Mt. Kisco Narrows Potential Improvements to Use County Grant
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Mount Kisco officials agreed to focus on improved signage throughout the village’s downtown along with other enhancements as part of the Downtown Improvement Grant (DIG) it was awarded last year.
The Village Board discussed potential projects to be paid for by the $250,000 grant from Westchester County that would provide technical assistance and strategic support to help make improvements to its downtown. Mount Kisco must also spend $50,000 toward the effort to receive the money.
During the Apr. 4 Town Board work session, Village Manager Ed Brancati recommended that signage throughout the downtown be considered to help direct visitors toward parking lots and other destinations in the village. He said it is also consistent with Mount Kisco’s updated Comprehensive Plan.
Another possibility would be improving the lighting in areas that are poorly illuminated. On some streets it is difficult for drivers to see pedestrians after dark, a problem that has resulted in a few pedestrians being hit by cars. Also, adding more electric power sources for more outdoor events was also raised.
Updating the village’s website to make it friendlier for visitors to use so they have a better understanding of what’s offered and the locations was proposed as well.
Officials must now find out how much the different items might cost.
“We got a broad list here and we don’t know what the dollars and cents are yet, and we might not know,” said Mayor Michael Cindrich. “I want to be able to send something to the county to get this rolling and to make sure the biggest amount of money is allocated.”
Westchester County had retained the New Jersey-based business consulting firm the JGSC Group when it announced last summer the five municipalities would be receiving the grants. The consultant has extensive experience in working with local governments in helping to revitalize downtowns.
Trustee Karen Schleimer said one of her top priorities would be to have signage directing where people can park.
“I think the thing that I see that’s really high on my list is the where-to-park signs because if we’re looking to get people in from out of Mount Kisco, and they don’t know where our parking lots are or where to go, I think that would be extremely helpful,” she said.
Deputy Mayor Theresa Flora said one of the quickest improvements that could be made would be to the village website. On other municipalities’ websites, parking lots and local attractions are easily located, she said.
Trustee Lisa Abzun offered that the village consider more spaces where the public can sit and relax outside would also be beneficial for the village.
Cindrich said one of the objectives is to give property owners reasons to invest in their properties, which would improve the village.
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/
