Playgrounds, Courts and Parks to be Upgraded in Scarsdale
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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How do Scarsdale’s playgrounds rate in popularity and which ones are in the best and worst conditions? Which ones needs to be upgraded or replaced all together?
How are the tennis courts faring and when was the last time they were resurfaced?
How much will it cost to replace the bathrooms at Crossway?
These are just a few of the questions answered in an inventory of Scarsdale’s recreational facilities presented by Recreation Supervisor Brian Gray to the Board of Trustees at a budget work session on Tuesday night January 16, 2024.
The in-depth analysis of all the facilities run by the Recreation Department provides a look at the wide range of resources available to Scarsdale resident as well as the cost of maintaining and upgrading them. In preparation for the 2024-25 Village budget, trustees asked Gray to let them know the state of the facilities and to provide estimates for any prospective work to be done.
First, on the playgrounds, the Village manages ten playgrounds ranging in size from 2,300 square feet at Wynmor Park to 11,950 at Hyatt Park. The most popular of these are Hyatt and Davis Park, and the least used are Wynmor and Colonial Acres Park.
Which ones are most in need of replacement? Of the ten playgrounds, Greenacres is in the worst shape – along with Willow Playground. In best condition are Wynmor and Hyatt Park.
Slated for a total replacement in 2022/23 was Greenacres at a cost of $100,00 - $110,000. That project has not moved forward as yet, but residents are hopeful that the work on the 3,744 square foot playground, built between 1996-99, will be done in the coming year.
Also in poor condition are the playgrounds at the pool and the one at Aspen Park, which is rated “aging and outdated.” The Village’s newest playground at Wynmor Park is only 2,300 square feet but is in good condition with a play structure and working swings.
Take a look at the state of your playground in the presentation here:
The Village’s tennis courts at Crossway, the high school, the middle school, Brite Avenue, and Wymor Park are evaluated in the inventory too. At Crossway the Village plans to spend $85,900 to repair linear cracks, depressions and resurface the courts in 2024/25.
At the high school, crack repair and resurfacing are needed and planned for the 2025/26 fiscal year at a cost of $73,900. At the middle school, $55,900 has been allocated this year to address, cracks, dips and resurfacing.
No maintenance has been done at the courts at Brite Avenue since 2002, but the har tru courts appear to be in usable condition.
The Platform tennis courts at the high school and Brite Avenue require annual maintenance including painting, tightening the screens and repairs at a cost of $13,000 per year.
Beyond the recreational facilities themselves, Gray reviews work needed on retaining walls, storage containers and the comfort station at Crossway which is need of a total replacement at a cost of $250,000.
Also included is a review of both the revenues and expenses for the Weinberg Nature Center. Programming revenue brought in $166,474 in 2022-23 with expenses at $184,078, so the center is operating at a deficit, but not a big one.
Following this holistic review, the Board ask Gray to set priorities and return with a list of what he thinks should be address in the coming year and beyond.
Take a look at the state of our recreational facilities here.
The Spelling Bee is Back
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Scarsdale residents are buzzing with excitement about the return of the ever-popular Spelling Bee, hosted by the Friends of the Scarsdale Library. This community event hits the sweet spot for family fun and will be the Friends’ primary fundraiser for 2024, supporting the hive of activity that we all know as the Scarsdale Public Library.
Spectators of all ages will gather at the Scarsdale High School auditorium on Friday, March 1, at 7:30pm, for a night of stellar spelling and trivia, featuring 2006 SHS alumnus Josh Milstein as emcee—or should we say em-Bee. Mayor Justin Arest, Library Director Beth Bermel, and NYS Assemblywoman Amy Paulin will serve as judges. Audience admission is $20 for adults, and $10 for anyone under 18 years old.
Fifteen teams of three adults each will compete in multiple swarms, and there will also be a separate set of teen rounds. Winners will receive prizes, bragging rights, and more! Get your teams together—this event fills up quickly! Team registration is $180 for adults; $75 for high-schoolers, and Spelling Bee tee shirts and water bottles will be provided. Be sure to avoid the sting of disappointment: Sign up before the February 12 deadline!
Interested in becoming an event sponsor? There are opportunities for corporate and individual donors. This is also a perfect time to join the Friends of the Scarsdale Library for the first time or renew your commitment to FOSL.
The Friends of the Scarsdale Library plays a pivotal role in sponsoring popular SPL programs, from a variety of children’s events and star-powered book talks to inspiring writers’ workshops and more. Help us keep the momentum going: Attend the Friends of the Scarsdale Library Spelling Bee on Friday, March 1, at 7:30pm. (Snow date: Friday, March 8th.)
For details about sponsorships or any questions, please contact the event co-chairs:
Mary Pat Jones and Lauren Rubino,
foslspellingbee@gmail.com
FRIENDS OF THE SCARSDALE LIBRARY is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that supports the Scarsdale Public Library through volunteer service and cultural and educational activities. Any donations to the Friends supports special programs, services and additions to the collection.
Friends of the Cohen Family Set Up GoFundMe Page
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Friends of Brooke and Toby Cohen who passed away in a tragic accident on Thanksgiving night have set up a GoFundMe page. They are raising money to help the couples three children, twin boys Jake and Cooper and their younger sister Addison.
Below find the appeal and the link to give.
