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Written by: Wendy MacMillan

Published: 13 March 2024

Created: 13 March 2024

Last Updated: 14 March 2024

Hits: 3783

Struggling to minimize tax increases while meeting the educational needs of all Scarsdale students, the district presented reductions in the 2024-5 school budget at their third budget study session on Monday March 11, 2024. The meeting drew a large audience of concerned community members both in person and online.

This third proposed budget reflects a net reduction of $917,247 in expenditures vs. the March 4 proposal and brings the budget increase down from 4.48% to 3.96% and the tax levy increase down from 4.95% to 4.39%. However, it still exceeds the state tax cap of 3.63% and would require a 60% approval vote from the community.

BOE President Ron Schulof set the stage saying, “The administration began the process with the board by presenting their staffing recommendations for the upcoming school year and the educational impact of those recommendations. These were presented on January 22nd. At the following two meetings, on February 5th and March 4th, the administration presented a deeper dive into the budget drivers of each area of the district as well as the educational goals that the budget proposal would support. During these two meetings, the board and administration also discussed the funding implications of these proposals being presented, including the staffing proposals.”

Schuhof went on to explain, “Tonight, in response to the board’s request, the administration will present two additional budget scenarios,” and added, “It is our goal this evening to come to a consensus on a budget proposal to bring forward to the community for consideration and feedback.”

After a detailed presentation of the most recent budget scenario in which more reductions were made to bring the increase closer to the state mandated tax cap, the BOE members did indeed come to a consensus. Except for Robert Klein, who believes that the Board should support the budget proposed on March 4th, each of the members read a prepared statement in support of the budget presented on Monday, March 11th.

Presenting the revision, Superintendent Dr. Drew Patrick explained the multitude of expenditure reductions administrators had to make in order to arrive at these new numbers. Some of the cuts include items like a BOCES reduction which will eliminate an Annual Indoor Air Quality Baseline Testing and a reduction in Consultants which would reduce work with assessment consultants. Dr. Patrick assured the BOE that the Annual Air Quality Assessment is a measure that Scarsdale takes that goes above and beyond the call of duty and that the air quality for our students and teachers will still be maintained and safe. Andrew Lennon added that since the District has utilized the Air Quality Assessment for the last several years, we have a good understanding of where we are currently at and know how to address problem areas quickly and effectively.

Other areas of expenditure reductions are shown below:

Reduce Painting projections district wide
Reduce Window Repairs to egress/rescue windows only
Safety, Security and Emergency Management (SSEM) with a Reduction to only one entrance @ SHS in afternoon and on Saturdays
SSEM - Delay start of Elementary Monitor to 7:45am (instead of 7am)
Arts Education - arts enrichment (K-5)
Arts Education - arts enrichment (SHS)
BOCES - Sustainability Reduce QRS Garden Renovation
Arts Education - other arts programs
Arts Education - arts enrichment
Arts Education - other institutional connection
Reduce budget for athletics filming
Arts Education - arts enrichment (SMS)

In discussing these cuts Dr. Patrick made clear that reductions in Arts Education would not affect teachers or courses offered, and rather would only impact areas of art enrichment such as the contract with Alvin Ailey Dance and other programs brought in to enrich the students’ experiences and learning.

BOE member Robert Klein asked if we could possibly partner with organizations like Friends of Music and the Arts to supplement some of these enrichments. Patrick responded by first extending his gratitude to the FMA for all of the incredible work they do with our schools. He went on to explain that while he greatly appreciates their help, he would never want to expect it from them or rely on them to assure that our District can deliver programming in a consistent manner.

Still more cuts include reductions in Employee Benefits, Equipment, Furniture, Salary and Wages, and Supplies including a the current full time Public Information Officer. It would omit the proposal to add a .5 SHS math teacher to teach multivariable calculus and financial literacyand .2 FTE secretary. For more line-item details in each of these areas, please refer to the full report here:

BOE member Jim Dugan expressed his concern with cutting the 0.5 SHS Math teacher in the salary and wages portion of reductions and wondered if the 13 or so students who are interested in taking the multivariable calculus class could perhaps engage in an independent study with a current math teacher or take an online course. Patrick assured the BOE that there are teachers who currently engage students in independent studies and that SHS also has an arrangement with a university for online support for this class. Nothing was mentioned about the fInancial literacy course this .5 math teacher would also teach.

