Scarsdale Mayor Addresses Budget, Historic Preservation

Scarsdale Mayor Miriam Levitt Flisser spoke at the Village Board Meeting on March 13. The following is the address she read to the board:

Residents who follow the activities of are aware that there are many complex issues being undertaken at this time. The Budget for fiscal year 2012-13 is very near completion, and the Board has undertaken to balance residents' commitments to issues such as storm water and sewer water infrastructure maintenance, roadway maintenance, and modernization of the maintenance of our archaic Property Tax data, which you will see tonight.

On March 27, we will finalize the South Fox Meadow Drainage project. All of these issues have had resident input in the past months, and have been balanced against a state budget initiative to keep the tax levy at a fixed rate above the current amount for villages. The VB has held public hearings on this matter and the results will be published on our website soon.    

In addition, the Board is involved in an initiative presented by petition of 200 residents, involving policy and procedure in the Village Building and Engineering Departments. The next meeting concerning this topic will be on March 19 at 6:55 p.m.  

Another issue receiving our attention is . The VB has received the Reconnaisance Level Cultural Resource Survey Report of our consultants, LI Saltzman, Architects, on February 22, 2012. The report, which is approximately 300 pages, is posted on Scarsdale.com for all residents to read; and a public presentation is expected on Monday April 16 at 6:30 p.m.

The report takes note that Scarsdale has recently felt the loss of Architectural treasures, notably at Duck Pond, and  at Richeleau Road, and we are all aware of the Villages lacking the legislative tools needed to preserve 15 Gatehouse Road. Following the Reconnaisance level report, the Village will go through Cultural Resource Surveys Phase 1 & 2, considering establishing historic districts; and producing NY State Historic Preservation Resource Inventories for Landmark properties. The Village will need to review the draft new Historic Preservation Law (Chapter 182) concerning establishing landmarks,  owner consent, and training of members serving on the Village's Committee on Historic Preservation, for methods of implementation of the law.

  This is an important process. Please come and join us.