Trustees Agree to Reduce Proposed 2012-13 Tax Increase to 4%
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The Finance Committee of the Board of Trustees of Scarsdale met for a brief meeting on Monday night 4/16 to review options for lowering the tax increase for 2012-13. At an earlier meeting, Trustee Bob Harrison had suggested that the Village dip into reserves to reduce the increase and comply with the state-imposed 2% tax cap. At this meeting he again made his please, claiming that over the last four years the village tax rates has grown at a compounded rate of 26%.
All the trustees who spoke at the meeting expressed concern about rising rates, but the consensus was that raiding reserves could set a bad precedent for future years and have an impact on the Village’s bond rating.
Jon Mark said, “we are all sensitive to taxes, we all pay taxes and we all feel the pain.” He urged the Board of grapple with the underlying issue of the needs for services in a time of shrinking revenues and said, “We should pound the doors in Albany to reduce mandates.”
Stacey Brodsky also cautioned against using “band aids,” and said, “The real analysis is to look at spending and separate out mandated expenses. We have gone as far as we can go with slashing costs without impacting residents. The next step is to engage people in the community in conversation to find out if there are services they are willing to forego in order to contain expenses.”
Kay Eisenman agreed, saying, “Dipping into fund balances is a dangerous way to go. We may have unforeseen circumstances that will necessitate dipping into the reserves. Even though one gentleman lambasted us (about tax increases) the other night (at the Village Board meeting), he didn’t say what he would like to see cut.”
Mayor Flisser concurred. She said, “We are facing significant infrastructure deterioration that could pose safety issues. We should not use reserves to fund the budget. In hard times, you don’t take the money out of the bank to spend, you save it.”
Bob Steves, who heads the Finance Committee proposed a compromise to allow the Village to lower the tax rate increase without using reserves. He proposed to transfer a portion of the savings from the 2011-12 budget to next year’s budget. The Village has saved a considerable amount in snow removal costs due to the warm winter. Though it’s too early to know exactly how the year will close out, Steves, Village Manager Al Gatta and Treasurer Mary Lou McClure were confident that $246,000 from this year’s budget could be transferred to 2012-13 at the close.
Therefore, the Trustees moved to decrease the tax levy by $246,000 for 2012-13. In conjunction with the $208,000 reduction already made to next year's budget the tax rate increase will be approximately 4.1% and put the Village in compliance with the state cap – after allowable exemptions.
Preservationists Present Survey of Scarsdale's Historic Treasures
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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What makes Scarsdale unique? Is it our schools? The interesting people who live here? The non-partisan system and our unique form of governance? While all of these factors do contribute to what makes Scarsdale, Scarsdale –we can’t dismiss the importance of the classic homes, lush landscape and neighborhoods that provide the setting for our quintessential community.
These physical characteristics were the focus of a Historic Resources Survey commissioned by the Village and conducted by Li/Salzman Architects and Preservationist Andrew S. Dolkart. Frustrated with their inability to safeguard the Village’s historic treasures, the Scarsdale Trustees agreed to finance the study so that they could have an inventory of sites, structures and landmarks of historic importance. The information may be used to draft new historic preservation laws to designate historic landmarks or historic districts.
The results of this extensive and impressive report on Scarsdale’s history, development and architecture were presented to the community on 4/16 by Andrew S. Dolkart, Director of the Historic Preservation Program and Associate Professor at the Columbia University School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. To do the survey, the team of architects and preservationists, “drove on every street in the Village and looked at every building.” They originally assumed they would compile a list of individual buildings worthy of preservation, but soon recognized that “what is so special about Scarsdale is the cohesive nature of the built fabric.” Though they recognized the importance of buildings like the Cudner Hyatt house from the 18th century, they felt that those early buildings do not define the character of Scarsdale. Instead, they found that “Scarsdale is the quintessential early-twentieth- century American suburban community, with streets lined with houses erected between about 1910 and 1940. Most houses were erected in revival styles – the English Tudor and American Colonial are especially well represented.”
The team looked at groups of buildings with distinctive character and identified twelve study areas, or small groupings of homes “where groups of building of high quality and with architectural integrity relating to their original design, create cohesive neighborhood ensembles.”
In addition to identifying a list of the most significant individual buildings in Scarsdale, the report names study areas in selected parts of Scarsdale Village, in Greenacres, a few blocks near the Heathcote School, a few homes along Heathcote Road, an area in Crane Berkeley, a portion of Fox Meadow, Sherbrooke Park, Dolma Road, and the Woods in Edgewood.