Patrick and Lennon also briefly explained why the District can no longer rely on the use of the school district’s fund balance to keep tax increases below the tax cap. You can read more about the fund balance in this article.

Though this proposed budget is still slightly over the state mandated tax cap, it preserves integral aspects of the excellent education Scarsdale residents have come to expect for their children. Some of these aspects include items like funding the exceptional level of instruction provided through small class sizes (elementary), the house and team structure (middle school), and vibrant program of study (high school), maintaining our technology infrastructure, and ensuring that staffing levels are consistent with community expectations.

Dr. Patrick went on to describe the possible reductions that could occur should we adopt a budget that stays within the Tax Levy Limit (tax cap). Some of these cuts include Teacher Aides- across the board, Abolish 1.0 Math Curriculum Coordinator, Athletics (B teams), Abolish 1.0 Computer Teacher (SMS) and much, much more. Patrick described these reductions as cuts that would greatly impact the quality of education offered to our students.

As a reminder, Patrick shared these remarks with the BOE and those in attendance:

“...this is my first full year as Superintendent, and it is Andrew’s first year as our Assistant Superintendent for Business. Neither of us expected to need to propose such a large budget increase, and we have only done so because it reflects the reality we face. Both the growth of our programs, increases in costs of goods and services, and rising benefit costs have collectively created the pressure we are now experiencing. As Superintendent, my aim is to 1) recommend a budget that continues the programs and services that we think our students deserve and that our community expects, and 2) establish strategies and practices that promote the long-term fiscal health of the district. The budget work we have done reflects these goals. Unfortunately, achieving the first goal requires expenditures in excess of the tax cap. However, we believe that adopting a budget above the tax cap will enable us the resources and time needed to carry out the second goal. A major building block needed to carry out this goal is already well underway- the significant step of transitioning to a new financial management platform. With that completed, we expect to be in a position to present the components of a long term financial plan, and a fund balance and reserve strategy next Fall. Together, these structures and tools will enable us to make the informed decisions necessary to close the gap between expenditures and revenues.”

Before entering into a discussion and coming to a consensus on which budget the BOE would choose to propose to the community at large, Shulhof took the opportunity to remind everyone of the three scenarios the administration has proposed so far:

Scenario 1 - Administration’s Recommended Budget: This budget would accomplish all of the proposed budget goals outlined during the budget discussions. This proposal would have a tax levy increase of 4.95% and was presented at the March 4th meeting and already includes reductions discussed at that meeting.

Scenario 2 - Budget Reductions: This budget incorporates budget reductions which would have some impact on the proposed budget goals but attempts to limit impacts to core educational programming. Of course as Drew mentioned, any reductions impact students and programming even if they are indirect reductions or deferrals. This proposal would have a tax levy increase of 4.39% and includes those reductions which were presented tonight, March 11th.

Scenario 3 - Meet the Tax Cap: This budget would be at the tax cap and would have significant impacts to the budget goals and also impact existing programming and educational staffing. A budget at the tax cap would have a tax levy increase of 3.63%.

Each member of the BOE had a turn to speak and to clarify which scenario/budget they support, and each member read from a thoughtfully and carefully prepared statement. Some of their comments include:

Amber Yusuf said she supports the budget proposed on March 11th (Scenario 2) because it is “a budget that adheres to the values and principles we hold dear for the benefit of our students, but places our budget above the politically constructed tax cap. This budget does not address every wish of the administration or this board. I lament our inability to add new programs like financial literacy to our array of offerings, yet I recognize that rising inflation and rising healthcare costs, combined years of depleting fund balance to address our growing programs and needs has led us to this critical decision point. However I am confident that this budget will maintain our commitment to excellence for all of our students - ranging from support of all of our athletes to adhering to our commitment to our students with highest needs. This budget keeps our students and faculty and staff safe, while maintaining our safety and security needs, which have grown so dramatically in recent years. Our support for the mental health professionals and programs also remains intact, in an effort to continue to support the ever increasing challenges of our complex world.”

