Tarrytown’s Major Projects Reviewed:
A visit with Village Administrator, Michael Blau, puts an update on major village activities and where they now stand.
First on Blau’s list is the repair of six village streets, to be followed by other thoroughfares in the near future. Currently, Martling, Le Grande, Miller, Riverview Terrace and Tower Hill are underway with re-paving and repairs. Selecting the streets to be repaired takes into account how much of the original curb is still showing.
The correct term according to Blau is "reveal." Such a system considers the layers of asphalt paving that have been built up over the years resulting in the re-routing of water running along the curb. To determine which streets are selected, the amount of "reveal" and the amount of traffic on the street in question are factored into the decision.
Blau next clarified the situation with the so called "boatel" at the waterfront by pointing out that just last week the Board of Trustees approved new terms for the Tarrytown Boat Club lease which originally was written to end in the year 2020. The new 99-year lease was approved to reach out to the year 2107 with the Boat Club now having the right to assign that lease to an approved party at a time of their choosing. The Striped Bass now sits on the property. Coincident with this situation, the Village owns the property adjacent to the immediate south side of the Striped Bass, as well as all of the underwater area of the current boat club docks to an extent of l500 ft. into the river. Blau also corrected a rumor that the Village citizenry must vote on whether or not a Village-owned piece of property can be subleased. It does not have to meet that requirement, but there will be public meetings as plans for that adjoining piece of land move forward.
Next, the Village Administrator addressed the subject of Village parking needs, a project that grows as the Village grows. Several retailers have been strong in their demand for parking, but while the Village Administration agrees with the need for increased parking, the reality of the situation is that parking can only be obtained when the opportunity also arises. One particular area of contention is the Music Hall with an almost daily need for extensive parking. Just a few years ago, there was some serious consideration of building a decked parking facility on the current CVS parking lot area. This issue is no longer on the table, but it could be a major answer to a major problem.
The subject of parking continued, shifting to a new problem that the Administrator agreed would demand some additional correspondence to the Village. This issue concerns commuter parking on a per-day basis by Village citizens going to the City, buying a $5.00 daily parking pass at the police station. Currently, a resident can take his/her car down to the police station, purchase a train ticket, only to find that there is no parking left in the riverside parking area. Then the commuter is stuck with his or her car while the train leaves without them. The only option is to call the police station in advance (631-5546) to determine if they can actually park their car once it has been driven to the area. Blau said that he would get a notice out to the Village on this subject, but noted that the amount of parking available at the station has actually increased since the new Village Hall has been built.
Finally, Blau stated that the contractor will develop the new "Riverwalk" project is on-site and will begin work on the 1700 foot walkway surrounding the newly-renamed Hudson Harbor development (formerly Ferry Landings).
Formal selling of the homes has not yet started and will undoubtedly follow the market, i.e., when pricing moves up in the general market, similar development projects will follow.
