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February 12, 2016 | Vol. 4, Number 7 | www.mamaroneckreview.com
Primary Sources
Students from Mamaroneck High School recently traveled to Concord, New Hampshire, to cover the 2016 presidential election primaries as part of their Advanced Placement government and journalism classes. For story, see page 7. Photo/Andrew Dapolite
Ward Avenue online petition garners support By SUZY BERKOWITZ Editorial Assistant An online petition to stop a dead end from becoming a reality on Ward Avenue in the village of Mamaroneck has gained rapid momentum. The petition—which garnered 41 signatures, as of press time, since being posted on Change. org on Monday, Feb. 1—was created by Ward Avenue resident Donato Colantonio. The petition states that village officials want to mitigate flood hazards by replacing a nearby bridge with a dead end, stating that Ward Av-
enue is a convenient route to the Metro-North station and Mamaroneck’s downtown area. Village Manager Richard Slingerland said the Ward Avenue bridge is being torn because it contributes to the village’s flooding problem. “I made this petition because making a dead end on Ward Avenue would be too much of a hassle for everyone,” Colantonio told the Review. “If they have to fix the flooding, I’d rather them rebuild the bridge instead. I understand that Mamaroneck is a flood zone but if they rebuild the bridge, everybody wins.”
Tearing down the Ward Avenue bridge is part of the recentlysubmitted flood mitigation project by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. The project, which aims to secure flood hazards along the Mamaroneck and Sheldrake rivers, would cost approximately $72 million in both federal and nonfederal aid. Slingerland said that although he was not aware of the petition, he understands that some Ward Avenue residents are resistant to the construction of a dead end on their street. He said that although the plan to create a dead end hasn’t yet been finalized, it
has been considered, along with a less cost-effective option to rebuild the bridge. Slingerland said the cost of rebuilding the bridge is not covered under the Army Corps’ flood mitigation plan. “Although there is no official plan yet, I think making Ward Avenue a dead end would make the street safer for residents,” Slingerland said, adding all options have to be discussed with residents and the village Board of Trustees. “A lot of people find dead ends to be desirable, ward AVE continued on page 7
LMCTV inches toward firehouse HQ By JAMES PERO Staff Writer After much deliberation, Larchmont Mamaroneck Community Television may finally be lurching toward a new headquarters, and if the broadcast company has its way, it will be in the village of Mamaroneck. According to Larchmont Mayor Anne McAndrews, a Democrat, the issue, however slow-moving, is closer to a resolution than ever before. “It’s time to fish or cut bait,” she said. “We want something to be resolved.” Over the past six months, LMCTV has been in the midst of deciding between two different lease proposals; one by the town of Mamaroneck which would house the company on the third floor of its Town Center, and one by the village which would place them in the village’s old firehouse. In September, Erik Lewis, the CEO of LMCTV, told the Review that the village of Mamaroneck’s firehouse, located on 122 Mamaroneck Ave., was the preferred choice. Among the drawing points, according to Lewis, was an expanded presence in the village where their organization could be seen and recognized by a much wider scope of people. Currently, LMCTV’s operations are dispersed between three different locations across both the village and town of
Mamaroneck, including a base of operations in the Town Center, a studio on Library Lane in the village, and an additional studio in Mamaroneck High School. Ultimately, however, their headquarters will be decided by the Board of Controls, BOC— which consists of representatives from the town of Mamaroneck and the villages of Larchmont and Mamaroneck. When the time comes, the decision will be made by a simple majority, according to village of Mamaroneck Mayor Norman Rosenblum, a Republican, who sits on the BOC with McAndrews and Mamaroneck Town Councilman Tom Murphy, a Democrat. While village of Mamaroneck Trustee Leon Potok, a Democrat, and Rosenblum have indicated that they support the preference of LMCTV, not everyone in the village supports the move; among those opposed to LMCTV’s move into the village firehouse is former Democratic mayor, Kathleen Savolt. According to Savolt, the occupation of the firehouse by a nonprofit disregards the original resolution which enumerates guidelines for how the building should be used. She told the Review that the original resolution to rebuild the firehouse—which was passed in a 4-1 vote during her tenure as mayor—contained stipulations that the building Lmctv continued on page 9
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