Jim Dugan recognized the unique responsibility he has, as a board member who has children currently attending the Scarsdale schools, to balance his desire to have the schools be as good as they possibly can be, with his responsibility to the larger community. Having said that, he expressed that he felt the budget from March 11th works to meet these two vying factors half way and achieves a balance that gets us closer to the tax cap while preserving programs and staff. He stressed that supporting this budget is important for the future of Scarsdale.

Robert Klein explained that after seeing the monetary difference between the March 4th and March 11th proposals on slide # 24 of the presentation, he feels the substantial benefits to our students and teachers of keeping the items in the proposed budget from March 4th outweigh the savings to be had if we cut them, and promote the latest budget draft from March 11th. The cost savings for each taxpayer in Scarsdale from the March 4th proposed budget to the March 11th budget is an anticipated $126. He feels inclined to support the budget proposed on March 4th.

Colleen Brown supports the budget proposed on March 11th because it still maintains elements important to deliver a world class education (such as small class sizes, global education opportunities, safety and security and so much more) and supports our District’s mission.

Jessica Resnick-Ault agreed with Brown and added that she feels the budget proposed on March 11th still supports the whole child and the vital components of an exceptional education. While supportive of promoting the March 11th budget, Resnick-Ault laments that this budget was unable to include additional positions like a new dean at the high school which she feels would greatly benefit the students.

BOE Vice- President Suzie Hahn shared her statement:

“Reviewing three possible scenarios represented by these budget proposals has not been easy. On the one hand (or actually, my heart), I don’t want to give up anything that can serve the mission of our Scarsdale Schools - that mission to sponsor each student's full development, enabling our youth to be effective and independent contributors in a democratic society and an interdependent world. People choose to live in Scarsdale for one reason, and that’s the excellence of our school system. To shortchange that would be a great disservice to our children and to our whole community.

On the other hand (or maybe I can call it my head), Scarsdale has faced (as has all schools in our area) big challenges in the last few years between general inflation, higher healthcare costs, aging facilities in the face of extreme weather events, the need for increased safety and security measures, and special education and student mental health needs which have all grown significantly. Clearly these financial needs need to be addressed.

Despite all these rising cost factors, Scarsdale has stayed within the tax cap until now, but given our fund balances and reserves, it is time. Seeing what a budget to the cap would look like, I don’t recognize Scarsdale in it. It eliminates programs and services that directly impact student experience and have consequences that are beyond academic but would affect student mental health as well. The tax cap, as I mentioned last week, is a political construct created in Albany that doesn’t properly account for inflation, or unfunded mandates for that matter. Scarsdale should determine how to fund its schools and Scarsdale alone.

Between March 4th’s and tonight’s budgets, though there are certainly items that I personally would love to see preserved through to tonight’s version, I have to agree with my fellow Board members that tonight’s budget is the fiscally prudent course while still maintaining the best of a Scarsdale education. Particularly I would love for the community to give us feedback on the financial literacy and multivariable calculus 0.5 FTE, as well as input on the arts enrichments. But overall I support tonight’s budget as it delivers on an excellent education for our students. Thank you again.”

BOE President Ron Schulhof stated, “This has been the most difficult budget process I have been a part of since joining the Board. I think about all of the exciting programming and educational ideas we discuss at this Board table and that our budget is a means to invest in our education, both for current and future students. I also have to consider the fiscal realities we face and that we have continued to grow our educational programming over the years by utilizing, in part, our fund balance. I believe the budget presented tonight – referred to as the March 11th budget – is the appropriate balance between delivering our educational programming while respecting our fiscal responsibilities.”

Shulhof also strongly encourages our community to provide feedback to the BOE and reminded the community that, “The Board is not scheduled to take a vote on the budget until April 8th. This process allows time for the community to review the budget being proposed, provide feedback, and for the Board and administration to discuss and consider the feedback we receive at the Budget Forum on March 25th. Anyone who would like to provide feedback is welcome to speak during public comment tonight. If you want more time to review the budget before sharing your feedback, the Budget Forum on March 25th begins with public comment prior to the Board and Administration’s discussion. The Board also welcomes you to write to us at [email protected]. We thank everyone who has taken the time to speak during previous meetings or contact us with their feedback and look forward to continuing to hear from the community on next year’s proposed budget.”

