New Sign for George Field
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A new sign was installed and dedicated at George Field in Greenacres on October 15. On hand to celebrate were Suzanne Busby, Superintendent of Parks and Recreation; John Carmody, Parks Foreman; Gary Senatus, Parks Department, Norman Alterman, Nora Morino and Deb Pekarek, all from the Greenacres Association.
School Board Nominating Committee Seeks Members
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Would you like to have input in Scarsdale Board of Education policy, but are unable to devote the substantial amount of time a position on the School Board demands? Consider running for election to be a member of the non-partisan committee that selects the candidates to run for Scarsdale's school board.
The School Board Nominating Committee, which meets several Sunday afternoons between January and March, is the group that identifies, proposes, and nominates qualified candidates to run for the school board. The SBNC consists of 30 voting members, representing each of the five elementary school neighborhoods. Each member is elected to serve a three-year term, elections being held in January. The goal is to identify and nominate the best candidates to serve on the Scarsdale Board of Education.
We are looking for volunteers to run in this year's election. This is your opportunity to serve your community and have important input in selecting those individuals who have ultimate responsibility for policy decisions that directly impact our schools. Excellence in education is highly valued in Scarsdale. To maintain that tradition, consider seeking a position on the School Board Nominating Committee.
Interested in joining? Need more information? Visit www.scarsdalesbnc.com , complete a biographical form online and by November 11, 2010 submit a candidate petition with ten signatures to the SBNC Administrative Committee, P.O. Box H172, Scarsdale, NY 10583. For additional details about the school board nominating process, please contact the SBNC Administrative Committee's chairperson, Stephen Fridakis at sfridakis@unicef.org
Planning Board Considers Easing Downtown Parking Requirements
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The Scarsdale Planning Board met on September 29 to consider new parking regulations that would ease the way for restaurants to open in the Village. Currently, Village Code requires one parking space per 75 square feet of space or one parking spot for each three seats in a restaurant. The parking requirement for retail stores is half that amount and the Code makes it more feasible for retailers to open than restaurants.
In response to vacant storefronts downtown, the Village Board of Trustees passed a resolution in August requesting that the Planning Board review the Code, and if warranted, prepare a recommendation to amend it.
At the meeting, Village Planner, Liz Marrinan presented a report on the current situation and a comparison of Scarsdale’s code to eight nearby towns with more vibrant downtowns. She also provided information from the Institute of Traffic Engineers with their standards for parking. She found that Scarsdale, Mamaroneck and Ardsley have the most restrictive parking requirements, and Rye, the least restrictive.
She made the following recommendations for how the code could be changed:
- Decrease the parking requirement for restaurants to one space for every 150 square feet of rentable space, which is the current requirement for retailers.
- Decrease the parking requirement to one space per 100 or 125 square feet of leasable space and give the Planning Board the power to waive the requirement on a case-by-case basis.
The importance of making a change was highlighted by comments from property owner Doug Karp who owns the space previously occupied by Waterworks as well as other stores in a strip along East Parkway and Spencer Place. He reported that since Waterworks vacated the property last year he has had virtually no inquiries from retailers about renting the 3,000 square foot space, but many from people wishing to open a restaurant there.
A restaurant of that size would now require 20 dedicated parking spaces, as the current code does not allow for shared use of parking spaces, even though the spaces are utilized at different times of the day. The current code allows for cash payment to the Village in lieu of spaces, but this cost is prohibitive, and in Karp’s view, the requirements have prevented a restaurant from leasing the space.
Furthermore, Karp reported that the real estate taxes on the space continue to rise, and with no tenant in place, the property value has declined. If he is unable to lease the space ultimately he will need to grieve the taxes which will not be good for the Village.
Members of the Planning Board asked Marrinan to find out if the less restrictive parking requirements in other villages are working and requested an expert opinion. In addition, they wanted to see what other professional organizations recommend for downtown parking requirements.
Beverly Sved, who chairs the Planning Board asked Marrinan to gather the additional information and prepare a draft of an amendment to the Code for the Planning Board to consider at their October meeting.
In other business, the Planning Board approved an addition to the gas station at 865 Scarsdale Avenue as well as the addition of porticos at Hitchcock Church for the Greenacres Avenue entrances and landscaping work to improve drainage. The agenda item concerning a fence between the Quaker Ridge Golf Course and a Brittany Close home was held over.
