Friday, May 25, 2012
pool opens...bd endorses tennis bubble...zoning map corrections. more notice to public re: antennas
POOL OPENS AT AF VETERAN PARK ON MONDAY, MEMORIAL DAY
The Westchester County Board of Health inspected the new pool liner and other minor renovations made at AF Veteran park pool this morning and authorized the pool to open on Monday, Memorial Day from 10 AM to 5:45 PM. The Town pool is located on Heatherdell Road.
TOWN BOARD ENDORSES TENNIS BUBBLE LEGISLATION AT AF VETERAN PARK
The Greenburgh Town Board approved a resolution endorsing proposed state legislation that will be introduced by State Senator Andrea Stewart Cousins and Assemblyman tom Abinanti that would accomplish the goal of leasing the tennis facilities at AF Veteran park for commercial use with costs associated with the tennis facilities and revenues generated from the lease being applied to unincorporated Greenburgh. The town expects to generate significant revenue from the lease. And- residents will have access to more tennis during winter months when the facilities are not used or open.
ZONING MAP CORRECTION
The Town Board approved a resolution referring possible amendments to the zoning map to the Planning Board for a report and recommendation. There are errors in some of the maps. And, all the errors (some are decades old) need to be corrected.
MORE NOTIFICATION RE: FUTURE ANTENNA LOCATIONS
We referred amendments proposed by the Edgemont Community Council pertaining to the town’s antenna law (to require more notification to residents) to the Planning Board and Antenna Review Board for recommendations.
Paul Feiner
Popham Road bridge to be closed
POPHAM ROAD BRIDGE LANE CLOSURE
In conjunction with the Popham Road Bridge Replacement Project, the eastbound Popham Road Bridge travel lane will be closed to vehicular traffic commencing on Tuesday, May 29, 2012 at 12:00 a.m. and will remain closed for a 2 week period. The lane closure is necessary to allow Verizon to station their equipment over their manholes and splice the new Verizon cables that run under the new portion of the Popham Road Bridge structure. This work must be completed prior to the final phase of the bridge construction which will commence immediately thereafter. Eastbound Popham Road Bridge vehicular traffic will be detoured south on Garth Road east to Harney Road and north on Scarsdale Avenue back to Popham Road.
Thank you and we appreciate your cooperation during this temporary inconvenience.
In conjunction with the Popham Road Bridge Replacement Project, the eastbound Popham Road Bridge travel lane will be closed to vehicular traffic commencing on Tuesday, May 29, 2012 at 12:00 a.m. and will remain closed for a 2 week period. The lane closure is necessary to allow Verizon to station their equipment over their manholes and splice the new Verizon cables that run under the new portion of the Popham Road Bridge structure. This work must be completed prior to the final phase of the bridge construction which will commence immediately thereafter. Eastbound Popham Road Bridge vehicular traffic will be detoured south on Garth Road east to Harney Road and north on Scarsdale Avenue back to Popham Road.
Thank you and we appreciate your cooperation during this temporary inconvenience.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
80 interviews to be aired on public access TV
During the Memorial Day weekend over 80 interviews with different veterans who reside in Greenburgh and who have participated in the Greenburgh Living History initiative will be aired on Greenburgh TV (channels 75 and 76 -cablevision and 34 and 35 FIOS).
Every week, during the past three years, Alan Hochberg (with the production assistance of Ardsley Vietnam Veteran Steve Wittenberg) has been interviewing veterans of World War II and the Korean conflict.
Each of the interviews lasts approximately half an hour. The interviews will be aired non stop from Friday night through Monday evening. This is the first year that some Korean veterans will have their interviews broadcast on local TV. Sadly, some of the veterans who were interviewed during the past few years have passed away. These interviews will help the community never forget their contributions.
To commemorate the role our Greenburgh heroes have had in defending democracy, the town of Greenburgh has broadcast the Living History interviews non stop every Memorial Day and Veteran's Day weekends for three years. We want to make sure that the community does not forget the contributions of our veterans and we hope that children will be inspired by the stories the veterans tell of their heroic accomplishments.
We are planning to organize a bus trip with veterans to Washington DC to meet with our Congressional delegation and to hand deliver to officials at the Library of Congress copies of the interviews --to be archived at the Library of Congress.
Veterans who are interested in being interviewed are invited to e mail Alan Hochberg at ahochberg@greenburghny.com or Paul Feiner at pfeiner@greenburghny.com if you would like to be interviewed for our living history initiative. A special thank you to George Malone, our cable TV coordinator for his efforts producing and editing the interviews. Clips of scenes from the wars can be seen during the interviews.
Veterans of World War II receive priority if they are interested in being interviewed. Korean conflict veterans are currently being interviewed. Interviews take place weekly.
PAUL FEINER
Greenburgh Town Supervisor
Every week, during the past three years, Alan Hochberg (with the production assistance of Ardsley Vietnam Veteran Steve Wittenberg) has been interviewing veterans of World War II and the Korean conflict.
Each of the interviews lasts approximately half an hour. The interviews will be aired non stop from Friday night through Monday evening. This is the first year that some Korean veterans will have their interviews broadcast on local TV. Sadly, some of the veterans who were interviewed during the past few years have passed away. These interviews will help the community never forget their contributions.
To commemorate the role our Greenburgh heroes have had in defending democracy, the town of Greenburgh has broadcast the Living History interviews non stop every Memorial Day and Veteran's Day weekends for three years. We want to make sure that the community does not forget the contributions of our veterans and we hope that children will be inspired by the stories the veterans tell of their heroic accomplishments.
We are planning to organize a bus trip with veterans to Washington DC to meet with our Congressional delegation and to hand deliver to officials at the Library of Congress copies of the interviews --to be archived at the Library of Congress.
Veterans who are interested in being interviewed are invited to e mail Alan Hochberg at ahochberg@greenburghny.com or Paul Feiner at pfeiner@greenburghny.com if you would like to be interviewed for our living history initiative. A special thank you to George Malone, our cable TV coordinator for his efforts producing and editing the interviews. Clips of scenes from the wars can be seen during the interviews.
Veterans of World War II receive priority if they are interested in being interviewed. Korean conflict veterans are currently being interviewed. Interviews take place weekly.
PAUL FEINER
Greenburgh Town Supervisor
My 91 year old father featured in Westchester Business Journal for cutting waste
Ash can maker keeps watch on government waste by John Golden
Phil Feiner, left, with his son Paul outside Greenburgh Town Hall.
Phil Feiner carries a cane on his regular weekday visits to Greenburgh Town Hall. It’s a walking aid, a concession to the impairments of a 91-year-old body. The cane is not used to enforce or defend his authority in the offices of government, though some department chiefs at times might be inclined to use it on him. Phil Feiner has no official authority there, though he’s left his mark on how the town goes about its business.
“I want to eliminate the waste in government,” he declared during an afternoon stop at the office of his son and personal chauffeur, Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner. “That’s the only thing.”
A 50-year Scarsdale resident, Phil Feiner has been doing his thing as Greenburgh’s self-appointed fiscal watchdog throughout his son’s long tenure as supervisor. “As a volunteer I’ve been trying to help Greenburgh and Paul’s administration for 21 years,” he said.