At Monday’s Budget Study Session # 3, many community members took advantage of the Public Comment to share their thoughts and concerns about the budget. Here are some of the highlights:

Lloyd Katz read from a prepared statement that explained, “For more than a decade, schools and local governments in NY State have been required to comply with a cap that limits tax increases to no more than 2%. As long as inflation remained at or below the 2% level, the effects of this approach were largely limited. Since the end of the pandemic, with the return of inflation rates as high as 8%, the folly of having a tax cap which does not keep pace with inflation is obvious. This District is now at a crossroads, and you must make a decision whether you are going to adequately fund our schools’ needs with a sufficient tax increase.”

Katz went on to argue, “This problem is not unique to Scarsdale schools; it is faced by schools and local governments across the state. You cannot operate in fear of those members of the electorate who will oppose an increase. No doubt some will. I implore you to come up with a budget that the schools truly need that preserves the quality of the education provided here as well as the District’s solvency. You should feel comfortable arguing that case before the public. Most of the families in Scarsdale are thoughtful people who want the best for our children and our schools. We will listen to reason.

Like just about everyone else, my wife and I do not like seeing our tax rates rise. We believe, though, that in some cases this is money well spent. We urge members of the community to recognize the importance of our schools, not only to our students, but to ourselves as well. The value of the homes in this district is in large part tied to the quality of the schools. The cuts being considered by the Board may in the end cost us far more in lost home values than any amount of taxes saved.”

Lastly Katz touched on the increasing needs of students citing that “Nationally, the percentage of students requiring special education services is approximately 15%, nearly double the level of 40 years ago. Scarsdale has seen a similar rise. Those needs touch every level of school-from elementary through high school and must be addressed with continued hiring.” As Katz pointed out, this is in addition to the rising need for mental health support and a demand for more specialized courses, in math, financial literacy, civics, and foreign language, especially when other, arguably lesser districts offer such courses.

Art Rublin took the podium next and first thanked the administration and the BOE for focusing on what is best for Scarsdale and not a politically constructed tax cap. Rublin also expressed that in choosing to do what is best for our students, we are choosing to do what is best for the community. He stated that Scarsdale is a one industry town and that people move here, and live here because of the excellent schools. He also expressed that there is a delta between the minimal tax increase that each taxpayer could see, relative to home values here.

Rachana Singh also spoke in person and first advocated for long term financial planning that targets at a minimum a five year forecasting. Saying that, “A five year forecast plan will provide a comprehensive outline of the district's projected revenue and expenditures. Key revenue Levers like state, local and federal would influence your five year forecast and so will key expenditure like a 5 year facility plan, 5 year tech plan and five year special education forecast. I feel this is the appropriate time to commit to such forecasting.”

Among other concerns, Singh went on to advocate for a process that determines the efficacy of the Reveal Math curriculum and the social work support and questioned the decision to keep the Special Education Admin position over SHS FTE math teacher and argued that, “We need to put the educational outcomes of the special education cohort over the administrative needs.”

Claudine Gecel expressed her empathy for everyone working on the budget and recognized that it is a very difficult process especially given the current climate. She urged the BOE to make reductions in capital expenditures and expressed her opinion that they should be tabled for now.

Justin Goh delivered his comments via Zoom and strongly advocated for the addition of a .5 math teacher at SHS who would teach Multivariable Calculus and Financial Literacy. Goh explained that, “For many colleges and particular majors (STEM, business), math rigor is their number one criteria for admissions, and our curriculum is falling behind.The math progression for the most advanced students at SHS is not matching the rigor and opportunities provided by other schools. The top schools now track students into AP Calculus BC in Junior year and then Multivariable or other advanced topics for Senior year. You can see this if you look at pages 42-45 of this course catalog for Harrison. In addition, Harrison has arranged for their students to get college credit through Syracuse University.”

Robert Berg spoke via Zoom and warned that the District is heading down a challenging path and feels that our community doesn’t need a divisive budget fight. He also believes the administration can make even more cuts to the budget saying that “they haven’t even begun to cut into muscle.”