The presentation, which can be downloaded from the Scarsdale Village website, outlines the history of the development of the Village, the railways
"Five minutes from station; new English half timber Residence; 11 rooms, three baths, &c; ample verandas, terrace, and sleeping porch; stable and garage to accommodate three horses and three autos; all modern improvements; open fireplaces; hot water heat; electric lighting; sewer connection; fine live stream, oak and evergreen trees and shrubbery well established."
The report offers insights into the architectural style of Scarsdale homes and shows how elements of Tudor, French Norman, Colonial and Mediterranean design were repurposed for suburban homes. Thus a house on Brewster Road has pillars reminiscent of George Washington’s Mount Vernon, and a home on Sage Terrace has a polygonal porch resembling one from George Mason’s Gunston Hall plantation, a masterpiece of Georgian architecture from the 1750’s located on the Potomac River in Virginia. Scarsdale’s Tudor revival homes including peaked rooflines, half timbers, patterned brickwork, and slate roofs “hark back to the pre-industrial architecture of Tudor and Elizabethan England.”
English cottage homes with stucco, gables, dormers and casement windows also abound. The team noted the “Pargetry” complex ornamental stucco
The report lists 13 public buildings for preservation including, among others, the Scarsdale Post Office, Wayside Cottage, Heathcote Tavern, the Garden Road Water Tower and the former Heathcote Station. For each of these, a history and description of significant architectural features are provided. It also lists 68 historic homes, providing documentation for each. On the list is 9 Hamilton Road, a home that is on the April 17 agenda of the Committee for Historic Preservation on April 17. If they don’t vote to protect it, it will be demolished.
The architects noted that during the course of their study, “Oakmere, (the house on the Duck Pond) one of the finest early suburban homes erected in
Of course, the Village has a long way to go before drafting and adopting new historic preservation laws. Commenting at the meeting, a few residents already expressed concern about granting homes or districts landmark status, fearing that restrictive codes could decrease property values.
On a personal note, I was pleased to find my house and street on the list of those worthy of preservation. From the moment I set eyes on the house I thought it was a beauty and it’s nice to know that those trained in preservation noted its special characteristics as well.
Scarsdale Arts Council Appeals to NYS Attorney General to Save the Cudner-Hyatt House
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The fate of the Cudner-Hyatt House, built in 1734 hangs in the balance. The historic building, originally a home and later a museum, has been managed by the Scarsdale Historical Society since they were granted a variance to operate a museum there in 1974. Now the Board of the Historical Society has filed an application to the Scarsdale Zoning Board of Appeals to lift the variance and free the property, which includes the Quaker Meeting House for other uses. The Board claims that times have changed, interest in the activities of the museum have diminished and it has become onerous to pay for the upkeep of the property.
Having examined and exhausted many options to maintain the Cudner-Hyatt House, the Board is now asking the Zoning Board of Appeals to lift the variance so that they have flexibility in searching for a solution.
However, the Scarsdale Arts Council, lead by former Mayor Ed Morgan fears that lifting the variance will jeopardize the preservation of this ”endangered landmark.” He believes that once the variance is lifted and the house can again be used as a residence, modifications will need to be made to accommodate 21st century living and the integrity of the house could be compromised.
The matter was heard before the Scarsdale Zoning Board of Appeals on Wednesday night March 14 and held it over to the April 11, where it is now on the agenda.
However, in the interim, Morgan has written letters to the NYS Attorney General’s Office and the State Department of Education to
In the letter, Morgan makes clear that the Council is not filing a complaint against the Board of the Society. He says, (we) “are purposefully filing instead this request for your office's intervention and review, because some would see a complaint as something directed against the officers and board members of the Society. That is not our purpose, and we hope that it will not be yours either.”
In the letter to the Attorney General, the Council argues that:
--“This situation arose following the retirement of a prior management which until as recently as ten years ago had operated the museum very successfully from both a financial standpoint and as a vibrant part of the community in and around Scarsdale.”
--This action by the Society to abandon its long-standing principal museum mission is, … premature, given the major nature of the change in mission focus and the implications.
--“Dwindling attendance” does not prove that there no longer is any place for historically oriented museums such as the Cudner-Hyatt Museum.
--“Under the structure of both federal and state laws for regulation for publicly supported charities and private foundations, it is contemplated that there will be public involvement before major and detrimental changes are made in operations of publicly supported charities. The Society's recent actions are in this category and, despite protestations to the contrary, mark Cudner-Hyatt as an endangered landmark. There has been no visible sign of meaningful public involvement, much less the high profile attention which seems needed.”
