Mamaroneck REVIEW THE
June 1, 2018 | Vol. 6, Number 22 | www.mamaroneckreview.com
Larchmont historic task force issues first report By JAMES PERO Staff Writer
Thank you The village of Larchmont paid its respects to veterans with an early Memorial Day parade on May 24. For photos, see page 6. Photo/James Pero
Westchester County workers rally for paid sick time By JAMES PERO Staff Writer On May 21, workers rallied to promote a bill designed to provide paid sick time for thousands of public and private sector workers across Westchester County. Outside of the county government building on Martine Avenue in White Plains, workers holding signs chanted in support of the bill—sponsored by Legislator Catherine Borgia, a Peekskill Democrat—which has been floating around the county Legislature for about a year. Currently, workers—many of which are employed by the county—say they have no choice but to show up to work sick because
of lack of paid time off. Additionally, advocates say, by forcing workers to attend work while sick, it may decrease productivity through increasing the likelihood that illnesses are spread. According to a report from 2016 from the Institute of Women’s Policy Research, about 36 percent of county workers lack paid sick time, with many of them earning low wages and only working part-time—a subset of employees that may not have designated time off. Among those workers, 54 percent are of total service workers and 52 percent of total construction workers, respectively. But a bill reintroduced to the county Board of Legislators in
February would provide eligible workers with one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours of work with a maximum of 40 hours paid sick time in total. The regulations would only apply to companies with five or more employees and would include days needed for mental health and those needed to take care of a sick family member. Detractors of paid sick time laws claim that requiring businesses to pay employees for time off would incur significant costs on their part, plus workers may take sick days off when they’re not actually sick. The bill is currently making its way through committee and is being vetted by the county attorney to ensure of its compliance
with state law. According to a statement from The Transport Workers Union—a group involved in the recent petitioning—the bill, if passed, would affect more than 120,000 workers across Westchester. New York City and New Jersey have already passed their own paid sick time laws in the last several years. While 10 states, including Connecticut and New Jersey, currently have statewide paid sick times laws, New York has yet to pass its own law. A paid sick time bill would easily pass through the county Board of Legislators due to a Democratic supermajority of 13-4. CONTACT: james@hometwn.com
A report issued by the recently formed Larchmont Historic Preservation Task Force calls for more historic landmarking and an official survey of the village’s historic assets. The report, released last month as the product of a year’s long interview and research process, states that the village may benefit from registering applicable buildings to the historic register as a means of preserving structures that might otherwise be open to demolition. While Larchmont currently has one registered landmark—its post office—neighboring municipalities like New Rochelle, Mamaroneck and Rye have taken a much more liberal approach to registering sites with 14, six, and 11 sites designated, respectively. One major benefit of preserving Larchmont’s historic buildings outside of retaining village character, according to the report, could be increased property values. According to a 2007 study from one historic preservation officer that looked at more than 20 historic districts across the country, property values rose by anywhere from 5 percent to an impressive 35 percent in a decade. Among the specific recommendations from the task force are looking into the creation of an historic district, developing a historic preservation ordinance, and also commissioning an official study of Larchmont’s complete historic buildings to be used as a
road map for where and how to preserve. Discussions over Larchmont’s historical character stems back to January of this year [[wasn’t it last year or the year before that even?]] when the proposed subdivision and demolition of the historic 40 Ocean Ave. property sent concerned residents out in droves to village meetings. After the backlash, the village Board of Trustees, under the direction of then-Mayor Anne McAndrews, a Democrat, enacted a six-month building moratorium on residential development designed to serve as a stop-gap measure against residential teardowns. That moratorium—which elicited a number of appeals from developers caught in its net—lasted for more than a year, eventually leading to a slew of new land use and zoning laws meant to protect homes deemed historically valuable. The home on 40 Ocean Ave.,—the impetus for an anti-development movement in the village—is still facing the prospect of being demolished, after developers reintroduced a plan to raze the structure and subdivide the property. Currently, after a decision rendered in April by the village Planning Board, KOSL Building Group—owners and developers of the Ocean Avenue property— will be required to conduct a full environmental impact statement that will require the approval of Larchmont’s land use boards. CONTACT: james@hometwn.com
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