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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 16 September 2026

Created: 16 September 2026

Last Updated: 21 September 2026

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(Updated September 21, 2026) A meeting with Con Edison officials in Scarsdale on September 15 was intended to appease angry customers. Instead, it left residents with even more questions—and concerns that were far more serious than anyone had imagined.

As the story unfolded, it became clear that the installation of a high-pressure gas transmission line beneath busy streets in Scarsdale has done more thant disrupt traffic for years. The installation has damaged homeowner's private property and now there are questions about the quality of the pipe welds. We learned that Con Ed will be re-opening the street to inspect a sampling of these welds.

So, in addition to the aggravation and damage to their sewer lines, homeowners now have another concern: whether the high-pressure gas line running beneath their streets was properly installed in the first place.

Here’s how we got here.

The Gas Pipeline

In 2021, Con Edison announced plans to install a high-pressure gas transmission line from White Plains through Scarsdale, Eastchester and Mount Vernon, eventually connecting to Astoria, Queens. Although the pipeline would run through densely populated Westchester neighborhoods, it will be used by many municipalities.

Read the original Scarsdale10583 story

Work began in White Plains in 2021, and the project encountered so many problems that it took three years to install the pipeline from the White Plains border to Fenimore Road. There, underground water pipes prevented Con Edison from installing the gas line through the intersection.

The work then shifted to the Fox Meadow side, where crews installed part of the line along Fox Meadow Road before the project was halted altogether.

The 36" wide pipeline is not currently in service because the rest of the Scarsdale connection has not been completed, nor has it been connected to the southern portions of the system in Eastchester and Mount Vernon.

At the September 15 meeting, Con Edison officials said they plan to extend the line down Fox Meadow Road, to Crane Road and then south along Route 22, with completion now projected for 2029.

One has to wonder: Is it really feasible to shut down portions of the Post Road, a state-owned north-south corridor through Westchester, for years to complete this project?

Property Damage

In September 2025, it came to light that construction of the gas line had damaged the lateral sewer lines serving homes along Walworth Avenue.

After pressure from homeowners, advocacy by the Village and Assemblymember Amy Paulin, Con Edison agreed to conduct video inspections of the sewer laterals at affected homes to determine whether there was “crushing or sagging of the sewer lateral replacement pipes and/or separation of sewer lateral replacements from the existing portions of sewer laterals.”

At the September 15, 2026 meeting, a Con Edison spokeswoman reported that the company had conducted 118 video inspections at 82 unique sites.

But Con Edison would not say how many homes had actually been damaged or required repairs—repairs that residents estimate can cost approximately $40,000 per house.

When residents asked Con Edison to conduct a second video inspection after repairs were completed, the utility refused.

And then the story got even worse.

More Excavations

Con Edison officials told residents that they now need to excavate the buried gas line to inspect its welds—the connections that hold the pipeline together.

How many excavations? Approximately 40 locations along the route.

The utility suggested that these excavations and inspections could be performed at the same time as repairs to the damaged sewer laterals.

And the timeline?

The fall of 2026.

That’s now.

Even more troubling was the reason Con Edison said it needed to dig up streets that have already been repeatedly excavated and repaved.

Were the Welds Defective?

A Con Edison representative said the additional inspections were necessary because of “fraudulent reporting.”

By Whom?

That question became particularly important when we learned what had happened to some of the inspectors responsible for inspecting gas pipeline welds.

The Inspectors

In August 2025, federal prosecutors announced that two safety inspectors had been charged with fraud for allegedly fabricating hundreds of gas pipeline test results in the Bronx and Westchester County. Here is the indictment:

According to the indictment, the inspectors were paid to conduct safety inspections designed to ensure that pipeline welds did not contain defects that could cause gas leaks or explosions.

Instead, prosecutors allege, they engaged in a practice known as “radaring.”

The indictment describes the practice as radiographing the same weld twice and then passing one set of films off as though it came from a different weld. In other words, an inspector could radiograph Weld A twice and then claim that the second set of films documented Weld B—even though Weld B had never been inspected.

According to federal prosecutors, hundreds of welds on utility pipelines installed throughout the Bronx and Westchester County between approximately 2016 and 2023 were affected by this practice. The indictment alleges that the inspectors did not actually inspect those welds but nevertheless submitted invoices for the inspections, which were paid by the utility.

Con Ed asserts that this case has no connection to the work done in Scarsdale, but we do know that the Public Service Commission is requiring Con Ed to excavate the pipe to re-examine the welds.

And the potential consequences are serious.

The indictment states that failing to identify and repair a defect before a pipeline was placed into service could result in “critical failures,” including gas leaks or explosions.

