Leaf Disposal Inspires Heated Discussion at Village Hall

Who knew that the question of leaf disposal could draw a crowd to Village Hall and inspire a passionate discussion? On the Tuesday night before Thanksgiving I was surprised to find so many residents in Village Hall for a hearing on a proposed new leaf collection law that would eliminate the vacuuming and collection of loose leaves from Village streets during the fall months.

The new provision would require residents to mulch their leaves in place, bag them for collection or haul them to the Crossway Leaf Transfer Station for recycling. The intent is to encourage more residents to mulch the leaves on their lawns and to utilize this organic matter to feed lawns – rather than haul the leaves away. However – those who opt not to mulch or cannot, can purchase biodegradable leaf bags from the Village at a cost of .80 each or ask their landscapers to load their leaves on trucks and transport them to Crossway.

Scarsdale's Superintendent of Public Works Benedict Salanitro explained that the Village now picks up 12-13,000 tons of leaves a year, hauls them to Crossway and then sends them to facilities upstate where they are made into compost.

Anne Jaffe Holmes, a proponent of leaf mulching from the Greenburgh Nature Center said that over 20 communities in Westchester are now examining the issue and that mulching has proven to be effective in many cases. Holmes said, "I am not saying that every leaf can be shredded and used on a property. But we are trying to get people to remember that we will all benefit by recycling the leaves onto our own properties. Mulch mowing is effective and efficient."

Residents who spoke at the meeting were split on their views:

Those opposed included Harvey Barton who has lived on Overlook Road for 46 years. He said, "We are avid conservationists and we have been mulching for years. I think there are some benefits to mulching – but on the other hand if you take 5600 families in Scarsdale and divide 5600 homes by $800,000 that comes to $160 per home. If landscapers take on this burden it will be far more expensive. In Mt. Vernon they bag leaves and the gardeners raised their fees. Bagging and mulching is labor intensive. From a practical point of view I simply don't think it is going to work!"

Susan Grosz, a 30-year resident of Scarsdale agreed. She said, "Many homes are on tiny plots of land – I have .15 acres and huge oak trees. It would be a burden if we had to bag our leaves or take them to the recycling center. Why is it more environmentally sound for my gardener to move the leaves than for Scarsdale to do it? My gardener said it would be considerably more work. If you enact this new you are in effect giving us a tax increase."

Chris Corrini, 22-year resident of Scarsdale said, "We are strongly against the proposal. It pushes the cost and burden onto the residents. The village is a cooperative and performs services in an efficient and effective manner....Scarsdale residents chose to live here because of the high level of services. These services are best handled collectively. We all could have moved elsewhere – but we are happy to put our taxes to good use. Many are not equipped to mulch their own leaves. Our homes have large trees and mulching cant take care of all the leaves."

Betty Bloom said, "Cutting services may save the Village money but will not save taxpayers a penny. The union will not allow cuts and you will need to buy new trucks to pick up the bags. For residents with disabilities this will be an impossible hardship. Encouraging mulching where it is feasible is good. We do our own gardening and it will be a hardship to do what you are asking."

Landscaper Frank Sensate who is a member of the NYS Landscaping Association said, "Try to mulch leaves and you will swallow dust all day. Dry leaves block your eyes. Customers will come home and see torn leaves on top of their grass."

Mr. McFarlane who lives on a corner lot on the Post Road said, "Environmental responsibility is high on my agenda. But at our age it is becoming more difficult for us to take care of the property. We are retired. We don't want to be pushed out by another tax in one form or another. There are ways to accomplish this by phasing it in. At the moment it is not physically practical for us to gather all the leaves, mulch them and redistribute them. At this point we can't afford to hire someone to do that. Please give careful consideration to how you implement it."

A relative newcomer who said she has only lived here for seven years said, "For those of us who live on small lots it is not feasible to compost the leaves. We mulch and compost and still have mountains of leaves. It will be very expensive and labor intensive to bag the leaves. I wish I could imagine what it would be like for the elderly people who try to stay here. There is a limit to what they can physically accomplish."

Susan Levine of Ardmore Road has lived in Scarsdale for 45 years. She said she is willing to try to mulch but her gardener was against it, even though she offered to buy him the mulching blade. She said, "I am concerned that the gardeners are pushing back. We need cooperation from the landscapers."

Speaking in favor of the proposal Kelly Sperling of 63 Tunstall Road said, "I am concerned with the leaf piles in the streets and my husband is concerned with lawn aesthetics. We tried mulching this year. The gardener used a regular mower and it looks fine. The only difference is that the grass is softer. We are pleased with the results –- it's worth a try."

Betsy Bush who tends to her own ½ acre property on the Post Road said, "We have mulched the past few years and it is fine. It's easy – I am not scooping up loose leaves. Once we (the Village) starts doing it, it will be fine ... its an inevitability. This budget line item can be redeployed to do something that can benefit everyone. Future boards will have to face this issue. If you push off the decision, feelings are going to harden and people will be not nice to each other – there is a nasty edge in the room. These leaf piles are dangerous. Landscapers are in the middle of the road blowing the leaves Who is going to responsible when someone gets hurt?"

Former Village Trustee Dan Hochvert of Woods Lane said that he purchased an extreme mulching blade and installed it himself. He now mulches the leaves to less than ¼ inch and they decompose more quickly.

Bob Berg of Tisdale Road said that 50% of the leaves are in the street and not on the lawns. It is not very sanitary. Safety issues are enormous in town and wet leaves are slippery. I asked by landscaper to mulch and I watched him as he blew them into a pile and mulched them. It's fine! I am sure our lawn will look a lot nicer next year.

Amy Goldstein of Brewster Road said she had an "Easy introduction to mulching."
She "found a new landscaper who matched the price of her former landscaper." She said, "It doesn't take longer. It was a "positive easy experience at the same cost."

Michelle Sterling of Brayton Road is also a proponent. She lives on a ½ acre property with large deciduous trees. She said, the "leaf piles I the street are massive and cause you to weave when you drive. Our two lane street is now a one lane street."
About mulching she said, "My landscaper agreed to do it – and I couldn't see the difference. I actually timed him and it took him less time." She continued, "Right now our leaves are vacuumed up and trucked to a transfer station. Then they are sent to Columbia County where they are mulched and bagged and sold back to us as mulch.
Why are we giving away our fertilizer and buying it back? Should we keep doing the same old or do we make a change? I hope we agree to do something as a community.

Some favored mulching but asked the Village to retain the vacuuming service:

Lee Fishman who serves on the Conservation Advisory Council said, "I support mulching but do not support the change in the law. Overcoming apathy and coordinating with landscapers will take time. The more we educate the less jarring the change will be." He continued, "We can collect less frequently. We can advocate for a county requirement that all landscapers use mulching blades. It is worth a try –an optimal outcome might be a blended approach."

Phyllis Finkelstein who has lived on Fenimore Road for 45 years said, "I do my own lawn maintenance. We have been subsidizing the schools as empty nesters
I want the village to help me manage the village owned trees on my lawn. The discussion to mulch became coupled with a discussion of eliminating vacuuming.
The two issues need to be separated. Mulching has become a battle cry. Well-minded advocates have simplified the issue. 100% compliance is not a realistic goal.
I suggest we back off the discussion of leaf vacuuming and continue to educate about the benefits of leaf mulching. After voicing my concerns twice I was asked to join the leaf education task force. I do believe that mulching is viable for many – it is a slow process. Calm the waters – move away.

Mayor Steves thanked everyone for their input and promised to take it all into account when considering the adoption of the new law.