Vandals Smash Car Windows Overnight in Scarsdale and Edgemont
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Photo Credit: Linda Shin from GreenacresAccording to readers at least 40 cars in Fox Meadow, Greenacres and Heathcote were vandalized in the early morning hours of Labor Day. Social media shows that the vandals hit the Cotswolds in Edgemont as well. Some residents awoke to find two of their cars smashed.
The Village of Scarsdale issued this alert on Monday morning: “Early this morning between the hours of 3:00AM and 6:00AM, numerous vehicles were vandalized in the Greenacres and Fox Meadow neighborhoods. The Scarsdale Police Department is investigating this matter. Residents with any surveillance footage are encouraged to contact the Scarsdale Police Department at 914-722-1200.”
We received an official report from the police that overnight on Sunday the front passenger windows of two volkswagons on Fox Meadow Road were smashed between 5 am and 6:40 am , but nothing was stolen.
We also heard that cars were broken into on Brewster Road, Dobbs Terrace, Ridgecrest, Chesterfield Road, Old Orchard Lane, Kingston Road, Greenacres Avenue and Rutland Road in Edgemont. This morning Greenacres Avenue was littered with broken glass. Readers say that police told them that at least 40 cars were vandalized. However many reported that though car windows were smashed, nothing was taken from inside the cars.
We have asked the police for more information but have not received a reply. If you have info, report it to the police or share it in the comments section below.
What To Do If You See a Coyote
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Scarsdale Police are reporting several coyote sightings in recent weeks throughout the Village. Here is some information from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) about what to do should you come across a coyote.
According to NYS DEC, if you see a coyote:
Be aggressive in your behavior – stand tall and hold arms out to look large. If a coyote lingers for too long, then make loud noises, wave your arms, throw sticks and stones.
Contact your local police department and DEC regional office for assistance if you notice coyotes exhibiting "bold" behaviors and having little or no fear of people, or if you see them repeatedly during the daytime in a human-populated area or near residences. Seeing a coyote occasionally throughout the year is not evidence of bold behavior.
Do not allow pets to run free. Supervise all outdoor pets to keep them safe from coyotes and other wildlife, especially at sunset and at night. Small dogs and cats are especially vulnerable.
Teach children to appreciate coyotes from a distance.
Of course, if there is ever an emergency involving a coyote, please contact the Scarsdale Police Department at (914) 722-1200. A police officer will be dispatched.
Please check the DEC website for further guidance and information.
DEP Regional Office: 845-256-3000
New Playground To Be Installed in Greenacres
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Work has already begun on the new playground in Greenacres. After the Village received funding from a grant secured by NY State Assemblywoman Amy Paulin they quickly went to work on replacing the Village owned portion of the playground across the street from the Greenacres Elementary School. Plans include new climbing structures for both young and older children as well as swing for infants.
The equipment will be welcomed by the many new families who are flocking to the neighborhood following the renovation of the elementary school.
At top is a photo from the evening of July 30, 2024 and below are renderings of the new equipment that will be installed soon.
Commenting on the work, Brian Gray, who is Superintendent for Parks and Recreation said, “The Contractor is in the final stage of demo and clearing the existing site for the installation of the new playground apparatus. I am hesitant to provide a timeline and work schedule as all work is determined by weather. If all goes to plan – installation of apparatus will take approximately one week followed by the installation of new safety surface which is anticipated to take a day or so. “
Stop by and take a look at what’s going on – and bring the kids who will enjoy seeing the backhoe, the steam roller and construction in process.
Cayuga Road Resident Urges Planning Board to Turn Down Development on Garden Road
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This letter was submitted to the Scarsdale Planning Board by Robert Reiffel.
August 18, 2024
Re: 80 Garden Road Proposed Subdivision
Dear Members of the Scarsdale Planning Board,
I have resided at 15 Cayuga Road since 1985. There was one flood in our neighborhood before we moved in and two since then. During the flood of 2007, we had 5 feet of water in our house, as did virtually everyone in the neighborhood. The flooding was so severe that the neighborhood was roped off, meaning that ambulances could not access it to assist a young boy, who got an electric shock from water in the basement and another woman who broke her leg.
After that storm, the village of Scarsdale contracted with D & B, spending more than $250,000 to study flooding in the Village. Our area was determined to be one of the most severely impacted. Since then, one culvert was improved, but virtually nothing else was done to help our area.
Although we, personally, took steps to mitigate the effects of flood damage by moving the location of our downstairs door after the flood of 2007, in 2021, we had 2 ½ feet of sewer water come out of the downstairs toilet, flooding us again. Similar to the events for which the residents of Barry Road petitioned the Village in 2019, this demonstrates the inadequacy of the Village’s sanitary sewer system.
In approximately 1985, Richard Haggblad, the Village Engineer, told me that he had warned the Village that, when our area was developed in the 1960s, the infrastructure was inadequate. Since then, there has been more and more development of houses, pools, and other impervious surfaces, without any corresponding improvement in infrastructure.
