Harrison REVIEW THE
March 4, 2016 | Vol. 4, Number 10 | www.harrisonreview.com
Zoning plan for quarry site leads to petition
Walls Ê ofÊ Ê Fire
By AngElA JORdAn Staff Writer
Firefighters from several communities converge on a house fire on Halstead Avenue during the early morning hours of Monday, Feb. 29. For coverage, see page 3. Photo/Andrew Dapolite
Times columnist talks moral fiber at Manhattanville lecture By JAMES PERO Staff Writer Manhattanville College’s Castle Conversations series kicked off its most recent round of esteemed lecturers by inviting New York Times columnist and bestselling author David Brooks to its iconic Reid Castle. Although Brooks may be known most prominently for his commentary on national politics—a topic which, as a longtime journalist working in Washington, District of Columbia, he’s become well-acquainted with—he chose to steer the night’s conversation away from the political arena. Instead, Brooks used his time onstage on Feb. 16 to speak to the modest-sized audience
about a more ethereal topic: how to build moral character. Expanding on much of the material covered in his latest of four books titled “The Road to Character,” Brooks wove lessons on humility and its role in life, using examples from some of history’s most noteworthy moral pillars and influential figures. Using icons like the Dalai Lama—whom Brooks has met—to President Dwight D. Eisenhower as exemplars, Brooks provided audience members with his insights into happiness, humility, and a sense of duty and purpose. And though he spoke to the audience, which consisted primarily of those in Brooks’ age bracket—he is currently
54 years old—his aphorisms weren’t necessarily directed toward those in attendance. Rather, Brooks—who has also given lectures at Yale as a professor—directed much of his advice toward college students readying themselves to come into the world as adults, and the educators who are steering them. Part of Brooks’ advice for these groups was to teach and learn how to love. “It seems to be one of the things that is the job of universities and colleges… is to teach us how to love better,” he said. Emphasis on tailoring students to become successful and intelligent, Brooks explained, has resulted in losing sight on what makes one truly happy—
he would be the first to argue that career success won’t fulfill that role. One way that universities can help foster a more complete— and happier—person is by teaching students the discipline of a craft, he said. “A surgeon lays down his tools and there’s a certain routine that he follows; a pilot follows a routine,” Brooks said. “I have a very bad memory, so when I write, I write everything down… and what I do is I lay all my notes out on the floor.” Giving the audience a window into his own routine and discipline, Brooks explained that for him, writing isn’t the process of sitting down in front lEctuRE continued on page 10
Discourse about the future of the now-defunct Lake Street Quarry came to a head at the Feb. 10 Town Council meeting. As a result of a public hearing regarding a zoning text amendment that would allow a special exception use for a “senior living facility” to be developed on “limited properties,” an online petition has spawned. If the project, proposed for 600 Lake St. in West Harrison, was to move forward, the quarry site would be transformed into a four-story, 160- to 170-unit independent and assisted living facility, known as Brightview Senior Living of Harrison. The petition for a zoning amendment in an effort to redevelop the quarry site was put forth more than a year ago. In response to 37 separate code violations, the Lake Street Quarry, which is owned by Lawrence Barrego, was issued a stop work order in 2009, which ceased any excavation and banned any heavy machinery from the premises, and a second stop work order was issued in 2014 that forbade any activity on the property. The town settled out of court with Barrego back in December 2014 and under that agreement, if Barrego ceased quarry-related activity, then his current iteration for the site, a senior living facility, would be given consideration. But neighborhood backlash to the project has evolved since then. An online petition to halt the zoning amendment alleges to have 470 signatures as of March 1. The petition can be found online at
stopzoningamendment.com. During the nearly three-hour public hearing, a stream of nearby residents approached the podium citing many concerns, including the effects that the development project could have on property values, local traffic, the surrounding environment and overall quality of life. Town Councilman Steve Malfitano, a Republican, wanted to make it clear that the issue before the council was not about the specifics of the proposed facility, rather about a nonspecific zoning amendment that would allow such a facility to be built in the first place. “Now it just so happens, that the reason this is coming up is because clearly there is a project that is being contemplated here,” Malfitano said. “But the fact of the matter is this hearing is about nothing other than the zoning text amendment.” More specifically, the Special Exception Use would allow a “senior living facility” to be built on properties with the R-1 and R-2 districts of Harrison that are 6 acres or larger, have at least 1,500 feet of frontage along an “arterial” roadway, and is designated as non-residential. Therefore, eight other properties in addition to the quarry site are mentioned in the zoning text amendment. They include parcels of land on the SUNY Purchase campus, Manhattanville College, Harrison Avenue School, Louis M. Klein Middle School, Passidomo Veteran’s Memorial Park, and Willow Ridge and Old Oaks country clubs. quARRy continued on page 11
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