Residents Raise Concerns About Village Construction and Parking at Scarsdale BOT Meeting

Residents and business owners expressed concerns about the lengthy Popham Road Bridge project and parking at Freightway Garage at the June 12 meeting of the Scarsale Board of Trustees.

In her comments, Mayor Flisser reported that the trustees had taken a tour to many sites of concern throughout Scarsdale, including the bridge. She noted that residents have expressed concerns over bridge construction, and that a July 11th meeting is being held concerning the amelioration of the Crane Road Bridge project which threatens to close the both the north and southbound exits from the Bronx River Parkway to Scarsdale Village. During the public comments portion of the meeting, the bridge was brought up again. A Garth Road resident and business owner complained that bridge construction, along with the current work being done by Verizon, is hurting his business both through travel and parking difficulties. Considering fixed costs such as rent, any loss in business cannot be made up, and a loss has already been seen. The board promised to take the testimony into account.

The meeting brought a victory for commuters who objected to enforcement of a rule that forbid back-in parking at the Freightway Garage, located near the Scarsdale Train Station, Some commuters prefer to back-in their cars in the morning to speed their exit at night. The Village Manager’s Office announced the results of a study that did of parking patterns in the garage which found that 80% of parkers still chose to park head-in and than no accidents were caused by back-in parking. As a result, the new regulation barring back-in parking has been tabled and all signs requiring head-in parking have been covered up. During public comments, a Blackbirch Lane resident thanked the board for their decision on behalf of back-in parkers. Later in the meeting, a resolution was unanimously passed to abridge the contents of Sprint Spectrum LP’s lease at the garage to increase the number of telecommunications panels it stores there.

The Village Manager’s Office also made a statement about a complaint from Ruth Frankel of 17 Richbell Road. At the May 22 meeting of the Board of Trustees, Frankel said that “the driveway under construction at her neighbor’s home at 15A Richbell Road was so flooded the day before that her neighbors needed a rowboat to cross it,” and chastised the Board for letting this happen. Village Manager Al Gatta reported that forty-three inspections have been conducted in response to the Frankel’s frequent complaints and no violations had been found. In response to the latest accusations, village inspectors were dispatched on the rainy days of May 21st and 22nd and found “ponding” which they attributed to the face that the project was not yet complete.

In her comments, the Mayor also noted the importance of cooperation in the current National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, run by the CDC. Starting in Westchester on May 23rd, the survey attempts to better gauge fitness levels in order to make policy decisions. It has been run each year for over fifty years in fifteen counties across the nation. If a resident is selected for the survey, they will first receive a letter asking for participation in a home interview. If accepted, this interview will be followed by a second interview and then an examination. Any participants will be compensated for their time.

During public comments, the Chamber of Commerce thanked the board for help with the Taste of Scarsdale event and asked for their participation in the upcoming events including the Health and Wellness Fair held at Village Hall on June 16th and the Sidewalk Sale to be held in the village between July 26th and 28th.

Later, a Chesterfield Road resident complained to the council that the police have failed to enforce an ordinance against the use of leaf blowers from Memorial Day through Labor Day. He stated that the World Health Organization has announced the unnecessary noise produced by the blowers to be detrimental to overall health. Last, a Willow Lane resident who desired to speak about storm drainage was deferred until the July 16th meeting, due to a limitation on the time allotted for public comments.

Pictured at top: Mayor Flisser, Trustee Brodsky, Village Engineer Paul Zaichek and other Trustees get on update on the Popham Road Bridge from atop the Freightway Garage
Second Photo: Boarding the Bus for the Village Tour- Trustees Lee, Eisenman, Mayor Miriam Levitt Flisser, Trustees Brodsky, Mark and Harrison

Article by Zach Edeleman, Photos by Harvey Flisser