Long Island Sound Off Limits Due to Sludge Main Break
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The Westchester County Department of Health is advising all recreational boaters and swimmers in Rye Harbor, Milton Harbor and Greenhaven, in Rye, and in Mamaroneck Harbor to avoid contact with Long Island Sound until further notice due to an ongoing sludge force main break. There will be no swimming at these beaches on July 16 and until further notice: Beach Point Club, Orienta Beach Club, Mamaroneck Beach and Yacht Club, Shore Acres Pointe and Harbor Island Park Beach, all in Mamaroneck; and American Yacht Club, Shenorock Shore Club, Coveleigh Club and Greenhaven Association, all in Mamaroneck.
An underground force main break near Blind Brook has released sludge close to where the Blind Brook empties into Long Island Sound, in the vicinity of the Rye Marina on Stuyvesant Avenue near Milton Road in Rye. The Westchester County Department of Environmental Facilities took the force main out of service at about 2:15 p.m., but repair efforts are hindered by high tide. Low tide begins at about 4:30 a.m. tomorrow and the department's contractor will be on site at that time to begin repairs. It is not known how much sludge has entered Long Island Sound due to the force main break.
The Westchester County Health Department will sample the water on July 16. Once results are received and evaluated, at the earliest on Wednesday afternoon, the health department will determine whether to reopen the beaches and lift the advisory or to sample the water again.
Bob Bernstein To Challenge Paul Feiner in September Primary
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Edgemont's Bob Bernstein will challenge Paul Feiner for the position of Greenburgh Town Supervisor in the Democratic Party primary on September 10, 2013. Bernstein has been endorsed by the Greenburgh Democratic Committee who filed a petition for their slate with over 1,500 signatures. Also listed on the Town petitions were incumbents Diana Juettner and Francis Sheehan (Town Council), Anne Povella (Receiver of Taxes) and challenger Sherron Fantauzzi who is running for Town Clerk.
"I am immensely grateful to the district leaders who carried petitions this year," Mr. Bernstein said. "And thanks aren't nearly enough to say to the many volunteers who contacted me after I won the party's endorsement and then carried my petitions in parts of town where there are no current district leaders or when some of the leaders were ill or otherwise unable to carry. The effort to gather signatures shows the grass roots support and momentum our campaign is building."
Though Feiner does not have the Democratic Party's endorsement, he can submit his own petitions to run for what would be his twelfth two-year term in office. This is not the first time in Feiner's long rein that he was not backed by the Democratic Party.
Bernstein is an attorney who lives in Edgemont with his wife Nancy and two sons, ages 21 and 14. Bernstein has been a longtime rival of Feiner and has championed many lawsuits against the Town of Greenburgh on behalf of taxpayers and sought equity in taxation for the residents of Edgemont.
Along with Herb Rosenberg of Dobbs Ferry, Bob intervened on behalf of Greenburgh taxpayers to fend off a $4.6 million lawsuit filed by the Valhalla School District. They defeated the school district's claim and recovered more than $1.1 million for Greenburgh taxpayers as a result.
If elected, Bernstein says he will work to "end the lawsuits and mismanagement that have plagued the Town and cost millions of dollars; dollars that could have been spent on new pools at Veteran Park, sidewalks and curbs, athletic fields for children, and emergency services for home-bound seniors and others at risk the next time a major storm strikes."
Even with the endorsement of the party, unseating Feiner could be challenging. During his 22 years in office Feiner has 
proven to be an adept politician and amassed a wide group of supporters among Greenburgh's six villages and unincorporated areas. His extensive use of email puts him in touch daily with local residents and he has become a household name in the community. Bernstein will need to extend his campaign well beyond the 7,000 Edgemont residents to the 88,000 voters in Greenburgh.
New Puppy Shop Opens in Scarsdale
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Local residents are welcoming the new Scarsdale Puppy Shop to town. Open just three weeks, they have already sold 12 dogs and receive daily visits from children who stop by to pet the dogs. Store owner Anthony Koh reports the Maltis, Bichon Frises, Yorkies and Pomeranians have been most popular with customers – however the store carries a wide range of breeds and can work with reputable USDA-approved breeders to find you the dog you want.
Koh says all dogs are guaranteed and have been micro-chipped so that you'll always know were to find your pet. The new store is located at 1469 Weaver Street, near Dunkin' Donuts and they are open seven days a week. In addition to visiting the adorable pups you can also stop by for pet supplies or to have your dog groomed.