Mayra Kirkendall-Rodriguez was the last to express her concerns via Zoom saying, “Taxpayers are being asked to accept a huge budget without concrete evidence as to why items are being proposed or why they are being removed. For example, soon affecting our middle and high schoolers were the requests for an SHS dean and ½ FTE for financial literacy and multivariable calculus. Now those requests have been withdrawn. There was barely an explanation as to why those requests were made and then no explanation as to why the requests were withdrawn. When was the last time parents were invited by the District to have a conversation about what we think about the math curriculum? Is it innovative? I teach financial literacy and capital markets courses to middle and high schoolers every summer who are from China, India, Korea, and top schools in the U.S. Their level of math and financial literacy is outstanding; I want to make sure that Scarsdale students also have that knowledge.
Because we are such a diverse community, it is so important for the District to really explain why certain items are proposed or withdrawn.”

Irena Spiegel-Turner spoke on the behalf of the PTC Budget Committee and read from a list of prepared questions that they have proposed to the BOE. Some of the questions include:

1. Would the administration please discuss its view of best practices regarding the budget process as it relates to the tax cap? Meaning, does budgeting to the NYS tax cap over many years affect the fiscal health of a school district? What are the current implications and effects that we experience in our budget process as related to the above. For example, will the decrease in reserve levels affect future bond issuance or borrowing in the near future?

2. Please share the rationale for favoring the March 11th budget vs the March 4th budget, with the former having an approximate $100 variance tax increase per median assessed household? Please share the considerations in a comparison to reach a conclusion to favor the comparable March 11th budget over the March 4th budget?

3. Would you please clarify: the March 11th budget, as generally chosen by the majority of the Board, has reduced security hours, meaning that this will affect and limit door access at the athletic entrance at the high school during weekday afternoons, correct?

Further, to clarify, reduced security hours in the 3/11 budget will potentially limit door access for early morning orchestra and band at the elementary schools as children will have to be dropped off in a short window of time while the teacher is available to open the door. So if a child misses that window, they would potentially be locked out?

4. Please clarify again how much will be taken from reserves this year (2023-24) to fill any gaps between expenditures and revenues.

5. Is there a plan— perhaps part of the Strategic Plan— related to curricular enhancements in order for Scarsdale Schools to be on the cutting edge of public school education?

6. What considerations are going into planning for additional resources in Scarsdale High School to accommodate the continuum of special education for rising students year over year?

7. Has the district received Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) aid from the State and how is that allocated across the district?

8. Can you share what revenue streams go into the ‘Other Revenues’ line item? What is primarily causing the drop of revenue streams and how can it be increased?

9. What methodology is followed to allocate the furniture budget across the different schools? Can we see a breakout by school?

You can see these statements and the full Budget Study Session # 3 in their entirety here https://vimeopro.com/scarsdaleschoolstv/boe2324/video/922197404. And if you have thoughts, comments, or concerns about the proposed budget, make sure to tune in to the Budget Forum on March 25th which will begin with public comment prior to the Board and Administration’s discussion.

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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 05 March 2024

Created: 05 March 2024

Last Updated: 06 March 2024

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Film reel: After being uncovered, the original film reel that has now been digitized by the Scarsdale Historical Society.Scarsdale Historical Society today announced a film screening for a newly uncovered film that was created by residents in 1946. Scarsdale in World War II chronicles how Scarsdalians united and rallied in support of the war effort in the 1940s, and was produced and screened as part of a fundraising campaign for Jewish refugee children. This will be the first time the movie has been publicly shown in decades, and the public can RSVP now for the event on Tuesday, March 26, 2024 at 7:30 PM at Scarsdale Public Library.

The original 16mm film was found in storage at the Scarsdale Public Library, and all 1,200 feet of film has been digitized and preserved by the Scarsdale Historical Society. This historic treasure presents a stunning, visual testimony of Scarsdale life in the 1940’s. The footage captures Scarsdale’s landmarks as they appeared almost 80 years ago, including the only-known footage of some sites that no longer exist.

The motion picture is associated with many high-profile figures, particularly the president of Twentieth Century Fox, Murray Silverstone of Richbell Close. His wife, Dorothy Silverstone, was one of the leaders of the charitable organization behind the film. It was produced by stage producer Julian Olney and narrated by preeminent American broadcaster Lowell Thomas.