At 70, he retired from his family’s business in the Bronx, the Tip Top Ash Can Co., an enterprise born in the coal-burning city in 1915 that finally succumbed to plastics. There he “got to learn everything” about running a small business, which comes with “all kinds of problems” that also can beset municipal managers, he said. Before following his father and brother into garbage can manufacturing, the graduate of St. John’s University worked as an accountant “at accounting firms, large and small.” That too was useful training and experience for his post-retirement mission in Greenburgh.
“In government, there’s a tremendous amount of waste,” he said. “There are no checks and balances, people are very sloppy. Federal government has the problem; local governments have the same problem.”
According to his son, who also drives his unpaid adviser to his daily workouts at a fitness club, “He comes in once or twice a week looking at vouchers and double-checking to make sure that the town is not wasting money. It’s like an inspector general.”
The sharp-eyed retiree checks for required signatures on invoices. He has recommended more timely payments to vendors. Before Phil complained about the lax practice, the town’s gas and oil deliveries were not metered.
“Most of it is really psychological,” he said. In the offices he visits to scrutinize vouchers, “They all know what I’m doing.”
“At the beginning, I used to spend two to three days” a week at Town Hall, Phil said. “I used to go to the departments all over and uncover a lot of these things.”
Among those things, Phil discovered the town police department’s emergency medical service was not billing insurance companies for its ambulance runs. As he suggested, the police chief did away with that largesse. “Now we get about $1 million a year” in reimbursements, he said.
Then there was the town’s printing broker. Phil thought the town’s printing costs were too high and shopped around. He found a printer in Yonkers “at one-third the price of what they paid before,” he said. “They use him still,” and the town’s savings have reached six figures.
There was the roof replacement project at the town library, for which contractors’ estimates came in at about $300,000. The former manager at Tip Top Ash Can thought that was awfully steep for a roof.
“I had experience because I had a facility in the Bronx,” he said. “I went through this. I located somebody, they did it for $25,000. We had a $275,000 savings.”
There was that $300 monthly invoice from the town’s exterminator that bugged Phil. He checked around in the pest-control trade and got another quote of $50. “They use the same people and it’s still $50 today,” he said.
A few weeks ago, Phil saw a voucher for $105,000 in emergency repairs to a broken water main. He insisted that the charges be itemized.
His son the supervisor realized his father was on to something: “We should be doing spot checks after the work is done to see if a potential competitor would be charging the same thing for the same service.
“He comes up with really great ideas. In the past year or so, the suggestions my father has brought to my attention have been the best – one great idea after another. The recommendations really have been getting better.”
“I really feel like no government and no business is perfect,” Paul Feiner said. “I think it’s really important to have independent eyes and ears.”
“I admire my son, what he’s doing,” said the vigilant accountant. “Most politicians, there’s plus and minus. If he wasn’t an honest politician, I wouldn’t spend my time. I’d go down to Florida and take it easy.”
“A lot of people, I’m sure, would be happy if my father went to Florida,” said the supervisor. “They’d probably have a victory party. They might even buy the condo” far from Greenburgh Town Hall
Phil Feiner, left, with his son Paul outside Greenburgh Town Hall.
Phil Feiner carries a cane on his regular weekday visits to Greenburgh Town Hall. It’s a walking aid, a concession to the impairments of a 91-year-old body. The cane is not used to enforce or defend his authority in the offices of government, though some department chiefs at times might be inclined to use it on him. Phil Feiner has no official authority there, though he’s left his mark on how the town goes about its business.
“I want to eliminate the waste in government,” he declared during an afternoon stop at the office of his son and personal chauffeur, Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner. “That’s the only thing.”
A 50-year Scarsdale resident, Phil Feiner has been doing his thing as Greenburgh’s self-appointed fiscal watchdog throughout his son’s long tenure as supervisor. “As a volunteer I’ve been trying to help Greenburgh and Paul’s administration for 21 years,” he said.
At 70, he retired from his family’s business in the Bronx, the Tip Top Ash Can Co., an enterprise born in the coal-burning city in 1915 that finally succumbed to plastics. There he “got to learn everything” about running a small business, which comes with “all kinds of problems” that also can beset municipal managers, he said. Before following his father and brother into garbage can manufacturing, the graduate of St. John’s University worked as an accountant “at accounting firms, large and small.” That too was useful training and experience for his post-retirement mission in Greenburgh.
“In government, there’s a tremendous amount of waste,” he said. “There are no checks and balances, people are very sloppy. Federal government has the problem; local governments have the same problem.”
According to his son, who also drives his unpaid adviser to his daily workouts at a fitness club, “He comes in once or twice a week looking at vouchers and double-checking to make sure that the town is not wasting money. It’s like an inspector general.”
The sharp-eyed retiree checks for required signatures on invoices. He has recommended more timely payments to vendors. Before Phil complained about the lax practice, the town’s gas and oil deliveries were not metered.
“Most of it is really psychological,” he said. In the offices he visits to scrutinize vouchers, “They all know what I’m doing.”
“At the beginning, I used to spend two to three days” a week at Town Hall, Phil said. “I used to go to the departments all over and uncover a lot of these things.”
Among those things, Phil discovered the town police department’s emergency medical service was not billing insurance companies for its ambulance runs. As he suggested, the police chief did away with that largesse. “Now we get about $1 million a year” in reimbursements, he said.
Then there was the town’s printing broker. Phil thought the town’s printing costs were too high and shopped around. He found a printer in Yonkers “at one-third the price of what they paid before,” he said. “They use him still,” and the town’s savings have reached six figures.
There was the roof replacement project at the town library, for which contractors’ estimates came in at about $300,000. The former manager at Tip Top Ash Can thought that was awfully steep for a roof.
“I had experience because I had a facility in the Bronx,” he said. “I went through this. I located somebody, they did it for $25,000. We had a $275,000 savings.”
There was that $300 monthly invoice from the town’s exterminator that bugged Phil. He checked around in the pest-control trade and got another quote of $50. “They use the same people and it’s still $50 today,” he said.
A few weeks ago, Phil saw a voucher for $105,000 in emergency repairs to a broken water main. He insisted that the charges be itemized.
His son the supervisor realized his father was on to something: “We should be doing spot checks after the work is done to see if a potential competitor would be charging the same thing for the same service.
“He comes up with really great ideas. In the past year or so, the suggestions my father has brought to my attention have been the best – one great idea after another. The recommendations really have been getting better.”
“I really feel like no government and no business is perfect,” Paul Feiner said. “I think it’s really important to have independent eyes and ears.”
“I admire my son, what he’s doing,” said the vigilant accountant. “Most politicians, there’s plus and minus. If he wasn’t an honest politician, I wouldn’t spend my time. I’d go down to Florida and take it easy.”
“A lot of people, I’m sure, would be happy if my father went to Florida,” said the supervisor. “They’d probably have a victory party. They might even buy the condo” far from Greenburgh Town Hall
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
how much could WESTHELP generate in revenue to town for affordable housing?
From: Bob Miller [mailto:Bob.Miller@westhab.org]
Sent: Thursday, May 10, 2012 2:42 PM
To: Paul Feiner
Subject: WestHELP Greenburgh site
Dear Supervisor Feiner,
With your approval, Westhab conducted a preliminary analysis to determine the feasibility of converting the referenced site into affordable housing for low and moderate income families. We undertook this analysis for the purpose of providing you and the Town Board with an option that would expand the supply of affordable housing for working families in Greenburgh, and hopefully be amenable to the County under the terms of the Town's master lease.
