Mamaroneck REVIEW THE
August 3, 2018 | Vol. 6, Number 31 | www.mamaroneckreview.com
Village gets final report on Building Department By JAMES PERO Staff Writer
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GOLD Tuckahoe’s Malik Moore goes up for a layup against Woodlands’ Noe Fleurimond during a Hudson Valley practice at Stepinac High School on July 31. On Aug. 3, Moore, Fleurimond and the rest of the Hudson Valley All-Stars will travel to Johnson City, New York, to vie for a championship at the BCANY Summer Hoops Festival. For story, see page 15. Photo/Mike Smith
Mamaroneck deploys smart radar to track traffic By JAMES PERO Staff Writer The village will deploy the use of portable smart radar beacons that will monitor motorists in an effort to crack down on speeding and dangerous driving. According to Assistant Village Manager Dan Sarnoff, the village
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has purchased three portable radar beacons that will automatically monitor speeds in several locations across the village by clocking and then storing motorists speed in its data bank. Sarnoff said that the radars are set to be purchased by the Police Department and deployment locations have yet to be decided. The units will cost the village $29,900, and includes solar panels, additional equipment, and software and additional budgeted money that can be used for further parts, if necessary. What makes the beacons stand out from other autonomous radars is that each unit will be con-
nected to the internet and capable of logging speed data to give users a speed range and vehicle accounts—data sets that could be used to further monitor traffic patterns in any given area. According to a U.S. Department of Transportation report from 2015, speed-clocking radar technology capable of aggregating data is just one tool in a growing field of smart traffic management systems that use data analysis to help municipalities track and alleviate traffic. Among the technologies being developed and deployed are dynamic traffic lights that use data to adjust their patterns based on
traffic flow and patterns, smart parking sensors that track and log a master list of open parking spots for motorists to park in, and even smart crosswalks that would digitally project onto streets when needed and disappear when pedestrian traffic is low. Other technologies like red light cameras have already been readily deployed in cities and towns across the country, including Westchester County. The cameras work by taking pictures of drivers at an intersection through red lights or those stuck in the middle of an RADAR continued on page 8
Board of Trustees members will mull recommendations from Matrix Consulting group on how to improve its Building Department after the company delivered its final report of a year’s long process. The report, which was presented to the village board on Monday, July 30, will hone in on recommendations given to the Board of Trustees in a draft report also delivered by Matrix earlier this year. Much like the draft report, the company’s final submission to the village, which cost $40,000, puts digitizing Building Department processes at the top of the list. According to Matrix’s findings, applications to the Building Department are all done in-person through paper-based applications. “The applicant must physically come to the Building Department counter to submit a paper application,” the report states. “Utilizing a digital submission process, will allow for a more efficient process for the applicant and staff.” According to Assistant Village Manager Dan Sarnoff, the report also contains additional interviews with members of village land use boards and village staff as well as further clarification on the functionality of the village’s parcel management software, Municity. Based on all the information gathered by Matrix, more than two dozen areas of potential improvement were recommended for land use protocol and processes. A large portion of the recommendation section of the report centers on both digitizing
applications and providing additional training for employees. Specifically, the report recommends multiple new protocol and training changes that include assistant planners conducting more plan reviews, quarterly training sessions and using performance metrics to track employees’ work. “Matrix has given us a clear road map of what needs to be done to ensure that our Building Department can provide the best, most efficient and responsive service for our village,” said Trustee Keith Waitt, a Democrat. “The main takeaway is technology and training.” The basis for the long-awaited report was spurred by several controversies related to the Building Department’s misclassification or mishandling of local businesses. Among the most notable instances were the Westchester Sandbox Theatre and the Ralph’s Italian Ices & Ice Cream franchise, the latter of which was forced to shut down after being found non-compliant with village zoning code as BUILDING continued on page 11
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