Oversized Houses on Undersized Lots: Does FAR Go Far Enough?
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Since the 1950's, the size of the average American home has more than doubled. This trend of increased house size has certainly made its presence felt in Scarsdale, where large additions to old houses have become commonplace and newly built mansions line Heathcote Road. Although the size of houses in Scarsdale has been increasing, the size of the plots they are situated upon has not. As a result, many houses are now considered to be too big for their plots. Many Scarsdale residents believe that these "McMansions" are aesthetically unappealing, and take away from Scarsdale's refined architectural charm.
On June 25th, the Board of Architectural Review (BAR) met with the Board of Trustees. One of the main
issues discussed was whether changes should be made to the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) requirements of Scarsdale homes to keep people from building houses deemed too big for their plots. This topic was brought up chiefly because the BAR had recently received several complaints from residents whose homes abut one of these new, oversized home.
One such neighbor, a Quaker Ridge resident (who wished to stay anonymous), explained that "Dell was a street with appropriate medium-sized stone houses. Now, the two monster houses on the corner dwarf the neighborhood..." The same resident went on to say that in modern-day Scarsdale, "it's all power to the developers, no regard or respect for the neighborhood and it's current residents." Lika Levi, a Scarsdale resident and founder of Save Scarsdale, Save Scarsdale, an organization dedicated to the preservation of architectural heritage and conservation of the environment added that due to the spike in oversized homes, Scarsdale is "losing (its) character as a Village-in-a-Park and becoming a Village-of-Monstrosities."
Several solutions to the McMansion problem were discussed at the meeting. One of the more popular methods discussed was for the BAR to change the Scarsdale zoning codes to prohibit houses exceeding a certain FAR from being built.
However, David Lee, a member of the Board of Trustees, explained that although the Board of Trustees is "certainly aware that some residents have concerns about over-development in Scarsdale," the Board of Trustees must at the same time be "conscious of the rights of individual property owners to develop their property within the bounds of the law." Mr. Lee also warned, to the dismay of many Scarsdale residents, that it is still too early to say "what changes, if any, the Board of Trustees is considering making to the FAR regulations."
The Law and Land Use Committees of the Scarsdale Board of Trustees will meet at 6 pm on August 13 to continue the discussion on land use and zoning regulations, setbacks, FAR, lot coverage, building coverage, bulk, wetlands and sensitive drainage areas. Make your opinion count by attending this meeting at Scarsdale Village Hall.
Scarsdale Pediatrician Makes House Calls
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Have you ever woken up in the wee weekend hours because your toddler is crying with a fever and pulling on his ear? And, in that instant, leaning over the crib and trying to soothe your child, have you thought, a) Darn, I think our trip to Florida on Tuesday may just have been cancelled, and b) where is a pediatrician when I need one?
Then you are in luck! Last month, Dr Debbie Horn launched Pediatrics10583, a pediatric house call service for Scarsdale families.
As a local pediatrician and mom of three children ages 7, 6 and almost 3, Dr Debbie frequently put both job titles to work at once when friends would call and ask for urgent pediatric care. If one of Debbie's best friend's children needed a strep test, she would perform the service without question. But what if the person was merely an acquaintance? Who do you help out of friendship, and how do you decide where to draw a line in the sand and call what you are doing a job?
"If you charged us, we wouldn't feel bad calling you," several local mothers told her.
And so Debbie started thinking about forming a business, and, as she was mulling it over, the people just kept calling.
"I just had a lot of little situations...people called me on their way to vacation, or if it was really late at night and their husband wasn't home, and they didn't want to go to urgent care. So it just kind of stemmed from that. I was just doing it a lot, friends would drop by my house....and one day I realized, I just saw five people in 24 hours!"
Boom – Debbie had a local business. Pediatrics10583 started in the best way possible, because it was born out of necessity. Necessity both on the part of the patients who kept calling to see her as well as from her own interest to keep practicing medicine while getting the most time possible as a stay-at-home mom.
Since moving to Scarsdale two years ago, Debbie had significantly cut down her hours at the pediatric practice she had been a part of for a long time in the city and where she still works.
"The next thing that I did more of, I wanted to do it out here," Debbie explains. In order to meet 
demand and be as efficient as possible in her job, Debbie now keeps a kit of supplies in her car. As an example, should your child suffer from asthma or croup, she can travel with her nebulizer and steroids. "I want to maximize convenience for the patients, especially at night." Also wonderful is the idea that Debbie can start your child on that critical first dose of an antibiotic, so that one doesn't have to wait until morning to begin, when the prescription is finally filled.
