COUNCIL OF GREENBURGH CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS
The Council of Greenburgh Civic Associations (CGCA) is a not-for-profit, nonpartisan umbrella organization representing the common interests of 34 civic associations throughout Greenburgh. CGCA meets monthly at Town Hall to discuss the relevant issues before the Town and the community.
The February 16, 1999 minutes of the CGCA were approved for distribution at the CGCA meeting on March 16, 1999. They are provided to this web site as a community service and as information and knowledge for the residents of Greenburgh.
Minutes of February 16, 1999 Meeting
The Council of Greenburgh Civic Associations seeks to provide information and advance the common interests of member civic groups in important Town affairs. Of the 34 member civic groups, the following have paid their 1999 dues:
Broadview Civic Association
East Irvington Civic Association
Edgemont Association*
Edgemont Community Council, Inc.
Fort Hill Association
Fulton Park Civic Association
Glenville Community Association
Hillside-Wyndover Civic Association
Juniper Hill Civic Association
Knollwood Manor Civic Association
Lower Manor Woods Civic Association
Northern Greenville Civic Association
Parkway Gardens Civic Association
Secor Homes Civic Association, Inc.
Southern Greenville Civic Association
Stone Oaks Condominium
The Colony at Hartsdale
The Cotswold Association, Inc.
*Dues also paid for 2000
To date, eighteen civic associations have paid their 1999 dues. There is $905.08 in the treasury. The minutes of December 1998 and January 1999 are in preparation.
PRESENTATION OF THE GREENBURGH AUXILARY POLICE
Chief Peter M. Accumanno of the Auxiliary Police Department and Chief Officer Brownhull discussed the problem of inadequate staffing of auxiliary police. Presently there are only 17 officers; the goal is to increase the auxiliary police to 25-26 members.
Chief Accumanno requested advice from CGCA regarding ways to encourage recruitment. He discussed the close working relationship with the Greenburgh Police Department and how the auxiliary police assist in the community. Requirements for service include 8 hours a month or 96 hours annually for individuals 18-55 years of age. Training includes a series of classroom sessions in addition to two-weeks of training mandated by Westchester County. Benefits include career ladder opportunities and on-the-job liability coverage.
CGCA members suggested several avenues for the auxiliary police to reach the community for purpose of recruitment.
CGCA CABLE TV SHOW
Mr. Gold announced that Catherine Lederer-Plaskett, Chair of the Antenna Advisory Board, would discuss the antenna law and its impact on the community at the next monthly taping of the CGCA cable TV show.
CONCERNS ABOUT DEVELOPMENT
Mr. Gold discussed the concern of Bob Martin of the Ardsley Parks Association regarding changes contemplated for Ardsley Green with respect to the installation of a 20-foot retaining wall. All present raised deep concerns about the impact of overdevelopment on the quality of life in Greenburgh.
The CGCA also discussed the February 8, 1999 letter from Paul Feiner regarding an adult entertainment zone. It was decided, to avoid later misunderstandings, that Mr. Feiner should put his suggested options in writing for the CGCA to consider and make subsequent recommendation.
CGCA members discussed Planning Commissioner Stephen Lopez's February 1, 1999 letter. The letter included several comments regarding the CGCA minutes' account of his and Town Attorney Frederick Turner's discussion with the CGCA on October 20, 1998.
Ella Preiser asked to prepare a letter with respect to Mr. Lopez’s comments on the lack of site plan waivers for Sam’s Membership Warehouse, the Westchester Skating Academy and Westy’s (storage facility), all located on 9A.
Regarding Westchester View Lane (WVL), it was noted that despite Mr. Lopez's statement in his letter that the 1987 Planning Board conditions were not "carefully crafted," both Mr. Lopez and Mr. Turner confirmed to CGCA members at the October 20th meeting, that the first condition which states that "No tree may be removed on the easterly or southerly 50’ boundary of Lot 12 or the southerly boundary of Lots 10 and 11." was "very clear." CGCA members stated the Town’s continued effort to obscure the WVL Planning Board conditions is extremely troubling.
It was suggested and approved that the Chairman would send a letter to Mr. Lopez regarding his "clarifications" of the CGCA minutes.
