Harrison REVIEW THE
July 29, 2016 | Vol. 4, Number 31 | www.harrisonreview.com
Council passes law regulating pet sales
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By COREY STOCKTON Staff Writer
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Donald Trump accepted the Republican Party’s nomination for president at its national convention in Cleveland on July 21. The four-day gathering brought out some of the party’s biggest names and supporters. For more, see page 6. Photo/Charles McLaughlin
Harrison to decrease size of municipal parking spaces By FRANCO FINO Staff Writer The town/village of Harrison approved measures on July 21 to decrease the size of municipal parking spaces throughout the town in an effort to better accommodate drivers and increase the amount of spaces, according to the mayor. Under the newly amended provision, the town will decrease the length of all municipal parking spaces by 1 foot. The amended law also mandates the town to develop future parking spaces and aisles a foot shorter as well. Currently, parallel parking stalls are 23 feet in length; 45-degree angular parking stalls are 19 feet; and 90-degree perpendicu-
lar spaces are 19 feet. The width of all parking spaces will remain 9 feet. Any parking spaces on private property would not be affected by the new law. Despite the sudden change, however, town officials explained that it was only a matter of time before the lengths of parking spaces were adjusted, even with virtually no complaints from residents about the size of stalls. “There’s no reason to have parking spaces the length that they are,” said Mayor Ron Belmont, a Republican. Belmont explained that cars are no longer produced the same size as they were in the late 1960s through the 1970s, and newer models are actually de-
signed to be smaller and more compact. “Since people are driving smaller cars now, we want to try to accommodate them as much as possible,” he said. He said the provision, although it seeks to increases the amount of available spaces at the town’s disposal, will have a positive impact on drivers seeking to enter and exit angled or perpendicular parking spaces, as it will prevent people from being forced to make a K-turn. However, according to Councilwoman Marlene Amelio, a Republican, it is reasonable for residents to be upset with the change. “I can’t blame people for feeling squished, [as] nobody likes to park in tight spaces,” she said about parallel parking spaces.
The amended law also comes just in time for new developments, specifically within the Purchase hamlet of the town. According to Belmont, a new 85,000-square-foot, four-story medical office building is planned to be built on 3030 Westchester Ave. as an addition to the Harrison Executive Medical Park, as of press time. The four-story medical addition—which will be developed by Simone Development Companies—will feature an underground parking lot subject to new parking space requirements. There is no timetable for when parking spaces will be restriped and how much it will cost the town, as of press time. CONTACT: franco@hometwn.com
Pet store owners considering opening a business in Harrison should be on their best behavior. On July 21, the Harrison town board unanimously passed a law restricting the methods by which a pet dealer may acquire dogs and cats to sell. The law makes it illegal to sell such animals within the town unless the dealer obtains the animal from a shelter or humane society located in Westchester County. Violating the law would be considered a misdemeanor, with penalties between $250 and $1,000 depending on the number of previous offences, up to 15 days in jail or both. While there are currently no pet stores that sell dogs or cats located in Harrison, town officials say the law is meant to be a proactive measure, ensuring that any pet store that opens in the town will be under these restrictions from the onset. “Everyone always says government is reactive in terms of legislative measures,” said Village Attorney Jonathan Kraut. “Right now, this is the sort of a law that you would put on the books in advance of a problem like that.” Councilwoman Marlene Amelio, a Republican who proposed the legislation, said it’s easier for a town to manage its businesses when it has regulations in place before any potentially affected businesses open in town. Paula Krenkel, co-president of Pet Rescue, a Harrison-based non-profit humane society, lauded the town for their efforts in the humane treatement of animals, adding that she hoped other communities would soon follow their example. “You just need one community to make it happen and others follow through,” she said.
In February, the village of Mamaroneck became the first municipality in New York to pass a law regulating the sale of commercially bred pets, partially in response to complaints about a local pet shop, National Breeders—which has since closed— and the store’s owner, Richard Doyle, who has since been arrested on charges of animal cruelty. Village of Mamaroneck Mayor Norman Rosenblum, a Republican who proposed the law in Mamaroneck, said the law in Harrison is nearly identical. There is also an existing law in Mount Pleasant, and similar laws are now being discussed in Rye Brook, Yorktown and New Rochelle. The latter is waiting on the results of an appeal filed by the New York Pet Welfare Association, which is suing New York City for a similar law that regulates both the distribution and treatment of pets, requiring them to be spayed or neutered before being sold. Rosenblum, who attended the Harrison town board meeting to address the matter, said that the municipal laws in the village of Mamaroneck and Harrison would not be susceptible to litigation, as they do not restrain trade. In 2014, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, signed a bill that allows municipalities within the state to place more stringent requirements on pet stores and breeders, as long as those rules don’t put an unfair restriction on trade. “This particular law is very simple and very narrow,” Rosenblum said. The law will go into effect after being signed by Secretary of State Rossano Rosado, a Democrat. CONTACT: corey@hometwn.com