But please do note that Debbie does not do well-child visits and is not looking to start a pediatric practice. She wants to have a relationship with the pediatric doctors in the community and will refer all follow-up care to them. A note will be sent to your pediatrician to fill them in on the details of her visit.
Also, she warns, her on-the-fly business model means that you will not always see her "looking" the part of an in-office physician, in a suit and white lab coat. She may show up at your house straight after a tennis lesson, or in her casual clothes like a mom-about-town.
Need Dr. Debbie? Call her at (914) 301-3299 and leave a voicemail. She will return your call as quickly as possible. You can also visit her website at www.pediatrics10583.com.
Parents: Say Ah.
Columnist and blogger Julie Gerstenblatt writes with humor and candor about her life in Scarsdale, her friends and family, and the particular demands of motherhood and wifedom in modern-day suburbia. Read about her new book Lauren Takes Leave and keep up with the latest from Julie Gerstenblatt at http://juliegerstenblatt.com.
Scarsdale Marijuana Mom Indicted in Federal Court
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Andrea Sanderlin, Scarsdale's "Marijuana Mom," was indicted in federal court in the Eastern District of New York on Tuesday June 18 and charged with manufacturing and possessing marijuana with intent to distribute it and maintaining a drug-involved premises. According to a press release from the U.S. Attorneys Office, "Sanderlin, 45, was arrested on May 20, 2013, when federal agents and detectives seized over 2,800 marijuana plants, large quantities of dried marijuana, and state-of-the-art marijuana growing equipment from a marijuana grow house in Maspeth, Queens."
Officials spared no words for the drug dealer who posed as an upper middle class suburban mom and interior designer. U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch said, ""Sanderlin could have focused her talents on building a legitimate business enterprise to support her family and serve as a role model for her children. Instead, she allegedly chose to inhabit the shadowy underworld of large-scale drug dealers, using drug proceeds to maintain her family's façade of upper middle class stability. Sanderlin turned a commonplace warehouse in the heart of Queens into a sophisticated center for growing massive quantities of marijuana for distribution. We are committed to investigating and prosecuting organized drug activity in our communities, no matter who runs the organization or how well it is hidden. Those who use our neighborhoods to grow and introduce illegal drugs into the community will face the full force of the law."
DEA Special Agent-in-Charge Crowell emphasized the dangers of marijuana which many think should be legalized. He said, "Marijuana is the most abused drug in the nation with 6.5% of high school seniors smoking marijuana on a daily basis. The high THC purity continues to derail more and more teens and young adults into substance abuse programs due to its ever-increasing potency."
Even the Department of Homeland Security was involved. Special Agent-in-Charge James T. Hayes compared Sanderlin to drug runners in South America, saying, "There's really no difference whether you're a suburban mom growing marijuana in a warehouse in Queens, or a cartel member making cocaine in the jungles of Colombia -- manufacturing and distributing illegal narcotics comes at a hefty price when you are caught by law enforcement."
A recent article in the Journal News provided more information about Sanderlin who few in Scarsdale seem to know. According to the article, Sanderlin is from Iowa where she attended but did not graduate from Bettendorf High School. Her Dad says she was "thrown out of high school, " married William Sanderlin and had a baby at the age of 18. The couple filed for bankruptcy in 1991 and split up and her son remained with his Dad. Since then, she has married and divorced again, and had two more children, ages 13 and 3, each fathered by different men.
If she is convicted, Sanderlin could face up to 10 years in prison and $10 million in fines.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema to Open in Yonkers in July
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Dinner and a movie anyone? Soon you'll be able to watch the movie and have a dinner right in the theatre. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is coming to Yonkers and plans to open at the end of July at 2548 Central Avenue in the newly renovated site of the former United Artist movie theatre.
We took the hardhat tour of the new theatre on Monday and quickly realized that this is no ordinary cinema. The entire building has been completely redone and offers six theatres and 666 seats plus a large kitchen. In addition to seeing a flick you can order lunch or dinner from an extensive menu. Your meal is cooked from scratch and delivered to you by a server while you relax in comfortable leather seats. True to their name, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, there will be 32 local and regional beers on tap as well as a wide selection of bottled and canned beers.
The theatres range in size from the micro-theatre with just 26 seats to a large 224-seat theatre that will feature first-run films. However Alamo will also show the classics, independent films, and documentaries. Movies will be selected around monthly themes and special menu offerings will be matched to reflect the film content. Do I hear Bat Wings?
Even better, before you go you reserve your seat online, which prevents long waits and disappointments. And Alamo shows no ads before their films. 
