Noisy Overnight Demolition Planned for Popham Road Bridge
- Details
- Hits: 3619
Demolition of the old portions of the Popham Road Bridge is set for June 18th through the end of July and some residents are not happy. The trouble is that the work will be done at night, between 9 pm and 5 am and will utilize drills, jackhammers and backhoes. The plan is to demolish the concrete deck, concrete abutments, concrete footings and structural steel – and this work needs to be done at night for safety reasons. Due to requirements from Metro North, the demolition has to done when the trains are out of service.
According to an email from Scarsdale Village, “the noise level will vary in intensity depending on the type of demolition being performed. The Village has directed the contractor, whenever possible, to perform the noisiest work at the beginning part of the night. “
Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner who represents residents who live on the Edgemont side of the bridge, says that he has already received complaints about noise from those who live on the west side of the Bronx River Parkway near the bridge.
He is currently circulating these two emails:
With all due respect, we are working people and need to sleep. This is a form of torture. It is after 11 p.m. and the drilling is keeping me awake. I need to get up at 5 a.m. This is unbearable.
Please make them stop.
Just to point out that it is 3:07 am and the house is wide awake from the jack hammering. This is UNACCEPTABLE!!! I trust this will not happen again and ask assurance that no jack hammering will happen again after midnight.
In response, Feiner says that he “reached out” to Scarsdale Village to ask them or the contractor to pay for hotel stays for residents who live near the bridge and are adversely affected by the noise.
However, Village Manager Al Gatta explained that though it is unfortunate that the work has to be done in the wee hours of the morning, housing residents in hotels is not an option. Here is his reply to Feiner:
We are on Stage 3 relative to the Popham Road Bridge construction. Stage 3 is the last intensive stage of work and involves demolition of footings, abutments, structural steel in the center of the old bridge and the concrete road deck (the north and south wings of the new structure are already in place). Since this work is being conducted over the tracks, Metro North insists that it be performed only between the hours of 2 AM and 5 AM when there are no trains running. This is well understood by all involved as we must protect the tracks for the safety of passengers.
It is unfortunate that is work must occur between 2 AM and 5 AM and we understand that there will be some disturbance for residents and neighbors, but there are just no other options. The Popham Road Bridge is over 100 years old and should have been replaced a quarter of a century ago, but because of its age, number of public agencies involved, tedious amount of work that must be done over the tracks, a small work area making it extremely difficult and expensive for a contractor to maneuver and little construction storage area, Metro North would not step forward to take responsibility for being the prime project sponsor. Keep in mind that the bridge structure is the property of Metro North and the Village only owns the road base.
The Village did step forward as the project sponsor and as such dedicated its staff and local resources for building a new bridge. The Village as the sponsor ensured that the new bridge would be more than just a “span over rail tracks”, the kind typically built by Metro North. The bridge needed to be replaced as the old one was deteriorating and the Village believed its leadership was necessary to assure that the final product would be not just a bridge, but an aesthetically pleasant, pedestrian friendly, landscaped public thoroughfare that would be functional for regulating traffic.
The Village in stepping forward assumed all of the risks and the unknowns that replacing a 100 year structure can cause relative cost overruns, construction delays, noise and disruption of retail businesses, pedestrian travel and traffic.
As the project sponsor the Village is extremely sorry for any disturbance that has occurred and will occur for the night work that must continue through the end of July. But there are just no other options. The suggestion that the Village or the contractor provide alternative living accommodations is just not possible in this construction project.
Residents Raise Concerns About Village Construction and Parking at Scarsdale BOT Meeting
- Details
- Hits: 4139
Residents and business owners expressed concerns about the lengthy Popham Road Bridge project and parking at Freightway Garage at the June 12 meeting of the Scarsale Board of Trustees.
In her comments, Mayor Flisser reported that the trustees had taken a tour to many sites of concern throughout Scarsdale, including the bridge. She noted that residents have expressed concerns over bridge construction, and that a July 11th meeting is being held concerning the amelioration of the Crane Road Bridge project which threatens to close the both the north and southbound exits from the Bronx River Parkway to Scarsdale Village. During the public comments portion of the meeting, the bridge was brought up again. A Garth Road resident and business owner complained that bridge construction, along with the current work being done by Verizon, is hurting his business both through travel and parking difficulties. Considering fixed costs such as rent, any loss in business cannot be made up, and a loss has already been seen. The board promised to take the testimony into account.
