Another Revaluation in the Works
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Though Scarsdale residents have still not paid their first real estate tax bill based on the 2014 Village-wide revaluation, plans are afoot for the next reassessment effective for the June 1, 2016 tax assessment role. This next phase will be a "de novo" or fresh approach and all properties will again be revalued. This may come as a surprise to the 750 homeowners who now have grievance appeals before the court. What it means is that even if the court grants these property owners reductions now, those assessed values will only be in force until the new assessment role is issued. The new valuations will be based on recent sales, not on the current assessments on the Village tax role.
Why now? In order to benefit from the Aid for Cyclical Reassessment Program from the NYS Real Property Services the Village will need to do a reassessment every four years. Though this program will only provide Scarsdale with $29,000 in aid, ($5 per parcel) it is considered best practice for municipalities to conduct regular reassessments and maintain the tax role at 100% of market value.
Unlike the recent reassessment, inspectors will not enter every home to do a physical inventory. Instead, full inspections will be done at newly constructed homes and those that have undergone renovations and additions. Village Assessor Nanette Albanese estimates that 300-400 homes will have interior inspections.
The aid program also requires that every property be physically inspected once every six years. In order to comply, over the next six years the assessors office will view all properties from the street and scan current photos on file.
In order to reassess the entire Village inventory, the Village will use a Direct Market Model Method and a Cost Approach. Using sales data from July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2015 statisticians will formulate a statistical model to predict current market values of all parcels in Scarsdale. The Cost Approach incorporates a land valuation component, an estimate of current improvement costs and depreciation. This data is secondary and only used for unique properties and new construction.
For the recent reassessment, Scarsdale used an Automated Comparable Sales Technique (AVM) along with the Direct Market Model approach. The Village will not use the AVM method for the next reassessment because (according to the Village Assessor) "the public frequently cannot accept that the valuation of their property that was predicted on computer-selected comparable sales that they do not necessarily see as the most comparable; and regardless of the accuracy of the final value estimates, this technique has been shown to produce results that can also vary markedly from the prior year."
The cost for the next revaluation is estimated to be $255,000 that will be paid over three years, with $105,000 from the 2014-15 budget, and $75,000 per year from the 2015-16 and 2016-17 Village budgets. This amount is not exempt from the tax cap, making it even more challenging for the Village to comply with the cap while maintaining services.
Residents and brokers will have to get used to a new tax assessment system where properties are reassessed on a regular basis – making it trickier to predict future assessments. On the other hand, this new protocol will prevent the great inequalities in real estate taxes that existed before Scarsdale's 2014 tax revaluation, which was done after 45 years. Village managers hope that eventually the number of grievances will drop as residents can see how their assessments relate to market value and accept the validity of their valuations.
Trustees Debate Historic Preservation and FAR Regulations
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- Written by Melissa Hellman
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Historic Preservation and the FAR Regulation were hotly debated at a joint meeting of the Law and Land Use Committees of the Scarsdale Board of Trustees on Monday October 27. The Village Code regarding Historic Preservation and the question of whether or not gravel areas should be considered impervious surfaces provoked much discussion driving the meeting to over two hours.
The Historic Preservation Law was the first topic discussed. The Board of Trustees and the Village staff are considering a more pro-active approach to identifying properties of historic significance. The concept is that the Village would hire a firm to conduct a comprehensive study of Scarsdale homes and identify which homes are truly historic using criteria from the New York State guidelines and the Board of Trustees. The consultants conducting the study would provide significant detail as to which whole property or which elements of a property are historic and why. Once a property was designated as historic, all changes, additions and/or renovations would have to be approved by the Committee on Historic Preservation (CHP).
Scarsdale Village conducted a less in-depth similar study a few years ago that would be used as a starting point for this new study. It is anticipated that the number of homes that would be designated historic would be less than 70. Homeowners with potential historic properties would have the right to appeal the designation with the Board of Trustees. Once the list was finalized, however, it would be the defining list of historic homes in Scarsdale to be used by the Village far into the future.
This idea is in the preliminary stages and the Village will be sending out an RFP to get a sense of the cost of such an undertaking. Village Manager Al Gatta thought the cost would be in the six-figure range (he didn't indicate high or low). Pending the receipt of proposals and details, there appeared to be a lot of support for the overall concept.