A Naked Leaf Blower and Obscene Graffiti from the Greenburgh Police
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Kenneth Perko, age 67 of Old Army Road, Scarsdale was arrested for public lewdness at 6 pm on October 11 when he was spotted blowing leaves on his front lawn, naked from the waist down. The Policeman let him know there was a complaint, and Perko insisted that he was on his own property and that he was free to do as he pleased. He was arrested and taken to Greenburgh Police headquarters.
In another incident involving leaves, an Inverness Road man got into an altercation with a landscaper who was blowing leaves on the evening of 10/7. The resident wanted the landscaper to move his truck because it was blocking the street. The verbal argument escalated into a fight when the Scarsdale man pushed the landscaper and attempted to punch him in the face. While defending himself ,the landscaper inadvertently made a small scratch on the other man’s face.
On September 24, a 10th grade Woodlands High School boy had his Blackberry Curve confiscated at school because cell phones are not permitted in the classroom. His teacher told him to reclaim his phone from the Dean at the end of the school day, however when he got there the phone had been stolen from the teacher’s desk. The Dean told the boys mother to make a claim against the school.
On October 7th, a psychiatrist who works on East Hartsdale Avenue requested help with a suicidal patient. The patient said he wanted to jump off the roof and when questioned by the police he confirmed that he did want to kill himself. The man was taken to Westchester County Behavioral Center.
A Hartsdale resident found some obscene graffiti on the road in front of his home on Townsend Avenue that was painted overnight on October 10-11. A large penis with the man’s family name above it was spray painted in red on the street. No witnesses were found.
Halloween Events in Hartsdale and Scarsdale
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Edgemont parents were dismayed to learn that Halloween Window Painting in Hartsdale had been cancelled this year. An annual tradition, both kids and parents have enjoyed the event in town for as long as we can remember.
In past years, the Kiwanis Club ran the contest and it is listed in the Town of Greenburgh Fall and Winter 2010 Guide to Programs, Activities and Services.
However, this year management was turned over to the Town of Greenburgh. Rather than run the contest in it’s original format, the Town decided to ask children to paint Halloween pictures at home and submit them to the Town to post on retail windows.
Residents complained that painting at home defeated the entire purpose of the event. In the words of one mom, “what fun is that?” Window painting draws the community together and gives children the chance to paint alfresco and decorate the Village.
They launched an email campaign to Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner to see if the event could be reinstated in its original format and it worked. On Monday September 26 Feiner sent the following email to Scarsdale10583 and local residents:
I would like to thank the parents that contacted me over the weekend to discuss the Halloween window-painting contest on East Hartsdale Avenue. As a parent and former participant in window painting contests (decades ago for me) I appreciate the tradition. After the Hartsdale Kiwanis Club informed the town that they lacked the resources to continue sponsoring the contest, the town decided to continue the contest but in a different format. Due to the feedback we received, we decided to continue the contest. We will contact all the merchants on East Hartsdale Avenue and ask if they will allow children to paint the windows, as has been done in the past. We will also allow participants the choice of participating in a separate contest in a take home format. This will enable merchants who don't want their windows painted to participate in the contest.
Once again I appreciate the good feedback I have received. I am pleased that we are able to be responsive to the parents and children who love this contest.
Paul Feiner
Greenburgh Town Supervisor
PS: If residents would like to help out on the day of the event or in the planning of the program please e mail me at pfeiner@greenburghny.com
In Scarsdale, Halloween window painting is scheduled for Sunday October 24 from 9 am to 4 pm, with rain dates on October 25 and October 26 from 4 to 6 pm. The event is co-sponsored by the Scarsdale Chamber of Commerce and there is a $100 Grand Prize.
The deadline to participate in the Halloween Window Painting programs is Wednesday, October 13th. The fee is $12 for an individual and $18 for a double entry, and you can access the registration form by clicking here:
For questions, call the Recreation Department at 722-1160
In addition to the window painting programs, there will be a Costume Parade held in the Village streets by Chase Park on Sunday September 24. The parade line up begins at 2:45 pm in front of Chase Park. The parade will start at 3:00 pm. Special entertainment and refreshments will be provided after the parade. All Pre-E and Elementary School children are welcome to participate in the costume parade.