The meeting brought a victory for commuters who objected to enforcement of a rule that forbid back-in parking at the Freightway
Garage, located near the Scarsdale Train Station, Some commuters prefer to back-in their cars in the morning to speed their exit at night. The Village Manager’s Office announced the results of a study that did of parking patterns in the garage which found that 80% of parkers still chose to park head-in and than no accidents were caused by back-in parking. As a result, the new regulation barring back-in parking has been tabled and all signs requiring head-in parking have been covered up. During public comments, a Blackbirch Lane resident thanked the board for their decision on behalf of back-in parkers. Later in the meeting, a resolution was unanimously passed to abridge the contents of Sprint Spectrum LP’s lease at the garage to increase the number of telecommunications panels it stores there.
The Village Manager’s Office also made a statement about a complaint from Ruth Frankel of 17 Richbell Road. At the May 22 meeting of the Board of Trustees, Frankel said that “the driveway under construction at her neighbor’s home at 15A Richbell Road was so flooded the day before that her neighbors needed a rowboat to cross it,” and chastised the Board for letting this happen. Village Manager Al Gatta reported that forty-three inspections have been conducted in response to the Frankel’s frequent complaints and no violations had been found. In response to the latest accusations, village inspectors were dispatched on the rainy days of May 21st and 22nd and found “ponding” which they attributed to the face that the project was not yet complete.
In her comments, the Mayor also noted the importance of cooperation in the current National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, run by the CDC. Starting in Westchester on May 23rd, the survey attempts to better gauge fitness levels in order to make policy decisions. It has been run each year for over fifty years in fifteen counties across the nation. If a resident is selected for the survey, they will first receive a letter asking for participation in a home interview. If accepted, this interview will be followed by a second interview and then an examination. Any participants will be compensated for their time.
During public comments, the Chamber of Commerce thanked the board for help with the Taste of Scarsdale event and asked for their participation in the upcoming events including the Health and Wellness Fair held at Village Hall on June 16th and the Sidewalk Sale to be held in the village between July 26th and 28th.
Later, a Chesterfield Road resident complained to the council that the police have failed to enforce an ordinance against the use of leaf blowers from Memorial Day through Labor Day. He stated that the World Health Organization has announced the unnecessary noise produced by the blowers to be detrimental to overall health. Last, a Willow Lane resident who desired to speak about storm drainage was deferred until the July 16th meeting, due to a limitation on the time allotted for public comments.
Pictured at top: Mayor Flisser, Trustee Brodsky, Village Engineer Paul Zaichek and other Trustees get on update on the Popham Road Bridge from atop the Freightway Garage
Second Photo: Boarding the Bus for the Village Tour- Trustees Lee, Eisenman, Mayor Miriam Levitt Flisser, Trustees Brodsky, Mark and Harrison
Article by Zach Edeleman, Photos by Harvey Flisser
Scarsdale Police Chief Nabs White Plains Burglar
- Details
- Hits: 4910
According to Scarsdale Police Chief John Brogan, he was about to leave headquarters for the holiday weekend on Friday 5-25 when he heard a hotline broadcast from the White Plains Police about two burglars who had just fled a Cushman Road home. One was said to be in a car and the other on foot. Brogan was already out of uniform but decided to jump in his car and participate in the search. Minutes later, while he was headed north on Walworth Avenue to get onto the Bronx River Parkway he spotted a man who matched the description of one of the suspects walking rapidly in the street. The suspect was wearing a red shirt and blue pants and looking nervously behind him.
Brogan radioed for reinforcements, turned his car around and stopped at the intersection of Greenacres Avenue and
Minutes earlier, the White Plains police stopped the other suspect who had fled Cushman Road in a silver car. The driver was identified as Daniel Moreno, age 33 of Flushing. According to the Cushman Road homeowner, he had returned to his house at 4:15 pm on Friday and come upon Torres and Moreno in the process of robbing his house. Both were charged with second-degree burglary.
We asked Brogan why he thought the two had targeted the home on Cushman Road and he said that both men claimed to work at a golf club on Ridgeway in White Plains. Brogan credits the Scarsdale Police with acting quickly to converge on Greenacres after the alert and forcing the suspect out of the neighborhood onto Walworth Avenue.
