Free Street Trees for Scarsdale Residents-First Come, First Serve
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Scarsdale Village plants new street trees in our neighborhoods every year. These are planted within the Village “right of way”, which means within the first 13 feet of your yard from the curb. If you want one of these trees planted in your front yard within 13 feet of the curb, please email Matse Jenkins at [email protected] immediately. There are only about a dozen remaining and they will be planted on a first come, first serve basis.
The Village will plant these trees at no charge and water them once per week during the hot summer months. They remain Village owned trees and the Village is responsible for maintaining them over their lifetime.
These trees should be planted in the next week or two before the summer heat sets in. The Village will need to have the utilities come to your property to mark the utilities, which is always done for your safety before digging to plant a tree.
Trees of taller stature when mature are planted on the side of the street without power lines, while trees of shorter stature will be planted on the side with power lines to avoid conflicts. Each year the species are changed in order to promote a healthy diversity of tree species in our community.
The Village plants trees native to our region to support our local ecosystem. These trees absorb gallons of stormwater, provide shade and oxygen, store carbon and will definitely increase your property’s value.
If you have questions, please call Matse Jenkins at Village Hall at (914) 722-1150 or contact resident volunteer, Cynthia Roberts, at [email protected]
What Does Scarsdale Value in 2024?
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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(This article was submitted by Cynthia Roberts)
The effort to protect a spectacular Black Oak tree in the historic Old Scarsdale neighborhood poses the question to our community leaders: What does Scarsdale value most in 2024? In an effort to protect a unique, historic and massive Black Oak tree from root damage and therefore premature death, Friends of the Scarsdale Parks, Inc. (FOSP), a local not-for-profit community organization has nominated the Black Oak tree at 21 Autenrieth Road for Heritage Tree designation pursuant to Scarsdale Village code. Heritage trees are given special protections by our tree code.
The tree is located in the front yard of 21 Autenrieth, a stunning brick 1910 Georgian revival home that was bought by an investment group developer to be flipped. It is notable that neither the neighbors pleading with the Board of Architectural Review (BAR) to protect this tree, nor FOSP, has objected to the developer’s proposal to build an addition expanding the living space of the house. Neighbors have merely requested that rather than placing a new garage and new driveway in the front yard of this home next to the oak tree, thereby damaging its roots, the developer use the existing driveway and one of the two existing garages. The neighbors have also supported a viable alternative presented to the BAR by the developer’s architect to place a new garage in a location a safe distance away from the tree.
More than a dozen neighbors have given up their evenings to attend multiple BAR meetings, pleading for respect of this iconic tree, a symbol of Scarsdale’s “Village in a park.” This oak tree was already growing in Scarsdale before the American Revolution, according to the expert arborist’s estimate that it is 275-325 years old.
Neighbors hired expert arborist Bill Logan, President of Urban Arborists, Inc., longstanding faculty member of the New York Botanical Garden, and a Visiting Professor of Landscape Architecture at Pratt Institute. to examine the tree and submit a report. In his report, Mr. Logan emphatically warned about the need to preserve the “green infrastructure” functions of this Black Oak tree, which serves critically important services to human health and the environment: “This oak is an extraordinary specimen, among the largest oaks in Westchester County. It is almost 5 feet in diameter at breast height (57.5” DBH). Such a tree represents an incalculable benefit, not only to the people who can see and interact with it daily, but also to the thousands of mammals, birds, insects, spiders, and other macroinvertebrates that live and/or feed on and in it, as well as to the billions of bacteria and fungi that inhabit it. It is part of the intact ecosystem that characterizes Scarsdale yards and gardens. Its loss would be very serious, not only aesthetically but also ecologically.”
Neighbors are also greatly concerned about flooding from the loss of the stormwater uptake of an oak this size, which is over 10,000 gallons in one year according to i-Tree, a tool of the USDA Forest Service for assessing the benefit of individual trees. “How will the Village protect us from water in our basements after the developer has flipped the house, killed the tree, and left town?”, asked one neighbor.