That raises an obvious question for Scarsdale residents:

Are any of the welds on the pipeline buried beneath our streets defective?

Con Edison says it now needs to excavate approximately 40 locations along the route to inspect a sampling of the welds, as required by the Public Service Commission.

Responding after the meeting, Allan Drury of Con Edison sent us the following comment, denying that the Scarsdale pipeline was involved in the fraudulent inspections. He explained, "Con Edison reported the fraud (none which took place in Scarsdale) to the PSC and instituted additional reviews of weld inspections throughout our territory, not just where the fraudulent conduct occurred."

So Where Does This Leave Scarsdale?

Con Edison needs permits from the Village of Scarsdale to excavate the pipeline and inspect the welds. The utility is also waiting for Village permits to tear up the streets again so it can repair the damaged sewer laterals.

The delay is particularly frustrating for homeowners who want to sell their houses but cannot complete a sale without the sewer lateral certificate required by the Village to transfer title.

And there is another complication.

Con Edison’s attorney told residents that anyone who wants the utility to repair their sewer lateral will have to sign a release absolving Con Edison of future liability for damage caused by the gas-line construction.

In other words, if additional damage from the pipeline installation is discovered several years from now, the homeowner could be left responsible for the cost of repairing it.

Elizabeth Lawrence of Walworth Avenue told the Con Ed Reps: "In terms of that waiver, you want us all to sign. We want to be able to have a community meeting with our fellow residents and our community leaders, such as the mayor to look at it, examine what Con Ed is presenting us, and whether or not we need to sign that waiver." The Con Ed rep responded, "We will be sending each of those homeowners a draft release for their review. I have been trying to convey to each person I've spoken to about it that they should have their attorneys review those releases to advise them." Lawrence shot back, ""Well, perhaps we don't want to spend the money to get an attorney to do that. Perhaps we don't want that. No one asked us if we wanted these streets to be excavated. No one asked us if it was a right, and then suddenly we're presented with a problem, and that we spend money to resolve that problem. That's an issue to me."

Con Edison has left Scarsdale with a gas line that currently goes nowhere.

When completed and placed into service, the pipeline will carry high-pressure gas beneath densely populated residential neighborhoods.

At the same time, questions remain about the quality of the original construction on the the welds. What is the risk of an explosion?

Though Con Ed says a licensed plumber will do the sewer lateral repairs, the contractor that performed the original work, Network Infrastructure, has been retained to do the excavations and continue the project, even as the Village continues to question the quality of the original work.

Meanwhile, Scarsdale residents, along with all rates payers, are paying increased utility rates to support a massive gas transmission project being built beneath streets that already have aging infrastructure and some of the heaviest traffic in the area.

After everything residents learned at the September 15 meeting, one question seems unavoidable:

Has anyone called the Public Service Commission?

Commenting after the meeting, Scarsdale Mayor Justin Arest said, "The Village has been actively engaged with Con Edison for many months regarding the sewer lateral damage and other impacts associated with this project, and we will remain steadfast in advocating for both the residents directly affected and the broader community.

More recently, as the scope of the weld reinspection issue became clearer, including the prospect of additional excavation and potential repairs, that issue became another important focus of our ongoing discussions with Con Edison. Assemblymember Paulin and I have also been in direct contact with the Department of Public Service and the Public Service Commission to ensure that our community’s concerns are being heard at the State level.

We expect this heightened level of engagement, both with Con Edison and with State regulators, to lead to greater transparency, stronger communication, and better outcomes for our residents. While we are encouraged by the increased attention these issues are receiving, we are proceeding with appropriate caution and will continue to press for answers, accountability, and meaningful protections for our community.”

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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 31 August 2026

Created: 31 August 2026

Last Updated: 31 August 2026

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Scarsdale’s popular catering business, Standing Room Only in the Colonial Village Shopping Center, will be closing its doors. The shop was the longtime go to provider for catered food for kiddush lunches, shivas, holidays meals, celebratory occasions and more. Whenever the need arose, someone could be counted on to say, “Call Jack.”

They were referring to the beloved owner Jack Tacconi who announced the news of the closing with a post on Facebook this week.

Now it will be tough to think who to call. It’s difficult to envision who will replace this one of a kind member of the Scarsdale community.

Here is the announcement from Jack:

A Personal Thank You from Standing Room Only

After 37 wonderful years, I have some bittersweet news to share: Standing Room Only will be closing its doors.


For me, this is much more than the closing of a business. Standing Room Only has been a huge part of my life. The story began with a dream that Sharon and I shared, and with a lot of hope, hard work, and perhaps a little bit of naiveté about what we were getting ourselves into! I will always be grateful for everything we created together.