--The Scarsdale Village Board commissioned preparation of a Historic Resources Survey … (that) lists 13 properties, including Cudner-Hyatt, previously evaluated and considered likely landmarks under any new historic preservation law which may emerge.
--“Because of those recent actions, now is the best time for your office and the community to review the entire situation, while reasonable time can be provided before any wrecking ball appears, to see what the best alternatives may be.”
--“Accordingly, no action should be taken at this time to make the Society's museum role illegal, as the Society's proposed variance termination would accomplish, until your office and the community at large have had a reasonable opportunity to explore all of the facts together with the alternatives emerging during the ensuing dialogue.”
Morgan will appeal to the Trustees to remove this item from the April 11 agenda of the Zoning Board of Appeals to give the Attorney General six to eight months to study it and to give himself time to set up a community-wide public forum. He believes that through discussion, the community will find solutions to save the house.
Adam Krajchir, President of the Scarsdale Historical Society contends that the issue is one of relevance. He was a volunteer at the Historical Society for ten years and is also a major contributor. He ran their fall foliage race and cleaned out the basement of the house when it flooded. According to Krajchir, the community no longer supports a museum or the kinds of program that were run in the 1980’s. As a management consultant, he lead the Board through a strategic planning process to help them embrace the realities of the present and the future. He says that the Board has already explored a multitude of options including leasing the building to someone else, giving it away and even moving it elsewhere. With the variance in place, it is difficult to have serious discussions with potential partners or white knights. He finds it offensive that Morgan is stepping in at this late date to replicate the fact-finding process that the Board has already completed.
According to Krajchir, changing the zoning status of the property does not mean that it will be demolished. He said, “We want to lift the variance, not let the house get hit by a wrecking ball.” And then, referring to his critics, he added, “No one has actually come forward and said, how can I help you? “
Scarsdale Police: Another Greenacres Burglary and a Mysterious Pig's Head
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Burglary: On 4/2, Post Road residents returned home after a few days away and found that their home had been entered. A rear screen door had been cut and the suspects had entered through the patio. Jewelry was stolen from a nightstand drawer. The victims will compile a list of missing items and provide it to the police.
Pig Head? Employees of the Weinberg Nature Center found a foul-smelling black garbage bag in the parking lot of the center on the morning of April 6th. They opened it and found the head of a dead pig.
Theft at Great Stuff: a representative from Great Stuff reported that a pink and black silk blouse valued at $210 was stolen by a customer in the store on the afternoon of April 4th. Though he did not see the woman leave the store with the blouse, it was missing after she left.
Identity Thefts: On 4/2 a Drake Road woman reported that someone had used her social security number to file a fraudulent tax return in February. When the Scarsdale woman filed her own tax return in March, the representative at H&R Block called to tell her that a tax return in her name and social security number had already been filed. The woman contacted the IRS, credit agencies, the social security administration and her bank.
A Griffen Road woman was the victim of fraud on 3/27. She received an email that she believed was from Chase Bank advising her of fraud on her account. When she called the phone number in the email she provided her debt card number and social security number before realizing that she was not speaking to a representative from her bank.
A Carman Road man was advised by Chase that someone had entered a bank in Monroe, New Jersey and attempted to transfer the Scarsdale man’s accounts to an address in Pennsylvania. An alert teller refused to let him make the change when the poser was having trouble remembering the social security number and had to search his phone for the correct number. The Scarsdale man changed his account passwords and alerted the bank’s fraud division.
Car break-in: A car was vandalized on the morning of April 3rd between 10:15 am and 12:15 pm, while parked in the lot at the Girl Scout House on Wayside Lane. The owner’s purse which she left in the car had been stolen. Missing were $200 in cash, credit cards, her driver’s license and her wallet. Police found a pry mark on the car next to the broken front passenger side window.
Mischief: Lamp posts were damaged at several homes overnight from 4/6 to 4/7. Two were damaged on Tisdale Road – one of those around midnight, and another on Beechwood Lane was shattered around 11:45 pm.
At 12:17 am on 4/3 police got a call from a Hampton Road resident to say that kids were moving barricades in the street. Police stopped two teenage girls who said they were with some boys who had been throwing traffic cones and moving barricades. They did not name names. In addition, the Hampton Road resident who made the call said that her flowerpots had been overturned.
Harassed: A Drake Road woman reported the receipt of harassing letters at her home. She received the fourth one in two years on April 2nd. The letters are dropped off in her mailbox at the front door during the evening hours.