Trustee Stacey Brodsky made mention of the fact that if this program goes into effect, Scarsdale will essentially have no demolition law. If the process described above does not designate a house as historic, the owner will have the right to tear down.
In the interim, requests for demolition will continue in the usual manner with some slights changes described by the Board Of Trustees. The current process requires the initial review of the demolition request by the CHP and the appeal, if any, to be heard by the Board of Architectural Review (BAR). From now on, the Board of Trustees will hear appeals. Trustee Brodsky explained that in addition to the fact that she felt that CHP appeals should be decided by an elected body, the BAR should focus on what should be built, not what should or shouldn't be torn down.
The second topic on the agenda was a discussion of whether or not gravel should be considered an impervious service. Since gravel is currently considered as pervious, builders have been able to build larger houses (capitalizing on increased lot coverage ratios) on smaller lots by installing a gravel driveway instead of asphalt. The Village is very close to signing a contract with an engineering firm to conduct a study of the effects of changing this code including the consequences and plans for non-conforming building lots. The study is expected to take 6-8 months. At this stage, there was a lot of support for changing this regulation so that going forward gravel would be considered the same as asphalt and most people at the meeting seemed to believe the consultants' report would ultimately lead to that recommendation.
The lot coverage discussion segued into a discussion of the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) regulations and how to implement changes, if any, which would have impact on the preservation of open space in the village. The Board of Trustees is trying to address concerns that very large houses are being built on small lots consequently impacting neighbors and visually changing neighborhoods. The current FAR regulations were implemented in 2002. There was a tremendous amount of pushback from various constituents regarding the strictness of the proposed requirements when the current regulations were being brought into law. With this recent history in mind, the Board is realistically assuming that any changes it will be able to make will be somewhat incremental. How can they be sure that a small-scale, approvable change to FAR will have impact? Many different ideas were discussed including hiring an architect to create drawings of a mock Scarsdale street under the current FAR and a more restrictive FAR to help determine the impact and also proposed was the use of computer modeling using different FAR regulations. There was a lot of discussion of this very complex issue with no real resolution except that the Board of Trustees and the Village will continue to work together to study the current FAR requirements and determine the best way to move forward.
Scarsdale's Other Leaf Effort Gets Underway
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This article was submitted to Scarsdale10583 by Lee Fischman of the Scarsdale Leaf Educaction Task Force: Scarsdale residents accustomed to Fall leaf piles and to Village vacuuming trucks are soon to discover there's another way – mulching on site. "Mulch mowing" uses lawnmowers to grind leaves into a finely shredded material that settles inconspicuously into the lawn, enhancing your lawn while also mitigating the need to haul and dispose of Village leaves outside of Scarsdale.
Despite the fact that mulch mowing has been adopted by other Westchester communities and that Scarsdale's parks, recreation fields, schools and other properties are currently mulched, Scarsdale residents have been slow to adopt the practice. The Village and school district contractors and crews find mulch mowing to be an effective and time saving method of managing fall leaves to benefit the properties. Many local landscapers are also finding that mulch mowing is good for their business, as leaves immediately processed during mowing don't have to be blown and then hauled. For that matter, basic leaf (and grass) mulching simply involves passing a mower over a lawn and not collecting the cut material.
Last week a Village Leaf Education Task Force was convened with the mission to educate residents and landscapers about mulch mowing, initiate a community dialog, and facilitate the possible transition from vacuuming. The Task Force is composed of representatives from the Village Board of Trustees and Staff, Village Conservation Advisory Council, Scarsdale Forum, Friends of the Scarsdale Parks, Junior League of Central Westchester, and the League of Women Voters. The Greenburgh Nature Center, an organization with extensive knowledge and experience with mulch mowing, has been contracted by the Village's Board of Trustees to assist in the design and operation of the educational effort. The mulching education campaign will include:
• A Village-wide post card mailing;
• Live demonstrations of mulch mowing in Chase Park, to be conducted by commercial contractors. At each demonstration, a raffle will be held for a lawn mower mulching kit, including installation. The raffle will be open to landscapers only;
• Online and cable TV videos of mulch mowing demonstrations;
• Online mulch mowing resources at Scarsdale.com and elsewhere;
• A short survey to gauge resident attitudes on Village leaf collection and other options;
• A Leaf Information Hotline to assist residents with questions;
• A Public Information and Comment Meeting at Village Hall scheduled for November 25, 2014;
• Informational banners to be hung at Post and Crane Roads and Chase Park
The Village's leaf mulching campaign is independent of any potential change in the Village's collection practices, as residents can mulch leaves regardless. The Task Force seeks to encourage leaf mulching through mowing and other means, to educate residents and landscapers on the wide variety of circumstances in which it is appropriate, and to introduce tools and practices which can dramatically improve results.
