The Latest City Council Updates from Mayor Douglas French

Proposals to Re-Invent Playland

Twelve proposals to reinvent Playland have been received by Westchester County.  As a member of the County’s Citizen Committee to review the feasibility of each proposal, I have made my copies of the proposals available at City Hall for review by appointment through my office.  The proposals range from including playing fields, an indoor field house, and an air dome -- to amusements, restaurants, ice skating and nature walks to name a few.  The proposals will be reviewed based on 5 criteria:  Economic sustainability, environmental impact, entertainment value, experience of organization, and the expectation of project completion.  The Committee will deliver its report around early July with direction from the County targeted for year-end.  Playland will continue to operate as is until future plans are determined.

1037 Boston Post Road Site

In 2006 the City acquired the old CVS site with the implied intent of developing a Police Station/Court House facility.  In 2010, based on the up to $25M in development plus acquisition costs, the Council reversed that decision.  With no public purpose intended for the site, the City is exploring its options which will be announced later this spring.  In the meantime, the City took action at its last meeting to extend the current lease on a short-term one-year basis to allow for additional planning time.

Updating Rye’s City Code

Where most municipalities update their local code every 10 to 15 years, in Rye it has been much, much longer.  The Code of the City of Rye has been changed 174 times and as a result the City is embarking on a 2-year project to update inconsistencies, duplications and conflicts to make the code more efficient.  A review of state statutes and best-practices from other municipalities will also be included.  In addition, the re-organizational structure of the code will make accessing information more easily accessible in both print and online.

Water Rate Increases for WJWW

The City attended the public meeting of Westchester Joint Waterworks which serves about 400 homes in Rye.  WJWW buys its water from New York City and is expecting another substantial increase this spring due to the pass-through cost from NYC.  Roughly 90% of the increase will come as a direct result of the rate change from NYC.  As more information is learned, WJWW will post updates on its website or they can be contacted directly.  Public sessions will also be scheduled and held at the Mamaroneck Village Hall.