By Mary C. Marvin

Sep. 7, 2016:  In preparation for the start of school and residents' return home, village staff and our contractors have been working at fever pitch on capital improvements in every corner of the village. I thank everyone at village hall for stepping up when needed the most.

The most expansive and disruptive improvement involving every sector of the village was road milling, resurfacing, and curb restoration.

In this year's capital budget we committed almost $400,000 for road repair, translating into new surfaces for throughout the village.

Next in terms of scope and disruption is the FEMA-funded flood mitigation project centered at the Pondfield Road/Midland Avenue intersection and the Bronxville School faculty parking lot. Progress is proceeding as scheduled. As example, wet wells underneath the pump station are currently under construction and the flow diversion structure to tie into the 70-inch storm water pipes will be delivered and installed this Friday, at a time not to disrupt school. 

The FEMA project is a closed water system not affecting the sanitary sewer system or groundwater flow. The ending date goal of the entire project is slated for June of 2017. We also contracted with a tree preservation service to fertilize, aerate, and generally give a nutritional boost to all of our treasured mature trees located near any of these invasive projects.

• Adjacent to the FEMA site is the village hall front entrance refurbishment project. Near completion, save for the lighting bollards/poles, which are on back order, synthetic pavers were replaced with natural bluestone and brick and a beautiful village seal was cast making it a safe and stately entrance to the 1941 building.

• The downtown lighting upgrade is almost complete, save only for lighting and illumination modification where needed. Shields and dimmers are being installed where appropriate to moderate and/or redirect light.

• In partnership with The Bronxville Historical Conservancy, replacement ornamental street signs have been crafted and installation began last week on the west side.

• The Kensington project is moving forward on schedule, with a projected parking garage opening in early 2017 and condominium occupancy expected for the fall of 2017. The contractor is installing noise absorption tiles and landscaping to mitigate train noise.

• In late August, the village contracted to paint many more crosswalks with brighter paint and faux brick crosshatching at many more intersections. In addition, many more miles of village streets were striped and marked.

• On some of the banks surrounding the train station, we lost the battle of ivy vs. weeds and poison ivy, and you will notice junipers being planted on the bank closest to One Pondfield. Our goal is a lush green groundcover year round.

• The agreement between Westchester County, Eastchester, and Bronxville for a new ball field and improvements to Scout Field was ratified and funding secured. The county expects to bid the ball field in the next six weeks, with construction to begin in the spring. This should prove a needed safety valve for all local teams desperate for playing space.

• Our business district is filling up in style with the Bronxville Diner open and buzzing and a long-needed purveyor of men's gifts and clothing named harry now on Pondfield Road under the auspices of Rothmans.

• Post our program of sewer inspection, cleaning, and camera televising, we are now in the process of repairing the cracks found. Unfortunately, most of the deterioration was found in the clay pipes that run the length of Pondfield Road.

• More towards an October date, pay station kiosks will be installed in the Garden Avenue parking lot. The kiosks will replace the rows of unsightly meters but will work in tandem with the PANGO pay program via marked spaces.

• In an effort to help out the schools and our senior citizen program, the village has moved some of our DPW equipment, resulting in the creation of eight new parking spaces on Palumbo Place.

• Our partners in making the village attractive are also improving their properties. NYP/Lawrence Hospital has completed exterior construction, and new plantings and trees and a wide new sidewalk now grace our west side.

• With some gentle and not-so-gentle prodding, Metro-North will be replacing the train platform recycling bins, concrete benches, station signage, and canopy lighting in the coming weeks. In addition, they are testing old paint for lead with a removal plan to follow if necessary.

All of this progress benefits the village in the long term, but we know that in the shorter term the disruptions affect the quality of life of residents near the construction sites. I thank everyone, especially those residents living near the Kensington Road site, for their patience and forbearance under some days of trying circumstances.

Important Notice

On September 13 at 4:00 pm in the Bronxville Library's Yeager Room, there will be a workshop on fair housing open to the public.