Harrison REVIEW THE
March 31, 2017 | Vol. 5, Number 13 | www.harrisonreview.com
Council OK’s Brightview center project 3-2 By COREY STOCKTON Staff Writer
Westchester may soon see a Wegmans as the town/village of Harrison vets a proposal to construct the family supermarket chain on the Platinum Mile. For story, see page 9. Photo courtesy wegmans.com
In a 3-2 vote, Harrison’s Town Council issued final approval for the potential Brightview Senior Living Center on Lake Street which has elicited challenge from hundreds of West Harrison residents since last year. The developer has made several changes since the Planning Board issued a site plan approval in December, reducing the number of units, lowering the building height and setting it further back from the property line. The initial proposal would have put 160 units on the 7.3-acre site. The approved proposal allows for only 148 units on that property. “The applicant was very willing and gracious to have open discussions,” said Councilman Steve Malfitano, a Republican who voted in favor of the project. “We looked at this and thought in similar ways that the number of units that we had in [the initial proposal] was probably more than we wanted to see.” David Steinmetz, an attorney for the developer, added that the volunteer EMS corps, was ap12-unit reduction lowered parts pointed as the first executive of the building by up to 8 feet. director of the Harrison EMS. Regardless of the developer’s Paramedics Lucinda Mercado attempts to quell concerns over and Hector Fuentes were also the size and density of the buildnamed director and assistant diing, residents have continued rector, respectively. to argue that putting the senior The new contract allows the center on that lot will create a town to develop an oversight constant source of noise, light, committee to monitor the EMS’ odor and traffic and would put a business operations, which strain on the town’s emergency Singer said he was in favor of. services, reducing both quality “This gives us a chance to—I of life and property values for its call it bragging rights—to show neighbors. how good we’re doing,” he said. The plans for the senior cenSince Singer became executive ter have been subject to two director, the corps has made several changes behind the scenes, including using a new billing company capable of tracking
Town, EMS agree to first contract in more than decade By COREY STOCKTON Staff Writer One year after a dispute over funding and mismanagement, the relationship between the town/village of Harrison and its independent emergency medical services corps may be healthier than ever. Last week, the town signed a one-year contract with the Harrison Emergency Medical Services, EMS. According to Al Mignone, chairman of the Harrison EMS board of directors, the corps has not had a contract with the municipality it provides coverage to for at least 12 years. Last year, tensions between the town and the EMS reached a breaking point when the EMS
did not receive its quarterly subsidy of $137,500 from the town going into April. EMS said it would be forced to discontinue services after not receiving the funding necessary to help finance the operation. In return, the town said that it did not administer funding because the EMS was being mismanaged and lacked financial transparency. Officials from the town and the EMS each pointed to former Councilman Joe Stout, a Democrat who served on the Town Council until December 2016, as playing a crucial role in finding a solution between the two parties. Stout applauded the EMS’ attempts to make “goodfaith efforts” to resolve its issues
with the town since April. “They needed to spend some time on the business of the business,” he told the Review. “We never had a problem with care.” While those efforts addressed several points of contention between the two sides, the town remained skeptical, and continued to withhold its quarterly subsidy from the EMS. And instead, the town began administering monthly payments of $48,833, which it continued through the end of 2016. In September, after removing the former chief from the EMS, the organization restructured its ranks, abolishing the chief position. In the process, Eric Singer, an EMT with the corps and a captain in the town of Cortlandt’s
public hearings since the Planning Board issued the site plan approval. The final hearing, on March 23, ran for more than two hours, including a discussion of the changes made by the developer, commentary from the Town Council, and additional qualms against the development by residents. Some of those residents are members of Save Harrison, a community group which filed a lawsuit after the town approved an amendment to the zoning code last May to allow the Brightview center on the Lake Street property. The Westchester County Supreme Court dismissed that lawsuit in February. Last month, Al Pirro, an attorney for Save Harrison, said his client was planning on filing an appeal. Steinmetz confirmed that a notice of appeal has been filed. “We hope the neighbors recognize the futility of pursuing further litigation,” Steinmetz added. “It’s time to work together in a neighborly and productive fashion.” The continuing objections to the development from within the Harrison community drew the attention of two council members who voted against issuing approval for the project. Councilwoman Marlane Amelio, a Republican, said her decision to vote against the project was based on the accumulation of residents’ concerns rather than one specific issue. “When there are that many residents who express concern with a project like that, they should have a voice,” she said.
INSIDE
Beer Fest hits Westchester
EMS continued on page 8
Story on page 10.
BRIGHTVIEW continued on page 9