August In Bronxville: Time For Vacations, Village Tasks

Written by Mayor Mary Marvin:

BRONXVILLE, NY — As we enter August, even more Villagers head off for vacation, leaving the Village the quietest of months.

Sadly, folks looking for less populated neighborhoods in which case find August the ideal month.

As crimes are truly crimes of opportunity, make your home a non-tempting target.

The following are just a few less obvious methods of deterrence:

• Put timers on televisions as well as lights.
• Have neighbors park their car in your driveway.
• Trim trees and shrubs before departing to avoid creating a convenient screen for intruders.
• If an apartment dweller, phone ringers should be lowered, as a persistently audible ringing is a sure sign of an empty dwelling.

August is also an ideal time for home repairs as Village departments are often less busy.

If you plan any major projects while away, kindly alert your neighbors so they can adjust outdoor plans accordingly.

Should you need a bulk pickup due to renovation, just schedule it on our Village website.

Also, please consider sidewalk repairs this summer as well as hedge trimming. Bushes and trees hanging over sidewalks obstruct passage forcing pedestrians to walk in the road and limiting drivers’ line of sight. Due to the heavy rains of late, we have noticed an unprecedented amount of overgrowth as well as broken sidewalks, which are the responsibility of the adjacent homeowner.

August is also synonymous with capital projects in the Village with road repaving topping the list.

Almost $300,000 will be spent on road resurfacing in the coming weeks. While the final list is under discussion based on the funding allocation, parts of Pondfield Road and Summit Avenue as well as Oakledge Road, Wood End Lane and Cedar Street have been prioritized.

The decision on which streets are to be repaved is determined by our Public Works professionals based on the age of the road surface, amount of traffic, state of disrepair and location in the Village.

Even if your street is not on the final repaving list, all potholes will be addressed.

Please alert Village Hall if you think your street should be on the paving list going forward as we catalog all requests and inspect accordingly.

Yard waste and grass clippings will be picked up on a regular basis throughout the summer. We encourage you to “grass cycle” by leaving clippings on the lawn as it truly does add nutrients in a natural way.

If you choose to dispose of clippings, kindly help our DPW by bagging the clippings as not only are the piles unsightly, but more importantly, after an even gentle storm, they end up clogging our drainage system.

Additional capital projects in various stages of completion include:

• Our new Sagamore Park play equipment has been installed and is ready for use.
• The new Maltby Recreation area is progressing on time with a projected opening of mid-September.
• The permanent design changes to the Westside Circle are being completed, thanks to input from neighboring businesses and residents, with bids expected to be finalized before the end of the summer.
• All of the crosswalks in the business district will be re-striped before Labor Day
• Replacement of our iconic and historical wrought iron street signs will be seen in various neighborhoods thanks to a partnership with the Bronxville Historical Conservancy.
• Designs are being finalized for stormwater improvements at the Scout Field outfall, Hamilton and Sussex Avenue neighborhood and the Crawford Avenue drainage basin.
• We just learned from the County that the bridge to be replaced down at the County Park near the duck pond has been fabricated and I am awaiting a date of installation. Special thanks go to County Legislator James Nolan, who was relentless in advocating for its installation.
• The Metro North Bridge on Pondfield Road will also see long-awaited rehabilitation including repairing, sanding and painting of support beams and concrete ceiling removal. Projected to commence by September, it should be completed mostly on Saturdays through the fall to minimize traffic congestion.
• As a final reminder, on Sept. 1, the Village-wide speed limit, save for Route 22 which is a state road, will decrease to 25 mph putting us in sync with our neighboring communities.
• Village Hall is open all summer from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and we are always available to assist.