Our proposal would be to sublet the property for a minimum of 30 years, a term that would be required by NYS Homes and Community Renewal, to whom we would apply for renovation funding. This would require an extension of the Town's master lease with Westchester County.
We would join two single units side by side to create a mix of one, two and three bedroom apartments that would rent to eligible families earning between 30-75% of the Area Median Income (AMI). Rents would range from approximately $835-$1650, depending on unit size and family income range. We anticipate that approximately 55-60 units would be created (a more detailed architectural analysis will determine the exact number).
We also believe that we could generate a total payment to the Town of approximately $200,000 a year, with an amount to be determined paid during the construction period. If we are able to lease some of the available common space (such as to a provider of pre-school child care), that number would increase.
Before we incur the substantial cost of further studies, including detailed architectural and engineering analyses, I would appreciate having a reading from both the Town Board and the County as to their interest in this preliminary concept.
Respectfully,
Bob Miller
President
Westhab, Inc
MORE INACCURATE STATEMENTS ABOUT TOWN FROM ECC
The Edgemont Community Council has a facebook page that constantly distorts the truth about the town. Many of these inaccurate posts are written by Robert Bernstein,former head of the ECC. The following is in response to the inaccurate statements made below. The ECC does not provide me with the ability to post comments on their page. I know they read my blog so I am taking the liberty of responding.
From: Timothy Lewis
Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2012 9:27 AM
To: Paul Feiner; Town Board
Subject: RE: fyi...from facebook page re: Ferncliff
It is simply not true that the 108 units on the former WestHELP site could generate $1,000 a month in rent. In fact, the Greenburgh Housing Authority’s proposed use of the property for seniors would generate, at most, $550 to $625 per month based upon Housing Authority studies that most seniors in the area do not have incomes in excess of $25,000 and the Housing Authority would only be able to charge renters a maximum of 30% of that $25,000 income or $625. Housing Authority representatives probably understand the financial dynamics better than anyone because affordable housing is what they do.
In addition, the 108 units must be renovated or rehabilitated before occupancy by anyone to make the units ADA compliant for seniors or for anyone else. Who is going to provide the money for these renovations?
Tim
From: Paul Feiner
Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2012 11:21 PM
To: Town Board; Timothy Lewis
Subject: fyi...from facebook page re: Ferncliff (written by bernsein)
The Edgemont Community Council, Inc.
1. 3 hours ago
TOWN'S FERNCLIFF PROPOSAL FOR WESTHELP REPORTEDLY ENDORSED BY COUNTY EXECUTIVE
Town Attorney Tim Lewis said today that County Executive Rob Astorino was in favor of the Town's proposal to demolish the 108 units of affordable housing at the former WestHELP facility on the campus of Westchester Community College and replace it with a long-term ground lease to allow Ferncliff Manor, a private for-p...rofit school for developmentally disabled children to build a new residential school and facility.
Mr. Lewis said at today's Town Board work session that a revised lease for Ferncliff would be released as early as next week by the county executive. The lease would then have to be approved by the Westchester County Board of Legislators.
Ken Jenkins, the chair of the county board, and two of Greenburgh's county legislators, MaryJane Shimsky and Alfreda Williams, have said the Democratic majority on the county board would reject any proposal to demolish the existing housing at the site.
The county is required under the terms of a federal housing settlement not to impede affordable housing anywhere in the county.
Support for a proposal to demolish 108 units of affordable housing in an area that has historically been opposed for allegedly racially exclusionary reasons to having affordable housing there in the first place was thought to be something the county executive would not publicly embrace, particularly now when a federal district judge has found that Mr. Astorino had violated the terms of that settlement agreement.
However, Mr. Astorino's chief spokesman is the former head of the Mayfair Knollwood Civic Association which for years was involved in the effort to stop the housing from being built -- and sought to incorporate as its own village until the NAACP intervened and then town supervisor Tony Veteran refused to certify the incorporation petition on grounds the village was being formed for the purpose of excluding African Americans. Mr. Feiner has for decades aligned himself with the Mayfair Knollwood Civic Association.
There has thus far been no formal announcement of support for the Town's Ferncliff proposal from the County Executive's office.
But if the town attorney's comments are true, Mr. Astorino's support means the property will likely remain vacant for the foreseeable future and the Town will not therefore see any rental income from the former WestHELP property any time soon.
The 108 efficiency apartments at WestHELP were once the Town's largest revenue producing asset except for property taxes. WestHELP was paying the Town $1.2 million a year under a ten-year lease that expired in September 2011.
Mr. Feiner was twice offered an extension of the lease in March and September 2008 for another 10-year period, but did not respond to the county's offer because he wanted a substantial portion of the money to go to the Valhalla School District, which would have been illegal. The state comptroller had ruled in 2007 that Mr. Feiner's agreement to give the Vahalla School District up to $6.5 million of the rental revenue from WestHELP was unlawful.
The property will now remain vacant for the foreseeable future, producing no money for the Town. Under the Town's lease with the county, and pursuant to a county law adopted back in 1990, the Town may only use the property for low and moderate income housing. As long as the Ferncliff proposal is still alive, the Town has made clear that it will keep the apartments vacant.
At the same time, the Town continues to insist that using the 108 efficiency apartments for low and moderate income housing will generate far less income to the Town than it would receive if Ferncliff were to get a long-term lease for the property.
However, a spokesman for HUD, each unit would have a market rent of about $1000 a month, which means that every month the Town keeps the units vacant, the Town is losing at least $100,000 a month. Mr. Feiner disputes this assessment, claiming the most the Town could get is around $200,000 a year. However, the Town has never held an RFP for the property making clear that it would have to be used for low and moderate income housing. Therefore, the Town has no documentation to substantiate Mr. Feiner's assertion.
In the meantime, there is no assurance that Ferncliff would generate much, if any, rent to the Town, since it would be depending on state aid to finance the demolition of the 108 apartments and build a new facility at the site. In addition, under the terms of the proposed lease, rent would likely not be paid until construction is completed and the amount that Ferncliff could afford to pay is determined.
From: Timothy Lewis
Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2012 9:27 AM
To: Paul Feiner; Town Board
Subject: RE: fyi...from facebook page re: Ferncliff
It is simply not true that the 108 units on the former WestHELP site could generate $1,000 a month in rent. In fact, the Greenburgh Housing Authority’s proposed use of the property for seniors would generate, at most, $550 to $625 per month based upon Housing Authority studies that most seniors in the area do not have incomes in excess of $25,000 and the Housing Authority would only be able to charge renters a maximum of 30% of that $25,000 income or $625. Housing Authority representatives probably understand the financial dynamics better than anyone because affordable housing is what they do.
In addition, the 108 units must be renovated or rehabilitated before occupancy by anyone to make the units ADA compliant for seniors or for anyone else. Who is going to provide the money for these renovations?
Tim
From: Paul Feiner
Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2012 11:21 PM
To: Town Board; Timothy Lewis
Subject: fyi...from facebook page re: Ferncliff (written by bernsein)
The Edgemont Community Council, Inc.
