Has Scarsdale Lost its Vision?

(This is an opinion piece written by Joanne Wallenstein, founder of Scarsdale10583.com.)
Consider these two quotes culled from a survey conducted by the Scarsdale Forum on the proposed renovation to the Scarsdale Library.

"That is a huge number!! I would think that we can pare down what is truly needed and what is nice to have .... I know that once you don't get all that you want, it most likely won't happen again. But it is a huge tax burden to put on the residents."

"Taxes are too high and unpredictable. Given there are at least two major projects (library and Greenacres School) I cannot support any capital improvement projects at this time."

As the community considers two large capital improvement projects I am surprised by the mindset that seems to have overtaken a good number of residents.

When these same people decided to move to Scarsdale, most factored in the local real estate taxes and ultimately decided that paying a little more was well worth the benefit. Quality schools, services and public facilities were what attracted most of us to this town to begin with. And once here, families enjoyed the children's room at the library, the pool complex, Village parks and playgrounds. Have people lost sight of why they chose Scarsdale?

The chatter I am hearing about proposed capital improvements at both the Scarsdale Library and the Greenacres School leave me wondering if the Scarsdale I know has changed or if a few critics are dominating the discussion.

First, the library: As many of you well know, a dedicated group of volunteers and professionals has spent the last few years doing a full analysis of the current library, assessing residents' needs, reviewing current and future trends and working with architects to design a library that will serve the entire community, from tots to seniors. They proposed to fund the renovation through a public/private partnership which would use both taxpayer monies and charitable donations. When the committee received pushback that the price tag was too high, they pared it back, eliminating $3 million from the proposal, and making changes that would "not gut the program." They have already spent a considerable sum in fees to do the research and create and revise the plans.

Now, the Library Board is asking the Village Board to make a decision on the project so that they can complete the private fundraising and move the project forward. Though the estimated incremental cost per household is a mere $137 per year for fifteen years, naysayers are calling the burden "huge," and the Scarsdale Forum is asking the committee to go back to the drawing board, scale back the project further, redesign the plans and weigh the costs of each design element. This is the same exercise the Library Board already performed earlier this year and they would incur even more design and professional fees in doing it again.

A similar mindset has overcome the decision to renovate or replace the Greenacres School. Though the school is too small and has widely acknowledged structural issues, neither the school administration, the school board nor residents seem willing to address them. First the superintendent declared a "pause" in the conversation and is now saying that the planned May 2017 bond referendum, which would have financed the project, is being put off indefinitely. There's denial that the school is inadequate and silence from parents, the PTA and the neighborhood association who would normally advocate for their school. What's ironic about this one, is that there would be no additional cost to taxpayers to finance the work as there is retiring debt that would be replaced with new financing. It would be tax neutral.

But that's not stopping critics from claiming that addressing the issues at the school would be too costly and would give Greenacres an unfair advantage over other elementary schools. Though the school lacks features that most of the other schools enjoy, the decision has pitted neighborhood against neighborhood.

I don't know about you – but I think we should invest in Scarsdale's resources and continue the Village's legacy of quality schools and superior services for all. In order to leave what we found here to the next generation of buyers, these same facilities need to be maintained and upgraded to today's standards.

Consider what will happen if we don't maintain Greenacres School, enlarge it or build a new school? Quickly, an overflow of students from Greenacres will populate the other elementary schools, and cause a district-wide disruption. Already, Quaker Ridge has three grades with inclusion classes, maybe because it's the largest school and has capacity. Greenacres will become the "orphan school," with subpar facilities that will undoubtedly affect home values.

And for those who think the price tag for the library is too high, think about whether $137 per year will hurt you more than you'll benefit from a state of the art facility where you can meet friends, enjoy programming, borrow books, audio tapes, films, and access media that has not yet been invented. You and your kids will use it now and when it's time to sell your home, prospective buyers will quickly realize the value of that facility.

In short, we moved here because Scarsdale had it all and we enjoyed it. We charge our elected school and village boards and professional staff with having the vision to do what's best for everyone in Scarsdale. Let's not undermine them and scare them away from doing their jobs. Don't let critics and fear mongers dominate the discussion. Protect what makes Scarsdale special by supporting improvements to our dated infrastructure.