Beware of Postal Inspector Scam

Scam Alert!!! There's a new scam making the rounds. Take Notice: The scam works like this. You get a call from a fake “Postal Inspector,” using a technique known as Caller ID Spoofing to make these calls appear to originate from the Postal Inspection Service “877” phone number. The caller will explain you have been involved in criminal activity or your assets will be forfeited if you don’t send money to a USPIS account. Don’t take the bait. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service® does not call customers from the “877” phone number and we will never request personally identifiable information or ask you to send money to resolve any issue no matter where the call originated.

If you receive this call, report it to the real Postal Inspectors at 877-876-2455. Remember this phone number works like a one way street. You call us to report a crime, and we will take your complaint, but we will never call you back from this number. Let's stop these scammers in their tracks.

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Elmwood Country Club Update

At Wednesday's Town Board meeting (4/13/22), Mr. Feiner read a statement that the Board will comply with the 2016 Town Comprehensive Plan and the Zoning Ordinance in making its decision in regard to the former Elmwood Country Club.

NO INCREASE IN DENSITY IN RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS

NO DOWNZONING IN RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS

The Town will support ALTERNATIVE (H) - 113 SINGLE FAMILY HOMES with the required land transfer.

He stated that there was an extensive amount of documentation received by the Town Board. Letters and emails on this project were sent to the Town by the following:

Involved Agencies: Conservation Advisory Council, Westchester County Planning Board, NYS Dept. of Transportation, Greenburgh Planning Board, Greenburgh Parks & Recreation Advisory Board.

Interested Parties - Council of Greenburgh Civic Associations, Elmsford School District, Fairview Fire District, Worthington-Woodlands Civic Association, Fulton Park Civic Association, Secor Homes Civic Association, Ardsley-Sprain Road Civic Association, Historic and Landmarks Preservation Board.
Residents of Greenburgh.

The Commissioner of Planning with the Town staff and the Planning Consultants will draft the Town’s Findings Statement within 2 weeks. The official resolution will be voted upon in MAY after the Town accepts the Findings.

It is apparent that the responses from Greenburgh residents were instrumental in the Town Board arriving at its decision. Thank you to all who participated in the SEQR process (Scoping Committee), sent emails and attended and spoke at the Public Hearings.

– Dorinne Livson, WWCA

Elmwood Preserve — Honor Promises to the Community

As Town Board members, I trust you will be discussing in public all of the issues before arriving at a decision regarding which Alternative should be approved for development at the site of the former Elmwood Country Club. The public deserves to know how and why the Board arrived at its decision regarding this application. Executive Session discussions would be inappropriate.

The community learned on April 5, 2022 that the applicant is now urging your Board to adopt Alternative 1 “as the best and most viable alternative.” Alternative 1 would include 159 townhouse units, sold as “fee simple,” with 15 units set aside as affordable and 14.2 acres of land dedicated to the town for recreational purposes. It would be helpful for the public to know whether it was the Town Board who urged the applicant to include an alternative with affordable units, since the applicant summarily ignored the public’s request in the Scoping Document to study the possibility of affordable units and totally dismissed any discussion in the DEIS. It would also be helpful to know why affordable housing units were not introduced in the other Alternatives.

In its March 14, 2022 letter, the Westchester County Planning Board stated it supported Alternative I, in part, because of the inclusion of affordable units. However, Alternative I was not the County’s first choice. The letter made it very clear “we would have preferred that Alternatives C, D and F could continue to be considered.” The County’s letter also questions the number of affordable units and notes that work is necessary to ensure these units are properly marketed and integrated. In fact, Greenburgh has no regulations in place to deal with marketing or integrating affordable homes in One-Family residential zoning districts or in Planned Unit Development districts. The way the applicant has placed these proposed affordable units in three buildings of five units each while all the other buildings of luxury housing contain four units shows a total lack of integration and any understanding about how not to stigmatize those who would be living in these affordable units if Alternative I were adopted.

We learned on April 6, 2022 that the Planning Board is now stating that Alternative I “provides the greatest overall benefit to the Town.” Interestingly, the Planning Board’s recommendation doesn’t ring 1000% in favor of Alternative I, and it readily endorses Alternative H (113 one family homes) as a second choice. The Planning Board’s recommendation makes very clear “its disappointment that only one of the five alternatives contains affordable housing.” The Planning Board “strongly recommends that affordable housing be included in any approved alternative.”

