folks hate that outcome too? Isn't that why the Village pursued a reval adjustment in the first place? Seems like we should remember the big picture -- the real issue is that 40+ years went by without a reassessment, leaving a great deal of unfair tax burdens around. And now, its painful getting that fixed. Its not going to be easy, and there needs a good deal of work done on this, and probably quickly. Ryan was a step backward, but let's move forward... and spend our resources productively."
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Trustees Approve Renovations to Fire Station #1 and Hire Consultants to Review Assessor's Office
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The Board of Trustees approved funding for a major renovation to the firehouse on Popham Road at the January 10th meeting. Before reviewing those resolutions, the Board discussed several other issues:
Assessor's Office:
Mayor Jon Mark provided an update on the Village's response to objections to the 2016 revaluation, and announced that the Village will retain a municipal management consulting firm to review the assessor's office and make recommendations on moving forward with the next revaluation. Vendors are now under review.
Mark said that the Board had conferred with lawyers about the assessor, who was appointed in October 2013 for a six-year term. He said that personnel changes were under consideration. Formation of an ad hoc committee on a future revaluation will be deferred until the Village had a better picture of changes in the assessor's office.
As for J.F. Ryan, the contractor who conducted the 2016 revaluation, the Village is still holding $43,000 due from the contract and also has not paid Ryan an additional $6,000 he billed for his appearance at Village Hall in August 2016. Ryan's lawyer has sent two letters to the Village demanding payment.
Food Scrap Recycling:
The Mayor announced a new Food Scrap Recycling Program that allows residents to collect food scraps and bring them to the Secor Road Recycling Center where they will be collected and ultimately trucked to a composting facility. Michelle Sterling and Ron Schulhof joined the Mayor on the dais to display the new food composting kit that can be purchased for $20. See more about the program here. Community members can request an in-home demonstration on how to recycle food from a member of the committee.
Village Budget:
Village Manager Steve Pappalardo said that the Village staff is in the process of working on the Village budget for 2017-18. A first pass of the budget will be presented to the board and community on January 19 and the public is invited to attend.
Public Comments:
In the public comments portion of the meeting Mayra Kirkendall Rodriguez wished all Scarsdalians good health, happiness, love and peace. She invited residents of old Scarsdale to join the Old Scarsdale Neighborhood Association and she implored the police to enforce speed limits. She said, "People think Fox Meadow Road is the autobahn. This morning I chased a car down Fox Meadow Road to tell her to stop when the school bus is stopped." She urged all residents who are over assessed to email her and said she would file the article 78 on Friday. She said that the "Mayor and Board of Trustees do not seem to be troubled by tax distribution" adding, "This year we will be forced to pay more in county and school taxes for erroneously assessed homes." She claimed that, "Ryan gave breaks to those with the right connections," and complained that she had not received emails she foiled seven months ago from the Village." She thanked "Trustee Callaghan for not submitting to pernicious "group think" and voting against the library." About the CNC she said, "I hope the CNC vets candidates for competency and numeracy. Diversity is importance. I thank Ms. Conkling and Mr. Cole for their work – I wish we could clone you."
Village Attorney Wayne Esannason replied to Rodriguez saying that the Village had released 14,834 emails on July 18 and 15,496 emails in October. Of the 3,545 remaining emails, the Village turned over 1,142 in December. He said, "You will be provided with an explanation as to why the rest were withheld."
Gifts for the Library:
The Board of Trustees accepted the following gifts to the Scarsdale Public Library Addition and Renovation Capital Improvement Project, totaling $153,496.
Friends of the Scarsdale Library: $147,495
Zhenyu Wang and Cuiwei Lin - $500
Ning Yuan - $1,000
Yuan-Ting Yang and Kaechun Wang - $500
Qing He - $1,500
Jing Li - $1,500
Yutong Xie and Mengrong Cheng - $1,500
Additional Funds for Road Repairs:
The Board approved a supplemental appropriation for road repairs of $36,842, brining the total funds for road resurfacing in the 2016-17 budget to $1,337,086.
Village Election:
The Board authorized the Village Election to be held on Tuesday March 21, 2017 at a new location, The Scarsdale Public Library.