Scarsdale Puppy Shop
1469 Weaver Street
Scarsdale, NY
914-713-8889
www.ScarsdalePuppyShop.com
Scarsdale Library Accepting Donations for Annual Book Sale
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Time to clean out your book shelves! The Friends of the Scarsdale Library is now accepting lightly used books for their annual book sale. Donations are now being accepted through Friday, August 23rd and should be left inside the gray door at the side of the Scarsdale Library. The library is located at 54 Olmsted Road at Route 22, Scarsdale, NY. Books should be in saleable condition. Damaged, moldy or dog-chewed books will not be accepted; nor will textbooks, encyclopedias or magazines.
The book sale boasts more than 60,000 almost-new and out-of-print books, including bestsellers, classics, biographies, fiction, parenting, cooking, art, computers, humor, self-help, drama, religion, business and poetry. There is also a large selection of books for children, as well as DVDs, CDs, books on tape, and sheet music. Nearly $50,000 was raised last year. All proceeds from the sale support library programs and projects.
Westchester County's premier book sale will begin on Friday, September 6th from 7 to 9 pm with a "Friends" preview. New members may join at the door that evening for $25. The sale will run until Sunday, September 15th. New books are added to the sale daily.
For more information, please contact Kathy Steves at Steves10583@gmail.com. The Scarsdale Public Library is located at 54 Olmsted Road, Scarsdale, NY, 10583. Phone: (914) 722-1300.
Scarsdale Trustees Consider Revised Preservation Laws
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Village Trustees continue to wrestle with the complexities of preserving Scarsdale's historic homes and landmarks without impinging on the rights of property owners. At a 5-28 meeting of the Law and Land Use Committees headed by David Lee and Jon Mark respectively, the newly elected Board held a working session to define their goals and explore ways to safeguard Scarsdale's heritage while allowing the Village to change to meet the needs of residents.
The Village's current statute regarding historic preservation is reactive rather than pro-active. The Village only addresses preservation issues when an application for demolition is filed. There is nothing within the statute that allows the pre-designation of homes for protection. As a result, homes that might deserve preservation are not protected from renovations to the exterior or demolition.
Currently the Committee on Historic Preservation considers "certificates of appropriateness" from those wishing to demolish homes. Unless the committee finds that the home has historic significance, is 100+ years old, is related to an historically important individual, the work of architect or engineer of significance, a significant example of an important building style/period, or on the national/state register of historic places it can be torn down. Even when a home meets some of the above criteria, the argument is often not persuasive enough to safeguard the house.
In the wake of scores of teardowns of some of the Village's most treasured homes, the Village commissioned a Historic 
Resources Survey that was conducted by Li/Salzman Architects and Preservationist Andrew S. Dolkart. The team identified individual homes and buildings worthy of preservation as well as "groups of building of high quality and with architectural integrity relating to their original design, create cohesive neighborhood ensembles." The results of the work were presented in April 2012.
Trustees agree that new code is required and are working on designing a new process to govern historic preservation. However, Trustee David Lee cautioned that historic preservation law should not be a weapon to prevent further development in Scarsdale. He believes there is a need to separate the issues of preservation and development.
Current thinking is that the Village will continue to charge the Committee for Historic Preservation with considering demolition applications but will narrow the criteria for preservation.
The new criteria would be more black and white than the current list and take the subjectivity out of the decisions about what should be preserved and what can be razed.
Here are the proposed new criteria for preservation:
- A building related to a historically important individual or historic event
- The work of a historic architect or engineer of significance
- A listing on the National Register of Historic Places
Under the new criteria, a century old home with character and charm could not be protected simply for its aesthetic appeal and would need to meet the additional criteria above.
As a second step, residents or CHP members could nominate certain properties for historic designation by filing an application with the Committee. If the property was found to warrant preservation, Trustees discussed the possibility offering tax breaks to residents who make improvements to the historic elements of the home. Rather than getting an immediate tax increase for renovations, the new assessment would be phased in over a 10-year period to give residents an incentive to preserve historic elements of their homes. Though the abatement would end after ten years the tax breaks would incentivize homeowners to take appropriate steps to maintain the historic elements of their homes. Homeowners who object to the committee's decision would have the right to challenge it.
Trustees are still considering whether or not the Village can impose landmark status on a home without the owner's consent. Though some may view this status as an encumbrance, others argue that landmark status might give the home prestige and raise its value. Experience in other communities has shown that if landmark status requires owner consent, very few will consent.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the Trustees formed a small working group to revise the draft of the proposed code to reflect ideas from the session. A second meeting of the Law and Land Use Committees will be held on June 11, and the public is invited to provide ideas and feedback.
