Mamaroneck REVIEW THE
September 22, 2017 | Vol. 5, Number 38 | www.mamaroneckreview.com
NEW LEASH
ON LIFE Pet Rescue in Harrison is helping pet shelters in Texas affected by the devastation of Hurricane Harvey by taking in more than 35 adoptable dogs and providing those shelters with food, blankets and crate donations. For more, see page 6. Photo courtesy Facebook.com/NYPetRescue
2 key village contracts authorized by Board of Trustees By JAMES PERO Staff Writer The village of Mamaroneck will move forward with two major contracts seeking to update its comprehensive plan, as well as a move to assess and rezone its industrial area for a new wave of
commerce. At a Board of Trustees meeting on Sept. 11, trustees unanimously authorized contracts for Chazen Consulting and NV5 to both carry out a Generic Environmental Impact Statement, GEIS, and update zoning in the village’s industrial area, in addition to updating
the village’s comprehensive plan, respectively. While Chazen’s contract will clock in at a cost of about $175,000, NV5’s contract will total about $68,000. A contract with Chazen to carry out a GEIS—a wholesale environmental review that takes into
account traffic, flooding, noise and a host of other environmental conditions—will push forward a redevelopment initiative several years in the making. In addition to reviewing the environmental impacts of CONTRACTS continued on page 8
New LMCTV lease faces scrutiny By JAMES PERO Staff Writer A renegotiated lease agreement authorizing and financing Larchmont-Mamaroneck Community Television’s transition to the village of Mamaroneck’s former hook and ladder firehouse will be reviewed by stakeholders, with more uncertainty over the broadcaster’s move in tow. On Sept. 11, the village of Mamaroneck Board of Trustees publicly introduced a new lease agreement that would commit the village to making $500,000 in necessary improvements at the firehouse, marking the first major step in the transition process since the move was approved more than a year ago. Also under the terms of the new lease, LMCTV will have an option to buy at the end of its 10-year agreement. The purchase price, however, will increase from $1.1 million this year to $1.4 million in 2027. While the agreement will move the new lease forward, renegotiated terms must still be reviewed and accepted by the Larchmont-Mamaroneck Community Television, LMCTV, Board of Directors, as well as the encompassing Board of Control, which consists of representatives from the town and village of Mamaroneck as well as the village of Larchmont. Though the lease is “not a controversial item,” according to
village of Mamaroneck Trustee Leon Potok, a Democrat, the future of a new agreement is not yet set in stone. According to Town Councilman Tom Murphy, a Democrat and village of Mamaroneck mayoral candidate this year, the move to the village’s firehouse comes at too great a cost. “It would be fair to say I have concerns that moving into the firehouse would be unaffordable for LMCTV,” said Murphy, who also sits on the LMCTV Board of Control. “My primary concern is that LMCTV survives on a sound financial footing and any decision I would make would be based on that criteria.” Specifically, Murphy said he’s concerned that the move could eventually cost more than the $2 million currently projected, and with LMCTV using its own capital to partially fund the renovations and improvements, it could drain the public broadcaster’s finances. LMCTV officials have repeatedly pushed for a new consolidated headquarters on Mamaroneck Avenue. The public access television operation is currently spread out between two locales in the Mamaroneck Town Center and Mamaroneck High School citing the benefits of maintaining a headquarters more visible to the public eye. A new lease comes after cost LEASE continued on page 9