Renovation of Fire Station #1:
Discussion then turned to a series of resolutions authorizing renovations to fire station #1 at Village Hall. Currently, the station is too small to accommodate the equipment and the sinking driveway is being supported by 15 jacks. The Board has been reviewing plans for the renovation since 2007 and plans had to be scaled back when the construction estimates came in at $5.1 million, well in excess of the budget. Plans were modified, replacing a stair tower and an indoor elevator with a lift and outdoor stairway, but still include a full structural renovation of the building, new dormitories for female firefighters, a bigger, more modern kitchen and new bathrooms for the paid staff and the volunteers. There will be new HVAC and insulation, a sprinkler system and 90% of the electrical and plumbing will be replaced. The new fire communication system will exceed the system in the public safety building.
Firefighters attended a December, 2016 board meeting and said they had not been consulted about the renovations and complained that their needs were not addressed. However, the Board of Trustees later met with the group and reviewed their concerns.
At the meeting, the Board passed several resolutions designating funding and authorizing work on the project. The final estimate for the work is $3,834,165 of which $2.9 million comes from a bond offering with another $820,000 transferred from the unassigned general fund. The board passed resolutions awarding $2,246,400 for construction, $474,000 for electrical work, $314,600 for plumbing, $361,100 for mechanicals and $46,000 for lead abatement.
All the trustees were on board with the renovation, with the exception of Matt Callaghan who thought the plans were misguided and wanted the Village to begin the process again, using architects and engineers who specialize in the design of firehouses.
Callaghan said, "We are throwing good money after bad. Six years and there is no shovel in the ground. Griggs and Davis are structural engineers, not firehouse engineers. They have no firehouse experience. Do we entrust life safety issues of 5,700 homeowners and roughly 18,000 people to an organization such as this? We had a death on the Boulevard a few weeks ago... we had another one 42 years ago. We do not want that to happen again. The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the cheap price is forgotten. ...I recommend we start again."
Trustee Stern answered Callaghan saying, "The idea was not to build a new firehouse. The idea was to make it safe and able to accommodate the new equipment. Expediency is very important here. We hired a firm who was focused on structural integrity. Dorms and bathrooms will be upgraded in the renovation."
Village Manager Steve Pappalardo reviewed the history of the project. "We began this project in 2007. Our initial goals were to handle the settlement of the driveway and the deterioration of girders. We hired Scarsdale engineers who worked on the public safety building. We needed to address the safety of bays so we put in supports for the girders and addressed the driveway. The plan includes new dorms and bathrooms for men and women, a new meeting room and a new generator for village hall. The finishing work will be completed by Village maintenance staff. We will have sprinklers, upgraded water, plumbing and gas. The construction meets the initial intent to repair deficiencies and adds space."
Fire Chief Seymour also endorsed the project. "If we had an endless supply of funds and a new parcel of property I would not endorse this. But if you look at the existing building, only one truck fits inside. After the project, all apparatus will fit into the building. Our building will be safer and fit the heavy apparatus. The ramp is now being supported by jacks to hold up the driveway. We will have a newer station
It will last for the foreseeable future. It will allow us to safely respond to the community and I support it."
Trustee Jane Veron questioned Paul Zaicek, the Director of Capitol Projects for the Village of Scarsdale about the use of the funds. He assured her that the money was being well spent and that the renovated firehouse would serve the Village for years to come.
Trustee Carl Finger expressed concern that the firefighters had not been given an earlier opportunity to weigh in on the project. He said, "I read the correspondence that we received from the firefighters and listened to the comments from Mr. Mancini and took that seriously. I have been to several meetings with the engineers and this project has been discussed half a dozen times. Money was borrowed for this particular project. I am disappointed that I wasn't aware that there were concerns that we didn't know about until now. I am not sure it would have changed what we may do tonight. In the future we will try to alert the community early and hear your concerns. We do want it to be safe --and I believe this renovation will put us in a better position to deal with issues. I look forward to a more robust and timely exchange on other issues in the future."
All the resolutions passed with everyone voting in favor save Trustee Callaghan.
Library Project is a Go! Village Board Approves $9.9 MM Bond Offering
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Calling the proposed library renovation a right-sized project at the right time, the Scarsdale Village Board made history on Tuesday night 12-13 when they approved a $9.9 million bond offering to fund the "public" portion of the ambitious project which will update and expand Scarsdale's aging library. Trustee Bill Stern said the library was "The jewel in the crown of the community," and voted "yes" for the bond saying "We owe it to Scarsdale to make that crown shine." Plans call for a complete overhaul of the library that will open up the main reading room, add meeting spaces, install new wiring and technology, expand the children's and teen areas and include a café that will serve as a gathering place for the community.
