Plans Progress for Construction at Heathcote Tavern Site
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Architect Mark Behr was back before the Land Use Committee of the Scarsdale Board of Trustees on 11-19 to present proposed changes to the term sheet for the sale of village-owned land at 2-4 Weaver Street to developer Frederick Fish. Behr reviewed plans for the new building that will include 11 apartments – one of which will be an affordable unit. A survey of the village-owned property that surrounds the site revealed that there are 5,715 square feet of additional space and the developer has agreed to pay the Village $95,000 for that property. That's on top of the $150,000 already agreed to for the strip of Village-owned land that now serves as the driveway to the parking lot of Massa on Weaver Street.
Also proposed was an 8-foot variance to allow the developer to build a green deck to cover parking in the rear of the building that backs onto the Heathcote Bypass. The greendeck would be landscaped with trees and shrubbery to mask the parking structure below it. The cupola from the top of the tavern building that blew off during Hurricane Sandy will also be repaired.
The new building will be set 40-feet back from Weaver Street and the additional land around the property will allow for a better 
configuration for the structure. The project has already passed the SEQRA process and was found to have no negative environmental impact on the village.
Residents from the Heathcote Five Corners Coalition attended the meeting to pose questions and comment.
Saying, "the devil is in the details," Marty Kaufman asked if "we can agree on the wording" of the changes to the term sheet and also wanted to know, "how can we confirm that the developer will not ask for additional changes to the term sheet?" Trustee Jon Mark replied that the process "was organic" and, in response to Kaufman's request to bar the developer from asking for additional changes, Mark responded, "I think that's an overreach," because "situations could occur where change would be required."
Lika Levi said, "it seems like planning for the Five Corners was a hodge-podge process," and Ruth Frankel added, "Anyone that lived in a different country can see it is biased here. It is wrong how you are handling your business here."
Following their comments, Trustee Mark summed up and said, "I am inclined to recommend that the developer's request be granted." "Land use provisions as part of the sale are beneficial to the Village of Scarsdale. If not for these provisions, the developer could build a building that was all commercial – and increase traffic – or resell it to another developer. This allows us to have significant input into the building."
Update: At the 11/27 meeting of the Scarsdale Board of Trustees, the non-binding term sheet that provided for the sale of the additional 5,715 square feet of land was approved by the Trustees.
Distinguished Alumni of 2012 Honored at Scarsdale High School
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The Scarsdale Alumni Association recognized distinguished alumni of 2012 in the Scarsdale Library on Saturday morning 11/17. Association President Ricardo Garcia-Amaya '97 and Director Emeritus Eric Rothschild '54 lead the proceedings and honored the following:
- George C. Branche, III, M.D. (SHS '74) – Leader in the field of Sports Medicine - Association of Tennis Professionals Physician of the Year.
- Meredith Gavrin (SHS '87) – Educator, Founder of New Haven Academy
- Jonathan Haidt (SHS '81) - Leading Professor of Ethical Leadership, Author
- Alison Knowles (SHS '51) – Guggenheim Fellow, Avant-Garde Renowned Artist
- Randal (Randy) Livingston (SHS '71) - Business Leader, Led two companies through IPO, CFO of Stanford University
- Charles Maier Ph.D. (SHS' 56) – Professor, Author, Director of the Center for European Studies at Harvard
- Michael Mark (SHS '68) - Grammy Nominated Musician/Composer
- Stephen J. Nicholas, MD (SHS '78) - Leader in the field of Sports Medicine - orthopedic team physician for the NY Jets and NY Islanders.
- Michael Roth (SHS '83) - Award Winning Violinist
- Cynthia E. Rosenzweig Ph.D. (SHS '66) – NASA Expert in Climate Change
- Christopher Schroeder (SHS '82) - Tech Entrepreneur, Investor, Author, Expert on Startups in the Middle East.
- George Zimmer (SHS '66) – Business Leader, CEO/Founder of Men's Wearhouse
Photographer Sarah Schuman, a Scarsdale alum herself, was on hand to take photos.