Drunk Driver: At 3:34 am on 5/25police found a 2007 Jeep stopped in the southbound lane of Palmer Road near Mamaroneck Road blocking traffic. The car was idling and police opened the door and found the driver asleep. Police woke the man who identified himself as Andrew Masciangelo, age 38 of Phoenixville, PA. Police smelled alcohol on Masciangelo’s breath and they administered sobriety tests which he failed. He was brought to headquarters and found to have a BAC of .20. His car was impounded and towed and he was charged with DWI.
Arrest: On 5/21 Sara Doolan, age 22 of New Rochelle surrendered herself to Scarsdale Police in response to an outstanding bench warrant for driving without a license and speeding on February 18, 2012 at 12:45 am. She was released and given a court appearance date.
Harassed: An employee of Chase Bank on East Parkway reported the receipt of approximately 25 harassing phone calls between November 1, 2011 and May 23, 2012. The male caller claimed that she is being sued for failure to pay for a loan from “Cash Advance,” an internet loan company. The caller wants her to make two payments of $262.50 each, though the woman says she did not borrow money from “Cash Advance.” Police called back the number the woman provided and the man cursed and hung up. On a second phone call from the police, the man insisted that he will continue to call.
Identity Theft: At Chase Bank on Palmer Avenue, a woman claiming to be Violeta Cruz attempted to withdraw $4,195 from her account on the afternoon of 5/24. The teller noticed a discrepancy in age between the person at the window and the account holder and alerted the manager. At that point, the suspect asked for her id back and left the bank. Police canvassed the area but did not find her – however there is a video of the woman entering her car.
A Valley Road woman reported that someone used her social security number to make $1,113.59 in purchases from Lord and Taylor and spend $756.68 at Macy’s between 4/5 and 5/27. Though the Scarsdale woman was in possession of her credit cards, the suspect was able to make fraudulent charges to her accounts using her social security number.
Theft: A Scarsdale dad reported the theft of an iPod from his son’s backpack while he was at school on April 16, 2012.
Vandalism: A mailbox on Gatehouse Road was damaged overnight from 5/25-5/26. The support post was ripped from the ground and the box was damaged. Also that night three outdoor light fixtures were stolen from a home on Harvest Drive and later found on a neighboring property. One of the fixtures was damaged.
Following a dispute on the morning of 5/28, one many keyed another’s car in the parking lot of the Metro Diner on Scarsdale Avenue. The police were called and they found the suspect who admitted to scratching the other man’s 1998 Toyota. However, the owner of the car did not wish to press charges.
Dog incidents: While walking on Madison Road on the morning of 5/21, a woman from White Road reported that she was bitten by a dog. However, the small white dog only nipped at her pants and they were not damaged. Also on 5/21, the owner of a dog who lives on Berkeley Road was issued a summons when his dog was found loose on Greenacres Avenue. On 5/23, a small white and brown dog was found in a Greenacres Avenue yard. Though the dog had a collar, there were no tags. Police called the New Rochelle Humane Society and they retrieved the dog.
Turtle in the road: Police were alerted to a turtle sitting in the middle of Taunton Road at 9:47 am on 5/26. They were able to get the turtle into a box and return it to the pond.
Misplaced Asphalt Shingles: An Innes Road woman found a pallet of asphalt roof shingles in her driveway on May 22 -- but she was not having her roof done. The pallet had no shipping receipt or identification. Police advised the woman to contact the sanitation or highway departments to see if they could pick up the roofing.
Runaway: A concerned Ross Road mother called police around 1:30 on the afternoon of 5/25 when she got into a dispute with her 12 year-old son and he left the house with a black roller bag. Police came to the house and spoke with the boy’s father who said that the boy had been picked up by his grandmother and was fine.
Hit and run: On Friday afternoon 5/25, a Tarrytown woman was in her car in the Freightway Garage when the driver of a Suburban made a U-Turn, hit her car and drove off. The woman was able to note the license plate number which she provided to police who found that the car belonged to Carman Road man who had lent it to his grandson. The 16 year-old grandson, who lives on East Hartsdale Avenue admitted to the hit and run and was given a summons.
Engineers Explore Options to Alleviate Flooding Around Cayuga Pond
- Details
- Hits: 5038
The village is still looking for a solution to the periodic flooding in the area bordered by Oneida, Seneca and Cayuga Roads, which peaked in 2007 and again during Hurricane Irene in August, 2011. After Hurricane Irene, a Cayuga Road resident with a pool found water rushing into his basement and fish swimming in his pool. In response to complaints from homeowners, Scarsdale Village has retained engineers Dvirka and Barticlucci of White Plains to do an analysis of the problem and recommend solutions. The firm came before the Municipal Services Committee and concerned residents on May 31 to share their findings and explore options.
