LWVS News: CNC Election Review, Roundabout Study and Strauss is Honored:

Procedure Committee Chair Michelle Lichtenberg and Vice Chair David Brodsky will discuss the recent Scarsdale Citizens Nominating Committee and the amendments to the Non-Partisan Resolution at a meeting to be held by the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale on Monday, December 5th at 10:15am at Village Hall. The nonpartisan Citizens Nominating Committee (CNC) selects candidates for the Scarsdale Board of Trustees and Mayor. Members of the community are welcome to attend the presentation Following the presentation, League members will seek consensus on recommendations to the Procedure Committee. Members of the community are welcome to attend the presentation. For more information, contact Sara Werder at (914) 472-6264.

LWV Honors Barbara Strauss: Scarsdale's Barbara Strauss was recently honored for her 50 years of membership in the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale. Ms. Strauss has greatly enjoyed her participation in the League and finds its mission of educating residents and studying issues to be very valuable. Scarsdale League President Marylou Green remarked, “For Barbara to remain involved in the League for 50 years is extraordinary. The League owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to our long-time members.” Ms. Strauss served as the President of the League of Women Voters of Westchester from 1981 to 1983. Her sister Eileen Innes originally recruited her to join the Scarsdale League. For many years, Ms. Strauss’ main focus was the League’s annual review of the budget of the Village of Scarsdale. She is currently a member of the Citizens Budget Advisory Committee, which reviews the Westchester County budget.

Roundabout Statement: In other League news, the Scarsdale League recently issued their consensus statement regarding the construction of a 5-legged roundabout at the Heathcote Five Corners.

In their statement they find that the benefits of a new roundabout outweigh the challenges of the construction, finding that a roundabout would have the following potential benefits:

• Shorter queuing, leading to a reduction of gas emissions
• Improved intersection capacity during all times of the day
• Reduced traffic speed in intersection and approaches
• Improved NYSDOT LOS grade
• Reduction in number and severity of accidents
• Provision for emergency vehicle access
• Improved pedestrian safety by incorporating safer crossings
• Potential increased business for local merchants as a result of increased pedestrian traffic
• Aesthetic improvements

However, they also noted the following concerns:

The proposed 105-foot diameter of the roundabout is 10% smaller than the smallest roundabout studied by Creighton Manning in Phase 1.

• The location of entrance and exit points are challenging due to the proximity of some of the legs. The roundabout must be designed with great care in order to attain the desired safety and traffic improvement benefits.
• The Village must dedicate appropriate resources to provide significant and plentiful public education regarding the traffic rules applicable to driving on the roundabout prior to, during and after its construction.
• Residents and businesses located in this area will be disrupted during construction. The League urges that they be inconvenienced as little as possible during the construction phase.

To read the entire statement, go to: http://www.lwvs.org/consensusstatements.htm

Pictured at top: Scarsdale League of Women Voters President Marylou Green with honoree Barbara Strauss