CNC Announces 2012 Election Results
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The results of the 2012 Scarsdale Citizen’s Nominating Committee election were announced at 11 pm on Wednesday November 14 by David Brodsky, Chair of the Scarsdale Procedure Committee. Two nominators from each of Scarsdale’s five neighborhoods were selected to serve on the committee for three-year terms. This committee is charged with selecting the candidates for Scarsdale Village Trustee, Mayor and Village Justice whose names will appear on the ballot in the general election in March.
The winning candidates are:
- Edgewood: Warren Haber, David Rosewater
- Fox Meadow: Linda Blair, Susan Groner
- Greenacres: Linda Flaxer, Andrea Seiden
- Heathcote: Robert Reiffel, Evelyn Stock
- Quaker Ridge: Israel Kornstein, Marc Yaseen
This year the Scarsdale Procedure Committee encouraged residents to vote by mail and in-person in an effort to increase total voter participation. A total of 551 valid ballots were cast – 319 in person and 232 by mail. This is up from the 533 votes that were cast in 2011.
All three amendments to the Non-Partisan Resolution also passed. Here is a summary of these amendments:
1. Summary of proposed Amendment to Article V, Section 5A (Organization Meeting): The first portion of the Organizational Meeting would be open to the public and would be televised for later viewing on cable television by tape; the business conducted during the public portion would include hearing from incumbent members of the Board of Trustees not running for reelection about the duties and responsibilities of Trustees and the Mayor and the desirable skills and talents to be looked for in potential nominees, consideration of the CNC’s rules of procedure, and description of best practices in conducting due diligence on possible nominees; it would allow the CNC to go into executive session for a portion of its business.
2. Proposed Amendment to Article IV, Section 7c: Mail-in ballots may be received on the day of the election:
3. Proposed amendment to Non-Partisan Resolution, Article V, Section 6: Present CNC ballot procedure would be codified so as to require that the election for each open office or position will be conducted separately, without reference to the name of the current occupant of an office or position.
Election Day in Scarsdale - Wednesday November 14
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The Scarsdale Procedure Committee will hold the election for the Citizen’s Nominating Committee on Wednesday November 14 at Scarsdale Village Hall. Voting hours are 7-9:30 A.M. and 2-9 P.M. The CNC, comprised of 30 elected representatives, six each from the five voting districts, interviews and chooses non-partisan candidates for Village office in the village election in March. These nominators will select candidates to run for Mayor, Village Trustee and Village Justice.
Here are the candidates you’ll find on the ballot. Scarsdale residents will have the option of voting for two out of the four candidates running from their neighborhoods:
EDGEWOOD: Warren Haber, Michael Lewis, David Rosewater, and Richard Wingate
FOX MEADOW: Norwood Beveridge, Jr., Linda Blair, Maxim Grudin, and Susan Groner
GREENACRES: Linda Flaxer, Michael Green, Kenneth Raskin, and Andrea Seiden
HEATHCOTE: Beth Ehrich Berkeley, Emily Kirschenbaum, Robert Reiffel, and Evelyn Stock
QUAKER RIDGE: David Dembitzer, Israel Kornstein, David Weiss, and Marc Yaseen
There are also several proposed amendments to the Non-Partisan Resolution on the ballot. Here is a summary of the proposals:
1. Summary of proposed Amendment to Article V, Section 5A (Organization Meeting): The first portion of the Organizational Meeting would be open to the public and would be televised for later viewing on cable television by tape; the business conducted during the public portion would include hearing from incumbent members of the Board of Trustees not running for reelection about the duties and responsibilities of Trustees and the Mayor and the desirable skills and talents to be looked for in potential nominees, consideration of the CNC’s rules of procedure, and description of best practices in conducting due diligence on possible nominees; it would allow the CNC to go into executive session for a portion of its business.
2. Proposed Amendment to Article IV, Section 7c: Mail-in ballots may be received on the day of the election:
3. Proposed amendment to Non-Partisan Resolution, Article V, Section 6: Present CNC ballot procedure would be codified so as to require that the election for each open office or position will be conducted separately, without reference to the name of the current occupant of an office or position.
All Scarsdale residents are encouraged to vote in the election on Wednesday November 14 at Scarsdale Village Hall.
