By Mary Marvin, Mayor of Bronxville

July 17, 2024: For almost four years now, the Trustees and I have been working to balance the interests of our non-food merchants, who have been so patient throughout Covid and beyond ceding multiple parking spaces to outdoor dining.

Outdoor Dining

We believe now was a fair time to revisit the whole outdoor dining component.

To that end, we employed a dining consultant as none of us are experts on the subject and placed our Planning Board in charge of the number of seats/aesthetics and all the rules promulgated in consultation with the professional planner.

Per the new process, restaurants applied to continue outdoor dining and, in most cases, had their space reduced by approximately one half.

As a result, up to 16 parking spaces throughout the Village were reclaimed. This special change helped improve traffic sight lines and decreased the food refuse and debris that goes along with outdoor dining.

Scooters Impounded & Traffic Violations

Also, under the aegis of business district reimagining, quality of life issues have been aggressively addressed.

We have impounded over 35 scooters for not meeting licensing or registration requirements and issued 109 crossing the yellow line tickets in the month of June.

Currently police patrol is constant in the business district from 8am until midnight to witness any traffic violations such as the perennial crossing of the double yellow lines.

Improvements

We are also working on improving the Park Place/Kraft Avenue intersection as well as finalizing all the changes at the West Side Circle hopefully by Labor Day.

Beautiful Planters

I thank the Bronxville Beautification Council (BBC) and all their donors for the beautiful planters that are now interspersed throughout the Village and congratulate them on the major success of their recent garden party fundraiser.

Con Edison and Gas Lines

Due to the age of our gas lines, as part of our 125-year-old infrastructure Con Edison is doing a systematic installation of new lines in areas most pressing, which include a major section of Sagamore Road, the Crows Nest area and Avon Road including the Park Avenue loop into Tuckahoe. The repairs are extremely disruptive, but so needed.

Stormwater

We are working right now with FEMA on a major grant application using the same engineering firm that helped us get the very large grant for the school pumps to address the perennial problems on Paxton Avenue, lower Millburn Street, Stone Place and the Maltby parking lot.

Library

The newly opened Reading Garden at the library is bustling and now a very popular destination. You may notice upon visiting that the Tuckahoe marble that was formally the back staircase has been incorporated as a border around the patio and the beautiful benches were designed by the same firm who did the very unique benches on the Highline so we have a salute to our history and our neighbor’s as well as a little nod to our closeness to New York City.

Vacation Considerations

If you are traveling this summer, remember to reach out to your neighbors to check on your property, collect unwanted mail and just keep a good eye on activity and perhaps leave a key at the Police Department and ask for assistance and advice on keeping your home safe.

Property Maintenance

We are asking all residents in this window of opportunity to take advantage of summer weather to repair any broken sidewalks and trim overhanging trees and hedges as they truly impede walkability but also present dangerous falling hazards. We really need your help in enhancing safe passage.

Trees along Pondfield Road

I am sure you noticed the team of landscapers working on trees along Pondfield Road from Midland to Meadow.

Working in conjunction with our beloved school, the Village is re-creating the allée of trees that once graced that road with native noninvasive trees along with a joint School/Village irrigation system, as we now start to bring back the historic tree canopy.

The Trustees are investigating doing do the same on the Reformed Church/Bolton Garden side to complete the natural canopy.

Infrastructure

At the July Board of Trustees meeting, the Board unanimously agreed to purchase a sewer vac truck costing well over $400,000. It was a major purchase, but we are confident some of the cost will be offset by pending grants.

Our goal as a Board is to continually get ahead of our frequent and unprecedented rain events by being as prepared as possible. Given that we have 500 storm sewers in our one square mile that need to be as clean as possible for water intake, it makes sense to own our equipment rather than continue contracting out, not only at steep price points, but also being subject to the availability of the very limited number of companies in this business.

In a relatively short term, we will be recouping our money by doing this procedure in-house versus outsourcing. Our confidence in making the purchase was bolstered by the fact that we have indoor storage available in the new DPW garage which substantially increases the life of very sensitive equipment.

Since one truck obviously cannot be 500 places pre-storm, we ask for your help, not only during storm forecasts, but during normal times to help keep our storm sewers free of leaves, debris, water bottles and doggie waste bags, etc. Any help you can give by sweeping near storm sewers, or making sure not to place potential toxins in the drain contributes to the efficiency of our substructure.

Chamber of Commerce

Our Chamber of Commerce has recently added an incredibly informative communications avenue by initiating Chamber Chatter, a compendium of virtually every activity, sale, new concept and food offering that we have in the Village. It is an outstanding information exchange and I urge you to go on to the Chamber of Commerce website and sign up for it at www.bronxvillechamber.org

You will be amazed at all of the activities, sales and special events organized by our very loyal Village merchants yet more reason to think local and shop local.