1. 3 hours ago
TOWN'S FERNCLIFF PROPOSAL FOR WESTHELP REPORTEDLY ENDORSED BY COUNTY EXECUTIVE
Town Attorney Tim Lewis said today that County Executive Rob Astorino was in favor of the Town's proposal to demolish the 108 units of affordable housing at the former WestHELP facility on the campus of Westchester Community College and replace it with a long-term ground lease to allow Ferncliff Manor, a private for-p...rofit school for developmentally disabled children to build a new residential school and facility.
Mr. Lewis said at today's Town Board work session that a revised lease for Ferncliff would be released as early as next week by the county executive. The lease would then have to be approved by the Westchester County Board of Legislators.
Ken Jenkins, the chair of the county board, and two of Greenburgh's county legislators, MaryJane Shimsky and Alfreda Williams, have said the Democratic majority on the county board would reject any proposal to demolish the existing housing at the site.
The county is required under the terms of a federal housing settlement not to impede affordable housing anywhere in the county.
Support for a proposal to demolish 108 units of affordable housing in an area that has historically been opposed for allegedly racially exclusionary reasons to having affordable housing there in the first place was thought to be something the county executive would not publicly embrace, particularly now when a federal district judge has found that Mr. Astorino had violated the terms of that settlement agreement.
However, Mr. Astorino's chief spokesman is the former head of the Mayfair Knollwood Civic Association which for years was involved in the effort to stop the housing from being built -- and sought to incorporate as its own village until the NAACP intervened and then town supervisor Tony Veteran refused to certify the incorporation petition on grounds the village was being formed for the purpose of excluding African Americans. Mr. Feiner has for decades aligned himself with the Mayfair Knollwood Civic Association.
There has thus far been no formal announcement of support for the Town's Ferncliff proposal from the County Executive's office.
But if the town attorney's comments are true, Mr. Astorino's support means the property will likely remain vacant for the foreseeable future and the Town will not therefore see any rental income from the former WestHELP property any time soon.
The 108 efficiency apartments at WestHELP were once the Town's largest revenue producing asset except for property taxes. WestHELP was paying the Town $1.2 million a year under a ten-year lease that expired in September 2011.
Mr. Feiner was twice offered an extension of the lease in March and September 2008 for another 10-year period, but did not respond to the county's offer because he wanted a substantial portion of the money to go to the Valhalla School District, which would have been illegal. The state comptroller had ruled in 2007 that Mr. Feiner's agreement to give the Vahalla School District up to $6.5 million of the rental revenue from WestHELP was unlawful.
The property will now remain vacant for the foreseeable future, producing no money for the Town. Under the Town's lease with the county, and pursuant to a county law adopted back in 1990, the Town may only use the property for low and moderate income housing. As long as the Ferncliff proposal is still alive, the Town has made clear that it will keep the apartments vacant.
At the same time, the Town continues to insist that using the 108 efficiency apartments for low and moderate income housing will generate far less income to the Town than it would receive if Ferncliff were to get a long-term lease for the property.
However, a spokesman for HUD, each unit would have a market rent of about $1000 a month, which means that every month the Town keeps the units vacant, the Town is losing at least $100,000 a month. Mr. Feiner disputes this assessment, claiming the most the Town could get is around $200,000 a year. However, the Town has never held an RFP for the property making clear that it would have to be used for low and moderate income housing. Therefore, the Town has no documentation to substantiate Mr. Feiner's assertion.
In the meantime, there is no assurance that Ferncliff would generate much, if any, rent to the Town, since it would be depending on state aid to finance the demolition of the 108 apartments and build a new facility at the site. In addition, under the terms of the proposed lease, rent would likely not be paid until construction is completed and the amount that Ferncliff could afford to pay is determined.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
edgemont greenburgh news on facebook
If you're interested in reading news about positive things that are happening in Edgemont --check out Edgemont Greenburgh news on facebook
Monday, May 21, 2012
new legislation submitted re: tennis bubble at AF Veteran park
Assemblyman Tom Abinanti sent me the revised proposed law that would enable the town to lease our tennis courts at AF Veteran Town Park to a private company that would construct a temporary tennis bubble over the courts . The bubble will generate significant revenue for the town and will provide tennis lovers with the opportunity to enjoy tennis during off season months –when the courts are currently vacant. The following proposed law, which needs to be approved by the Senate and Assembly and signed into law by the Governor, incorporates some changes that were suggested by residents of the town in recent weeks. The Town Board will discuss at our work session tomorrow. The State Legislature is expected to adjourn for the year in late June so we are giving this priority attention.
PAUL FEINER
(Authorizes the town of Greenburgh,
county of Westchester to lease
certain park lands for tennis uses)
--------
Twn Greenburgh parkland lease
AN ACT
to authorize the town of Greenburgh,
county of Westchester to lease
certain park lands for tennis uses
The_People_of__the__State__of__New
York,___represented__in__Senate__and
Assembly,_do_enact_as_follows:
05/21/12 2 15742-09-2
1 Section 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of chapter 891 of the laws
2 of 1982 to the contrary, the town of Greenburgh acting by and through
3 its town board is hereby authorized and empowered to lease at fair
4 market value and upon such other terms and conditions as determined by
5 such board consistent with sections four and five of this act the lands
6 and improvements described in section three of this act for up to 30
7 years for the operation of seasonal tennis facilities.
8 § 2. The authorization provided in section one of this act shall be
9 effective only upon the condition that notwithstanding any other
10 provision of law to the contrary, the town of Greenburgh dedicate all
11 proceeds of such lease for the capital improvement of existing town park
12 and recreational facilities and/or for the acquisition of additional
13 town park and recreational facilities for the residents of the town of
14 Greenburgh that reside outside of any incorporated village in such town.
15 § 3. The lands and improvements referred to in section one of this act
16 which may be leased consist of tennis facilities and other appurtenances
17 related to the use of such tennis facilities located in the Anthony F.
18 Veteran Park in the town of Greenburgh, county of Westchester, state of
19 New York, the park being more particularly described as follows:
20 ALL that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and
21 improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of
22 Greenburgh, County of Westchester and State of New York, and being more
23 particularly bounded and described as follows:
24 BEGINNING at a point on the northerly line of the Sprain Brook Park-
25 way, where the same is intersected by the northeasterly boundary line of
26 land now or formerly of Robert Stephen Anthony as acquired by a deed
27 from John Canning, Jr., dated September 9th, 1952, recorded in Office of
28 the County Clerk of Westchester County, Division of Land Records, on
05/21/12 3 15742-09-2
1 September 10th, 1952, in Liber 5134 of conveyances, page 115, said point
2 of BEGINNING being distant North 43° 57' 40" East 272.43 feet from a
3 monument at the intersection of the southeasterly corner of said lands
4 so conveyed by the aforementioned deed with the northeasterly side of
5 Heatherdell Road; thence running along the last mentioned northeasterly
6 boundary line of Anthony, North 46° 02' 20" West 344.66 feet to a point;
7 thence running North 49° 20' 10" East 551.65 feet and North 17° 14' 40"
8 East 1005.00 feet to a corner in said land; thence running South 80° 25'
9 50" East 899.49 feet to the northerly line of Sprain Brook Parkway;
10 thence running along said lands the following courses and distances:
11 South 16° 58' 39" East 49.00 feet, South 43° 57' 57" West 734.75 feet,
12 South 61° 17' 40" West 135.00 feet and South 43° 57' 40" West 1067.57
13 feet to the point or place of BEGINNING, containing 20.46 acres more or
14 less.