The Task Force is already soliciting public comment and questions. Voice your opinion by taking the Leaf Mulching and Handling Survey:
The Leaf Information Hotline also is now open at 722-1314 to assist interested residents in getting started with mulch mowing.
Shop Local for Halloween Treats
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Haunt the Dale for special Halloween treats and gifts. Local retailers have some wonderful surprises in store. Here's what we found around town:
Scary Delicious Pops from Imagine Candy on Harwood Court in Scarsdale: These Rice Crispy Pops are covered in chocolate and decorated for the season with Halloween designs. These delicious pops are made in a nut-free facility. Imagine Candy creates these pops for holidays, parties and can be customize with different shapes and colors, including names.
Gourmet Tricky Treats from Balduccis: 
Balduccis has Vampire Teeth lollipops plus high quality treats – some with natural ingredients. Stop by for:
Surf Sweet Fruit Juice Gummie Bears made with organic fruit juice and sweeteners – they are even gluten-free.
Madyson's Gourmet Pumpkin Marshmallows --pumpkin-shaped marshmallows treated with pure can sugar.
Godiva Chocolate Covered Mini Pretzels
in a special Halloween-themed box.
Halloween Themed Gifts from Current Home on Palmer Avenue
Looking for a fun hostess gift for Halloween weekend? Check these out:
Still Life Skull Votives $50 each (Kosta Boda): Unique votive makes a good conversation piece,
Handcrafted Candy Book $25 (Assouline): From the first candy shops in Medieval Europe to Tagada Strawberries that have delighted children worldwide, this book takes you on the historic journey of candy and sweets from New York, New Delhi, and Paris to Tokyo, London, and beyond.
Skull Book $ 45 (Current Home Exclusive )
This book has been rebound in designer parchment paper in various colors and patters.
Skull Pillows $165 each (Current Home Exclusive )
Gilded Luxe Glam Rock Velvet isn't Underground anymore. The Gilded Luxe collection has been kissed by the Rock n' Rock Gods. Each pillow wears a classic rock image taking Glam Rock to new heights.
Whatever your sweet tooth desires this Halloween - you'll find it in Scarsdale. The Chamber of Commerce and merchants encourage you to shop local.
A Celebration of Multi-Culturism
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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The international flavor of Scarsdale was celebrated at the Fox Meadow Multi-Cultural Breakfast on Friday October 3rd. This year's breakfast, hosted by Claudine Gecel and Stephen Sabba, was very well attended - and I was lucky enough to snag an invitation.
Roughly fifty people turned out including Principal, Duncan Wilson, Teacher In Charge Colleen Mangan, Spanish Language Teacher, Shaun Johnson, ESL Teacher, Jennifer Adler, PTA President, Margot Milberg, and Scarsdale's BOE President, Mary Beth Gose. Everyone enjoyed fabulous homemade food from all over the world, and no one left the premises contemplating lunch. The excellent food was complimented by lively conversation from natives of the North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
Principal Duncan Wilson captured everyone's attention when he shared a poignant story about Fox Meadow School's celebrated the Sochi Olympics: During an assembly, Mr. Wilson asked everyone who moved to Scarsdale from another city or state to stand up. Then he asked everyone who moved from another country to stand up. Next, he asked everyone who had a parent from another country to stand up. After that, he asked everyone who had a grandparent from another country to stand up. By that time, almost every single child in the entire school's auditorium was standing tall. Mr. Wilson pointed out that he felt the community is doing a great job teaching children about their multi-cultural heritage - and should continue with their positive efforts.
Credit is due to Fox Meadow's Multi-Cultural Co-Chairs Ryoko Fujii, Juhana (Chelsea) Jiang, Nosipho Kweta, Hongtal (Jennifer) Liu, Sonia Maronilla, and Wuhong (Emily) Zhang. Some folks were able to snap a few pictures, and they are posted below.
