New Playground and Fields at Hyatt Park, Road Repairs and More from the Village Board

Roadwork, park improvements, sewage treatment and portable lights for football were all on the agenda at a busy meeting on the Scarsdale Board of Trustees on Tuesday September 8th.

Mayor Jon Mark offered an update on a continuing dispute regarding excess amounts of untreated sewage flowing from eleven lower Westchester municipalities into the County Sewer District system that in turn empties into Long Island Sound. Westchester County is subject a consent order with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to remediate the situation; and rather than using the County sewer district tax to pay for a study of the district system and potential remedial work, the County is taking the position that 11 municipalities, including Scarsdale, use their tax revenues to fund the work.

If the municipalities fail to meet certain deadlines for completing a study of their sewer systems, the County has threatened to assess them for violations of the Westchester County Sewer Act. Fines under that Act range from $25,000 per day per violation, up to a maximum of $200,000 per day for failure to comply. The Village Manager met with County officials on August 13 to discuss these issues and County officials made no noticeable change in their position. Scarsdale received a letter from the County on 8/28 in which some of the deadlines for completing the study were extended, but the County's demands remain unchanged. The County is seeking to pass the cost off to the municipalities so that the County budget will not exceed the real property tax "cap" which this year is expected to be less than 1%. No matter how the funds for the study and remedial work are collected, ultimately residents of the municipalities involved will bear the cost. Mayor Mark and Village Manager Steve Pappalardo have reached out to County Legislator Ben Boykin to assist in advancing the Village's position on this matter with the County.

In addition to these pressures, a non-profit group called "Save the Sound" has sued the County, and indicated its intention to sue the eleven municipalities over these matters.

Later in the meeting, the Village Board passed a resolution to spend $677,840 to clean, televise, repair, line and seal the Quaker Ridge sewer line that was originally constructed in 1933. The line serves 757 Village parcels and $169,460 of the fee is eligible for funding from a grant from New York State.

Roadways:

Mayor Mark announced that $1.5 million in funds will be spent to repair five to six miles of Village roads in the 2015-16 fiscal year. The work will begin now and be done in two phases, with a portion completed in the fall, and more work done in the Spring of 2015.

Even better, the Crane Road exit to Scarsdale Village from the Bronx River Parkway has now opened! Take a drive on the new two lane bridge, or better yet, bike it on Bicycle Sunday this weekend.

Parks:

Jason Marra from the Scarsdale Parks and Recreation Department reviewed plans for a new playground, new basketball court and playing fields at Hyatt Park. The park has been redesigned with input from local residents and help from the Village Engineer. A new playground, including ropers, climbing and spinning equipment, is on order along with fitness equipment for adults who can use an outdoor stationary bike, plus elliptical and running machines.

Residents asked the Village to begin work in the fall so that they would have use of the park during the summer months. The new equipment is expected to arrive in October, with installation complete in November.

The Scarsdale Little League has pledged $15,000 to build restrooms at the park, which has two baseball diamonds. The Rec Department is working with the Little League and Village Engineers on the design of the new facilities.

Lights at Supply Field:

The Board approved a gift of four portable lights at Supply Field for the Youth Football Program. Currently, 275 children in grades 3-8 participate in the youth football and flag football programs.

Library:

The Board accepted an anonymous gift of $2,500 to the Scarsdale Library for general operations.

Public Hearings:

Gravel Surfaces:

The Board agreed to hold a hearing on proposed revised Village Code concerning gravel surfaces on September 21. Under the new code, gravel sufaces would be considered impervious – like asphalt. Applications for projects that use gravel surfaces (as pervious surfaces) to exceed lot coverage requirements will not be granted approval by the appropriate Village boards.

Nail Salon at Christie Place:

The Board approved a hearing on September 21, 2015 for an application from the owners of Christie Place for a special use permit to open Flora Nail Salon in one of the storefronts at Christie Place.

The Board agreed to provide $87,500 in funding to the Scarsdale Teen Center for the fiscal year 2015-16.

Car Show:

The 12th Annual Scarsdale Concours Car Show will be held on Sunday October 4 in Scarsdale Village. To accommodate the car show, the Village will temporarily close Spencer Place, Harwood Court, Boniface Circle and Chase Road.