15 TOGETHER with and subject to an easement in common with others over
16 the existing driveway running from Heatherdell Road through premises and
17 premises adjoining as set forth in Liber 3929 of conveyances, page 165,
18 and utility easements as recorded in the Book of Conveyances in Liber
19 5389, Page 204, and in Liber 5950, page 320.
20 ALSO known on the Official Tax Map of the Town of Greenburgh as Volume
21 8, Sheet 4, Parcel 4B, and of the Village of Ardsley as Sheet 1, Parcel
22 37B.
23 § 4. Should the leased park lands described in sections one and three
24 of this act cease to be used for the purposes described therein, the
25 lease shall terminate and those lands shall revert to the town of Green-
26 burgh consistent with its prior public park and recreational purposes.
27 § 5. Such leased park land and improvements described in sections one
28 and three of this act shall be made available to the general public on
05/21/12 4 15742-09-2
1 an equitable basis. Where availability of such public facilities is
2 limited, the use of such facilities must be determined by a written
3 policy, developed, posted and administered by the lessee in conjunction
4 with the town of Greenburgh.
5 § 6. The provisions of this act shall not affect any rights or deed
6 restrictions pursuant to the terms, conditions, and provisions of the
7 deed conveying interest in the park land described in this act to the
8 town of Greenburgh.
9 § 7. This act shall take effect immediately.
PAUL FEINER
(Authorizes the town of Greenburgh,
county of Westchester to lease
certain park lands for tennis uses)
--------
Twn Greenburgh parkland lease
AN ACT
to authorize the town of Greenburgh,
county of Westchester to lease
certain park lands for tennis uses
The_People_of__the__State__of__New
York,___represented__in__Senate__and
Assembly,_do_enact_as_follows:
05/21/12 2 15742-09-2
1 Section 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of chapter 891 of the laws
2 of 1982 to the contrary, the town of Greenburgh acting by and through
3 its town board is hereby authorized and empowered to lease at fair
4 market value and upon such other terms and conditions as determined by
5 such board consistent with sections four and five of this act the lands
6 and improvements described in section three of this act for up to 30
7 years for the operation of seasonal tennis facilities.
8 § 2. The authorization provided in section one of this act shall be
9 effective only upon the condition that notwithstanding any other
10 provision of law to the contrary, the town of Greenburgh dedicate all
11 proceeds of such lease for the capital improvement of existing town park
12 and recreational facilities and/or for the acquisition of additional
13 town park and recreational facilities for the residents of the town of
14 Greenburgh that reside outside of any incorporated village in such town.
15 § 3. The lands and improvements referred to in section one of this act
16 which may be leased consist of tennis facilities and other appurtenances
17 related to the use of such tennis facilities located in the Anthony F.
18 Veteran Park in the town of Greenburgh, county of Westchester, state of
19 New York, the park being more particularly described as follows:
20 ALL that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and
21 improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of
22 Greenburgh, County of Westchester and State of New York, and being more
23 particularly bounded and described as follows:
24 BEGINNING at a point on the northerly line of the Sprain Brook Park-
25 way, where the same is intersected by the northeasterly boundary line of
26 land now or formerly of Robert Stephen Anthony as acquired by a deed
27 from John Canning, Jr., dated September 9th, 1952, recorded in Office of
28 the County Clerk of Westchester County, Division of Land Records, on
05/21/12 3 15742-09-2
1 September 10th, 1952, in Liber 5134 of conveyances, page 115, said point
2 of BEGINNING being distant North 43° 57' 40" East 272.43 feet from a
3 monument at the intersection of the southeasterly corner of said lands
4 so conveyed by the aforementioned deed with the northeasterly side of
5 Heatherdell Road; thence running along the last mentioned northeasterly
6 boundary line of Anthony, North 46° 02' 20" West 344.66 feet to a point;
7 thence running North 49° 20' 10" East 551.65 feet and North 17° 14' 40"
8 East 1005.00 feet to a corner in said land; thence running South 80° 25'
9 50" East 899.49 feet to the northerly line of Sprain Brook Parkway;
10 thence running along said lands the following courses and distances:
11 South 16° 58' 39" East 49.00 feet, South 43° 57' 57" West 734.75 feet,
12 South 61° 17' 40" West 135.00 feet and South 43° 57' 40" West 1067.57
13 feet to the point or place of BEGINNING, containing 20.46 acres more or
14 less.
15 TOGETHER with and subject to an easement in common with others over
16 the existing driveway running from Heatherdell Road through premises and
17 premises adjoining as set forth in Liber 3929 of conveyances, page 165,
18 and utility easements as recorded in the Book of Conveyances in Liber
19 5389, Page 204, and in Liber 5950, page 320.
20 ALSO known on the Official Tax Map of the Town of Greenburgh as Volume
21 8, Sheet 4, Parcel 4B, and of the Village of Ardsley as Sheet 1, Parcel
22 37B.
23 § 4. Should the leased park lands described in sections one and three
24 of this act cease to be used for the purposes described therein, the
25 lease shall terminate and those lands shall revert to the town of Green-
26 burgh consistent with its prior public park and recreational purposes.
27 § 5. Such leased park land and improvements described in sections one
28 and three of this act shall be made available to the general public on
05/21/12 4 15742-09-2
1 an equitable basis. Where availability of such public facilities is
2 limited, the use of such facilities must be determined by a written
3 policy, developed, posted and administered by the lessee in conjunction
4 with the town of Greenburgh.
5 § 6. The provisions of this act shall not affect any rights or deed
6 restrictions pursuant to the terms, conditions, and provisions of the
7 deed conveying interest in the park land described in this act to the
8 town of Greenburgh.
9 § 7. This act shall take effect immediately.
Friday, May 18, 2012
use accelerated bridge construction techniques
When Westchester County builds the new Crane Road bridge on the Bronx River Parkway (work on that bridge is starting within weeks) and the Ashford Ave bridge (work expected to start in 2015) they should consider using accelerated bridge construction techniques - a collection of technologies and methods that received attention by the NY Times in April of this year under the headline "Did Someone Order an Instant Bridge?".
This accelerated bridge construction can cut months and possibly years off the bridge construction process. Massachusetts is currently taking advantage of this process.
Last year the state of Massachusetts replaced 14 bridges on interstate 93 over 10 weekends. In contrast, the Popham Road bridge that links Edgemont to Scarsdale has been under construction for over two years and is still not finished! Its a year behind schedule.
Westchester County recently announced that reconstruction of the Crane Road Bridge on the Bronx River Parkway will take 34 months to be completed. In about a year both the northbound and southbound exits off the Bronx River Parkway onto Crane Road will be closed and remain closed for two years.
Westchester County recently announced that work on the Ashford Ave bridge could start in 2015 and be completed in the winter of 2017. This is the best case scenerio--assuming that all goes well - no cost overruns and no delays. Almost every bridge project has delays and overruns.
It's my hope that county officials will explore the new bridge construction technology and determine if new bridges can be built quicker. There is no need to inconvenience motorists.
PAUL FEINER
Greenburgh Town Supervisor
This accelerated bridge construction can cut months and possibly years off the bridge construction process. Massachusetts is currently taking advantage of this process.
Last year the state of Massachusetts replaced 14 bridges on interstate 93 over 10 weekends. In contrast, the Popham Road bridge that links Edgemont to Scarsdale has been under construction for over two years and is still not finished! Its a year behind schedule.
