Restaurateur Challenges Incumbents in Mt. Kisco Trustees Race

For the first time since 2010, Mount Kisco residents will have a contested trustee election for the Mount Kisco Village Board.

Democrats Anthony Markus and Peter Grunthal will look to fend off a challenge from Isidora (Isi) Albanese, who is on the independent 4MK line.

Albanese

Albanese said he has been asked by residents in previous years to run for office. This time he decided to take up the challenge.

The chief motivation for Albanese, 59, to seek office is because “I found a leader” in Gina Picinich, the mayoral challenger.

“I believe in what she stands for,” he said. “We can make a big contribution and make the positive changes that Mount Kisco needs.”

The village’s downtown needs revitalization, Albanese said. Chappaqua and Katonah are enhancing their downtowns and the village needs to make its business district more vibrant and business-friendly while sending a message that “Mount Kisco is open for business,” he said.

With many positive features, including Northern Westchester Hospital, medical offices and restaurants, Albanese said the village should be a destination. He recommended the village hold an open house and invite landlords and those considering opening a business.

“There’s a reason for everybody to come here,” he said.

One of Albanese’s ideas to increase parking is to invite developers to build a structure with commercial uses on the first floor, apartments upstairs and parking behind the building. That could be located near the South Moger Avenue parking lot.

“It would increase our tax revenue. It would bring new people to Mount Kisco,” he said. “At the same time, it doesn’t cost anything.”

Albanese supports the $10.25 million firehouse referendum to pay for renovations and additions to the three facilities. However, the village board should have held more information sessions to more effectively communicate the need for the bond to residents, he said.

Albanese said the consolidation of the village’s police department with the Westchester County Department of Public Safety has been a success.

“The service is phenomenal,” he said.

Albanese, who owns Exit 4 restaurant on East Main Street and has owned many other eateries, said he has listened carefully about attracting more businesses to the downtown from residents. One potential idea is to create a space in the downtown where residents could meet, he said.

Although supportive of more senior housing to address an aging population, Albanese is against the village allowing the 129-unit complex for seniors on Kisco Mountain.

Albanese, who was born in Italy and immigrated with his family to Mount Kisco in 1968, said he hoped to make the village a more close-knit community.

Grunthal

Grunthal, 74, is in his second tenure on the board. He was first appointed to fill an unexpired term in 2003, and left the board in 2010. Three years ago, Grunthal was appointed following the death of George Griffin.

Grunthal is seeking re-election because he wants to continue to give back to the village.

“I love living here. I’m extremely happy that I landed up in Westchester County,” said Grunthal who moved to Mount Kisco in 1998 from Chappaqua and enjoys the community’s diversity. “I grew up in South Africa. It was a police state.”

Grunthal has pushed environmental initiatives, including the village’s purchase of several acres near Byram Lake, the village’s drinking water source. He’s advocated for a ban on single-use plastic bags.

The longtime trustee was influential as head of a committee in helping streamlining the planning board approval process for new businesses. The Planning Board should be reduced from seven to five members to make it easier to attain a quorum, he said.

Meanwhile, the village is in strong financial shape.

“We have made every effort to keep taxes as low as possible and we’ve been successful in keeping the taxes very steady, below the tax cap, for several years,” Grunthal said. “At the same time, we’ve built up enough in the way of capital reserves that we’re now able to undertake necessary infrastructure changes without borrowing.”

The $10.25 million referendum on Election Day that would fund renovations and expansion of the village’s three firehouses is crucial, he said.

Grunthal said the village’s decision to consolidate police services with the Westchester County Department of Public Safety has resulted in multiple benefits to village residents, including more patrol cars on the road, greater professionalism and less overtime.

While Grunthal acknowledges the downtown must be revitalized and empty storefronts filled, one of Mount Kisco’s key commercial property owners, Friedland Properties, has been unwilling to accept tenants until it obtains its desired rent, Grunthal said. Once the Comprehensive Plan is updated it should be a guide for attracting new businesses to the village.

The board should consider ways to encourage transit oriented development, Grunthal said. There could be new townhouses constructed at the site of the village’s South Moger parking lot with a new parking structure to replace the lost spaces, he said.

“Hopefully that will bring young families into town and bring business into town and vitality into town,” he said.

The village is also executing a new streetscape plan, Grunthal said, that involves sidewalk and curb paving and tree replanting to make downtown more attractive.

Grunthal said he opposes the 129-unit senior housing development proposed for Kisco Mountain. While he supported a previous agreement, there should be no development there despite the developer’s offer for the land increasing this summer to $5 million.

“At the end of the day there are some things more valuable than money,” he said.

Grunthal said he supported the concept of creating senior housing on Radio Circle, which would require a zoning change from the village board.

Markus

Markus, a 14-year trustee, is seeking another term because he wants to continue his public service.

Markus, 56, said he grew up in the diverse Riverdale section of the Bronx, but eventually moved to Mount Kisco, which resembled the community where he grew up.

“I wanted my son to be raised in a community that did expose him to the variations Mount Kisco has,” said Markus, an attorney. “I really feel that I want to continue to dedicate myself to making this community stay this way and to have it grow with the times as best we can.”

Chairman of the village’s Finance Committee, Markus said Mount Kisco is in strong financial shape. The village is ranked second in Westchester with its fund balance-expense ratio, he said. He also encouraged the village to refinance its bonds, saving $1.2 million.

During his tenure, the bond rating has improved to AA2, the highest rating Mount Kisco can attain, he said. The positive bond rating means the village can borrow at low interest rates of between 2 and 3 percent.

“I think we’ve been pretty fiscally prudent” while hiring strong employees, he said.

The Finance Committee recently provided its report on how to finance water projects, including replacing water lines, which will cost about $20 million. That can be paid for by borrowing but by also taking money out of fund balance while the village maintains its water rates, Markus said. The strong fiscal management enables the village to undertake infrastructure projects.

“We’re not going to have any trouble doing it,” he said.

The consolation of the village’s police department with the county has been successful, Markus said, saving the village more than $1 million annually while improving public safety.

Markus said he supports the referendum that would allow the village to borrow up to $10.25 million to renovate and expand its three firehouses. It would cost the village $6 million just to bring the buildings up to code without additions, he said.

Markus said the village was “turning a corner” when it comes to filling vacant downtown storefronts. New businesses have recently opened, and with planned streetscape improvements, the downtown business climate is improving, he said.

A committee will make recommendations to revise the village’s Comprehensive Plan. Officials plan to explore a transit oriented district that would include mixed-use buildings, Markus said.

He said the village must “attract the kinds of businesses that people want to see.”

“I think Mount Kisco is still a go-to destination,” Markus said.

Comments that the village was slow to respond to the rash of vacancies was unfair criticism.

“I think it was pretty swift and pretty aggressive,” he said. “Things in government take longer than in private industry.”

Markus said no contract has been signed for the 129-unit senior housing project proposed for Kisco Mountain. The project and the sale of the property is on hold after the board heard a torrent of criticism from residents. Markus is leaning in favor of preserving Kisco Mountain.

“They educated the board with a lot more information,’ he said. “It wasn’t something I was briefed on all the time.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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