The vote marked the culmination of six years of planning by Scarsdale Library Board of Trustees, who began the process with focus groups and an assessment of community needs. Non-profit consultants Plan A Advisors were retained to evaluate the potential for private fundraising. Schematics were drawn to address these needs and allowed the board to get estimates of what it would cost to take the library into the 21st century.
The group overcame major obstacles, specifically fierce objections to the 2016 Revaluation that consumed almost all of the Village Board's attention for the better part of a year and brought out a cost-conscious segment of the community who railed against higher taxes and public spending. Ultimately the Library Board managed to re-position the proposed library renovation as the answer to the Village's woes, switching the focus from taxes to investment in the community. They communicated the concept of a 21st century cultural and intellectual hub that would serve all residents from tots to seniors, now and for future generations.
When the Village Board proposed putting the bond offering to a community-wide referendum, the group advocated for the Village Board to use their authority to make the decision themselves. Perhaps they feared that a Village-wide vote might incite a backlash, similar to a movement that brought the first negative school budget vote in Scarsdale in 2013. At the meeting on Tuesday night, trustees voted down a resolution to put the bond offering to a village-wide vote.
Undoubtedly a key piece of the group's success was their ability to attract a large and capable group to their team, who reached out to the community at large, were a constant presence at Village Hall and were flexible in addressing criticisms. In response to objections to the original $20.5 million project, they identified $3 mm in cost savings in July 2016, bringing the cost down to $17.9 million.
The Library Capitol Campaign Committee has pledged to raise a total of $7.5 million and they have already met $4.1 million of that goal. At the meeting on Tuesday, Dara Gruenberg, who heads the Campaign Committee, made a surprise announcement that they had secured two major donations of $1 million each, contingent upon the Village Board's approval of the bond. That $2 million puts them at $4.1 million to date.
Funds will come from a variety of sources. Proponents pointed out that the Village Board had already approved $4.5 million for renovations to the existing building in 2014. They also believe that during the two years that the library will be closed there will be $1.5 million in operational cost savings to the Village. In addition, the Village Manager has also applied for a $500,000 grant from the NYS Dormitory Authority that will be used toward this project.
Under the terms of the resolution, private contributions will need to be secured before the Village issues the $9.9 million bond offering. The agreement says, "No bonds or notes shall be sold by the Village Treasurer pursuant to the authority delegated to the Village Treasurer here in unless and until an aggregate of $7,500,000 expected to be received from the Friends of the Library or other sources shall have been received by the Village Treasurer or are available from a Qualify Back-stop Facility."
Though the Library Board has now achieved this major hurdle, the Campaign Committee will still need to raise another $3.4 million to make the project a reality.
Commenting on the vote, Terri Simon, the President of the Board of the Scarsdale Library said, "The Library Board is so pleased by the vision and leadership shown by the Village Board in approving the $9.9 million bond resolution, a critical step toward making a 21st century library a reality for Scarsdale. The trustees worked immensely hard, as our elected representatives, asking us focused and challenging questions about project complexities for several years, and the project is the better for it. We appreciate their commitment now to moving forward in a way that will be good for all of Scarsdale. We are also immensely gratified by the outpouring of community support for the project, and we are confident that, with the Village commitment, we will be able to complete the private fundraising that will, with the benefit of this unusual public-private partnership, bring the project to fruition."
In a meeting that extended to midnight, each Trustee offered a lengthy explanation for their vote, which was six for and one against.
Jane Veron said that she "joined the board with no preconceived ideas about the library, but after lots of research I will support the project and vote no to a referendum." She continued, "The library is woefully inadequate. ... It would be irresponsible not to act now when we have private funds at the ready. The library is core to our brand. Families expect us to have a library like or better than like towns... Our community prides itself on engaged learning...We believe in the power of Scarsdale."
Matt Callaghan was the sole "no" vote on the board. He had reservations about securing the pledges and feared construction cost overruns that would be paid for by the Village. Instead, he favored funds going to the renovation of Fire Station #1, calling it a "life and death matter."
Bill Stern showed a photo of duct tape holding up a portion of a wall at the library. He said, "Keep the library in the 21st century. There is not enough space, not enough room and services are stymied. I think this is a godsend for the community. It will maintain Scarsdale's property values and make it attractive in the future."
