Should Young Bikers Be Allowed on Busy Sidewalks?

After a resident complained that her bike, which she had locked to a post in the Village of Mamaroneck, was confiscated by police, the Board of Trustees agreed to review the village's Bike Law to make it more "friendly," according to Village Manager Rich Slingerland.

On Monday, the board held a public hearing to discuss the proposed changes, which would allow the use of bikes, skateboards and rollerblades on sidewalks, except on Mamaroneck Avenue in the Downtown Business District (between Jefferson Avenue and Boston Post Road); remove the requirement for residents to register a bike with the village; include a section on handicapped persons and the use of wheeled transportation on sidewalks; set designated areas in which to park bikes, including new racks and posts; acknowledge the New York State requirement for children under 14 years of age to wear helmets; and encourage residents to bike for recreation and transportation, among others.

The board did not vote on adopting the proposed law because of suggested changes by both officials and residents.

Trustee John Hofstetter said the board might want to consider the many children that ride their bikes to school before outlawing the use of bikes in the Downtown Business District to people of all ages.  "You are going to be at odds with an initiative to have more kids riding bikes to school," he said.

At the suggestion of a resident, Village Attorney Christie Derrico said she would look at what other communities are doing and consider allowing younger children to ride their bikes on sidewalks in the Business District. Derrico also suggested adding a clause stating that if a bike is abandoned for ten days or more, it will be confiscated. The board seemed to agree.

One resident spoke against anyone riding on sidewalks, citing safety issues, especially considering the number of sidewalk cafes on Mamaroneck Avenue; and against chaining bikes to posts. Bikers should use the racks, he said. If more are needed, the village can provide them, he added. Traffic Committee Chair Myron Tannenbaum seconded that concern, saying that separate bike areas are meant to avoid blocking pedestrian space.

Stuart Tiekert, a member of the Tree Committee and a Mamaroneck resident, commended the village for taking this task on, but recommended revising the law, saying it was at times redundant and overlapped with the state law.

The village has installed four bike racks in four different locations on Mamaroneck Avenue (one by Village Hall, two by Palmer Avenue and one by Halstead Avenue). Some of these were bought with funds from the Committee on the Environment. The village also plans to designate 12 more locations by sign where people can attach their bikes to posts.

In order to take last night's suggestions and concerns into consideration and receive more public input, this matter has been adjourned until further notice.

In other matters:

-       The public hearing on Proposed Local Law U-2010 to amend parking ticket penalties and offenses was adjourned to the July 19 meeting.

-       The board adopted a Zoning Map that reflects all prior changes so that the current document is up-to-date. No changes to the zoning districts were adopted here.

-       The discussion regarding the four-way stops near Rye Neck schools on Boston Post Road continues. Mayor Norman Rosenblum said the scope had been extended to include surrounding areas to study the impact potential changes would have. "Nothing is happening overnight," he said. The next step is conducting an expanded study. Trustee Louis Santoro added that the board is not looking to do away with the four-way stop, but to correct the situation. Regarding the time frame, officials said this would not happen immediately. In addition, the discussion can't take place during the summer, when many are away, Hofstetter added.

-       Ramp fees for kayakers have been reduced. The daily parking for cars with kayak(s) fee is now $5, and the daily use of the ramp or beach fee, per kayak, is $5. The daily use of ramp and parking for car-top boats fee remains at $20, and the daily use of ramp and parking for cars with trailers fee remains at $30.

-       The board approved the appropriation of funds to build a sound wall around the Palmer Avenue firehouse to mitigate noise caused by a generator and HVAC unit. The total cost of the project will be $55,000. 

-       Barbara Weiss was appointed to the Council of the Arts. Her term will expire in December. Weiss is a licensed acupuncturist and painter. She has performed design work for theater and film, and maintains a private practice in Mamaroneck, Irvington-on-Hudson and New York City, according to the resume she submitted to the village. She has an M.S. from the TriState College of Acupuncture, an M.F.A. from New York University and a B.A. from Bard College and Hunter College.

-       Tiekert said the Tree Committee has had two open vacancies for eight months and asked the board why it had not taken action on the two requests to serve the committee. Rosenblum said that committee members had requested the Tree Law to be reviewed, and that it was still under review. Tiekert replied that the request for a law review came from a few members, not the whole committee, since the Tree Committee has not met since Rosenblum became mayor. "The village has a Tree Committee with three members," said Tiekert. "The other two are refusing to come to meetings." Trustee Toni Ryan added that it was unfair to people who have submitted a resume to the village and haven't received a response for months. Slingerland said he would look into the matter.

-       The summer farmers' market is coming to the village every Tuesday, from July 20 to November 23 this year. The market will be located in the parking lot next to the locker rooms at Harbor Island Park, and will open at 1:30 p.m. Community Markets, based in Ossining, N.Y., will manage the event. Free parking will be available and visitors to the market will not have to pay the park's parking fee. 

-       A Beach Avenue resident spoke against the development on Pine Street, which he says has been an issue in the area for the past eight years. Pine Street floods and has flooded since 2003, he said, attributing this to the developer's disregard for the land's limitations. The taxpayers' money should no longer be paying for this, he said, adding that about $100,000 have been spent so far. Derrico said the issue has been reviewed "extensively," and she would give her opinion to the board so they could make a decision.

-       Pace BMW will be contributing funds and presenting awards to winners at the Annual Turkey Trot, which will take place on Sunday, November 21 this year.

-       The board authorized the American Legion's Post 90 to hold a 4^th of July picnic in the upper tier parking lot next to Legion Hall.

-       Regarding flood mitigation, Rosenblum said the village is looking into buying its own Menzi Mucker, a walking excavator used to clean out rivers, streams and creeks, in conjunction with other municipalities. Harrison had agreed to lend theirs to the village, and more recently asked the municipality to make its best offer.

-       Warning from the police chief: beware of returning missed calls to numbers whose area codes you don't recognize. Unknown numbers on your phone could be part of a scam that could cost you up to $100 per minute if you return the call, said Chief Edward Flynn. 

-       The bocce court is now open for the enjoyment of all.

-       Finally, taxes are due June 31^st. After that date, there will be a 5 percent interest rate added