The consent of the owner of the property is required for Heritage Tree status consideration by the Board of Architectural Review (BAR). And, as was explained to the developer, should a future owner so desire, our code makes provision for a tree to be un-designated by the BAR.
Neighbors and FOSP had hoped that the developer would respect the longstanding value Scarsdale places on our historic trees and consent. But after hearing nothing from the developer for two weeks, there is little optimism that the developer will join our community in protecting our trees.
It is hoped, however, that our own BAR will represent our community’s values and recognize the enormous positive impact this tree has on the character of Autenrieth Road. The Bar can do so by requiring that the developer protect the tree as per the detailed instructions provided by expert arborist Bill Logan.
Over 1,000 trees are cut down each year in Scarsdale and at best, only one third are replaced. To allow this extraordinary Black Oak tree to become another statistic would be a huge loss for Scarsdale and will tell us clearly what Scarsdale values in 2024.
Massive Tree Splits on Tompkins Road
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Neighbors were awakened on Friday morning at 5:40 am when a large historic oak tree split and half of it fell to the ground in a thud. The weather was calm and there did not seem to be any immediate cause for the sudden fissure of the tree, that was rumored to be 200 years old and to date back to the Civil War. Before it fell, the tree appeared to be healthy.
The branches covered the yard and Tompkins Road in Fox Meadow.
After it fell, neighbor Tara Greco reports that she saw two deer emerge from the woods and head down Kensington Road to Butler Road. She thinks they may have been scared out of the woods by the loud noise from the buzz saws.
Crews from the Village took several days to cut up the fallen piece and take down the rest. You can see the logs here.
Photo credit: Tara Greco
Letter: Consultants Need to Analyze the Causes of Flooding Before Proposing Solutions
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This letter, outlining concerns about the proposed new building code, was written by Scarsdale resident Cynthia Roberts.
Scarsdale Village Board of Trustees Meeting May 28, 2024
Dear Mayor Arest and Scarsdale Village Board of Trustees,
I appreciate the effort you are taking to use the Moratorium period to gain further insight into the factors that currently threaten Scarsdale’s housing market.
As we all know, families come to Scarsdale seeking excellent public schools. What they may find are distinctive, well-designed homes in a bucolic, leafy setting in some neighborhoods. But increasingly in Scarsdale they are finding new cookie cutter “mcmansions” with scant space for landscaping and trees. While the high price paid for one of these oversized generic homes may thrill the developer, the fabric of our neighborhoods is ultimately cheapened.
There are many issues that threaten Scarsdale’s housing market.
Of greatest concern is the flooding of homes that never flooded before now. Current residents now experience property damage, expense and anxiety with regularity. They wonder whether in the future they will be able to sell their homes, often their largest single investment. Their financial security, as well as the physical and emotional safety their homes once provided, are sinking in stormwater. Once the word gets out that Scarsdale housing stock is waterlogged we have a big problem.
What are the causes of Scarsdale’s run-away flooding? This question should be posed to BFJ Planning. They need to identify the specific causes of the flooding and the magnitude of contribution of each cause in Scarsdale, in order to recommend effective solutions.
The lot coverage of new homes and additions has increased. How does BFJ quantify this trend such that solutions can fit the problem?
This covered land can no longer host plants and trees that would slow and absorb rain. It would be easy for BFJ to compare the lot coverage per square foot of a site on projects approved in the last two years with the lot coverage allowed and built ten years ago.
Scarsdale has lost at least 1,000 trees per year, most of which are not replaced. The small number of newly planted replacement saplings are unable to compensate for the loss of mature canopy trees capable of handling thousands of gallons of stormwater per year. How does BFJ quantify the loss in stormwater mitigation from our diminishing tree canopy?
