Frustrated Resident Tells Trustees, "You Are Chasing Us Out of Town"

Fed up with the overdevelopment of their neighborhoods, about 20 residents came to Village Hall on Tuesday night August 13 to attend a meeting of the Law and Land Use Committees of the Scarsdale Village Board. The meeting had been convened to review the current Village code regulating development and to listen to residents who are frustrated with the Village's lack of control over the construction of large new homes on existing lots.

Before the public spoke, Village Planner Elizabeth Marrinan reviewed the zoning tools that the Village now has at its disposal to regulate development. She explained that Scarsdale is divided into 19 zoning districts, but only 7 of these districts comprise 99% of the Village.

She explained that Floor Area Ratios (FAR) regulate the size of a home permitted on a given lot, regulations that were adopted in 2002 after a two-year study. The goal of this regulation is to control the perception of the bulk of a home when viewed from the street. Since its implementation, Marrinan reports that the FAR guidelines have not been challenged and few variances have been requested. However, builders have used the guidelines as justification to build the largest house permitted on the property, resulting in new homes that neighbor original homes that are often half the size.

A set of guidelines that were also implemented at the time were later rescinded, because because, according to Marrinan, "they were drawn by planners and they were difficult to use and understand."

Lot coverage requirements regulate the maximum coverage permitted for all buildings on a lot, as well as impervious surfaces. She noted that of late, in order to build more on less, residents have begun to convert impervious asphalt driveways to gravel driveways to give them more space to build a pool or a pool house. Wetlands properties are allowed 30% less lot coverage that non-wetlands properties and no construction is permitted within 25 feet of a wetland.

Marrinan warned that if we change these regulations to control future development, many of the existing homes could become non-conforming, an issue that poses problems for the village.

Setback requirements are yet another zoning tool that dictate how a home can be built on a lot. Depending on the zoning district, these regulations define the required distance from the street, sidelines and rear property line.

The residents waited over an hour to speak, and when they did get the chance to do so their frustration was evident. Most came from two areas of Quaker Ridge where it has become commonplace to tear down a 2,500 square foot home and replace it with a "gargantuan" palace, as one man said.

The residents aired a variety of concerns including:

• Bulk of the new homes
• Builder's disregard for building sites
• Changes in elevation requiring high retaining walls to flatten yards
• Subdivision of properties where two home replaced one
• Infrastructure needs
• Neighborhood character

A Dell Road neighbor complained about "humongous bulky homes" on her street. She said, when homes go up for sale, they are never even put on the market. Instead realtors, in partnerships with builders, sell the homes to the builder to knock down. In her words, "they are ruining our street."

Phil Moscowitz of Herkimer Road, which is a private road off Hutchinson Avenue said these new homes are "changing our neighborhoods and cheapening Scarsdale." He also said that these large new homes "strain the sewage system," and added, "we are very unhappy with the new structures."

Also from Herkimer Road, Susan Safter told the trustees two years ago the neighbors pitched in $65,000 to repave their street and now find that the builders have no respect for the street. They "dump soil," and "all the mud from the construction drains down onto our properties." She also said that the current storm drains cannot accommodate these larger homes.

Dick Wolf of Rock Creek Lane told trustees to consider changes in topography of existing land. He reported that in order to create flat yards for the new homes, builders backfill sloped properties, resulting in "an 11 foot retaining wall" in a yard that backs onto Dell Road. He said, "In order to create a picture perfect property you end up with massive changes in elevation and retaining walls. He raised the issue of subdivision of properties as well and asked the Village Trustees to make the developers pay for infrastructure improvements such as storm sewers to accommodate the run off from these large new homes.

Richard Schiffer, a resident of Dell Road for 45 years told the Trustees that the original homes were built in the 1950's, and many were just 2,000 square feet. Bemoaning the gargantuan homes being built on Dell Road he said, "We came here to live in a Village in park. We should try to preserve our homes the way they used to be. I should not have to live 10 feet away from a 5,000 square foot house. You are chasing us out of town by allowing this to happen. Most of us will move away."

Another neighbor brought up the condition of the work sites, saying, "Is there monitoring of work in process? The street looks like a war zone. There are tree trunks sticking up and dirt is tracked into the street. Is there a timeframe for completion of the project?

Due to time constraints, the meeting was called to a close. Mayor Steves vowed to set another meeting date to finish the conversation.