HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020_09_15 Sustainability Collaborative Minutes Town of Mamaroneck Sustainability Collaborative
Meeting Notes, September 15, 2020
(Meeting outside Hommocks Pool area @ 5pm)
Attendees: Nancy, Seligson,Jeffery King, Mitch Green, Sue Odierna,June Wallach, George Roniger, Elizabeth
Poyet, Karen Khor, Mark Kramer, Karin Weisburgh, Kevin Crowe, Laura Wertkin,Jason Rudolph
and Eliza Pertz, Beth Radow, Frank Owens,Arlene Novich, Michelle Lewis, Sandra Espada, Lisa
McDonald and Jane Nishimura (VoL Enviro)
Notes of August 18th meeting were accepted.
Leaf Blower Legislation
As the Town Board liaison to the Collaborative,Jeff presented the Sustainability Collaborative's request to
strengthen legislation (to be in synch with the VoL) to the rest of the Town Board. There was concern about the
cost to residents and landscapers if—like the VoL—we were to ban gasoline-powered leaf blowers. Lisa M., of
VoL Enviro Committee, emphasized that many in VoL already use electric blowers and that the VoL will be
working on educating residents in the fall to discourage blowing at all and encouraging leaf mulching. Mitch
asked Lisa to write something up for the Town Board to include data (ex:do landscapers charge more when not
using gas blowers?). George R. updated the Collabs that the LGCA (Larchmont Gardens Civic Association)did not
endorse the gasoline-powered leaf blower ban but he thinks with greater education to this community, it could
be possible at a later point.
Action Items: In order to provide the Town Board with better information
• Collab to request summary presentation from LEC which stresses Environmental Health concerns
• Collab to request summary presentation from LEC which demonstrates lack of economic harm if gas-
powered leaf blowers are retired and replaced by electric leaf blowers
• Collab to request latest electric leaf blower model performance ratings &compare with gas-powered
(who can take this on?)
5G—Environmental Health Issues
The Planning Board heard an application for 125'cell tower on Bonnie Briar grounds and wrote to the
Collaborative asking for their review and comments. Mitch sent the Collabs'proposal to the Planning Board and
also sent to the Town Board the "model code"which potentially would update the Town's code which is 25 years
old. This was also sent out to the Collaborative.
Discussion ensued about placing a moratorium on cell tower installation. Nancy reported that Steve Altieri spoke
with Town Attorney Bill Maker regarding a moratorium and, though it may be legal, it doesn't look good when
there is a pending application. Mitch suggested the moratorium could begin after the current application is
completed. Nancy also mentioned she gets a lot of calls from residents complaining about poor cell phone
coverage. Eliza felt a moratorium is important while we look into safety issues. She said this is not just an issue
here, that the Town of East Hampton is also looking into the 5G issue. Sandra E. wondered how her complex,
Albee Court, got approval to expand the cell wiring to which Eliza remarked that they didn't need approval as
there is no ordinance. Mark K. asked how many people these 5G towers would serve. What is the best place to
put a tower to serve the most people?
Also mentioned, by Steve M. was the equity issue of having cell service for all. The Collab Report noted that the
Bonnie Briar cell tower would NOT solve all cell service issues in the Town,so how can that be achieved?He
thought perhaps a fund could be set up that the carriers contribute to,so that good-quality cell service could be
provided to all Town residents while safe-guarding Environmental Health and minimizing Quality of Life impacts.
Action Items: In order to provide the Town Board with better information:
• Collab to forward info on environmental lawyers (inc. Adam Stolorow)to Town Board (Eliza P)
• Collab to provide info on how neighboring communities have handled moratoriums
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• Collab Members invited to speak at next ToM Planning Board Meeting. Next meeting will be at 7:30pm
on Wednesday, October 14th (by Zoom)
Boston Post Road (BPR)Complete Streets
Steve M. along with others from the ToM, VoL and VoM met with traffic consultant,AKRF(the consultant on the
Comprehensive Plan) to discuss making the Boston Post Road safer, more walkable and bike-able. The concept
includes taking the present"2 lanes each direction"format and changing it to "1 lane north,1 lane south, 1 left-
turn lane, buffered bike lanes each side", all within the existing curb-to-curb width. Consultant felt significant
grant funding from NYS is available to implement the BPR changes once the feasibility of the concept was
demonstrated through traffic volume and street geometry analysis.
Steve M. received an estimate of$2,000 to look at BPR traffic volume to see if the concept could be viable. This
review would be curb to curb and would not include sidewalks. AKRF has prepared a Proposal for this "litmus
test"analysis. This would rely on currently available data from NYS.
Nancy suggested they get buy in from the two Villages and that the Post Road could be isolated from the rest of
the comprehensive plans(currently on hold)since it is a corridor of its own. Jeff thinks it's a great idea to get an
assessment of BPR since right now there is an immediate need to address bicycles, especially with the hybrid
school schedule. There is more biking and walking than ever before.
Action Items: In order to support the Town Board's agreement to obtain the BPR "litmus test":
• Collab has requested Letters of Support from VoM CFTE and VoL LEC
• Collab has requested CFTE and LEC obtain Letters of Support from VoM and VoL Leadership
• Collab to request Letter of Support from East Coast Greenway in support of BPR transformation
Town Comprehensive Plan—Generators, Floods,Wires,Trees
Feedback from the August meeting was that Collabs feel generators and floods are the big issues. Frank
discussed the nearly-continuous use of generators by his home and others agreed that the disturbance of
generators is a concern. Mark K. suggested limiting the time that generators could run. He added that noise
from generators are not muffled, the insulating rules are not enforced. Perhaps during late night hours of 12am
—6am, the law could state they must be off? Nancy discussed micro grids that the Town had researched a few
years ago which would have connected Town Center,Sarah Newman and the high school, but that the expense
was astronomical, about$10 million. She agreed the generator noise is disruptive and said she received a lot of
complaints about the noise during Storm Isaias'outages.
Action Items: In order to move this issue forward and support the Board:
• Collab to form Task Force to analyze and revise the current Generator Law(Mark K? Frank 0?)
Curbside Compost(Larchmont-Mamaroneck Joint Garbage Disposal Commission—LMJGDC)
Karen reported this is a great time to initiate curbside pickup since the County has said they will work with
Suburban to use the VoM transfer station that already exists to bring food waste to. There has been steady
growth in the ToM food waste recycling program but there are those resisting the program because of lack of
curbside pickup. Karen also said we have an opportunity to get sanitation workers onboard since they are no
longer going to the sides and backs of houses for trash pickup. Karen has spoken with NYS Pollution Prevention
Institute(NYSP2I), an organization sponsored by NYS DEC that collaborates with research universities. They can
come up with a plan and offer support and implementation strategies at no charge. Mitch added that the VoL
and ToM environmental committees could write a joint letter requesting the Boards study curbside pickup of
food waste.
Action Items: In order to support the LMJGDC and the Town Board:
• Collab and LEC have sent Letter of Support for Curbside Composting to ToM Board and VoL
Trustees
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• Collab to identify wider support for the "1-1-1" transition
• Collab to consider other cost-saving possibilities, including "automated garbage trucks"
The meeting was adjourned at 7:00pm.
The next meeting will be held on:
Tuesday,Oct. 13,2020 via Zoom,details to come
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