AMENDMENTS TO THE ANTENNA LAW
Various press articles and letters were circulated to CGCA members. It was noted that, thanks to the efforts of Eddie Mae Barnes, Town Council liaison to the Antenna Advisory Board (AAB), the Town Council would hold a public hearing on February 24, 1999 regarding the antenna law amendments.
It was also noted that the Town’s Planning Board, the Town's Conservation Advisory Council, and the Edgemont Community Council have all endorsed the AAB proposed amendments, as has the CGCA.
The proposed amendments would give the Antenna Board responsibility for determining that all application requirements are met before the application moves forward. On as-of-right applications, the amendments give the AAB the final decision on aesthetics. In addition to strengthening the law overall, the amendments will fix loopholes created by Building Inspector interpretations-- e.g., is a day-care center facility just a building or does it include the property the building is on? The building inspector has determined that the property owned by the day-care center on 9A near Grasslands Road is not part of the day-care center facility even though the property is used exclusively for day care. His interpretation allowed the 9A/Grasslands Road cellular site closer to the day-care center than intended. The amendments specifically address this, as well as other interpretations which negatively affect the community.
Other antenna related issues were discussed. Omnipoint has an application before the AAB to put a cell site on 177 East Hartsdale Avenue, a multi-family dwelling. Originally, beginning in August 1998, Omnipoint proceeded in accordance with the as-of-right provisions of the Antenna Law to locate the site at the Hartsdale Parking Authority, expecting amendments to be adopted by the Town to make their installation at Hartsdale Parking as-of-right. After the Town stalled the amendments, Omnipoint withdrew their Hartsdale Parking Authority application and filed the 177 East Hartsdale application. Due to the Town’s mishandling of the amendment approval process, the residents may lack recourse with regard to the enforcement protections contained in the antenna law.
The CGCA also discussed the problems relating to the illegal antennas now located on the non-conforming WFAS site. Nextel proposes placing additional antennas on the WFAS tower. Alternatives for Nextel to pursue, including use of a nearby Con Ed transmission tower, were described.
Additional concerns of Secor Homes Civic Association residents regarding the WFAS tower were voiced. They included ice falling off the tower and breaking a resident’s bedroom window and arcing from the guy wires onto dry grass requiring the Fire Department to be called. The arcing occurs when a storm is imminent and the grass is dry.
Finally, CGCA members were urged to attend the Town Board meeting of February 24th for the public hearing on the antenna amendments.
PROPOSED 9A MULTIPLEX
It was noted that the Multiplex application has been approved. However, the required flood area permit was not issued before the site plan approval was granted. The Town Board granted approval over the objections of CGCA representatives that the process was being subverted, once again, to benefit a developer.
Additionally, it was mentioned that the Planning Board has not given formal approval on the proposed sharing of parking spaces with the Chase savings bank.
Other issues relating to the Multiplex site were also discussed. Police Chief Kapica recommended denial of a cabaret license to Aqua Bar because of the number of incidents requiring police response from the neighborhood. Aqua Bar has appealed the decision to the Town Board.
It was also noted that the Town must have issued a press release for the approval prior to the late night vote because the approval was in the local newspaper the following morning. Furthermore, the newspaper article included Supervisor Feiner's quote that the 9A corridor is an Entertainment Center. The "Entertainment Corridor" language was removed from the resolution just prior to the vote due to community opposition. CGCA members raised concerns regarding the usefulness of commenting at Town Board meetings when the votes have already been predetermined and the press releases issued.
347 CENTRAL PLAZA
Madelon O’Shea discussed several cases where applications before the Zoning Board of Appeals were mysteriously withdrawn, apparently based on new interpretations of the Zoning Ordinance by the Building Inspector. GDC-Central Avenue (when an ATM machine was deemed a third store) and 347 Central Plaza (when residential square footage suddenly met the criteria without explanation) are examples of applications which did not require ZBA approval due to favorable Building Inspector interpretations.
TOWN BOARD VIOLATION OF FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS
A motion was seconded and approved to petition the Town Board to overturn its decision and allow the CGCA to broadcast meetings of the Town Board as the CGCA deems appropriate on the CGCA's regularly scheduled cable program.
MEETING CHANGE
Danny Gold announced that the CGCA will meet on the 4th Tuesday of May 1999, due to scheduling conflicts with school elections. All were urged again to attend the Town Board meeting on February 24, 1999.