Residents Force Referendum on Mount Pleasant Sewer District Extension
News Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
A referendum has been scheduled for later this month that will determine whether a water district extension will be created in Mount Pleasant after an effort was undertaken to force a vote through a permissive referendum.
The vote to create Pleasant Ridge Water District Extension #1 will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 19 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Valhalla firehouse.
The district includes 68 properties in Valhalla on specific streets: Armand Place, Lisa Lane, Ronald Court, Scoralick Lane and Thomas Place, said Deputy Town Attorney Chris Feldman. Properties on the north side of Grasslands Road from numbers 178 to 420 and on the east side of Bradhurst Avenue from number 12 to 140 would also be in the extended district, he said.
Supervisor Carl Fulgenzi said under the plan, Brightview Senior Living, which received approvals to construct a senior housing facility, nearly half of which would be assisted living or memory care units, at 235 Grasslands Rd., agreed to pay for the cost of infrastructure to build the extension. The cost of hooking up each home from the water main in the street would fall with individual homeowners, he said.
On Aug. 8, the Town Board voted to authorize the extension of the district, but a petition containing names from more than 5 percent of the owners of properties within the boundaries of the affected area was submitted to the town within the 30-day period following the board’s approval, Feldman said.
There had been a complaint lodged about the cost of water meters, which was apparently the impetus for the petitioner to force a vote.
“The reason why it’s going to a referendum is because one of the neighbors was complaining about the cost of water meters or something, but now the developer has incorporated that cost into everything that he’s doing, so there will not be a cost to the voters,” Fulgenzi said.
Even though Brightview has since agreed cover the cost for the meters, the petition cannot be rescinded and the vote will take place, he said. Feldman said last week that the additional cost for the meters would have been about $400.
Should the district’s extension be denied by voters, then Brightview would build the infrastructure it needs for its facility and the other property owners that would have been included would continue to receive service from the Greenburgh Water District, Fulgenzi said.
The supervisor mentioned that should the extension be approved an advantage for the residents is that control over the water and repairs, along with the related costs, would belong to Mount Pleasant rather than Greenburgh.
“In the end it’s cheaper with water costs and in the long run a cheaper way of maintaining the facilities,” Fulgenzi said.
Brightview Assisted Living received its zoning change from the Town Board in March 2021 and must still obtain site plan approval from the Planning Board. Its property is on a little more than eight acres almost directly across the street from the entrance to Westchester Community College.
Plans call for 89 units of senior independent living, 45 assisted living beds and a capacity of 36 people for memory care.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
