Mamaroneck REVIEW THE
May 4, 2018 | Vol. 6, Number 18 | www.mamaroneckreview.com
“Maker Zone” looking for public input on rezone
A rezoning of the village’s Industrial Area is seeking public input. File photo
HIT PARADE Tava Kasper swings at a pitch during a May 1 game against Ursuline. Kasper had three hits, including a home run, as the Tigers rallied to beat the Koalas 11-4. For story, see page 15. Photo/Mike Smith
Former teacher gets prison time for child porn An ex-Rye Neck school teacher was sentenced to prison on April 27 after being found guilty of child pornography charges. White Plains Judge Cathy Seibel sentenced Nicholas Pagliuca, of Somers, to serve three years in prison and five years of supervised release for possessing thousands of images and videos of child pornography. Pagliuca pleaded guilty to one count of child pornography last November after being caught by
a federal agent downloading child pornography from a site in October 2016. The 66-year-old, who was a football coach at the high school, was arrested a couple of days after the agent discovered he worked with kids. “Pagliuca’s crimes are abhorrent, and his conduct represents the deepest betrayal of school [and] community trust,” said Rye Neck Superintendent Barbara Ferraro, who was the principal
of Rye Neck High School when Pagliuca was arrested. “The sentencing of Pagliuca closes a chapter on a deeply troubling matter; however, we are acutely aware that a portion of our students, especially those who are older, may relay to parents their thoughts on this matter.” Ferraro said in a statement that there has never been any indication from federal authorities that Pagliuca used school computers or other resources in his criminal conduct.
The former teacher and coach started downloading child pornography in 2004. In 2012, Pagliuca paid for a child pornography subscription on an online site, according to federal authorities. Pagliuca resigned from his position at the high school at the end of 2016 after he was arrested for a misdemeanor gun charge. As of press time, there is no further information on the status of that separate case. -Reporting by Franco Fino
The village of Mamaroneck will begin hosting a new round of public hearings on rezoning efforts aimed at revamping the Industrial Area. On Wednesday, May 2, village officials and members of the Industrial Area Committee, IAC, were expected to discuss publicly the potential impacts of rezoning a swath of the village that sits adjacent to the downtown area and the Washingtonville neighborhood. The purpose of the rezoning will be to retailor the Industrial Area—currently home to large factory-style warehouses and former manufacturing buildings— to accommodate a new array of businesses that would include boutique hotels, offices, art galleries, restaurants, breweries and general entertainment. In 2017, the IAC recommended the use of two overlay zones in the Industrial Area—recently redubbed the “Maker Zone—that would expand the area’s current allowances without disrupting businesses that are currently stationed there. The committee’s zoning recommendations came as the product of two years’ worth of study from the IAC, a group that was originally tasked with developing a plan—in tandem with hired
consultants—on how to steer the area’s undeveloped industrial area toward a new future, beginning in 2015. In addition to opening up the allowed uses of current zoning laws using overlays, the committee also recommended amendments to the village zoning code regarding height restrictions that would allow for buildings to extend 5 additional feet over what is currently permitted. Members of the village Board of Trustees hope that allowing new businesses to enter the Maker Zone might bolster its tax base and draw new residents to the village. Concurrently with the rezoning efforts, the village has also begun an assessment of its Comprehensive Plan, a guiding document that acts as a road map for future development in Mamaroneck. Among the major items slated for an update in the village’s comprehensive plan—which was last updated in 2012—are increased attention to environmental sustainability, in addition to greater emphasis and guidelines on retaining village character. Public hearings to gather input on the future of the Comprehensive Plan recently began. -Reporting by James Pero