Crane Collapse on Route 9A
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- Written by Lisa VanGundy
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Scarsdale resident and photographer Lisa VanGundy was nearby with her camera on Friday March 17 when she heard about the collapse of a large red crane on Saw Mill River Road around 12:30 pm.
She drove by and was able to get these close-up photos of the big red crane that had fallen at a construction site where a 200,000 square foot warehouse and offices are being built for Amazon at 211 Saw Mill River Road in Mt. Pleasant. Work has been going on for about a year and the new building was supposed to open this fall.
According to Town Supervisor, Carl Fulgenzi, two workers were injured and taken to Westchester Medical Center. The cause of the crane failure is being investigated.
Understanding Governor Hochul's Proposal to Increase Housing
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Are you following the discussion about Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposal to build additional housing – especially along the Metro North corridor? The ambitious plan could spur a dramatic increase in the number of multi-family complexes in areas that have traditionally been zoned for single family houses.
Bronxville Mayor Mary Marvin offered this explanation in February on My Hometown Bronxville and gave us permission to reprint it here. Read it to understand more about this proposal:
From Mayor Mary Marvin
Feb. 15, 2023: I just recently returned from the annual New York State Conference of Mayors plenary session in Albany. There were a myriad of items on the docket but all were overshadowed by Governor Hochul’s, “Housing Compact.”
I feel duty-bound to share and quite expeditiously as the ramifications of this proposal to our Village are enormous and quite frankly incomprehensible.
An overwhelming majority of Mayors in Albany agreed that the State as a whole could use more housing and most importantly more affordable housing and are quite supportive of this laudable goal. The problem lies in its execution and the sledgehammer, punitive approach.
The Governors Housing Compact is a two-part program set to commence in January 2024. The first component would require villages such as Bronxville, Scarsdale, Hartsdale and frankly every village, city and town in the New York metropolitan area to increase their housing stock by 3% in the next three years and 3% every three years thereafter.
Should we not meet this goal, a new fast track approval mechanism that allows for mixed income, multifamily projects will be automatically triggered, notwithstanding any local zoning, planning and land-use regulations to the contrary.
This provision completely abrogates the “home rule” concept that is actually a provision of the New York State Constitution, giving it great weight and gravitas. The home rule principal grants municipalities the ability to pass laws to govern themselves as they see fit. According to Article 1 of the State Constitution, “Every local government shall have the power to adopt local laws as provided by this article.”
The 3% requirement for Bronxville translates into 75 new housing units by the end of 2027 or we lose all control over our local land use laws.
As example, an applicant may propose a “qualifying project” and thus will be exempt from the SEQRA or environmental review process and may not be denied for failure to comply with local zoning laws.
Should an applicant be denied, they can go directly to a state administrative board and/or judicial review of the denial with the burden of proof on the municipality by “clear and convincing evidence”; a much more rigorous standard than currently governs the review of municipal land use actions.
The second prong of the housing compact is called a TOD or Transit Oriented Development initiative, which requires local planning and zoning law changes within a three-year window to facilitate the production of multi-family housing in areas near a rail station. The program requires a forced amendment to Village law adding a new section, “Density of residential dwellings near transit stations.”
According to the Governor’s proposal, the area subject to the mandatory zoning and planning changes shall encompass all developed land within a half mile radius from a train station or in our case over 2/3 of the entire Village of Bronxville.
There are four tiers to the program, which are distinguished by the proximity of a transit station to New York City. We are in Tier 1 with other communities that are no more than 15 miles from the New York City border including Tuckahoe, Scarsdale and Hartsdale.
Tier 1 requires us to change our zoning laws to meet or exceed the density requirement of 50 units per acre. This means that the Village would be required to adjust current zoning regulations in the TOD zone in such a way that would allow for an increase of more than 10,000 new housing units in the Village that currently has 2,600 housing units and a population of 6,656 residents.
The mandated legislation would also be exempt from any state environmental review and the Village is prohibited to impose unreasonable provisions relating to lot coverage, open space, height, setbacks, floor area ratios, or parking requirements.
In the event of a failure to timely comply, the Village will nevertheless be required to permit the 50 units per acre density requirement as mandated by State law and must review any qualifying projects that could come our way pursuant to a process outlined in state law, with enforcement by the State Attorney General.
An aggrieved party is allowed to seek a court order to compel the Village to amend its law. Again, the burden of proof on the Village is the more rigorous standard of “clear and convincing evidence” than is currently applicable for all land use decision making.
On the positive side, the chairs of the Local Government Committees in both the State Senate, Monica Martinez of Nassau County and Fred Thiele of Suffolk in the Assembly are opposed to the legislation.
Closer to home our Assemblywoman, Amy Paulin is very outspoken in her opposition to this plan. As she stated, “Bronxville wouldn’t be able to accommodate so many housing units or even a fraction of the amount required. It would change the character and integrity of the community. You would no longer be a suburb of an urban area. You would be a congested urban center without the infrastructure to support it. I will fight to make sure this doesn’t happen.”