Carl Finger acknowledged and thanked the public, saying, "It's been an education." He said this issue "Has had the most public participation of any in recent memory .... and there has been lots of research and involvement." He said, that "Circulation, attendance and events and usage have been increasing every year." Justifying the expense, he said, "The Village is getting the library at half the price" and it is "incumbent upon us to improve our village." He voted "yes."
Trustee Deb Pekarek concurred, remembered her experience with libraries as a child, a mother and a teacher. She said, "I can conjure up libraries all over the country and have visceral remembrances of past and present. " She called libraries places of "adventure and discovery," and said, "Now is the time to weigh the project we have before us." She said that "careful cost controls are in place," and voted yes.
Trustee Marc Samwick said he was originally skeptical of the plan but ultimately decided that the Village's net investment was only $4 million more than they would have paid for a renovation. He promised to "remain diligent as we move forward" and said he was "proud to vote in favor of this library that we will enjoy for decades to come."
Mayor Jon Mark call the Library Board "a driving force" and said the library had been on the agenda at 40 public meetings. He said, "libraries are very much in demand," and "are treated as a core function in communities large and small, adding, "There is no reason that Scarsdale should not act now." He quoted former Scarsdale School Superintendent Harold Howe (1960-64) who said, "What a school thinks about its library is a measure of what it feels about education" and said "The same can be said about a village. What we think about our library is a measure of what we feel about education in a broader sense here in Scarsdale. Now is a moment to show this is a core value and we are prepared to make an investment both for ourselves and those who come after us."
The Board voted 6-1 to approve the bond offering and voted unanimously against a public vote on the bond referendum. You can watch the meeting in its entirety here:
Village Loses Two More Retailers
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The new year begins with the loss of two more stores in Scarsdale Village. Candy 'n Cards, marked 50 years in Scarsdale by announcing that it would close it's doors on January 31. The 99 year-old owner, Emily Hirsch is a Village treasure and celebrates her birthdays with a public celebration each June.
Last June we asked her for her secret to longevity and here is what she advised:
- Get up everyday and go about your business
- Be happy
- Hopefully have good genes
Though Hirsch is beloved, she struggled to maintain sales recently and decided that now is the time to move on. Everything will be half off at the store until she closes on January 31, 2017.
Pure Raw Juice on Harwood Court, that offered juice blends and natural food snacks is also closing, leaving yet another vacant storefront downtown. Imagine Candy, also on Harwood Court closed in October after making a valiant effort to make a go of a profitable business in town.
As vacancies increase, it becomes more and more difficult for the existing stores to get enough street traffic. One successful retailer told Scarsdale10583 that he considered expanding his operation into the adjacent empty storefront. However, the landlord was unwilling to negotiate the rent, despite the fact that the space has been unoccupied for almost two years.
Is it time for Scarsdale landlords to reduce rents? With more reasonable rents, perhaps the Village can attract some mom and pop or individually owned stores, selling everyday necessities and food to attract buyers to Scarsdale. Frozen yogurt, stationary, small electronics, children's shoes plus a variety of restauranteurs would be welcome additions to town.
Free Parking, Tree Lighting and Breakfast with Santa in Scarsdale
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It's holiday time in Scarsdale Village. Events kick off with the tree lighting in Boniface Circle on Friday at 5, followed by breakfast with Santa at SHS on Saturday morning, and free parking in the Village from December 19 – 27. Come out and enjoy!
Christmas Tree Lighting:
The Scarsdale Christmas Tree will be lit on Friday December 9 at Boniface Circle at 5 pm. There will be a visit from Santa and a serenade from the Hoff-Barthelson carolers. Bring the kids to meet Santa.
Holiday Breakfast:
Meet Santa at the holiday breakfast in the Scarsdale High School Cafeteria on Saturday December 10 from 9:00- 11:00 am. Enjoy a pancake breakfast courtesy of Lange's Deli, while making holiday crafts and taking pictures with Santa. Fee $5.00.
Free Parking:
The Village of Scarsdale is pleased to provide two (2) hours of free parking in downtown Scarsdale from December 19th through December 27th at specifically marked locations.
The Village hopes this initiative will attract residents and visitors to the Village Center to shop local this Holiday Season. In order to ensure maximum access to parking spaces the Scarsdale Police Department will enforce the two (2) hour parking limit. Merchants and their employees are asked to park in the longer term metered and permit parking spaces located throughout the Village Center.
The decision to offer free holiday parking in the Village Center originated through discussions among key stakeholders in the Village including representatives of the Village Board, Village Staff, Village Center merchants and landlords.
