Water Emergency Remains In Effect in Scarsdale
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Scarsdale Village Managers suspect that power issues may have been behind the double water pump failure at the Reeves Newsome Pumping Station, Scarsdale's main pumping station that is 61 years old and due for modernization. The pumps failed on Saturday evening July 20 causing an immediate decline in water pressure for all residents. As of Monday, one of the pumps was repaired and water pressure levels were back to normal. Repairs on the second pump are in process and Village managers hope to have it back in service by Tuesday.
However, until repairs can be completed, the Village has declared a Water Emergency, strictly limiting water use.
Here's what you should know:
Turn off your automatic sprinkler system by turning off the water valve that feeds the lawn sprinkler. Consult your sprinkler service company if you have any questions.
Refrain from filling swimming pools
Refrain from washing your car
If your plants need to be watered, hand watering with a watering can is permitted.
Due to the age of the pumps and their vulnerability, the Village may implement watering restrictions which will dictate which days residents will be permitted to water their lawns. The Village will advise when the repair is complete. Visit www.Scarsdale.com for updates.
What Has Con Ed Done to Improve Service in Scarsdale Since Hurricane Sandy
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After the power outage on Tuesday night in Greenacres, several readers wrote in to ask what Con Edison has done since Hurricane Sandy to improve service and decrease outages in our area.
Scarsdale10583 asked Assistant Village Manager John Goodwin to outline what has been done and how you can get additional information. Here is his reponse:
In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, the Village Board of Trustees wrote a letter to Con Edison's, dated December 12, 2012 outlining their concerns with Con Ed's power restoration operation. In response to this letter, the Village Board met with Con Ed on January 23, 2013. At the meeting the logistical, staffing, and communication problems that were apparent in Con Ed's emergency management response were discussed as well as Con Ed's capital expenditures and maintenance for the Scarsdale electrical grid.
At the meeting, Con Ed committed to work with the Village to "storm harden" the Scarsdale grid, especially
in areas where there are recurring outages. In regard to improvements in general, Con Ed stated that they continually look at services and what causes outages and that if an outage is caused by equipment failure, improvements are sought. They also stated that no capital improvement can prevent a tree from taking down a wire or pole.
Since Hurricane Sandy, Con Edison has been active with their tree trimming program and making improvements on their overhead system. The improvements to the overhead system include installing new poles and new span wires which involve adding "smart switches" to the system that will minimize customer outages. This work was performed at various locations throughout the Village including Mamaroneck Road, Weaver Street, Drake Road, Post Road and Boulevard. Con Ed has also provided the Village with their feeder/grid map which will help identify system outages and held meetings with staff to perform "blue sky" desktop review of operational and communication issues. Post Sandy, Village staff has meet with Con Ed both individually and as part of a County wide effort sharing concerns and receiving important updates on ways to better manage these type of storm conditions. More detail of the work that Con Ed has been performing in Westchester County including Scarsdale can be found at the following link: http://www.coned.com/newsroom/news/pr20130614.asp.
It should be noted that Con Edison is regulated by the New York State Public Service Commission, not local governments within their service area. As such, Scarsdale's ability to influence Con Edison's operations is limited to filing complaints with the Public Service Commission, contacting State elected representatives or meeting directly with Con Edison officials. With that said, the Village has made every effort to do what it can to work with Con Edison to help improve the services they provide to Village residents.
Fourth of July Celebration Planned for Greenacres
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The Greenacres Association will be holding its annual Independence Day celebration on Thursday July 4th at the Greenacres School field. All Greenacres residents are welcome to attend the breakfast with your neighbors of bagels and cream cheese, doughnut holes, coffee, watermelon, water, and lemonade starting at 9:00 am.
Family games for preschoolers, kids, teen, and adults will start at 9:30 am. Games will include foul shooting, a 50-yard dash, a sack race, a 3-legged race, a spoon race, and the ever popular candy hunt. At 11:15 am, there will be a patriotic program followed by the balloon toss. The annual Greenacres Gallop will cap off the celebration and conclude with a water spray from Scarsdale Fire Department trucks.
For more information visit www.greenacres10583 or contact Barry Meiselman at barwest2@aol.com or 914-723-5807.
Can You Identify These Suspects?