On April 4 a White Road woman came to headquarters to say that she was receiving harassing emails from her ex-husband asking her to pay back money he believed was owed to him. Police advised her that this was a civil matter.
Locked in: A Manhattan woman inadvertently locked her 16-month old child in her car with the motor running on the afternoon of 4/6. The car was parked on Elmdorf Road. Police called the Heathcote Gulf station and they were able to get into the car without damaging it.
Tripped: A 63 year-old Garth Road woman reported that she tripped and fell while walking across the Popham Road Bridge and caused minor damage to her cell phone on the afternoon of 4/2.
This police report is sponsored by Scarsdale Security who does more than just security. Contact them about remote video for your home or business. Call 914-722-2200 or visit their website.
NextG Asks Scarsdale To Allow Antennas on Residential Streets
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Scarsdale could be the next community to have distributed antennas installed in residential neighborhoods if NextG Networks has their way. The network has filed a petition to amend Scarsdale Village Zoning Code to allow for the mounting of distributed antenna system (DAS) transmitters on utility poles in 15 locations in the village. (See locations below)
These transmitters are housed in large gray boxes that are mounted on Con Edison or Verizon utility poles to carry voice and data traffic for telecommunications. NextG contracts with multiple telecommunications providers for utilization of their service. In order to install the 15 nodes NextG has entered into pole attachment agreements with Con Ed and Verizon and is seeking approval to install the boxes in Village “right-of-ways.”
Since the Planning Board has the power to review and approve the installation of “wireless telecommunications facilities” anywhere in the Village, NextG’s attorneys have filed the petition but in it argue that they are not “wireless telecommunications” but a “utility.” Currently Village code requires that the “wireless communications facility” be at least 350 feet from the nearest home, school, daycare center or place of worship, but NextG proposes to install these at closer range and is therefore asking the Planning Board to amend the code to allow them to install the antennas on existing utility poles.
Their attorney’s DelBello, Donnellan, Weingarten, Wise and Wiederkehr of White Plains argue that changing the code would “eliminate an impediment that could potentially have the effect of prohibiting the ability of any entity to provide any interstate or intrastate telephone telecommunication service,” under Federal law. If the Planning Board decides not to amend the code, Next G could file individual variances to post their antennas in the 15 locations listed below.
The application was on the agenda of the March 21, 2012 Planning Board meeting and the Board discussed it and held over a decision to a subsequent meeting to allow time for a work session on the matter.
NextG claims that the installation of their antennas would improve the quality of wireless telephone and data service for Scarsdale residents, but at what price? According to a group called Grassroots Environmental Education , these antennas emit non-ionizing or low-frequency electromagnetic radiation know as RF radiation that could cause health problems.
In a letter to Scarsdale10583, Deborah Kopald, a public health advocate warned against the risks of DAS, saying:
"The cell transmitters-on-poles phenomenon, known as DAS, or Distributed Antennae Systems, are exposing more people to more radiation in their own neighborhoods than they were ever exposed to by most cell towers due to transmitter proximity. … The rollout of DAS is an unprecedented power grab by utilities; since the pulsed microwave radiation coming out of transmitters is odorless, colorless and tasteless, most people are not aware there is a serious issue afoot. Many of those that do realize the magnitude of the issue make a feeble protest effort when it is too late and the contracts are practically signed. Meanwhile, the EU and the Council of Europe have called effectively for transmitter-free zones in and around schools, hospitals and old-age homes."
The same law firm also filed an application to the Town of Greenburgh on behalf of NextG to install antennas on residential streets in Edgemont. The Greenburgh Town Board is in the process of hiring lawyers with expertise in federal telecommunications to advise them before they issue special use permits to install the equipment on utility poles there. Arguing against their installation, residents asked the Town to require Next G to show why they could not achieve adequate coverage by placing the antennas in “as of right locations” such as Central Avenue. Learn more about the issue in Edgemont here :
If you have concerns, email the Planning Department at planning@scarsdale.com.
Here is a list of the locations of the 15 proposed nodes in Scarsdale:
- 181 Fox Meadow Road
- 1 Ogden Road
- 21 Autenrieth Road
- 149 Lee Road
- 252 Grand Boulevard
- 28 Heathcote Road
- 17 Heathcote Road
- 12 Ross Road
- 54 Claremont Road
- 12 Ridgecrest East
- 7 Sycamore Road
- 11 Wynmor Road
- 109 Mamaroneck Road
- 4 Drake Road
- 81 Brookby Road