Westchester County recently announced that reconstruction of the Crane Road Bridge on the Bronx River Parkway will take 34 months to be completed. In about a year both the northbound and southbound exits off the Bronx River Parkway onto Crane Road will be closed and remain closed for two years.
Westchester County recently announced that work on the Ashford Ave bridge could start in 2015 and be completed in the winter of 2017. This is the best case scenerio--assuming that all goes well - no cost overruns and no delays. Almost every bridge project has delays and overruns.
It's my hope that county officials will explore the new bridge construction technology and determine if new bridges can be built quicker. There is no need to inconvenience motorists.
PAUL FEINER
Greenburgh Town Supervisor
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
good news facebook/blog page about different neighborhoods
NEW INITIATIVE: GOOD NEWS FACEBOOK/BLOG PAGES FEATURING DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS IN TOWN--positive energy to promote communities will boost property values...
Community Outreach Meeting--Edgemont High School Thursday night, May 17 at 8 PM with the Edgemont Community Council
Town officials will discuss community concerns with residents of Edgemont.
NEW INITIATIVE PLANNED TO FOCUS ON THE POSITIVES OF DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS--- To help residents who are trying to sell their homes -- I am planning a new town wide initiative that I think will help make the difference when potential home owners compare homes in Greenburgh neighborhoods with homes in other communities.
Neighborhood facebook pages and blogs that will highlight the positives of each of the different neighborhoods in the town. Student interns, who have started to work in my office this week, will be setting up the pages in the coming weeks.
The first neighborhood facebook page/blog will focus on the Edgemont community. At tomorrow evening's community meeting in Edgemont we will solicit volunteers who can help write the positive stories. Stories could include:
*Edgemont school district rated by US News as one of the top school districts in the nation!
*Features on outstanding students and residents --who have been honored...
*Neighborhood part of a town that has received the highest bond rating possible (Aaa) by
Moody's & Standard & Poor's...
*Profiles of outstanding local teachers...
*A list of parks, playgrounds...
* Updates-infrastructure improvements and town services...
*Crime prevention initiatives...
*Profiles of families conserving energy...
*Features on shopping located in the immediate neighborhood...
*videos will also be posted on the sites...
*Updates from local realtors about successful home stories....
If you would like to work with the student interns on this ambitious ongoing project - and if you have experience with web design, writing, video taping we'd love it if you would participate in this initiative. When possible home buyers google a neighborhood they should learn about the good things each neighborhood in the town has to offer.
E mail me at pfeiner@greenburghny.com if you'd like to get involved. Let me know what neighborhood within the town you'd like to help promote.
PAUL FEINER
Community Outreach Meeting--Edgemont High School Thursday night, May 17 at 8 PM with the Edgemont Community Council
Town officials will discuss community concerns with residents of Edgemont.
NEW INITIATIVE PLANNED TO FOCUS ON THE POSITIVES OF DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS--- To help residents who are trying to sell their homes -- I am planning a new town wide initiative that I think will help make the difference when potential home owners compare homes in Greenburgh neighborhoods with homes in other communities.
Neighborhood facebook pages and blogs that will highlight the positives of each of the different neighborhoods in the town. Student interns, who have started to work in my office this week, will be setting up the pages in the coming weeks.
The first neighborhood facebook page/blog will focus on the Edgemont community. At tomorrow evening's community meeting in Edgemont we will solicit volunteers who can help write the positive stories. Stories could include:
*Edgemont school district rated by US News as one of the top school districts in the nation!
*Features on outstanding students and residents --who have been honored...
*Neighborhood part of a town that has received the highest bond rating possible (Aaa) by
Moody's & Standard & Poor's...
*Profiles of outstanding local teachers...
*A list of parks, playgrounds...
* Updates-infrastructure improvements and town services...
*Crime prevention initiatives...
*Profiles of families conserving energy...
*Features on shopping located in the immediate neighborhood...
*videos will also be posted on the sites...
*Updates from local realtors about successful home stories....
If you would like to work with the student interns on this ambitious ongoing project - and if you have experience with web design, writing, video taping we'd love it if you would participate in this initiative. When possible home buyers google a neighborhood they should learn about the good things each neighborhood in the town has to offer.
E mail me at pfeiner@greenburghny.com if you'd like to get involved. Let me know what neighborhood within the town you'd like to help promote.
PAUL FEINER
good news- another unemployed has a job!
________________________________________
From: Lisa [Sent: Monday, May 14, 2012 7:16 PM
To: Paul FeinerHi Paul-
Please take me off this email list, I found a perm job!! thanks so much for helping us!!!
Monday, May 14, 2012
ECC FACEBOOK PAGE SHOULD POST SOME POSITiVES ABOUT EDGEMONT ON THEIR PAGE
Robert Bernstein, former President of the Edgemont Community Council, likes to write negative articles about the town of Greenburgh on the Edgemont Community Council facebook page.
Does he think that all his negativity helps property values in Edgemont? Does he believe that ALWAYS being negative will motivate people to purchase homes in Edgemont? People who are looking to buy homes in a community do research. If they read a neighborhood facebook page and only see negative comments about the neighborhood - they will buy their homes elsewhere.
The time has come for either the ECC or other residents of Edgemont to highlight the many positive things that happen in Edgemont and Greenburgh. The ECC facebook page never mentioned the fact that Greenburgh is one of 15 localities out of more than 1,000 that have received the highest bond ratings possible (AAA). Today's Journal News ran a front page story indicating that a number of local governments have seen their bond rating decline--not Greenburgh. Ours is still the highest.
There are wonderful services offered to residents of Edgemont -- a terrific nature center --excellent schools --terrific restaurants, supermarkets and local businesses. And, the town pool, with its interactive kiddy pool, is enjoyed by many Edgemont neighbors. When residents have problems or concerns the town government makes housecalls-we try hard to be responsive to residents concerns. Most residents appreciate that our services are fantastic.
Robert Bernstein's constant negativity is probably helping the real estate market in Scarsdale. People who were thinking about Edgemont and read the ECC facebook page have second thoughts. Realtors have mentioned this to me over time. I encourage Bob and the ECC to have a more balanced page --report the good and the bad. You are hurting the community you claim you want to help.
proposed state legislation re: AF VETERAN PARK
REMINDER—SCHOOL BUDGET AND BOARD MEMBER ELECTIONS TOMORROW IN ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS! Please vote!
NY State Assemblyman Tom Abinanti has been working with Senator Andrea Stewart Cousins on the proposal to authorize the town to lease our tennis courts at AF Veteran Park for a tennis bubble. The Town Board will hold a special meeting tomorrow (Tuesday) around 10:30 AM to vote to support the introduction of the proposed state legislation. If the Board approves the resolution, the legislation will be introduced in the Senate and Assembly. It is our hope that the legislation will be approved by both houses of the State Legislature before the Legislature adjourns for the summer break in June. Copies of the proposed law were sent to civic association presidents last week and to the Mayors of the Villages.
PAUL FEINER
Legislative Bill Drafting Commission
15742-03-2
S. --------
Senate
--------
IN SENATE--Introduced by Sen
--read twice and ordered printed,
and when printed to be committed
to the Committee on
-------- A.