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Scarsdale Police are asking for your help in finding three suspects who were involved in a robbery at Sam Lehr Jewelers in Scarsdale Village on June 29th. Police have forwarded these surveillance photos of the three suspects who made off with $50,000 worth of gold rings. If you have any information to help identify the suspects please call the Scarsdale Police Department, Investigations Section at (914)-722-1200 or email police@scarsdale.com.
Suspect One:
Tall Hispanic male in late 20's wearing a light colored t-shirt, dark sunglasses and dark jeans. He has a medium build, was clean-shaven and had a shaved head. He had a tattoo on his right forearm reportedly of "three crosses." He was carrying a baseball- style cap in his hand and acted as the primary diversion. After the larceny was perpetrated by suspect two below, this suspect feigned an attempt at apprehending suspect two, telling the proprietor: "I'll help you get him." He fled the store and did not return.
Suspect Two:
Short Hispanic male in late teens or early 20's wearing a blue and white plaid shirt and light colored shorts. He also wore sunglasses and carried a bag across his shoulder. He had medium-length dark hair and spoke both Spanish and English while in the store. This suspect perpetrated the actual entry into the jewelry case and stole the five rings, fleeing the store on foot.
Suspect Three:
Short heavy-set Hispanic female in early 20's wearing a short-sleeved flowered shirt and light colored "Capri" pants. This suspect spoke both Spanish and English. The suspect was communicating via cell phone while inside the store. This suspect provided cover/concealment for suspect two while he entered the jewelry case. Upon suspect two's flight from the store, this suspect fled on foot in the opposite direction, walking at a normal pace.
Debate Over Affordable Housing Continues in Westchester
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The battle over the 2009 Westchester County Affordable Housing Settlement and $7.4 million in community block grants for Westchester continues. County Executive Rob Astorino is now claiming that HUD is reaching beyond the scope of the original agreement and demanding that Westchester build 10,678 units as suggested in a 2005 Affordable Allocation Plan, rather than the 750 required by the settlement. Astorino is also charging that Westchester communities, outside the 31 named in the settlement, will also be required to construct affordable units.
In response, James Johnson, the Federal Monitor for the case has written to Astorino to demand that he remove these "misleading statements" from County press releases and the County website. In his letter, Johnson explains that in March 2013, in an effort to resolve issues around the suit, the Monitor sent letters with preliminary findings on zoning and requests for additional information to the individual municipalities. These letters included the benchmark counts for affordable units as set in the 2005 report. According to the Monitor, the court found that though these allocations "do not carry the force of law, passing a zoning ordinance that prohibits multi-family or high-density housing is calculated directly or indirectly to thwart the fulfillment of the need of the town and region, presently and in the future."
Johnson concludes that these benchmarks "neither expand nor supplant the County's obligation to build the 750 units" and that in fact, "the Monitor does not have unilateral authority to upwardly revise the number of units required in the settlement."
However, Johnson does reassert that the County is obliged to conduct an analysis of impediments to fair and affordable housing that
includes an analysis of local zoning ordinances. The study must "identify zoning practices that would, if not remedied by the municipality, lead the county to pursue legal action." HUD expected to have an acceptable analysis from the County in 2009, however the Monitor says that in the past three years, the "County failed to submit an A1 deemed acceptable to HUD." But according to Astorino, "The County has conducted several comprehensive reviews of all 853 zoning districts in Westchester and found no evidence of exclusionary practices based on race or ethnicity."
Democrat Ken Jenkins, who chairs the County Board of Legislature also got involved in an effort to end the impasses and secure the release of $7.4 million in Community Development Block Grants from Fiscal Year 2011 that HUD is threatening to reallocate unless the County complies with the suit. Jenkins, said, "Instead of race-baiting and issuing false and discriminatory statements regarding the Housing Settlement, County Executive Astorino 
should be working with all parties to comply with the settlement and lead our communities on a path that ensures fair and affordable housing will be a big component of a strong and prosperous future. Instead of promoting amicable cooperation here, he's fostering animus and conflict, which can only be detrimental for everyone involved. This unproductive and misleading rhetoric regarding the settlement needs to end today."
In the meantime, Federal Monitor Johnson's letter tells Astorino that if he fails to correct the website and his statements, the Monitor "will ask the Department of Justice to include this unresolved issue in its status report to the Court to be filed on June 14."