It is with great sadness that we invite you to join The Cohen Family fundraiser. Brooke and Toby Cohen — loving parents to Jake, Cooper, and Addison — died in a tragic car accident on Thanksgiving. Jake, Cooper, and Addison continue to recuperate in the hospital, in the constant love and care of Brooke and Toby’s families.
To honor Brooke and Toby’s memory and legacy, and with the permission of both families, we have established this fundraiser to support Jake, Cooper, and Addison. We are raising funds to be used directly to support the kids’ care now and as they grow up. We hope to make a lasting difference in their lives and provide all we can after this tremendous loss. They have so much life ahead of them.
GoFundMe requires a goal, but we welcome any support for The Cohen Family.
Thank you for supporting Jake, Cooper, and Addison, and sending all your love in these darkest days.
Lovingly,
Brooke & Toby’s Friends
Our Existing Building Code is Failing Us
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(The following letter was sent to us by Mary Beth Evans and Dan Moretti of Edgewood Road)
Dear Mayor Arest and Village Trustees, Thank you for proposing a temporary pause on single-family housing development. This pause is necessary to allow you time to address long-standing but increasingly critical issues regarding the quality and scale of new construction, along with the loss of the tree canopy and open space in Scarsdale.
Our existing Village codes and regulations are clearly failing two of the four main community goals articulated in our Comprehensive Plan, namely: “1) To preserve the village’s existing architectural character and scale of development” and “2) To maintain the image of a village in a park” (Comprehensive Plan, Scarsdale, NY, pp. i-ii). Moreover, if permitted unchecked, current building trends in a context of continued global warming threaten to exacerbate existing Village-wide stormwater management issues and related costly property damage.
We both grew up in Scarsdale, and since we moved back in 1995, the sizes of new single-family homes being constructed here have been steadily increasing. We understand the need for new development and the rationale for tearing down and replacing some old homes, but the most recent trend seems to be to build as much house as possible – to more than double the square footage of the previous home -- at the expense of open space and mature trees and seemingly without regard to how the volume or bulk of the new structure relates to surrounding properties.
In our area of Edgewood, many lots are in the range of 5 - 10,000 square feet. As the Village Board recently noted, much of 
247 Nelson RoadEdgewood was developed during the 1920s as “a more modest neighborhood” (“Findings of the Village of Scarsdale Board of Trustees, 247 Nelson Road,” p. 6). But we’re now seeing modest sized parcels being consumed by well over 4,000 square foot homes, with 6 bedrooms and 7 baths and 9 to 10-foot ceilings, such as one would more typically find on half acre or larger lots in Scarsdale. If our building and zoning codes continue to permit this, in short order much of Edgewood will lose its tree canopy, will no longer resemble a “village in a park,” and will be vulnerable to more frequent and damaging flooding.
The new homes we’ve started to see going up in Edgewood also have asking prices that are well more than double what they’ve replaced. This represents a further narrowing of the range of housing stock diversity, making Scarsdale an even less economically diverse place to live. We note this in response to a questionable statement that one resident developer made at the November 14th and again at the December 12th meeting, when he claimed that a 6-month moratorium would prevent new families from moving in and thus serve to impede diversity in Scarsdale. To the contrary, it is the high cost of single-family homes, along with the continued absence of more affordable multi-family housing, that has been a major deterrent to young families moving in and the main impediment to diversity in Scarsdale. In this regard, we believe it is appropriate that the current proposed moratorium does not affect multi-family housing construction, and we urge the Board to finally address the development of the Freightway property and for Scarsdale to start doing its fair share in meeting the dire need for more affordable housing in Westchester.
At the November 14 and again at the December 12th meeting, other developers reminded us that we rely on increases to the tax base to keep Scarsdale property taxes in check. We agree that this is a benefit. Yet, it is a benefit we now see as coming with lasting costs. Certainly, it’s time for us as a community to start weighing all the costs against the supposed benefits of a permissive single-family housing development policy. A 6-month moratorium is the most even-handed and fair way to allow the necessary time and space for this long overdue process to happen. Even those who are against the moratorium say they support the idea of revisions to the building and zoning codes. But without a moratorium, how does Scarsdale prevent 6 more months’ worth of construction based on current codes that so many agree are allowing lasting harm to be done to our community?
Sincerely,
Mary Beth Evans
Dan Moretti
Edgewood Road
Annual Light the `Dale Celebration – December 01
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Kick-off the holiday season with us at Scarsdale’s annual tree and menorah lighting ceremony, Light the ‘Dale, on Friday, December 01, from 5-7 PM at Boniface Circle! The lighting will take place at approximately 5:30PM. Bring your friends and family to enjoy great food, festive music, and other fun holiday activities including cookie decorating and photos with Santa!
Children can enter their names for a chance to Light the ‘Dale with Mayor Arest. Click here and use the registration portal to enter your child for a chance to create an extra special holiday memory. If you have entered the drawing for a chance to light the tree with the Mayor, you must be present by 5:15PM. Names will be drawn after Santa arrives.
The Village will continue the tradition of participating in the Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots campaign. This year, understanding the increased needs of the less fortunate, Mayor Arest is issuing a special challenge at the Light the `Dale celebration: “Fill A Van for Toy’s for Tots.” Let’s come together to show our community’s generosity in a big way. Bring an unwrapped toy and place it in the donation van, prominently parked at the event. Your contribution can make this holiday season extra special for a child in need.
A special thanks to the Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department, Scarsdale Police and Fire Departments, Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps, and the Scarsdale Business Alliance, for making this wonderful event come together.
