Con Ed Rep Offers Little to Appease Frustrated Residents

The new route for the gas main will extend down Fox Meadow RoadWith Con Ed’s gas main replacement project now extending from the White Plains border to the middle of Fox Meadow, roads have been torn up, backhoes, dump trucks, milling machines and drills line the streets and navigating the maze of detours is a new challenge every morning.

What’s more, is that work in one area is not completed before the excavation extends further south.

Residents of Greenacres have been living with detours, heavy drilling and chaos since the summer of 2021, a now, a year and half later, some roads have been repaved while major stretches of others are lined with divots, potholes and gravel. On Walworth Avenue, the portion from Fenimore Road to Gilmore Court has new cobblestone curbs and has been repaved – but the portion from Gilmore Court up to the Scarsdale border remains a mess.

This week, crews started to repave Greenacres Avenue and Colvin Road. Residents received notices to move their cars to other streets to allow for the work. But the progress has been intermittent with crews on the scene one day and nowhere to be found on the next. The street has been milled but no one seems to know if and when they will be back to pave the road.

And now a good part of Fox Meadow Road is under siege, with two crews at work. One started at Fenimore Road and worked south, closing that stretch for months. And another is working their way north from Olmstead Road. Though, at a previous meeting Mike Smith from Con Edison said that Fox Meadow Road would never be totally blocked to traffic, it has been pretty much closed for the last several months.

Village Trustees invited representatives Con Edison to the June 13, 2023 Village Board meeting to provide an update on the work but their presentation did little to appease frazzled residents.

Mike Smith from Con Edison explained that the utility had decided to change the route of the new gas main. Rather than extending south from Fox Meadow Road to Paddington Road as originally planned, the pipeline will now extend the length of Fox Meadow Road to Crane Road. The utility has ambitious plans to reach Crane Road by the end of December 2023. Then in 2024 they will need to continue the pipeline from Scarsdale to Eastchester.

Smith acknowledged that “communication to those affected needs to be improved,” and said a new website would go live with information about real time detours, FAQ’s and project maps. He also displayed a sandwich board with a QR code to access that site and said that email addresses of personnel from Con Ed would be made available so that residents could address issues.

Mayor Arest said, “Why are you doing that at a time when NYC is banning the use of natural gas?”

Trustee Dara Gruenberg said, “It (the work) was supposed to be contained – but it seems like it has exploded…. Is there a schedule of when you are working? Every day is a surprise.”

Smith replied, “We are supposed to work Monday – Friday – though we sometimes have to shut down due to weather. We work with the village to see where street closures are needed and we allow for local deliveries and landscapers. There is 100% access to get in and out of your driveway.

Trustee Gans said, “Con Ed has damaged property and the compensation remains outstanding. What is the process? The resident should not be waiting.”

Smith said, “I meet with each case of property damage. We settle most immediately. There is one where we are working with our legal team. We are finding out if we should be held responsible for that one claim.”

Gans said, “Is Con Ed responsible for tire and wheel damage?” Smith said, “Yes you can ask for reimbursement on our website.”

Arest followed up, asking “Have you ever been charged for the use of the right of way?” To which Smith said, “Not that I am aware of.”

Andrew Sereysky of 57 Walworth Avenue said, “Walworth Avenue is a major road. The last year and a half has been absolute torture though the workers could not have been nicer. Some sections are done, but the part going north is awful. Greenacres Avenue is being milled but they left out one section of Walworth. Why have they begun milling Greenacres before completing Walworth?”

Lauren Kitain of Butler Road said, “It has been very challenging. There have been dump trucks every day. The water mains have been breaking. We didn’t move here from the city to live through this. We can’t use our yard.”

A milling machine on Walworth Avenue on June 14, 2023Carlos Urena of 120 Walworth said, “The avenue has not been repaired for a long time. They are also doing work on Colden Road. There have been big trucks in front of my house for a month, on Monday to Friday and Saturdays too.”

Smith offered to meet individually with homeowners to discuss their issues. He also vowed to work with Con Ed’s contractors to make sure that there will be no unnecessary idling of trucks.

As the Village has no control over Con Edison’s access to the streets, local officials have little authority over the scheduling and the upheaval. It’s a frustrating situation for residents who have had impeded access to their homes for years, while knowing full well they will pay for this work in dollars as well via rate increases from Con Edison.

Also at the meeting:

The Scarsdale Concours, a car show that occurred in the Village donated proceeds from the event to the Scarsdale Village Ambulance Corps, The Scarsdale Police Benevolent Association and Scarsdale Family Counseling Service.

At Village Hall

Village Manager Rob Cole announced that the Fourth of July fireworks celebration will be held at the Scarsdale pool on Thursday night June 29 at approximately 9:15 pm. The Westchester Band will perform at 7:30 pm.

Village Hall will be closed on Monday June 19, 2023 in recognition of Juneteenth. There will be no sanitation pick-up on Monday. Food recycling pick-up will be done on Tuesday.

Last he said that the MTA has proposed fare increases of 4% and toll increases of 5.5%.
He said, those concerned, could comment on the MTA website.

Public Comments

Jay Canell of 121 Carthage Road expressed “shock and dismay” about the proposed pickleball project. He said, “I was given no notice though I live 100 yards away.” He objected to potential noise and water issues created by the building of the courts.
I supported the track

Kaare Weber spoke about the sound from the pickleball courts and said they would result in “decreased home values, decreased quality of life and would pit neighbor against neighbor.”

Mayor Arest responded saying, “We are becoming a community of NO. We have to look into the future. This is a pilot solution not a permanent solution. We are not proposing new courts – we are using existing courts so there will be no water issues.”

Yelling from his seat in the audience about the pickleball courts, Bob Harrison said, “We’ll see you in court.” The Mayor asked if the police were present.

Farmer’s Market

Trustee Gruenberg said that the new farmer’s market will be in the village from 9 am to 1 pm on Sunday. Vendors include a cheese seller and “Bad Ass Bagels”

Scarsdale Library

Trustee Ahuja reviewed “large and increasing” numbers of patrons using the library. He also noted that author Geraldine Brooks will be appearing at a sold out event on Friday night at the library.

Resolutions:

Trustees passed a resolution to continue to collaborate with the school district for use of a portion of the Village’s recycling center for the bus depot, maintenance facility and transportation equipment and storage.

They passed a resolution approving code changes regarding unsafe buildings and structures.

They scheduled a public hearing on the noise ordinance for June 27, 2023.

They appointed Charles Hessler to serve as Deputy Town Clerk, replacing Veronica Regazzi who retired.

They appointed Ryad Vachha of 6 Drake Road to the Town Board of Assessment Review to fill the seat of Lynne Clark who resigned.