Bike Law, Flooding, Sidewalk Repair Top Village of Mamaroneck Work Session

In a Monday evening work session, the Village of Mamaroneck Board of Trustees considered the following:

Facelift for sidewalks

The board announced that they have received $350,000 for upcoming renovations through the federal Community Development Block Grant.

The money will go to fixing up sidewalks and curbs in the area of Old White Plains Road to Fenimore Road.

Mayor Norman Rosenblum discussed the option that flood-prevention design be taken into account for the upgrades.

Trustee John Hofstetter agreed that this could be an option, and that he had seen similar solutions used on Berkeley, Calif. streets.

The mayor said that this discussion will not be on the agenda for next Monday as there are  still aspects of the contract related to affordable housing that they need to run by their legal department.

Changes to the village bike law

The board discussed the changes being made to a 30-plus-year-old bike law. Trustees agreed that bicyclists should be able to park or lean their bikes in the village, but they must not be blocking pedestrian pathways.

Trustee Toni Pergola Ryan said that the board must continue to discuss controversial laws during work sessions before they get to public comment.

"This was a bad law, and the fact that it was a bad law came up in a public meeting," she said. "We need to review these laws before we are in a public meeting."

The bike law will be revisited during Monday's upcoming board meeting, and the public is welcome to comment.

New bridge design to help with flooding

The board announced that they are currently reviewing request for proposals for the Jefferson Avenue bridge design. The bridge is expected to reduce area flooding by one to two feet. The town of Rye is 50 percent responsible for the construction cost of the bridge.

The village has three bids so far, and are not required by law to go with the lowest bid. Board members estimate the design to cost approximately $200,000-$300,000.

Village Manager Richard Slingerland said there would be another six to nine months of design work on the bridge.

"We are looking at this and we will be moving forward as soon as we can," Slingerland said.

Tree trimming in the village

Bids for village tree trimming services were due last Friday. The village received three bids ranging in price from $4,000-$6,000.

According to trustees, the village has not yet chosen the company to perform the tree trimming.

Harbor master to get new boat

The Harbor Master is getting a new boat. The board announced that they are planning on buying a used 2003 boat for $43,000 from a private seller from Greenwich, Conn. 

Hofstetter said the boat should have a warranty.

"At the end of the day, the most valuable thing is the engine. There should be warranties for at least five years," he said.

The boat will be paid with borrowing, according to trustees.

Florence Park tennis court upgrades

The board announced that there are plans to re-surface and re-color the Florence Park tennis court.

The total cost would be $30,000, according to Slingerland, who said they still need a funding source for the project. He said it was a possibility that it could come out of the contingency budget.