We noted with interest the email to CD&C Commissioner Garrett Duquesne, dated April 5, 2022, from the Westchester County Department of Planning mentioning that all of the FEIS Alternatives “would generate more than 150 gallons per capita per day” which is the limit defined in the County’s sewer law. The public needs to know how this issue will be addressed.

We are also aware of the New York State Department of Transportation letter, dated April 7, 2022, regarding the Elmwood Preserve project. The DOT letter refers to traffic issues with each of the Alternatives in the FEIS and indicates six mitigation measures which have not been addressed. The letter states: “It is critical that these mitigations be included in the SEQR process prior to final determination.”

How can the Town sign off on the SEQR process if issues with sewage and traffic have not been adequately addressed?

As a multi-decade resident of Greenburgh, I believe “planning and zoning” are the foundations of a community. That is why from the date of being appointed to the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee (CPSC) in March 2007 until the plan was adopted in September 2016, I had unmatched attendance at CPSC meetings and devoted an untold number of other hours working with CD&C Commissioner Duquesne to refine the plan. The CPSC made promises to the community. When the Town Board adopted the Comprehensive Plan, it too made promises to the community.

I urge the Town Board to uphold the promises made to the community. Do not downzone the existing zoning on the former Elmwood Country Club property and permit increased density and multifamily housing in this one-family residential neighborhood. Please uphold the existing zoning on the site and permit only one-family housing to be built with necessary land transferred for recreational purposes.

Members of the surrounding community have already publicly stated that they would support workforce one- family housing being built on the Elmwood site. Appoint a committee to amend the Zoning Ordinance to require workforce housing in one-family zoning districts. The amendments could be in place before subdivision plans are submitted for this property. Any reputable developer would accommodate building workforce homes.

The current owner, Jonathan Grebow bought the Elmwood property knowing what the existing zoning permitted. And it is not the first time he didn’t get everything he wanted. A Journal News article from 2017 noted that in 2014 Mr. Grebow bought a 108-acre former country club property in New Jersey for $10.4, planning to build 34 single family homes on the Mahwah site and 353 multifamily homes, including 71 affordable units on the Saddle River site. After long negotiations Mr. Grebow agreed to build 44 single family homes. After obtaining approvals he sold the project to Toll Brothers which paid $20 million more than he had paid for the property. Not a bad profit!!

– Ella Preiser

Elmwood Preserve FEIS Public Hearing Still Open and Need Your Support

To all Unincorporated Town of Greenburgh Residents:

We are asking for your support (below) by writing letters, sending emails and making phone calls to the Town Board, the Zoning Board and Planning Board asking that they adhere to the Comprehensive Plan and not change the zoning for this project.

Re: ELMWOOD PRESERVE FEIS PUBLIC HEARING STILL OPEN

The Elmwood Preserve property should be developed within the existing Town Zoning Ordinance in accordance with the Greenburgh Comprehensive Plan adopted in 2016. We’re looking for Unincorporated Greenburgh residents to support this request by sending emails, letter and phone calls to the above mentioned Town Council and Commissioners.

Density:
The 2 requested zone changes for the 3 Multifamily Town House alternatives will result in a density increase between 34% and 55% more than the 2 Single Family Residence alternatives. The Town’s Comprehensive Plan, the Conservation Advisory Council and the Westchester County Planning Board do not support increased density in residential areas. On 3/3/22, the Council of Greenburgh Civic Associations representatives voted unanimously to support Single Family Residences on the Elmwood property.

Traffic:
This increased density will result in a substantial increase in traffic on Dobbs Ferry Road. Dobbs Ferry Rd. (State Rd - 100B) only has a single lane each way which accommodates 3 school districts (busses, private cars/vans) and the Westchester County # 6 bus line. In addition, there are the entrances and exits to the Sprain Brook Parkway.

Carlson’s Nursery (undergoing expansion to be developed into a Farmer’s Market), the Chelsea Assisted Living Facility, the Game On golf driving range, Landers Manor (9 SFRs), Westchester View Lane (24 SFRs) and another 15 SFRs, which are in the process of currently being built on Drago Way, are all across the street from the Elmwood property. On the corner of Dobbs Ferry Rd. and Worthington Rd. is the Fairview Fire Station #2 with E. Rumbrook Park on the other side of Elmwood. Also, there is a DaySchool /Camp on Dobbs Ferry Rd., right next to the Fire Station, which operates all year long. These properties are all within 8/10ths of a mile along Dobbs Ferry Rd..