“Digitizing and sharing this film is part of our commitment to preserving and disseminating Scarsdale’s history,” stated Randy Guggenheimer, President of the Scarsdale Historical Society. “Residents of all backgrounds, ages and religions united in the face of war, and this film is a priceless snapshot of Scarsdale’s deep-rooted civic-minded past.”

A cameraman in a Scarsdale Golf Club locker room, capturing residents as they donate blood through the Red Cross Blood Bank. (Credit: Scarsdale Inquirer, May 17, 1946)

Admission to the film is free. The event is co-sponsored by the Scarsdale Historical Society and the Scarsdale Public Library.

The public can register here for the premiere.

Note: The film will be presented as originally created. It contains outdated language which may cause offense.

About the Scarsdale Historical Society
The Scarsdale Historical Society exists to discover, preserve and disseminate historical information, as well as inspire others to learn about and contribute to the history of Scarsdale and the Central Mid-Westchester Region. The Scarsdale Historical Society accepts grant applications for projects that meet its mission, particularly those that will inspire others to learn about the history of Scarsdale and the surrounding communities. Learn more at www.scarsdalehistoricalsociety.org.

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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 27 February 2024

Created: 27 February 2024

Last Updated: 28 February 2024

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21 Autenreith Road

(Updated February 28, 2024) Despite the imposition of a building moratorium in Scarsdale, land use boards appear to be as busy as ever with projects that were in the pipeline before the start date of the moratorium barred applications for certain types of projects.

Two proposals are being hotly contested by residents who fear detrimental effects to their neighborhoods.

The first is at 21 Autenreith Road, a historic street within walking distance of Scarsdale Village where a developer is proposing the renovation of a stately 5,077 square foot brick Georgian style home built in 1910 on over a half-acre of property. At issue is a proposal to construct a two-car garage in the front façade of the historic home. which will allow the architect to repurpose the rear garage into a pool house and get rid of the lower level garage which is unpopular with buyers. Building this garage on a rise in the property would require construction of a retaining wall, the addition of truckloads of fill to the front yard, and a new driveway winding its way up the front lawn to reach the elevated garage.

Neighbors object to the plan as they believe it is incongruous with the historically significant aesthetic of Autenrieth Road, where front yards The 200 year-old Oak tree.provide a Village in a Park atmosphere and garages are largely tucked behind homes, The proposal sites the garage, retaining wall and new driveway in proximity of a healthy 200 year-old oak tree with a trunk diameter of nearly five feet. Residents expressed concern that the future of the tree will be threatened as a result of the cutting and the suffocation of roots caused by the proposed construction in the front yard.

In support of their cause, several neighbors teamed up to hire a renowned arborist and oak expert William Bryant Logan, who teaches at the New York Botanical Garden and Pratt Institute and is the founder of Urban Arborists, a New York City-based tree care firm that has been caring for many of the city’s great trees for more than three decades. He is the author of several books, including Oak: The Frame of Civilization.
Logan inspected the five-foot diameter tree and stated in his report that, “This oak is an extraordinary specimen, among the largest oaks in Westchester County.” He recommended that no construction disturbance occur around the entire circumference of the tree within a radius of 58 feet, concluding that the driveway could not be located as proposed. He concluded, “Let me reiterate that this is a historic oak that is very important both aesthetically and ecologically to the town of Scarsdale. It is in my estimation well worth the effort needed to preserve it.”
Twelve neighbors submitted comments to the BAR, all against the proposal.

Ariana Green of Elmdorf Road lives catty-corner to 21 Autenrieth and said that her young family moved into their home built in 1851 seven years ago because they fell in love with the lush and historic neighborhood. “There are other streets in Scarsdale where one can buy a house with an attached garage in the front. This house will be sold without constructing a new attached garage. We shouldn’t cave to developers who don’t stick around.”

Her eight year-old daughter clambered up to the microphone and said, “Every day we see the tree when we go to school and the tree likes to wave to me and my brothers. There isn’t any other tree in the world like it. It is pretty and very old too.”

The proposed garage would jut out from the front facade of the house.Jeffrey Osterman expressed concern for the tree and said, “We are rolling dice about the health of the tree.” He also expressed dismay that the developer submitted a rendering at the meeting that does not provide a view of what the new wall, raised yard and elevated new garage would look like from the street. He concluded that the visual condition doesn’t work with the aesthetics of the neighborhood and that they should put the garage in the back of the house.