Instead you'll see ad-free custom preshows with content about the upcoming film. Another trademark of Alamo is their ironclad no-talking/no-texting policy, which ensures that everyone can enjoy the show.
Theatres can be rented out for special events and parties, a concept that is sure to be an immediate hit.
The ticket price is reasonable too - $9 for kids and $12 for adults.
Alama Drafthouse Cinema is the brainchild of Tim and Karrie League who opened their first one in 1997 and have now expanded to locations all over the country. In addition to opening in Yonkers, another theatre is planned for the Upper West Side in Manhattan, where a new Alamo Drafthouse will be located in the former Metro Theater at 2626 Broadway. Founder Tim League was on hand this week in Yonkers to meet the locals, answer questions and explain his exciting new concept.
Click here to see a video about this new concept in entertainment.
What Does a No Vote Look Like? A Letter from the Future Scarsdale
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What would happen if our budget didn't pass a second time around on June 18th, 2013? This is the question that inspired me to write a parody in the style of David Sedaris. Get it? A spoof? Meant to be funny, in an honestly scary sort of way? Good. Now read on.
June 17, 2017
Dear Jen,
Thanks for the recent email. It was great to hear from you after so long! I know, I know, we said we'd stay in touch when you left Scarsdale back in the spring of 2013, but then things got busy with life and we drifted apart. Anyway, it sounds like Marin is great. I agree -- what fortunate timing you had with your move! I hear that the people who bought your house in Heathcote for $2.8 million are now sending both of their children to Horace Mann and trying to sell. (Asking price is $900k – you should totally come back!) But seriously, I'm happy to hear that you, Matt, and the kids are enjoying your West Coast lifestyle.
I would say that I am jealous that you paddleboard regularly and spend so much time exercising out of doors, but the truth is, I walk about five miles outside every day! After the budget didn't pass 4 years ago, they eventually stopped having the funding for school buses, so I walk Zoe to the middle school while Andrew rides his bike to high school. Why don't I drive Zoe, you ask? Well, there is so much traffic on the roads at that 8:00 – 9:00 hour, with hundreds of families trying to drop their children off at all the schools simultaneously, that I just got tired of waiting in line. (Luckily, with all the cuts, the children in Scarsdale attend school only three days a week now, so the walking is not that bad! Austerity keeps me in shape!)
Remember that awesome elementary teacher, the one who taught Ryan to read fluently by the end of first grade even though he was having problems? You were so worried about him until that teacher came along. Well, I saw her the other day at Starbucks! She made me the best Venti Skinny Caramel Frappucino ever! Seriously, that woman is multi-talented! She says hi!
It's great to hear that Paul made the high school tennis team. Everyone in the 'dale plays for their country clubs now that there are no more organized sports in the district. Brett and I don't belong to a club, so Andrew plays A singles against that wall at the middle school. You know the one, in the middle of the parking lot? He's getting really good! We're going to list it as his only extracurricular AND sport – may help him get into Stanford?! We are singlehandedly proving that there actually IS an "I" in TEAM!
Zoe is great, thanks for asking. I thought she might be bummed when they stopped the soccer program, and the afterschool clubs, and the music program, and the chorus. I thought about trying to supplement with outside tutors, but then I bought her an iPhone and an iPad and so now she sits around with her friends for six hours after school and on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It really fills her time and keeps her out of my hair! I mean, she's probably getting into God knows what kind of trouble on the World Wide Web, but at least no more carpooling to Tuckahoe and Chappaqua, am I right?
And, what about me? Well, it's been a long road, but I'm finally sleeping better now. The recurring nightmares have stopped for the most part, and I only awake once in a while at 3 am in a cold sweat wondering what I could have done to turn around that darned budget vote all those years ago.
Anyway, when I come visit this summer, just don't worry about it if you hear me scream out in an anguished cry, "VOTE YES!" a few times a night from the guest room. It's called Scarsdale Syndrome and everyone here has it.
Doctors think the collective subconscious of the townspeople would have been okay if only we had voted YES on that fateful day, June 18th, 2013.
Oh, Jen, how I wish I could rewind time and encourage everyone in Scarsdale to just VOTE YES.
Signing off,
Julie
Columnist and blogger Julie Gerstenblatt writes with humor and candor about her life in Scarsdale, her friends and family, and the particular demands of motherhood and wifedom in modern-day suburbia. Read about her new book Lauren Takes Leave and keep up with the latest from Julie Gerstenblatt at http://juliegerstenblatt.com.
