Mayor's Desk: Emergency Preparations and the MTA Project

Emergencies

On Monday, April 17th, there was a water emergency on South Road near Theresa Lane. A fire hydrant had to be repaired, so water was shut off for the nearby houses. WJWW employees went to the closest homes to tell them they would be without water for a few hours, but apparently did not reach every house that was affected as both my office and the WJWW office got calls.

The solution to problems of this kind is at hand, but not quite ready. In the last few weeks, the Water Works has awarded a contract to an emergency notification service which allows WJWW to phone you directly when there is something you should know about. Kinks are still being worked out, so the system was not used on Monday.

To be fully effective, the WJWW needs to know not only your house (land-line) phone number, but also a cell phone number and, best of all in today’s world, an e-mail address. The service that will be used has all listed land-line numbers, and many cell phone numbers but, as we know, people change their numbers so it is not 100 percent effective.

Manager Tony Conetta and his staff have been asking new customers, and anyone who calls that office, for up-to-date information and cooperation has been excellent.

What will trigger a call or email? Examples: (1) whenever water service will beout for any length of time, (2) notice when hydrants are to be flushed so you can clear the water in your faucets before doing a wash or having a shower, (3) a reminder you haven’t paid your water bill so you don’t incur penalties. The number of calls will be strictly limited to the most essential.

I am asking for your help in this effort. Please send an e-mail to dbirdsall@wjww.com. Subject: Contact info update. Send: your name, address, WJWW account number (if you know it) home and cell phone numbers and email addresses. If you want to know the “why and when” if you are ever without water in your faucets, these calls will keep you informed – but – WJWW has to know how to get in touch with you.

The MTA project is the proposal developed by the Malfitano administration for the transformation of the railroad parking lots on Halstead Avenue into what is known as a “TOD” area.

A Transit-Oriented-Development is built around a RR station, but serves the retail and residential needs of the immediate area as well as parking for commuters and shoppers. It is a concept that is becoming very popular, as a developing trend these days is that people to want to get away from constant use of their cars, from mowing the lawn and raking leaves, to have more time for other activities.

The proposal developed during the last six years or so between the town and the MTA officials has been made public in many ways, including an open house in the Veteran’s Building in early 2008. With the recession, interest by developers disappeared, and the project was in abeyance. Now – developers are calling, both to me, and to the MTA officials. My first question is: “Do you have the money to do this?” and some of them actually do have enough funds for it. Therefore, a Request for Proposals” has been put together, approved by the MTA, and is being studied by the town board for its approval.

I don’t think anyone will disagree when I say that our downtown retail area needs help. We look at the Rye and Mamaroneck retail areas – and then at our area – and there isn’t any comparison. Part of our problem is that we are divided – there is the core around the Harrison/Halstead intersection, and then there is the area by the Claremont Shopping Center. Merchants need stores on both sides of the street, need people to walk along the street, to look in a window, and then go in the store. We don’t have that.

This proposal will start a renaissance for our retail area. More on this in the next week or so, after the board has reviewed the draft of the request for proposals. This has been a long time under study, but hopefully there will be a resolution in the near future.