Marsha Morton summed up the problem succinctly. “The tail is wagging the dog here.” She asked, “Why put all this effort to add a two-car garage in the front which brings a lot of risk? Put the garage in the back.”

Emily Kronenberg, a neighbor and registered architect with a strong interest in historic preservation, said, "This home, with the possible exception of the 1850's house across the street, is the most architecturally significant home in this neighborhood and is one of the most beautiful houses in Scarsdale that remains completely intact on the front facade since its construction in 1910. This lovely brick Georgian Revival home was the residence of John W. Dickinson, a name that might be familiar to you as he founded and funded the Scarsdale Public Library as well as funding the Scarsdale Congregational Church, among his many activities as a civic leader in the development of Scarsdale."  Ms. Kronenberg showed the BAR a photo of the house featured in a book from the 1920's-30's specifically devoted to Scarsdale's architecturally significant houses.  The already mature oak tree in the photograph from roughly 100 years ago was noted.

Erik Oja pointed out that “Most of us don’t have attached garages in this neighborhood. He suggested that if you want an attached garage in the front, what about putting the garage on the right side of the house where it is flat? This wouldn’t involve adding fill or risk hurting the tree.”

The Blausteins who live directly across the street from #21 sent a letter:

“Our home was built in 1910, just like #21 Autenrieth. There are about a dozen homes in our neighborhood built in 1910-1911. This is why our street is considered as close to a historic district as exists in Scarsdale.

When these homes were built in the early 1900’s, pride was taken in the aesthetics of Autenrieth, especially maintaining its park-like atmosphere. Front yards were celebrated and garages were a utilitarian element set in the back. 15 of the 18 homes on Autenrieth, including our home, currently have lovely green front yards and garages that sit behind the homes.

With only a few more recently built exceptions, the historic development pattern is consistent; gracious front yards with garages in the back. These streets were built in the early days of Scarsdale development and connect directly into the Village Center and Chase Park. As a result, residents today still enjoy strolling down our park-like, tree filled block to run their errands. …Why should the entire neighborhood’s home values suffer because a developer wants to add square footage for resale?”

Neighbor Cynthia Roberts pointed out that the proposal does not meet several of the BAR’s own design guidelines that state:

• “Rear additions are preferred.”

• “Where attached garages are provided, they should be set back from the front building facade, preferably with the garage doors facing the side or rear.”

• “Avoid double door garages facing street and garage closer to street than principal structure.”

Ms. Roberts pointed out that this proposal violates all of these guidelines.

About the large oak, she pointed out that the Conservation Advisory Council’s 2023 report concluded that the Scarsdale’s tree canopy is disappearing. She shared that “Oak trees have been found to be the most ecologically important species of tree in our ecosystem.”
Furthermore she said, “The house already has two two-car garages, one in the basement of the house and one at the end of the existing driveway. “It is a travesty to risk this tree for a garage.”

At the conclusion of the discussion, BAR Chair Brad Cetron asked the applicant to return with accurate renderings of the proposed house and street view along with detailed drawings of the proposed landfill and retaining wall. Alternatively, Cetron told the applicant he can propose a house with the garage in the back.

(Photo credits: Cynthia Roberts)

Lincoln Road Waterway

A second open item includes a possible subdivision of two lots into three at 46 Lincoln Road and 101 Carthage Road. At the February meeting of the Committee for Historic Preservation the developer was granted permission to tear down a mid-century modern home at 46 Lincoln Road. The applicant is now proposing to reroute a water course that runs through the middle of the property to allow the construction of a house on the open space between the two homes. A rendering of the original plans for the house shows that the property included a pond. See the image below:

Before the waterway was buried, the property included a pond.

With the help of the Village Engineer the developer came up with a plan to move the watercourse and pipe out of the property and divert it next to the street in the Village right of way where it would become the Village’s responsibility to maintain.

At the Planning Board meeting last month, the applicant, his engineer and attorneys presented their plan to move the watercourse and claimed it would decrease the velocity of stormwater leaving the property. The plan involved creating a watercourse with two 90-degree angles.