Assembly
--------
IN ASSEMBLY--Introduced by M. of A.
with M. of A. as co-sponsors
--read once and referred to the
Committee on
*REALP*
(Authorizes the town of Greenburgh,
county of Westchester to lease
certain lands to a business corpo-
ration for park and recreational
uses)
--------
Twn Greenburgh parkland lease
AN ACT
to authorize the town of Greenburgh,
county of Westchester to lease
certain lands for park and recre-
ational uses
The__People__of__the__State_of_New
York,__represented__in__Senate___and
Assembly,_do_enact_as_follows:
05/09/12 2 15742-03-2
1 Section 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of chapter 891 of the laws
2 of 1982 to the contrary, the town of Greenburgh acting by and through
3 its town board is hereby authorized and empowered to lease at fair
4 market value and upon such other terms and conditions as determined by
5 such board consistent with sections four and five of this act the lands
6 and improvements described in section three of this act, and necessary
7 appurtenances thereto, for up to 30 years for the operation of a tennis
8 facility and other recreational activities.
9 § 2. The authorization provided in section one of this act shall be
10 effective only upon the condition that the town of Greenburgh dedicate
11 all proceeds of such lease for the operation, maintenance and/or
12 improvement of existing park and recreational facilities and/or for the
13 acquisition of additional park and recreational facilities.
14 § 3. The lands and improvements referred to in section one of this act
15 which may be leased consist of tennis facilities and other necessary
16 appurtenances located in the Anthony F. Veteran Park in the town of
17 Greenburgh, county of Westchester, state of New York, the park being
18 more particularly described as follows:
19 ALL that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and
20 improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of
21 Greenburgh, County of Westchester and State of New York, and being more
22 particularly bounded and described as follows:
23 BEGINNING at a point on the northerly line of the Sprain Brook Park-
24 way, where the same is intersected by the northeasterly boundary line of
25 land now or formerly of Robert Stephen Anthony as acquired by a deed
26 from John Canning, Jr., dated September 9th, 1952, recorded in Office of
27 the County Clerk of Westchester County, Division of Land Records, on
28 September 10th, 1952, in Liber 5134 of conveyances, page 115, said point
05/09/12 3 15742-03-2
1 of BEGINNING being distant North 43° 57' 40" East 272.43 feet from a
2 monument at the intersection of the southeasterly corner of said lands
3 so conveyed by the aforementioned deed with the northeasterly side of
4 Heatherdell Road; thence running along the last mentioned northeasterly
5 boundary line of Anthony, North 46° 02' 20" West 344.66 feet to a point;
6 thence running North 49° 20' 10" East 551.65 feet and North 17° 14' 40"
7 East 1005.00 feet to a corner in said land; thence running South 80° 25'
8 50" East 899.49 feet to the northerly line of Sprain Brook Parkway;
9 thence running along said lands the following courses and distances:
10 South 16° 58' 39" East 49.00 feet, South 43° 57' 57" West 734.75 feet,
11 South 61° 17' 40" West 135.00 feet and South 43° 57' 40" West 1067.57
12 feet to the point or place of BEGINNING, containing 20.46 acres more or
13 less.
14 TOGETHER with and subject to an easement in common with others over
15 the existing driveway running from Heatherdell Road through premises and
16 premises adjoining as set forth in Liber 3929 of conveyances, page 165,
17 and utility easements as recorded in the Book of Conveyances in Liber
18 5389, Page 204, and in Liber 5950, page 320.
19 ALSO known on the Official Tax Map of the Town of Greenburgh as Volume
20 8, Sheet 4, Parcel 4B, and of the Village of Ardsley as Sheet 1, Parcel
21 37B.
22 § 4. Should the leased park lands described in sections one and three
23 of this act cease to be used for the purposes described therein, the
24 lease shall terminate and those lands shall revert to the town of Green-
25 burgh for public park and recreational purposes.
26 § 5. Such leased park land and improvements described in sections one
27 and three of this act shall be made available to the general public on
28 an equitable basis. Where availability of such public facilities is
05/09/12 4 15742-03-2
1 limited, the use of such facilities must be determined by a written
2 policy, developed, posted and administered by the lessee in conjunction
3 with the town of Greenburgh.
4 § 6. The provisions of this act shall not affect any rights or deed
5 restrictions pursuant to the terms, conditions, and provisions of the
6 deed conveying interest in the park land described in this act to the
7 town of Greenburgh.
8 § 7. This act shall take effect immediately.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
zuckerberg article in NY Magazine highlights Dobbs Ferry
http://nymag.com/news/features/mark-zuckerberg-2012-5/
My interview with Dr. Ed Zuckerberg, father of Mark on WVOX radio last year was briefly mentioned in the cover story NY Magazine ran on the Zuckerberg family. Dr. Zuckerberg resides in Dobbs Ferry and is a highly regarded dentist in the community.
Wednesday, May 09, 2012
hydrant flushing..con ed tree removal
The Greenburgh Water Department will continue its maintenance program to operate and flush fire hydrants for the week beginning Monday, May 14, 2012 thru Friday, May 25, 2012. This action is necessary to make sure the fire hydrants are in good working order in case of emergencies and to help flush sediment out of the distribution system.
The hydrant flushing and operating action will take place during the day from 9:30 A.M. to 2:30 P.M. Greenburgh Water District Customers in the neighborhoods listed and the immediate vicinity should expect temporary periods of discolored water and lowered pressure resulting from this maintenance operation. This discoloration consists primarily of harmless silt and air and does not affect the safety of the water. For further information, customers may contact the Greenburgh Water Department at 914-993-1592 or visit the Town website www.greenburghny.com.
GREENVILE AREA - Entire Section.
LONGVIEW SECTION, including roads near Longview Drive , Highland Road, Evandale Road, Fort Hill Road, Underhill Road, Juniper Road, Moorland Drive, Clayton Road, Hearthstone Circle, Scarsdale Farm Road, Clarendon Road, Mt. Joy Avenue, West Minister Road, Paradise Drive, Argyle Avenue, Dorchester Drive, Central Park Avenue and Ardsley Road.
TANGLEWOOD SECTION, including roads near Sprain Valley Road, Fort Hill Road, Ardsley Road, High Point Road, Tanglewood Road, Andrea Lane Cherrywood Road, Forest Lane, Penny Lane, Jackson Avenue, Sunrise Lane, Fountain Lane & Central Park Avenue.
EDGEMONT SECTION, , including roads near Old Army Road, Mount Joy Avenue, Ardsley road, Central Park Avenue White Oak lane, Aqueduct Drive, Edgemont Road, Bretton Road, Seely Place, Henry street, Robbin Hill Road, Lynwood Road, Sherwood Place & Walbrooke Road.
COTSWOLD SECTION, including roads near Central Park Avenue, Ardsley Road, Cotswold Way Road, Overton road, Old Army Roaed, Medford Lane, Barford Lane, Wood ford road, Rutland Road, Campden Road, Chedworth Road, Kempster Road & Lynwood Road.
PARTS OF CLUBWAY SECTION, including roads near Old Colony Road, Tamarack Trail, Brook Lane East & West, Highridge Road, Midvale Road & Club Way.
PARTS OF MARION/HEALY SECTION, including roads near Healy Avenue, Marion Avenue, Thomas Street, Elizabeth Street, Meadow View Drive & Central Park Avenue.
