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Published: 15 January 2011

Created: 15 January 2011

Last Updated: 18 January 2011

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The Scarsdale Forum (TVCCEF) will host its third annual Members Only Holiday Party on Saturday, January 22nd at the Scarsdale Woman Club, 37 Drake Road from 7 to 10 p.m. Resident brew-master, Bruce Wells will be serving ten home brewed beers. There will many delicious dishes some donated by local vendors including Seth Greenberg’s Just Desserts. A silent auction filled with gifts from our local businesses and residents will entice the shoppers in attendance. Each attendee will receive a souvenir journal that will include the history of the Forum written by Village Historian and Forum member, Eric Rothschild, information about future Forum programs and much more!

The Scarsdale Forum is a 106 year old civic club dedicated to improving life in Scarsdale. The Forum studies issues before the Village and County governing boards and provides input to them via reports and recommendations. Scarsdale residents are encouraged to join and participate in the process.

To make your reservation, contact: Eda Newhouse, Chair, Membership Committee at 914-723-7475. Visit our web site: www.scarsdalefroum.com where you can join online. An individual membership is $35 or $50 for a family membership.

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Published: 18 January 2011

Created: 18 January 2011

Last Updated: 18 January 2011

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Car Trouble: A parking enforcement officer was writing a parking ticket for a car parked in a handicapped spot on Depot Place on 1/13, when the driver attempted to back out of the spot and ran over the traffic officer’s foot. The driver reported that he had not seen the officer. The patrolman complained of pain and swelling and the driver was given a summons for “unsafe backing.”

A workman parked his van on Taunton Road East on the afternoon of January 11 and was doing some work in front of 15 Taunton. He heard a crash and when he looked up he saw that a woman had backed her car into his van. The woman got out of the car, looked for damage and then got back into her car and drove away. The workman, Philip Andrulis called the police and while they were on the scene writing up the accident, the woman returned. She said she was aware of the accident but was in a rush to bring her father to the doctor and did not have time to leave a note. She said she was planning to do so when she returned. The woman was given a summons for leaving the scene of an accident.

At 5 am on 1/10 police got a call about a water main break on Walworth Avenue. When they arrived they found that a vehicle had hit a fire hydrant and caused the flooding. They also found a license plate near the hydrant. They contacted the owner of the car and found that it belonged to a Fox Meadow family whose son had been driving the car. Police looked at the car and sure enough it was damaged and had no license plate. The boy reported that he had skidded on some ice the previous night but did not realize he hit the hydrant. The Fire Department was called to direct traffic while the water department turned off the water line.

On the evening of 1/14, a volunteer firefighter who was stuck in traffic on Garth Road turned on his blue firelight and attempted to go around the congestion. However, since he was not en route to a fire, he was not authorized to use the blue light. The traffic officer on duty issued the driver a summons.

At 2 am on 1/12, a passerby reported that a car had slid off the road and landed in an embankment at the intersection of Cooper and Reimer Roads. Police found a van stuck in the snow and called a tow truck.

A school bus hit a parked 2001 Toyota on Clarence Road at 8:30 am on 1/13. The road was narrowed due to snow banks.

Police helped out a Carthage Road man when his car conked out at the corner of Mamaroneck and Sheldrake Roads at 7:50 am on 1/14. The man called a tow truck and police asked him to stay in his car until the truck arrived.

Theft: A man who supplied the lighting for a party at Westchester Reform Temple on 1/5/11 reported that $8,000 in equipment was missing after the event. He discovered the loss when he returned to his Manhattan office at 11 pm that night. At 2 am on 1/6/11 he drove back to the temple to see if he could locate the missing lights and found an empty equipment case next to the dumpster.

Bothered: Three men who wanted to shovel a Saxon Woods Road driveway repeatedly bothered the homeowner on January 12th. Though the woman told the men she did not want their help and asked them to leave, they kept returning.

Police spoke to a Crossway man about a phone call he made to a Village employee in the past. The employee thought she may have been harassed, but after speaking to the man, police determined that no criminal act took place. The report was filed on 1/11/11.

Mischief: A Reimer Road woman returned home on 1/15 and found that an egg had been thrown at her front porch.

A Lawrence Road resident called police at 8 am on 1/12 to report that an elderly Asian man walked up the driveway and looked through their garbage.

Coyotes are back: Two coyotes were reported in the yard of a Birchall Road home at 7 am on January 11. At 10:30 am that same day a coyote was spotted on Hampton Road and at 11:42 am a limping coyote was reported on Boulder Brook Road. At 9:55 am on 1/13 an injured coyote was reported on White Road at Boulevard and at 12:50 pm on 1/13 two coyote were seen on Clarence Road.

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Published: 12 January 2011

Created: 12 January 2011

Last Updated: 12 January 2011

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The Scarsdale Board of Trustees did not permit the impending snow storm to stop them from passing some historic resolutions at their meeting on January 11, 2011.

