May,13 2004 Meeting Minutes
Saw Mill River Coalition
Meeting Minutes
Thursday, May 13, 2004, 10:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M.
Pace University, Pleasantville, NY
PRESENT: Justin Bloom, Riverkeeper; Carol Capobianco, Saw Mill River
Coalition; Ray Curran, Scenic Hudson; Joanne Dittersdorf, National Park
Service, Rivers & Trails; Diana Hesse, Hudson Valley Regional
Council; Dave Kvinge, Westchester County Planning Dept.; Rick Magder,
Groundwork Yonkers; Ann-Marie Mitroff, Groundwork Yonkers; Lucille
Sciacca, Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site
INTRODUCTIONS: All present introduced themselves. Ann-Marie was
introduced as a new member of the Groundwork Yonkers staff who will be
working part-time as Pollution Prevention Director on Saw Mill River
projects. Carol announced the departure of Diane Miller, who worked in
the County Planning Dept. and is now a Wetland Construction Specialist
for Environmental Concern in Maryland. Diane was an active member and
stalwart supporter of the coalition who greatly assisted us in our
development. Dave Kvinge, Director of Environmental Planning, will now
be our primary contact with the County.
REPORTS:
• Coordinator’s report:
Carol mentioned that her first meeting with the coalition was a year
ago in May and thanked everyone for their support and assistance. She
cited a quote: “Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is
a slow, ripening fruit” (Aristotle), saying it was appropriate as she
reflects on the past year and the continued growth and outreach of the
coalition. We must recognize that earning the trust and respect of
organizations and municipalities within the watershed takes nurturing
and time. Carol reported that the months since the last coalition
meeting have been busy, with work on the stormwater monitoring project
(EPA grant), the intermunicipal agreement project (HREP grant), and
putting the finishing touches on the initial HREP grant (PowerPoint
presentation, outreach list, action plan, handout, logo, et al.).
• Stormwater monitoring (EPA grant): Carol reported that the project is
coming together and that the monitoring will begin in June. Among the
new developments is the involvement of Manhattan College and the City
of Yonkers Engineering Department. Manhattan College, which specializes
in environmental engineering and metals sampling (sediment metals are a
significant problem in the Saw Mill River), will work with students
from Saunders High in Yonkers to collect and test baseline and
stormwater samples at two or three sites in the lower part of the
river. Interns from both schools will work June to August, and Saunders
students will follow up with stream assessment, database work, and
other water quality studies in the fall. Under the grant, the coalition
will purchase automated monitoring equipment (Hydrolab’s Minisonde),
and Manhattan will use its automated samplers (ISCO) as well. The
interns will also analyze historical water quality data about the Saw
Mill River. The City of Yonkers Engineering Dept. is helping us select
secure, accessible testing sites that will ensure the safety of the
students and the equipment. Rick has asked the EPA for additional funds
to cover costs of a second probe and other support. A decision is
expected this month.
• Intermunicipal agreement (HREP grant): Ann-Marie
reported that she and Carol have begun outreach to municipalities in
the watershed with the focus on assisting them with their Phase II
stormwater requirements. The two have met with the City of Yonkers and
the Town of Greenburgh, and Ann-Marie has made contact with other
municipalities to set up additional meetings. We have reviewed the
Notice of Intent for each community to determine how we can be most
helpful and effective. The most viable areas seem to be the “public
education and outreach” and the “public participation and involvement”
segments of the six Phase II mandates. As each community begins work on
its annual progress report that is due to the DEC in June, we can
better assess the outstanding needs. We’re recognizing the shortage of
staff and resources in the communities
and aim to find common issues and cost-sharing possibilities among
several communities that will lead to an intermunicipal agreement for
the benefit of all. The outreach meetings are identifying additional
areas where the coalition can be helpful, such as in the Town of
Greenburgh, where the director of planning has asked that we consider
getting involved with a flooding issue of concern to businesses and
homeowners. Dave Kvinge reported that the County will be receiving a
grant for Phase II stormwater outreach and education and that he wants
to make sure the effort, in whatever form it takes, is meaningful. The
coalition will coordinate with the County to complement, and not
duplicate, its efforts. Dave also mentioned that the County is working
with the Adopt-a-Waterway program on Phase II requirements.
