Larchmont Fire Chief to Retire April 30th

After 20 years of serving the community, Larchmont Fire Department Chief Richard Heine is planning to retire on April 30 of this year. The news was received earlier this week during Larchmont's regular Board of Trustees meeting.

Heine, who presided over the Larchmont Fire Department as chief for approximately 3 years, plans to continue his education in public safety and health. His appointment as a paid chief was quite controversial in the community (for years, the Department had had volunteer chiefs only), causing several volunteers to resign. To find out what comes next for the Department, read Larchmont Gazette's detailed piece published yesterday. 

At the meeting, Heine was thanked for his service by all Board members, including Trustee Josh Mandell (the fire commissioner and a Fire Department volunteer) and received a certificate of appreciation from Chabad Lubavitch of Larchmont & Mamaroneck's Teens for the Community. The teens, who gather every Thursday evening to perform community services, offered two certificates of appreciation that day: one for the Fire Department and one for the Police Department. 

Larchmont's Business District

Also at the meeting, Mayor Feld mentioned that she has received complaints and questions about the business district, something the Board has been talking about for several months because of all the vacancies downtown. Residents have asked the Mayor if Larchmont would impose a blight tax on landlords. They have also brought up the possibility of taking the property maintenance code one step further and finding landlords who don't maintain their vacant storefronts, something the Village can act on "up to a certain level," said Mayor Feld.

"Our role here is to keep the streets clean, safe, and to try to encourage businesses here by making our process for applying for building permits and opening stores here as friendly as possible," she said. 

Trustee Anne McAndrews announced that the Board is using a draft brochure for new residents as a template for a new businesses brochure. This will include all the information a new business owner would need to know.

"We are taking any suggestions and any complaints that are made by merchants about how difficult it is to do business in the village," she said. "We really must urge them to be really specific about this. We really can't react to a general feeling of unwelcomeness. We have to know quite specifically what the complaints and difficulties are so we can address them."

The Palmer Avenue Streetscape, which is something Trustee Mandell has said he would prioritize if and when he becomes mayor, should make a difference, at least aesthetically, said Mayor Feld. 

Other announcements

The Board has had three formal budget meetings and at the March 16 Board meeting the Village Treasurer will have the tentative budget prepared, said Mayor Feld. The budget must be filed in the clerk's office by March 20th. Public hearings  on the budget will happen in April. "Most of the hard work has been done and I think we are in good shape," she said. 

In other news, the new meters are working at the Larchmont train station, and they accept debit and credit cards, dollars and quarters.