With the election of a new Mayor looming on March 15, this Board appears to be determined to see through some of the initiatives they started earlier in the term. In one swift meeting they were able to hold “public hearings” on proposed changes to Village code and vote to enact these changes.

Among the items on the agenda were:

Changes to the local law on Dogs and Animals: this law had been revised in the fall and problems were found with the new language. The Board moved to amend the wording to permit dogs to defecate on sidewalks, walkways or driveways, provided that the pet’s owner or custodian remove the feces. The Board unanimously approved this new language.

Amendment of Off-Street Parking Requirements for Village Restaurants: The Board approved language to reduce the amount of parking required for Village center restaurants. The code previously required one space for each 75 square feet of leasable space but halved the requirement to one space for each 150 square feet of leasable space. It is hoped that more restaurants will find it feasible to open downtown.

Cynthia Roberts spoke on behalf the Old Scarsdale Neighborhood Association and raised a concern about traffic leaving the village via Woodland Place and Autenrieth Road. She requested that the Village work with neighborhood residents to examine traffic circulation in their area and the Mayor asked Roberts to set up a meeting with Assistant Village Manager Steve Pappalardo to examine traffic mitigation.

Resolution to Call for Mandate Relief from State and Local Leaders: In light of the threat of the imposition of a 2 % tax cap, the Trustees passed a resolution to ask state leaders for relief from pension and health insurance costs and changes to collective bargaining agreements controlled by the state. Without the repeal of costly state mandates, Trustees contend that a property tax cap could lead to “drastic cuts in essential local services and dramatic layoffs of municipal employees.”

Moving one step closer to a Village-wide tax reassessment, the Board approved a resolution instructing the Village staff to prepare an RFP to “locate and retain a professional and expert firm to conduct a revaluation of property in Scarsdale, recognizing that the dynamics of reassessment are being discussed in Mamaroneck, Greenburgh and by Westchester County”

In regards to historic preservation, the Trustees approved new language on the criteria to be applied to buildings, structures and sites to determine whether they can be deemed as a “Significant Site or Structure.” In addition to defining the criteria, the Trustees asked the Village staff to draft an RFP to hire a consultant to do a site and structure survey of the Village.

The criteria to be applied to Buildings, Structures and Sites for inclusion in the Significant Sites and Structures Survey are as follows:

1. Existence of special character, historic, aesthetic interest or value as part of the cultural, political, economic or social history of the Village, region, state or nation;

2. Identification with personages or events of historic significance to the Village, region, state or nation;

3. An example of a significant architectural style, period, or method of construction

4. The work product of a designer whose work has significantly influenced an age

5. Listed on the national Register of Historic Places or N.Y.S. Register of Historic Places or Westchester County Inventory of Historic Places

Additional language concerning interiors of public buildings and designation of historic districts was also included in the approved resolution. Trustee Irwin reassured the public that this resolution only approves a survey or an inventory of places. It does not outline what will be done with the information following the compilation of the list of historic sites and structures.

Kids’ Base: the Board of Trustees approved a building addition and reallocation of space to create a library, resource center and nurse’s station at Kids’ Base. The proposed plan is to add 750 square feet of space. These changes also require approval from the Village Planning Board and Board of Architectural Review.

Patisserie Salzburg to Open at Christie Place: The Board approved a Special Use Permit to allow Patisserie Salzburg to utilize 2,543 square feet of retail space at Christie Place. The Patisserie also has a branch in Rye.

In other business, the Board approved the following:

• The Board adopted an “internal control policy for 2011” in regard to procurement policies and approved an Investment Policy for 2011.
• The Village Election will be held on Tuesday March 15 at Village Hall from 6 am to 9 am and from 12 noon to 9 pm
• The Board extended the term of Captain Gerard McIlvain of the Village Fire Department for one year beyond the 30-year limit, provided he passes his annual physical.
• The Board agreed to act as lead agency in a review of the environmental impact of a potential storm water improvement project in Fox Meadow
• The Board approved an agreement for Drug and Alcohol testing of Village employees who drive Village vehicles by Clarity Testing of Elmsford.
• The Village Board approved payment of additional construction management fees of $142,873 to Calgi Construction of Mt. Kisco for their work on the Public Safety Building.

In comments from the audience, Bob Harrison spoke against the construction of the Scarsdale Community Center (SCC) and complained that last week’s meeting on the SCC financial plan was not taped and televised. He asked the Trustees to put the issue before the community as a public referendum and called for the leadership of the SCC to ask all the members on their list for an additional $600 before the Village spends “one more penny on this private group.” He said, “This proposal is fraught with many financial concerns.”

In response to his comments, Mayor Stevens told him that the outcome of last week’s meeting was that a small group lead by Mr. Weinstein would meet with the SCC and review their numbers. In addition, the Village is looking into hiring an expert to review the projections. She added that this Board’s decisions would not bind future boards and that a bond would not be issued for another three years.

Additional letters against the Scarsdale Community Center were received from four residents.