PARTS OF TOPLAND SECTION, including roads near Sunningdale Golf Club, Underhill Road, Sprain Road, Deer Hill Lane, Aqueduct Lane & Clover Close.
Please be advised that flushing may cause water pressure variations and discoloration of water. This does not represent a health hazard. However, customers are cautioned to determine if the water is clear before washing clothes (or any other processing) as staining may occur. If you experience discoloration in your water after crews have been flushing in your neighborhood, clear the pipes in your home by running cold water faucets for a few minutes. The water is absolutely safe. However, to avoid any inconvenience, we suggest you monitor the water before doing any laundry and keep water in the refrigerator for drinking and cooking.
Con Edison is planning tree work along a transmission line corridor which passes through the Town of Greenburgh and the Village of Elmsford. The Right of Way (ROW) is generally owned by New York City, and is managed by the City’s Department of Environmental Protection. The Company operates on this property under an agreement with the City. Please treat this communication as "sensitive" and limit its distribution, as it describes critical infrastructure
Con Edison maintains a network of bulk-power transmission lines on the ROW which are critical to the region's electric supply. Con Edison typically operates these lines at 345,000 volts. At such extreme voltage, safe clearance between vegetation and conductors is critical to maintain system reliability and public safety, due in part to the electricity's ability to "jump" to things like tall trees growing or falling nearby. As you may recall, the massive Northeast blackout of 2003 was initiated by such an incident under a 345kV transmission line in Ohio.
Since this event, there have been significant changes in the regulation of transmission line vegetation management practices. Con Edison's program follows industry-recognized "Best Management Practices" in bringing its lines into compliance.
The project site within the Town is approximately 6 miles long, and is approximately 1 mile long in the Village. The section of line begins in the Town at Grasslands Road, and ends south of Jackson Ave. There are approximately 52 towers in this section of line in Greenburgh, and 9 in Elmsford. The ROW width varies, but is typically 150’. Any vegetation on our ROW which at maturity would have the potential to grow or fall close enough to the lines to cause a line outage is considered incompatible. We aim to do the following when performing our routine vegetation management:
• Clearing of brush around tower bases to 20' from footings.
• Removal of incompatible vegetation from the wire zone. The "wire zone" is the area directly under the wires. Since line height varies from span to span, the maximum allowable height of species in the wire zone will also vary.
• Removal of incompatible vegetation from the border zone. The border zone is the area between the wire zone and the property line. When trees are to be removed from the border zone, debris may be "fly-chipped" on site, removed completely, or cut into smaller pieces and placed strategically on the ROW.
• If trees are rooted on neighboring property, we may side-trim growth that extends over the property line. (We do not remove our neighbor’s trees without written permission to do so, and do not solicit this work unless it is deemed necessary for safety and reliability.)
• Application of herbicide. This is done on an "as-needed" basis. Some tree species have the ability to "re-sprout" and/or "sucker" from the stump or root system. A small amount of herbicide may be applied in accordance with EPA, DEC and DEP requirements. All applications are made by State licensed applicators.
• Notification. The Company’s contractor is required to notify all neighbors abutting the ROW before work begins. The notification materials are currently being hand delivered to every property that borders the ROW, as well as others in the immediate area.
The Company estimates its contractor will begin herbicide work in late June, and tree trimming-type work in early July. Work will take approximately 2 months.
Feel free to contact us with any questions.
Daniel J. Lyons
Public Affairs Manager
Tuesday, May 08, 2012
save money by conserving energy..greenburgh library...home buyers
Save money on cooling and heating costs and learn how to increase the comfort and safety of your home! Come to Greenburgh Town Hall on May 22nd at 7 p.m. to take steps to improve the energy efficiency of your home. Get help filling out a request for a free or low-cost energy survey, learn about Con Ed's programs that save you money, and hear how homeowners have taken steps to save energy and money. What's more, the first 50 people who register and attend will receive a free CFL lightbulb that will save up to $70 in electricity expense over its lifetime. Register for the event at http://renewgreenburgh.org/registrationmay22freehomeenergyworkshop.html
BOOKS & COOKS : MYSTERY EDITION
To benefit the Greenburgh Public Library Foundation
Monday, May 21, 2012
6:00-9:00 p.m.
at the Greenburgh Public Library
Best-Selling Author: Andrew Gross, Honorary Author Chair
David DiBari, The Cookery, Honorary Restaurant Chair
FOOD AND BEVERAGE PARTNERS:
42 at the Ritz-Cartlon • Bistro Z at the Doubletree • Caffe Azzuri • Captain Lawrence Brewing Company •The Cookery • Coffee Lab Roasters • The Great American BBQ •Good-Life Gourmet •Mughal Palace • Prospero Winery •Ruth's Chris Steak House •SB&G Grill
Individual Ticket -$135.00
More options available!
Please go to greenburghlibraryfoundation.org or
call 914-747-0519 for information.
This is a great opportunity to help the Library--especially during difficult economic times. The Library Foundation will be using the funds to offset cuts in the library material budget.
if you really want us to raise money for the Library we need you to publicize it and give it your push. So far, I have seen only one mention. This is a tough time and we need to make major dollars on this.
“Housing Action Council will be hosting a free workshop for First-Time Home Buyers with information & education on the home buying process with advice from a non-profit housing counselor, bank representative, and credit experts.
Topics include financial & credit overview, budgeting, savings, grant assistance, pre-approvals, steps in the home buying process and how to choose your team of professionals. RSVP to Housing Action Council 914-332-4144.” Event: May 23rd at White Plains Library, 6- 8 PM.
PAUL FEINER
Friday, May 04, 2012
ECC needs to be more positive--negativity hurts property values
I don't think alot of people read my blog. But, I know that when I comment on Robert Bernstein, the former head of the Edgemont Community Council, I usually get a response. Almost every day the ECC posts negative comments about the town on its facebook page. Most Edgemont residents who I speak with are upset --because these negative comments impact property values. Why would anyone want to buy a house in a community that is always featured on a neighborhood civic association page in a very bad light? There is almost nothing positive about Edgemont on their facebook page. Almost everything is negative--and it's been like that for months.
When the town received its AAA bond rating a few weeks ago from Standard & Poor's & Moody's Bob said nothing about the good news on the ECC facebook page. There are over 1,000 localities in NYS and only 15 have the highest bond rating that is given. During my tenure as Town Supervisor the bond rating has increased a few times --also something Bob likes to ignore.
Almost every day Bob reads the dailygreenburgh.com website and posts negative comments about everything we do. Nothing positive. A few years ago Bob arranged for NYC TV to interview him about burglaries in Edgemont. He exaggerated the crime problems --making people think that Edgemont was less safe than it actually is. There are burglaries in Scarsdale..there are burglaries everywhere. Do local leaders think it's in their interest to make people scared?
It's my hope that the Edgemont Community Council page will start being more balanced. They should criticize the town when we're doing things that are wrong --but they should also highlight some of the good things that the town is doing in Edgemont. Their facebook page should encourage people to want to move to Edgemont --it shouldn't encourage people to want to move out.
My guess is that Bob will respond. I hope he shows this e mail to other civic leaders in Edgemont and that they will reflect on the impact negativity is having on Edgemont property values.
The Edgemont community leadership should be publicizing the great things that are happening in their community. People invest their life savings in their own town and want to feel proud of their neighborhood.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)