Safety:
Fire Dept:
The number of Incident calls made by the Fairview Fire Station #2 in the last 4 years are as follows:
2018 - 1,171
2019 - 1,033
2020 - 1,110
2021 - 1,159

Police Dept:
The number of events responded to by the Police Dept. in this area for Police/EMT calls in the last 3 years are as follows:
2018 - 1,190
2019 - 1,225
2020 - 1,975
2021 - 1,730

The number of accidents on Dobbs Ferry Rd. between the Sprain Pkwy. and 9A are as follows:
2018 - 42
2019 - 41
2020 - 28
2021 - 33

These Fire Dept. and Police Dept. statistics will increase because of the Elmwood development and could result in more serious outcomes to all Greenburgh residents because of traffic jams.

Setting a Precedent:
By granting these 2 zone changes, a precedent will be set which will allow down-zoning to any large parcel of land, such as the 5 remaining golf courses in Greenburgh or any large camp property such as Mohawk or Hillard.

The Single Family Residences Alternatives (119 or 113) are zoning compliant (as of right) for this property of 106+ acres according to the Town Zoning Code.
According to the CAC’s SEQR Findings - FEIS (3/4/22), “the current zoning rules existed in the Zoning Code when the applicant bought the Elmwood property. Amending the Zoning Code is a legislative act. The Town Board has the unfettered right, in its discretion, to maintain the Town’s existing zoning, and is under no obligation to approve the application.”

– Dorrine Livson, President – Worthington Woodlands Civic Assoc.

Westchester County To Host First Household Recycle Day Event Of 2022 At FDR State Park In Yorktown

HRD Event to be held on Saturday, April 23 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

 

(White Plains, NY) – Westchester County’s Department of Environmental Facilities (DEF) will be hosting a Household Recycling Day (HRD) Event on Saturday, April 23 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at FDR State Park, 2957 Crompond Rd., Route 202, Yorktown. The upcoming HRD event in Yorktown will be the first of four HRD events planned for 2022, to give residents across the County an opportunity to conveniently and safely dispose of their household waste.   

 

In 2021, DEF held four HRD events that welcomed over 2,500 County residents, and accepted over 160,000 pounds of household waste for disposal. HRD events return in 2022 looking to reach even more residents.

 

In addition to properly labelled household chemicals, tires, scrap metal, electronics, appliances and other special wastes found in a typical household, residents can bring documents for shredding and expired or unwanted medications for disposal to the HRD event on April 23.

 

Generally, the following items are accepted for safe disposal or recycling:

 

·         Properly labelled household chemicals, such as:

o   Household cleaning products

o   Most automotive fluids (antifreeze, brake fluid, gasoline, but not motor oil)

o   Flammable liquids (kerosene, butane, lighter fluid, turpentine)

o   Metal, jewelry, and furniture polishes and waxes; wood preservatives

o   Fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, herbicides

o   Photographic and swimming pool chemicals

·         Batteries – only vehicle, rechargeable, or button cell

·         Fluorescent light bulbs & CFLs

·         Fire extinguishers

·         BBQ propane tanks (up to 20 lbs.)

·         Mercury containing devices (thermometers and thermostats)

·         Electronic waste (TVs, computer monitors and towers)

·         Expired or unwanted medications, both OTC and prescription

·         Personal documents for shredding (limit of four (4) file-size boxes per household)

·         Tires

 

Items that will not be accepted and should not be brought to the Household Recycling Day include paint (both latex and oil), non-rechargeable alkaline and carbon zinc batteries (they can be safely discarded in the trash), motor oil, smoke detectors, cell phones, explosives (flares, fireworks, ammunition), construction debris and hypodermic needles. Also, waste from businesses, schools, or other institutions will not be accepted.

 

For more information on what to bring to this event, visit www.westchestergov.com/recycling or call (914) 813-5425.

 

If you are unable to attend the HRD Event, you can still dispose of your hard-to-get-rid-of household waste by making a convenient appointment for the County’s Household-Material Recycling Facility (H-MRF), 15 Woods Road, Valhalla.  The H-MRF is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. by appointment, and accepts the same items that are accepted at the HRD events. For more information about the H-MRF or to make an appointment, visit https://environment.westchestergov.com/facilities/h-mrf or call (914) 813-5425.

 

For more information on Westchester County environmental programs and events follow us on Facebook at:

www.facebook.com/WestchesterCountyDEF