Message from the Mayor: Consent Decree Signed, Artis Proposal, Phasing in Reval

Fellow Residents,
 
A couple of newsworthy items in these sweltering days of summer.
 
Consent Decree Approved
Last night, the Board of Trustees approved the modified Consent Decree, a document negotiated between the Village, BP Arco and the Riverkeeper.  It modifies the settlement to a lawsuit signed back in 2003 that provoked the start of the cleanup of the waterfront.  The final Decree includes substantial benefits to the Village, including:
- $1.3 million toward the remediation and reopening of Quarry Park, one of the last plots of land open for parkland. This will create a protected park corridor leading all the way from Warburton to Broadway.
- $1.35 million matching funds toward a replacement or renovation of the water tower, should this be decided by the public.
- $50,000 for the Historical Society to inventory and create displays reflecting the history of the waterfront.
- Substantial requirements for parks, height of fill on the site and provisioning water uses such as canoeing.
- Language that explicitly ensures a Village process underway that is designing the shoreline is included in BP's engineering design, and more.
 
This is a landmark moment in progress on the waterfront. We will enjoy some of these benefits immediately. This also provides answers to a number of open questions which will permit conclusion of the engineering design for the waterfront so that remediation can begin.  One of the first steps we will be taking is hiring an engineering firm to determine if the water tower is structurally sound enough to deconstruct and store for later restoration and rebuilding.  Should it be structurally sound, we will reach out to the community to determine its fate and following steps.
 
This revised decree was several years in works and there are several who deserve thanks and mention. I was accompanied in all negotiations by former trustee and trusted advisor, resident Jerry Quinlan, our environmental attorney Mark Chertok, our engineer Len Warner and with an assist from Trustee Walker.
 
Artis Proposal
The developer seeking to build a memory care facility at the location of the Riverview restaurant's parking lot at the south end of Warburton Avenue on the Yonkers border submitted a request for modification to the Village zoning code language, expanding existing language permitting a nursing home facility to include the assisted living and memory care nature of their proposal.  The Board decided last night, after spirited discussion and a 4 to 1 vote, to move ahead with the next step on this process, which is for the developer to begin the SEQRA (State Environmental Quality Review Act) process that will determine both the approval of the zoning change and the actual proposed development.  There are a range of issues that the developer will need to consider and show they have addressed - these will be determined in subsequent scoping discussions - but will undoubtedly include those raised by the many residents who weighed in on this, such as the proximity to the Aqueduct, the impact on views, amount of blasting proposed, and size. The SEQRA process is a rigorous and thorough process that will take some time to work through and provide ongoing opportunities for public input.
 
Finally, in unrelated news, legislation submitted by our State Legislator Tom Abinanti, working with Town Supervisor Paul Feiner, was signed by Governor Cuomo today. This legislation enables a local community that is carrying out a revaluation to create a mechanism to allow certain residents to phase in their increased tax payments over a three-year period.  The details around implementation are being worked out, and as soon as we have those details, we will pass them on.
 
As always, if you have questions or opinions, always feel free to write.
 
Sincerely,
 
Peter Swiderski
Mayor