Therefore, there are several reasons why it is imperative that the proposed 80 Garden Rd. development be rejected, once, and for all.
First of all, what is the objective of this meeting? According to the Scarsdale Village website, “The planning board also controls construction activity on Village- designated wetlands lots through a procedure designed to protect the ecological character of the surrounding area.“ That means the responsibility of this board is not simply to allow the developer to proceed at will, but also to protect the neighborhood.
In this instance, the developer proposes to build a number of houses in an area that is already a wetland. Recognizing that, he proposes to add 4 feet of fill to allow the construction of dry wells. This will be inadequate, since the recommended height of a drywell, itself, is 4 feet and the recommended minimum clearance to the seasonal high water table beneath that is an additional 2 feet. Therefore, the drywell will take up the entirety of the 4 feet of fill and the additional 2-feet of clearance between the bottom of the drywell and the underlying wetland will not be met. Moreover, there must be topsoil on top of the drywell to allow grass or other vegetation to be planted. Therefore, the 4 feet of fill well not be adequate. Furthermore, a drywell is supposed to empty completely within 72 hours. Therefore, any emptying of the drywell will only be at the expense of making the wetlands worse.
In addition, the developer proposes to drill wells for freshwater, because Scarsdale’s municipal water supply is not adequate to reach the area.
There are two kinds of wells to be considered: A ground water well sucks up groundwater and uses it for supplying the house with fresh water. Some of that water will do down the drain, and some will be used for watering lawns. Since the water was harvested from groundwater, the net effect on flooding will be nil.
However, the most common type of well is an aquifer well, which is drilled hundreds of feet deep and specifically excludes ground water. This means that whatever water is brought up to the surface will only increase the ground water, thereby increasing the flooding. This happened when Fenway Golf Club was allowed to drill deep wells for golf course irrigation, exacerbating flooding of all the streets downhill from it.
In addition to the inadequacy of the Scarsdale water supply to provide fresh water to the area, the addition of multiple new houses would add an even greater burden to a sanitary sewer system that has already proven inadequate, as evidenced by the sewer back up described above, and to the homes in the Barry Road and other areas. It would be unconscionable to allow this to happen.
Finally, a number of years ago, the Village enacted regulations regarding removal of trees, understanding how such activity exacerbates flooding by removing the absorptive capacity of the trees. The proposed subdivision at 80 Garden Road will remove hundreds of trees, thereby further exacerbating the flooding problem. It will take a minimum of 10 years for newly planted trees even to begin to approach the absorptive capacity of the trees removed in construction.
Therefore, for the above reasons, and because it is your responsibility to protect us, this proposed project must be denied approval, once, and for all.
Yours Sincerely,
Robert S Reiffel
15 Cayuga Road
Scarsdale, NY
Food Notes: Wonder is Opening and DeCicco's is Stocked
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We received notice that a new location for Wonder has opened on the Boston Post Road in Larchmont, with one scheduled to open on Central Avenue in Scarsdale in September.
We stopped in to take a look and to understand the concept and here is what we learned. Wonder has transitioned their roving food truck concept to bricks and mortar locations and is now offering food from 14 restauranteurs for order and pick up or delivery to the following zip codes: 10528, 10538, 10543, 10580, 10583, 10605, 10709, 10801, 10804, 10805
The food is actually cooked in a large kitchen on site in Larchmont so it’s the best of both worlds – world class recipes, restaurant cuisine, cooked on site, and easy to pick up.
Here is the concept, as described by Wonder:
Wonder–a new kind of food hall–is revolutionizing the food industry by creating the mealtime super app, operating a collection of delivery-first restaurants and pioneering a new category of “Fast Fine” dining. Featuring some of the world’s best chefs including Bobby Flay, Jose Andres, Nancy Silverton, Marcus Samuelsson and others, along with award-winning restaurants from across the country customers can experience any combination of these chefs and restaurants all together in one order for the first time.
Food from the following restaurants is available in Larchmont Alanza, Alanza Pizza, Bobby Flay Steak, Burger Baby, Detroit Pizza, Di Fara Pizza, Fred’s Meat & Bread, Limesalt, Mainstay, Room for Dessert, Royal Greens, Streetbird, Tejas, Wing Trip, Yasas
Wonder officially opens in Larchmont on Thursday July 18 and to me it looked like an easy solution for lunch or dinner. Salads, steaks, pizzas … with flavors from Mexico, Italy, the Mediterranean, NYC and more. You’ll having a hard time deciding what to choose.
Check them out and order online here.
Update from DeCicco’s in Scarsdale
Walter at DeCicco’s in Scarsdale asked us to let readers know that the store is stocked. Big deliveries arrived this week and you’ll find the refrigerators filled with your favorite yogurts, milks etc. and plenty of items on the grocery shelves.
Come back to the store and check out the inventory.
