Letter to the Editor: Preserve 27 Woods Lane

On Tuesday February 6 at 8 pm, the Scarsdale Village Trustees will hear an appeal from the owners of a home on 27 Woods Lane. They applied to raze the home and intend to replace it with two new houses. The Committee for Historic Preservation turned down an application to demolish it at their meeting on October 17, 2023.

A neighbor’s campaign to save the house led to a petition that was a factor in the Board of Trustees decision to impose a six month building moratorium in Scarsdale.

Here is a letter from a neighbor to the Scarsdale Board of Trustees:

Mayor and Scarsdale 10583,

I am writing regarding the demo appeal for 27 Woods Lane. My name is Jared DiPalma, my wife Marie and 2 children Kate and Thomas live at 10 Southwoods Lane. We moved to "The Woods" in 2019 because of its unique character ...unlike any other neighborhood in Edgewood. Over the past 4 years we have come to appreciate the history of "The Woods", a neighborhood untouched from the 1930's when Grace Smith and the village created this unique development. "The Woods" is truly a time capsule and a living museum of the Village's vision for development & suburbanization between the 20's and 30's. Since its development, no home has ever been demolished from that original 1930's plan AND no new development has occurred in "The Woods" since the early '60s. [Note: per the Village of Scarsdale Property inquiry site… the last build in “The Woods” (Woods Lane, Eastwoods Lane and Southwoods Lane) was 30 Woods Lane in 1964 AND per the original development map at the Scarsdale Public Library the development has materially stayed in place since the 1927 document. The neighborhood has not been touched in 60 years!]

Preserving historic neighborhoods is crucial for maintaining a town's unique character and cultural heritage, fostering a sense of community, and ensuring that future generations can connect with the past while enjoying the benefits of a diverse and vibrant modern day village.’

On behalf of “the Woods” Neighborhood, we ask that you preserve the historic significance and aesthetic of "The Woods" neighborhood and vote against the appeal to demolish 27 Woods Lane.

Jared DiPalma
Southwoods Lane, Scarsdale