The Wrath of Sandy and How to Deal With Her Aftermath
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This article was contributed by Roz Binday, President of Advocate Brokerage in Scarsdale: We all know how badly Sandy battered the Scarsdale area, but there is a bright side. It was mostly a wind event…not a flood event. Even worse, it could have been both. Windstorms, hurricanes and Nor’Easters all have the potential to cause different kinds of damage over short distances due to many localized effects.
Understanding Your Deductibles: An important question that has now been answered is what was Sandy, a hurricane or a Nor’Easter? Those residents insured by carriers that mandate punishing hurricane deductibles would have been adversely affected if Sandy had been classified as a hurricane. It is common for carriers like Allstate and State Farm to have windstorm deductibles in the vicinity of 5% of the dwelling limit. For example, a house insured at $1,000,000 might have a $50,000 out of pocket windstorm deductible. Consequently, windstorm deductibles would have had a particularly devastating financial impact. Fortunately, Super Storm Sandy did not sustain hurricane winds, so it did not trigger the “special” windstorm deductible. People with “special” windstorm deductibles dodged the bullet this time.
This is a moot point for those insured with carriers like Chubb, Fireman’s Fund, PURE, ACE and Travelers, as they do not implement a special hurricane deductible in our territory. Damage from Sandy would always have been subject to only one base policy deductible.
Report Your Loss ASAP: When catastrophe strikes, those who have sustained damage or are in need of assistance should promptly report this to their insurer. In the interest of speed, insurance carriers promote and encourage direct claims reporting, which is why they have 24-7 800 numbers. These numbers are listed on the policy, call your agent, or find it on line. In the event of emergencies, insurance agencies like Advocate Brokerage provide a voice mail system which announces the telephone numbers of the various insurers. Start getting estimates for the repairs to determine if they are over the deductible.
Documentation: In the case of Sandy, the massive volume of claims, power outages and devastation has caused inordinate delays with the claim process. Adjusters are straining to keep up with the losses. If your damage is severe and emergency repairs are required to prevent further damage from ensuing, the insurance carriers anticipate and expect that emergency repairs will be made. It is strongly suggested that photographs be taken of the damages to be presented to the appointed adjuster. One picture can be worth a thousand words…and can avert a big headache!
Tree Removal and Loss of Refrigerated Goods: Coverage is usually subject to your base deductible and the limits afforded can vary dramatically from carrier to carrier. Check your policy or call your agent.
In summary: Just as all men are not created equal, so all policies are not created equal. Your insurance policy is a contract, and all coverage is determined by the terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions as set forth in the policy.
If a tree falls on my house, am I covered?
This is a question asked of us every time there is a major windstorm. It is also one of the most frequent questions the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) receives from consumers each year. Consequently, we are attaching their generalized responses below in italics, as they are self-explanatory.
“The answer is quite straightforward,” said Jeanne M. Salvatore, senior vice president and consumer spokesperson for the I.I.I. “If a tree hits a home or other insured structure such as a detached garage, standard homeowners insurance policies provide coverage for the damage the tree does to the structure and the contents within it. This includes trees felled by a windstorm, hail, weight of ice, snow or sleet.”
Furthermore, it does not matter whether or not a tree was actually growing on your property; if it lands on your home, you should file a claim with your insurance company. After a hurricane or windstorm trees, shrubs and branches can become projectiles capable of traveling significant distances. Insurance companies do not waste time trying to locate exactly where the tree originally lived.
“In some situations where the felled tree was located on a neighbor’s property, the policyholder’s insurance company may try to collect from a neighbor’s insurance company in a process called subrogation. This sometimes occurs if the tree was in poor health or not properly maintained. If the insurer is successful, you may be reimbursed for the deductible,” says Salvatore.
If a tree hits an insured structure, there is also coverage for the cost of removing the tree, generally up to about $500 to $1,000, depending on the insurer and the type of policy purchased. If the fallen tree did not hit an insured structure, there is generally no coverage for tree debris removal; however, some insurance companies may pay for the cost of removing it if the felled tree blocks a driveway or a ramp designed to assist the handicapped.
Cars damaged or destroyed by falling trees are covered under the comprehensive portion of an auto insurance policy.
Roz Binday is president of Advocate Brokerage Corp. 820 Scarsdale Avenue, Scarsdale, 914-723-7100, rozbinday@advbc.com