Without quantifying what is occurring in Scarsdale, how can BFJ predict that expanding the side yard setbacks by 2 feet on each side of a home will substantially alleviate flooding? How do they use these 2 feet to account for expanded lot coverage, significant tree loss, and a rising water table?
There is no disputing that the water table has risen in many areas of Scarsdale. Before a new home or an addition is proposed to our Board of Architectural Review our Engineering Department appropriately requires essential data from both deep soil testing and what is known as percolation testing.
This is one of the key pieces of information that must drive the amount of land that is allowed to be covered with structures and hardscape. This key deep soil and percolation testing information also drives the requirements for drywells on the site. If these tests indicate that the water table is high, a drywell will be of no use in stormwater mitigation.
To ensure the tests are appropriately done and the data appropriately recorded, these tests should be witnessed by either our Village licensed engineer, or licensed engineers hired by Scarsdale to witness the testing done by a developer’s contractor. Other Westchester communities hire licensed engineers to ensure this data is as accurate as humanly possible. They know that this data forms the basis for the appropriate lot coverage that a particular piece of land can accommodate without resulting in flooding the new house, the neighbors, or the neighborhood. Scarsdale owes our residents this safeguard.
BFJ has suggested that gravel and porous asphalt should be considered impermeable surfaces and I applaud this suggestion. Unfortunately, BFJ also suggests that “porous pavers” should be considered a permeable surface. Please ask BFJ how the regular maintenance of “porous pavers” and the soil quality and type into which they are installed impacts whether they should be considered permeable long-term.
In order to better understand the current flooding crisis in Scarsdale, BFJ should be provided with the minutes of the Planning Board meetings regarding the proposals for 46 Lincoln/101 Carthage and for 80 Garden Road. Scores of Village residents are literally pleading for help from our Village government.
Finally, it would be helpful if BFJ were asked whether the two new homes built at the corner of Crane Road and Church Lane on Church Lane would have been permitted under BFJ’s proposed code changes. Only in this way can the Board and the residents start to understand the proposals.
Thank you very much.
Cynthia Roberts
15 Autenrieth Road
Letter: Village Should Allow Gas Leaf Blowers for Spring Clean-Up
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(The following letter was written by Jonathan Lerner)
Dear Editor Scarsdale10583,
As a concerned resident of Scarsdale invested in the upkeep of our community, I write to advocate for a temporary adjustment to the current limitations on gas leaf blowers during the spring cleanup period. While acknowledging the valid concerns regarding noise and environmental impact, I believe a brief allowance for their use, particularly in April, would significantly benefit our town.
With the onset of spring, our streets and yards often become littered with debris from the winter months—fallen leaves, twigs, and other organic matter. Clearing this debris is not merely a matter of aesthetics but also of safety and environmental health. Without the assistance of gas-powered leaf blowers, this task becomes excessively laborious and time-consuming.
One of the primary obstacles to adopting electric leaf blowers as an alternative lies in their cost and efficacy. The upfront investment required for electric battery-powered equipment can be prohibitive for many gardeners and landscaping businesses. Additionally, electric blowers often lack the necessary power to efficiently tackle large-scale cleanup tasks, especially in areas where debris accumulation is significant.
While we must continue to explore environmentally friendly alternatives, such as electric and battery-powered equipment, it's crucial to acknowledge the practical limitations they present. Many landscapers rely on the power and efficiency of gas leaf blowers to effectively carry out their duties, particularly during the demanding spring cleanup season.
Therefore, I urge town officials and fellow residents to consider a pragmatic approach that balances environmental concerns with the practicalities of spring cleanup. Allowing a temporary exemption for gas leaf blowers, limited to a specific timeframe such as two weeks in April, would facilitate the efficient maintenance of our community without imposing undue burdens on gardeners and landscapers.
In conclusion, let us strive to find solutions that promote sustainability while also addressing the practical needs of our community. By working together, we can ensure that Scarsdale remains a beautiful and well-maintained place to live for all its residents.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Lerner
Scarsdale, NY