Over the years, I have had the extraordinary privilege of being welcomed into your homes and your lives, and of being trusted with so many meaningful occasions—birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, holidays, graduations, business events, and countless gatherings with family and friends.


And along the way, many clients became friends. I have watched families grow, celebrate milestones, and heard, “Jack, we’re having another party…” more times than I can count. Those relationships are what I will treasure most.


I am incredibly proud of what SRO became, but even more grateful for the people who made it possible. Your trust, loyalty, friendship, referrals, and support have meant everything to me.


Closing something that has been such a central part of my life comes with mixed emotions. But when I look back, what I feel most is gratitude. I feel incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to do something I truly loved and to have had all of you along for the journey.


To everyone who ever called SRO, placed an order, recommended us, celebrated with us, or simply stopped to say hello—thank you

It has been an honor, a privilege, and one of the great joys of my life.

With heartfelt gratitude,
Jack

Friend and customer Suzanne Seiden said this about the closing: “Jack and Standing Room Only have been part of our community for 37 years, and it’s hard to imagine Scarsdale without them. Jack was there for so many of us through life’s happiest moments and its saddest ones, always going above and beyond for everyone. He was our caterer, the shiva king, our go-to for Broadway recommendations, and, most of all, a friend. Jack and SRO will be deeply missed and  can’t be replaced. We owe him enormous gratitude for all he has given our community.”

After hearing the news, Cynthia Samwick said, “Jack has been so much more than the heart of Standing Room Only—he has been part of the fabric of Scarsdale. From celebrations and holidays to difficult times, he has brought warmth, generosity, kindness and friendship to so many of us. He has touched countless lives, and Scarsdale simply won’t be the same without him.”

Share your thoughts about Standing Room Only below.

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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 16 August 2026

Created: 16 August 2026

Last Updated: 16 August 2026

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Following a multiyear project to install a large gas transmission line along Walworth Avenue and Fox Meadow Road, some residents found that the sewer lateral lines from their home had been damaged in the process. This new headache followed years of road closures, excavation, repaving and loss of service. The utilities’ lack of accountability highlighted the problem of their right to access Scarsdale’s roadways without consideration of damage to the Village infrastructure.

How many homes were involved? With the street now repaved it has been difficult to do the inspections which need to be done by video.

In order to sell your home, residents are required to demonstrate that they have a working sewer lateral by filing a “Sewer Lateral Discharge Compliance Certificate,” so some who were selling their homes retained private contractors to do the inspections. Others waited for Con Edison to do the work. And once it was determined that the lines were indeed damaged, residents wanted assurance that Con Edison would pay for the repairs.

Furthermore, this new gas transmission line was never put into use, and now it turns out that there are flaws in the welding that requires repair. In addition, work needs to be done on a separate gas transmission line along the same route. All this will mean that the street will again need to be torn up, with road closures and disruptions in service.

The Mayor had an update for concerned residents at the August 11, 2026 Village Board meeting where he reported that the Village met with Con Edison on July 15 and August 5, and was joined by State Assemblymember Amy Paulin at the August 5 meeting.

He said, “According to Con Edison, they have now inspected the sewer laterals of 75 homes, with some of those requiring a second inspection. Residents of at least 63 of those homes are expected to receive their inspection videos by August 14th, with the remainder to follow shortly after. Of the results reviewed so far, Con Edison reports that 20 laterals need repair or reinforcement of their connection to the sewer main. Another 17 may possibly need the same, though they say they won't know for certain until the street is open, and 10 more addresses still need additional review. A handful of inspections remain to be completed. Once residents receive their videos, Con Edison has committed to coordinating directly with any homeowner whose lateral means are repaired or reinforced connection to the sewer main.”

Transmission Line Repairs

Though the new line is not in use, it already requires repairs.

Arest said, “Con Edison also alerted us to another separate yet related matter for this stretch of road. Con Edison has identified a number of locations along the transmission main itself that require excavation, so the welds where the pipes meet can be reexamined with X-ray testing as a matter of pipeline safety. I know this is not welcome news, but it is work that will have to be completed to ensure safety before the gas main is active sometime in the future. We understand that a number of these well locations line up with the same stretches of road where sewer laterals already need physical inspection or repair. We have made it clear to Con Edison that we expect this work to be coordinated and expedited wherever possible, so that once started, is completed as quickly as reasonably possible. These residents have already experienced significant disruption, and while we recognize that this work needs to be completed, they should never have been subjected to repeated rounds of construction.”

Plans are Needed

Arest said that this time, Con Edison will need to submit a work plan so that the street will not be torn up multiple times for repairs at the same site.

