A More Concerted Effort is Needed to Revive Mt. Kisco’s Main Street
By Cathy Deutsch
Mount Kisco is a village like most small towns–a strong community, shops and a pretty Main Street.
Unfortunately, our Main Street is suffering a decline and is not getting the attention that it deserves, whereas Moger Avenue is viewed and treated to the full attention of the village in its upkeep and beautification.
As a longtime small retailer on Main Street, I feel year after year we are treated like Moger Avenue’s “stepchild.” Case in point: last holiday season Moger Avenue was beautifully decorated with glistening lights and splendid wreaths in abundance, music and carolers. When I asked why Main Street was not decorated in kind, the reply was that we do not have the gas light fixtures that are along Moger Avenue, which were used as a base for decorations. No music welcomed our shoppers and carolers strolled our street.
This spring beautiful floral planters were installed down Moger Avenue with just a few along Main Street. When I inquired once again why we did not get these in the same numbers as Moger Avenue, I was told that it was decided to place them at all crosswalks. At last count the block-and-a-half stretch of Moger Avenue had 20 planters. Main Street, from Village Hall to Village Social restaurant, three long blocks long, had 16 planters. It may seem an insignificant difference but the intersection at Main and Green was not covered, a major intersection, and only four planters were placed between the very long stretch between Village Hall and Gyro Lefteris restaurant.
Running a town is a complex job and it’s impossible to please everyone, but there should be a little creative problem solving here and a large dose of thinking outside the box. No gas lights? Give Main Street another treatment. No crosswalks? Place the planters at fairly drawn intervals.
Hard times demand hard work and innovative thinking. Main Street store vacancies remain largely unchanged and its appearance is not inviting. If we want to be appealing to our shoppers and attract the interest of new occupants, we must pay attention. I believe at this time it would be in the best interests of the village to make Main Street the focus of aggressive beautification and promotion.
Retail is a tough bone to chew but it is the backbone of our town and there should be a concerted effort to serve the entire commercial district in a fair and respectful manner. I see other areas like Chappaqua and Pleasantville taking the reins and implementing new programs for beautification and events for the community. There is a vitality and excitement that I am envious of and would love to see that excitement here in Mount Kisco, too. We have a largely unused parking lot behind the old Borders building, which could be used for weekend events such as art shows, food truck events, local chef cooking competitions or even a whimsical local dog show.
I have two hands and a very healthy appetite for hard work. Most of us on Main Street are willing to do the work if given the opportunity to participate in events and programs that enhance our village and our businesses.
I am aware that some members of our community might view my outspoken manner as adversarial. It is quite the contrary. I want to build bridges, not burn them.
It is my wish to form a Main Street alliance to work in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce and the village to revive our precious Main Street.
Fellow business owners and concerned residents, let’s get started, let’s put all of our hands and minds together and make all of Mount Kisco, once again, the cornerstone of northern Westchester. I thank you for your time. Please feel free to contact me with your ideas and suggestions.
Cathy Deutsch is the owner of Tiger Lily boutique. She can be reached at 914-244-4201.
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