The problem is easy to understand. Homes in the affected area are built on a FEMA designated flood plain flood plain and previous to the construction of the development in 1960, this area served as a drainage basin. Since the entire area is flat and has a high water table, there is no slope to move water away -- and it’s not possible to dig deep retention basins as the water table is too high.
Engineers came up with two options for improving, but not completely alleviating the flooding using dry detention underground with infiltration and moving the water away from the site using pumps or gravity. According to the engineers’ simulations, using dry detention in the two ponds they could alleviate flooding from a “2 year” storm, meaning one where 3.5 inches of rain falls in 24 hours. However, for volumes above that, there would still be flooding in the area. For instance, in a 100-year storm like Hurricane Irene, 7.5 inches of rain fell in a 24-hour period and the recommended plan would not avoid flooding in extreme storms.
To start, the firm recommends that two ponds in the area, Murray Hill Pond and Cayuga Pond be converted into true storm water detention 
ponds. They currently provide no storm water attenuation. They recommend the removal of 6 to 12 inches of silt from Cayuga Pond, and removal of debris and sediment in Murray Hill Pond. They also suggest that the storm water piping be rehabilitated to improve conveyance. The approximate cost for the above is estimated to be at $1.6 to $2 million.
As an extra measure, to keep homes dry in more severe storms, the engineers recommended building underground storage detention in private yards or pumping the water away from the site to underground retention basins that could be built at the Scarsdale Middle School. This option is far more costly and requires the construction of detention basins under the playing fields at the school.
In a discussion following the presentation residents made other suggestions about what could be done.
One suggested building up the ground around Cayuga Pond in a berm to block the water from flowing out. Another wanted to widen the existing culvert to accommodate more water – though the engineers were doubtful that this would work as the area is flat. For a larger detention basin more land area was needed and the engineers did discuss storing it on the golf course that surrounds the development – however cooperation would be needed.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Trustee Kay Eisenman who chairs the Municipal Services Committee told the group that the “staff would look at all the comments they heard, spend two or three weeks evaluating them and then come forward with what they think can or cannot be done.”
Following the meeting residents discussed yet another option – proposing that Scarsdale Village purchase three homes in the area that are prone to flooding. The homes could be taken down and the property used for water retention. However this would be a costly undertaking for the village as it would need to pay for the homes and lose ongoing real estate tax revenues. This idea may be more wishful thinking on the part of homeowners than a workable solution for Scarsdale. It was evident at the meeting that homeowners are anxious for decisions to be made and work to begin to safeguard their homes before another "ten year" storm occurs.
Parking To Get Even Scarcer in Scarsdale Village
- Details
- Hits: 5406
Construction is due to begin on the Bronx River Parkway in Scarsdale on a new bridge at Crane Road to replace the 1924 bridge that is now, according to Westchester County, in “poor condition.” The entire project will take almost three years, (34 months) and will start by on June 1, 2012.
In order to accommodate the construction equipment, Scarsdale granted Westchester County an easement to use approximately 17 parking spaces, or half of the Merchant’s Lot next to the Scarsdale Train Station for the entire length of the project. The County paid the Vilage $267,000 for the use of the space.
Approximately 10 months from now, in March 2013, the north and southbound Crane Road exits from the Bronx River Parkway to Scarsdale Village will close for two years. In order to get to the Village from the Parkway, drivers will need to exit at Harney Road and drive up Scarsdale Avenue.
This means that for the next three years, it will be even more difficult to access Scarsdale Village and park once you get there. Merchants who parked in that lot will need to enter into a lottery for the remaining available spaces. Those who are not given a space there can apply for a spot on Scarsdale Avenue or in the Freightway Garage on the village website.
It is puzzling why the Village would allow the County to take over half of one of the much-needed parking lots in the Village at a time when the bridge work will make it difficult to get to the Village. Though the Village needed the funds they were paid for the easement, the benefit does not go directly to the retailers who will bear the brunt of the inconvenience. Shoppers and merchants, who are already suffering from the lengthy construction project on the Popham Road Bridge, will now have to withstand three more years of disruption.