Senator Mayer shared her thoughts on the issue as well, “I have grave concerns with the approach taken by Governor Hochul in her proposed budget that seek to improve housing access in the NYC suburbs. Specifically, I believe the 3% requirement in the New Homes Target and Fast Track Approval proposal will not work in Bronxville. I also believe the Transit Oriented Development is equally flawed in the village. Both approaches apply a sledgehammer to an issue that requires a needle and thread, reflecting different communities, different needs and far greater nuance.”
At Monday night’s February Board of Trustees meeting, the Trustees and I unanimously passed a resolution in opposition to the “Housing Compact” as its passage would change Bronxville forever.
Please join in reviewing this law and its ramifications and speak to anyone in state government that has a vote. It is absolutely critical that Bronxville’s voice is heard and heard expeditiously.
SCNPP Candidates to Run Unopposed in Village Election on Tuesday March 21
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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It’s official! The candidates for Village office nominated by the Citizen’s Nominating Committee have filed their petitions and will run in an uncontested election on Tuesday March 21, 2023.
On the ballot are the following candidates running on the Scarsdale Citizens' Non-Partisan Party slate.
For Mayor, Justin Arest , 2 Lakin Road, Scarsdale. Arest served two terms as Village Trustee and is now running to lead the Village.
For Village Trustee, Sameer Ahuja, 30 Secor Road, Scarsdale is currently serving his first two-year term as Village Trustee and is running for a second term.
For Village Trustee, Karen L. Brew, 29 Ferncliff Road, Scarsdale is currently serving her first two-year term as Village Trustee and is running for a second term.
For Village Trustee, Dara Gruenberg , 24 Hampton Road , Scarsdale is running to serve her first term as Village Trustee.
For Village Justice, Cynthia Dunne, 14 Edgewood Road, Scarsdale, is currently serving in that role and running to continue her service.
The Village Election for Mayor, Village Trustees and Village Justice will take place on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. All election districts will be voting at the Scarsdale Public Library, 54 Olmsted Road. According to Village Clerk Taylor Emmanuel, “All COVID-19 protocols set forth by the CDC for polling locations will be followed.”
Car Thieves Threaten Locals: Beware
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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This week we received two disturbing reports about attempted car thefts gone awry:
On Thursday March 2 in Eastchester, a father was dropping off his daughter for pick up by the school bus at the corner of Stratford Road and Warwick Avenue at 7:54 am. As he was putting his child onto the school bus, an unknown man got into the parent’s running car, a 2018 BMW X3, and drove away with his three year-old child in the car. The suspect must have realized that he was doing more than stealing a car when he found the child in back. He abandoned the car with the child inside down the street.
At 5:59 am on Friday March 3, Cotwold residents (Edgemont) called 911 to report that a suspect had entered their unlocked car, used the garage door opener to open the garage and then entered the home. When he was confronted by the homeowner, he fled.
Police are warning residents to lock your cars and be vigilant.
SFCS Announces Education and Prevention Program for Teens Ages 13-16
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Many Scarsdale teens are using substances to self-medicate or rid themselves of symptoms of anxiety, depression, and fears about their future. In fact, Scarsdale High School sophomores account for 13% of regular E-cigarette users; 36% of regular alcohol users and 18.5% of THC users. Admittedly, not all adolescent use of substances constitutes a Use Disorder, however equally true is that not all adolescent use should be considered “normal experimentation.” That is why SFCS and Scarsdale Action for Youth have launched RESET.
RESET is a program of prevention education and early intervention designed for Scarsdale youth ages 13-16 who have become “substance involved” with nicotine, alcohol, and/or THC. RESET aims to intervene with youth during a critical developmental window following the discovery of a teen’s repeated use, yet before their brain becomes primed to repeat substance use as a habitual method of coping with distressing emotions or experiences. RESET is designed to halt the escalation of use among youth and to assist those youth consider establishing a goal of abstinence through education, cognitive behavioral interventions, and skill development. The program is being offered at no cost thanks to the Scarsdale Action for Youth.
RESET is not for everyone. However professional intervention should be considered for teens who have been unresponsive to parental intervention and or disciplinary consequences. RESET will be offered, administrated, and staffed by Scarsdale Edgemont Family Counseling Service. Referrals will be accepted by parents, school administrators, guidance and mental health staff and the Scarsdale Youth Officer. Admittance to the program requires parental consent.
RESET is a confidential, voluntary intervention program utilizing a group treatment modality. Groups will be offered in the Spring, Fall and Winter and the program will be facilitated by Samantha Swanko, Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor II. The Spring program is slated to begin on April 11, 2023. Individual intakes will begin four weeks prior to the start date.
There is no shame in asking for help. SFCS and Scarsdale Action for Youth would like to help RESET a child’s chance for a healthy future and we hope you might consider referring youth who meet the criteria above. For more information about RESET, please contact Jay Genova, LCSW at 914-723-3281.
