Municipal Leaders Discuss Priorities and Challenges with Local Summit

On September 10, 2024, the Local Summit of Larchmont/Mamaroneck opened its Fall season of speaker programs by inviting the municipal leaders from the Town of Mamaroneck, Village of Mamaroneck and Village of Larchmont to discuss the opportunities and challenges confronting their respective municipalities. The panelists were Mamaroneck Town Supervisor Jaine Elkind Eney, Larchmont Village Mayor Sarah Bauer, and Mamaroneck Village Deputy Mayor Nora Lucas.

The three speakers noted that, because their municipalities are geographically adjacent to each other, the elected leaders of each stay in regular contact and maintain a strong, working relationship. The municipalities share many similar concerns and problems. In some instances, the municipalities share joint responsibility for government and local programs, such as with oversight of the Sanitation Commission and operation of the Senior Center.

Addressing the main problems facing their respective communities, each speaker identified flood control and prevention as a top priority. Supervisor Eney stated that the top issue for the Town is flooding, noting that the problems presented by the aged storm water system must be addressed and that correcting the problem will be very expensive. She stated that the Town has conducted the first-ever comprehensive study of the Town’s storm water system and has identified a number of Town locations especially prone to flooding. The flooding problem can largely be attributed to flooding of the Sheldrake River which runs directly through the Town. Supervisor Eney said that addressing the problem will require County, State and Federal support and stressed the importance of “coordination with the other municipalities in order to avoid any negative impact on them.”

Village Deputy Mayor Lucas concurred that flooding is the biggest problem facing Mamaroneck Village. She pointed to the “antiquated and inadequate storm water infrastructure” as a major contributor to the problem. She described how the Village is close to implementing a flood remediation plan developed by the Army Corps of Engineers and is working to develop a comprehensive list of projects needed to tackle the problem. The Village’s priority, she explained, is “to find ways to slow down the water” and thereby mitigate the flooding.

Mayor Bauer agreed that flooding and the impact of climate change are two top concerns of Larchmont Village. Another major concern is maintaining the vitality of downtown businesses. She reported that the Village has received a grant from New York State to develop a comprehensive plan for its downtown. Comparatively speaking, she said, the Village of Larchmont has more businesses than the average village of its size. The Village expects to hire a consultant to begin work this Fall on its comprehensive plan and will be assisted by community volunteers.

Deputy Mayor Lucas also described Mamaroneck Village’s concern for the safety of its residents, noting its goal to become a “Vision Zero” community that utilizes “design-led” solutions to avoid road deaths and serious injury. She cited, as a tragic example, the traffic accident in June near the Mamaroneck Avenue School that took the life of a young student and his mother. Ms. Lucas reported that the Village is making safety improvements on Old Post Road and Rockland Avenue to help address the problem. She also identified the proposed development of Hunter Lot as a major issue confronting Mamaroneck Village, citing the many proposals for the site over the years.

In terms of opportunities, parks and fields for recreational use was a topic addressed by the three speakers. Mamaroneck Village has been working with “Fields for Kids” as it embarks on a Master Plan for Harbor Island Park, the largest of the Village’s parks. Harbor Island Park, like most of the other parks in Mamaroneck Village, including Florence Park and Columbus Park, is built on swamp land which means that after heavy rains the fields are often unusable. The park is used by many groups from the three communities and the Village is considering reorienting some of the fields to maximize park usage for the community.

Larchmont Village contains nine public parks and has just completed a multi-year project at Flint Park after considered input from the schools and the Village’s environmental committee. The Village has also completed major improvements at Willow Park.

Similarly, Supervisor Eney reported that the Hommocks fields need to be refurbished. She noted that there is currently a dispute between community members who support installing a turf field and other those who adamantly oppose it. The Town is undertaking a study to determine its best course of action. The public will be able to comment.

The Larchmont-Mamaroneck Local Summit is an informal community council that seeks to make a better life for the community by keeping it informed of major issues of concern. The next meeting, on October 15, will discuss the Harbor Island Marine Education Center and the Sheldrake Nature Center. For more information: https://www.localsummitlm.org/ . To view recorded programs on LMC Media: https://lmcmedia.org/series-page/larchmont-mamaroneck-local-summit/.