Subsequently the Village hired their own expert to evaluate the plan and that report is now included on the Village website. That report casts doubt on many of the assumptions in the applicant’s proposal and asks for further analysis.

Here is an explanation of the project from a neighbor:

"This upcoming Wednesday night, February 28th, the Scarsdale Planning Board will again review the Application for a “Subdivision and Lot Line Adjustment, Site Plan for land disturbance in the Adjoining Property Buffer, a Watercourse Diversion Permit and a Wetlands/Watercourse Permit at 46 Lincoln Road and 101 Carthage Road,” which is at the southwest corner of Lincoln and Carthage Roads.

The Application seeks to create a new buildable lot between 46 Lincoln Road and 101 Carthage with grade changes, work in the adjoining property buffer, and the relocation of an illegally installed sub-terranean drainage pipe from behind the home at 46 Lincoln Road and into the Village Right-of-Way at the corner of Lincoln and Carthage roads. This essentially takes the watercourse from a privately-owned property and places it into the public right-of-way.

The Application reflects (page B-1) that the proposed pipe will carry drainage water from approximately 35-acres of area, showing water coming from the Heathcote School, fields, and wetlands as well as Lincoln, Graham, Vanderbilt, Farragut, Carthage, Fayette, Lebanon, Ardmore, and Innes Roads. This water will then empty into the open waterway at 50 Lincoln Road, which then moves down through Crossway.

In essence this Application affects a great deal of Scarsdale families and their homes.

As of midday on Tuesday, the 27th of February the Village Engineer has not posted his written assessment of the Application, but a third-party firm, Mott Macdonald, has performed a review of the proposal and has raised some concerns. All these documents can be viewed on the Village website by going to the Calendar and clicking the Applications and Supporting Documents Link"

The proposal will be considered at the meeting of the Planning Board at 7 pm on February 28, 2024.

Drainage map for the affected area,

Details

Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 21 February 2024

Created: 21 February 2024

Last Updated: 21 February 2024

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Frustrated residents are looking for an explanation of why they failed to receive their school tax bills or email notifications last September and are now being assessed stiff penalties for late payments.

The treasurer reported that 216 residents missed the first of their two-part school tax payments in September, along with the second payment due by January 31, 2024. Since penalties, which are set by the county at 2% - 12%, accrue as payments get later, many of these residents are now paying steep fees. Though there is no hard proof, many residents are saying they never received their bill in the mail or an email notification of taxes due from the Village.

Another 284 residents missed the second of their two part payments and are also paying penalties.

Aggrieved residents are asking:

What error led to the omission of the mailed bill? Was it caused by the printer or the post office? Or were their records simply not selected when the tax bills were printed?

Why did those who signed up to pay online fail to receive an email in September alerting them to the payment due date?

As Scarsdale usually has a very high payment rate, why didn’t the Village Treasurer notice that payment rates were flagging and look into the issue in October or November before significant penalties accrued?

Who should be held accountable?

It is ironic that the option to pay school and village taxes in two parts is the cause of so much consternation when the system was put into place to ease the tax burden on locals. But rather than decrease the tax load for some, communications issues and misunderstandings about the two-part process has resulted in high tax penalties.

Bob Berg explained that the system was implemented in 2020 and at the time many people missed their second payments and got hit with onerous late fees. He said, “I slammed the Village for not reminding residents and doing a better job communicating. The Treasurer’s office promised to do better. And now look what happened. That’s not fair to residents – even though under state law residents have the responsibility to pay on time even if they don’t get billed.”

He added, “I'm especially ticked off about this screw-up in the Village Treasurer's Office because I consider my success in getting both the School Board and the Village Board to implement two-part billing for the School and Village property taxes to be one of my biggest civic accomplishments. And now, that's turned into a financial debacle for a couple hundred property owners who, even though they have the legal responsibility to pay their property taxes on time, relied to their detriment on the Treasurer's office to send tax bills and e-reminders in plenty of time to avoid the onerous late penalties.”

He did note that it’s highly unlikely that residents will receive refunds of their penalties, because this can only be achieved by special legislation in the NYS State Assembly and NYS Senate. Berg advised those who paid the penalties to write to State Assemblywoman Amy Paulin and State Senator Shelley Mayer to see if they could find a remedy.