He said, “No permit for this work has been issued, and no permit will be issued until Con Edison presents a comprehensive plan that demonstrates every reasonable effort has been made to coordinate and expedite the work, avoid unnecessary repeated excavation, and minimize the impact on residents to the greatest extent possible. Safety, accountability, and efficiency must be built into that plan from the outset.”

“The Village will also require an independent inspector on site full time for the duration of the work at Con Edison's expense, along with any other measures we determine are necessary to protect our residents and our infrastructure.”

September 15 Community Meeting with Con Edison

He announced a meeting with Con Ed to give the community an opportunity to ask questions:

“We have also worked to ensure that you will have time to speak to Con Edison directly. They will be holding a community meeting, as we have previously discussed and committed to having. That meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 15 at 7p.m. here in Rutherford Hall, and Con Edison will take questions from residents. That meeting is important as we know there are still unanswered questions for residents, including why certain homes are not currently on Con Edison's inspection list. We have not treated that question as closed, and if we do not have a better answer before September 15, Con Edison should expect to give one that evening.”

“If your home is not on the list and you believe it should be, please continue to reach out. Some residents have also asked about a separate gas distribution main project in the same area, where the timing of the work may have overlapped for some homes. Con Edison has told us that project involved a substantially shallower trench and Con Ed says it is highly improbable that the work caused damaged to any sewer laterals. Residents who want to raise that question directly with Con Edison should plan to do so that night.”

“We're going to keep working with Con Edison because our priority is getting these repairs done as quickly as possible for our residents. But let me be clear: our responsibility is to the people who live on these streets. We will hold Con Edison accountable for the commitments they've made. Push for the action our community deserves, and make sure your voices are heard every step of the way.”

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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 05 August 2026

Created: 05 August 2026

Last Updated: 05 August 2026

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Good news for pickleball players. While the Village looks into building new pickleball courts, players are currently using the old all weather tennis courts at Crossway as pickleball courts. The Mayor says it will probably take a year to have these new courts built.

However these courts are cracked and need some improvement in the interim. At their July 28, 2026 meeting, the Village Board appropriated $25,000 for the purchase of new nets, crack repair and surface treatment.

The resolution for $25,000 includes approximately $15,400 for resurfacing materials, roughly $6,000 for nets and fencing, and approximately $3,600 for additional supplies and other project-related expenses.

The work will be done by Village employees. Staff anticipates completing the project during August, with temporary court closures coordinated to minimize impacts on users and programming

Caffe Nero

Also at the meeting Village Trustees approved a special use permit for Caffe Nero, a coffee shop and café, to open at 100 Christie Place in the spot previously occupied by Bank of America at the corner of East Parkway and Christie Place.

At the July 14 meeting of the Village Board, Christie Place residents expressed concerns about sidewalk seating, potential noise and refuse storage and pick. These issues were addressed in the resolution for the special use permit approved by Village Trustees on July 28, 2026.

The permit approval has many stipulations including the submission of:

-“A delivery and mobile order pickup plan, acceptable to the Village Manager and staff, designed to minimize adverse impacts on traffic, pedestrians, nearby residents, and the Christie Place development. At a minimum, the applicant shall provide a plan, subject to approval by the Village Manager, which identifies delivery locations, sets forth delivery hours and the establishment's hours of operation, procedures for third-party delivery services and customer mobile order pickups, and a designated management contact for operational issues. The plan shall provide mechanisms to
prevent the unlawful stopping, standing, and parking of delivery and customer vehicles; and

-“A refuse management plan, acceptable to the Village Manager and staff, identifying refuse storage locations, collection schedules, and operational practices designed to minimize adverse impacts on traffic, pedestrians, nearby residents, and the Christie Place development.”

And the issuance of this special permit is subject to review in years one, three and five after issuance on the certificate of occupancy, by the Village Manager, Police Chief and Village Planner as to review of the effectiveness of the refuse management and mobile delivery parking aspects of the café’s operations.

It also requires the Village Manager, Police Chief and Village Planner to meet and confer with the operator of the café as to these operational aspects; and if the café operator does not agree to any recommendations suggested by Village staff, the café operator shall appear before the Board of Trustees for discussion of modification to the special permit on these operational aspects.

Furthermore, “any outdoor seating on Christie Place or East Parkway shall require a separate sidewalk café permit issued by the Village Manager or his/her designee prior to installation, and any such sidewalk café shall be designed, installed.”

About signage, the resolution says, “any illuminated sign for the premises shall be subject to review and approval by the Board of Architectural Review, shall not be neon, and shall comply with all applicable provisions of the Village Code.”