• Army Corps/County plans: Dave Kvinge and the County had their first meeting
with the Army Corps of Engineers regarding plans for the Saw Mill
River. The DOT was also at the meeting, because it is doing a study on
Route 9A in Elmsford, near the Route 287 overpass. Dave reported that
the Army Corps project comprises two components. One is an Ecosystem
Restoration Plan for two county-owned sites: the Stump Dump in
Elmsford, where the County hopes to continue the South County bike
path, and Woodlands Lake, where the plans are to trap sediment and
stabilize the streambank north of the lake. The second component of the
Army Corps/County project is a Watershed Management Plan for the Saw
Mill River. The aim is to collect as much data as possible, such as
land use, hydrology, soils, topography, et al., and make
recommendations for the watershed. The Army Corps would like to meet
with the Coalition to get our ideas/concerns prior to a planned public
scoping session in September. Dave emphasized that this is “not a flood
control plan.” The Army Corps is working on the Greenburgh/Elmsford
flooding problem separately from these two initiatives. Dave said that
Army Corps biologist Kimberly Rightler will be assigned to this
project, and it seems that biologists will be taking the lead on the
management plan. The Army Corps engineers at the meeting were Joe
Forcina and Carl Ahlen. Dave also informed us that the project is
expected to move “very slowly” because of funding. While the project is
estimated at $2.5 million, the Army Corps has only $93,000 this year
and $50,000 next year (both of which will be matched by the County). He
encouraged us, with Rick’s suggestion, that we ask our Congressional
representatives for help in releasing the funding to move the project
forward.
• Daylighting the river: The first public mention of the plans
to uncover the Saw Mill River at Chicken Island appeared in a Journal
News article of May 8 about the proposed ballpark. The article said
that Mayor Phil Amicone was negotiating with the state for funds “to
open up part of the Saw Mill River, which runs beneath a portion of the
site.” (Quotation is an excerpt from the article, not the mayor’s
quote.) Ray Curran, who has been spearheading the daylighting issue,
reported to us that Scenic Hudson, at the request of Yonkers, had hired
an engineering firm to determine the feasibility and general cost range
($1 million to $2 million) of opening the 920 feet of covered river at
Chicken Island. Governor Pataki is a proponent of the project as well.
Ray’s design and plans to relocate the stadium by a few feet and change
some of the original retail configurations to accommodate the
daylighting were nearly entirely adopted in the redesign for the site.
Lucille said she would like to see a museum/historical/educational
element at the site. Ray and Scenic Hudson are now working with the
engineering firm to investigate the feasibility and costs of
daylighting the river at Larkin Plaza.
• Hudson River Watershed Coalition: Justin attended the first couple of meetings of this new
group, coordinated by Manna Jo Green of Clearwater. The group does not
have a name yet and is just beginning to formulate its direction. It
aims to help Hudson River
watershed organizations and agencies by creating a clearinghouse of
information and networking opportunities. The Saw Mill River Coalition
would like to attend the meetings, time permitting, but in the
meantime, Justin said he would report back on meetings he attends.
• Action plan (HREP grant): Rick drafted an excellent action plan for the
Coalition, identifying goals, actions for 2004 based on current grants,
and ideas for the future that are not yet funded. The PowerPoint
presentation, also part of this grant, is near completion, as Carol
announced she will be making a presentation at next month’s Hudson
River Roundtable. CONTINUED FUNDING POSSIBILITIES Rick, Ann-Marie, and
Carol are working on other grants that will continue funding for the
coalition. We applied to the EPA for a grant to educate homeowners,
landscapers, and municipal workers on best management landscape
practices. We are considering a few options for the next round of HREP
grants and one for the Westchester Community Foundation. Justin
suggested we outreach to Riverkeeper board member and Yonkers
businessman John Abplanalp, owner of Precision Valve, located directly
on the Saw Mill River.
NEW BUSINESS:
• Dave Kvinge announced that the County is completing its
Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan and that plans for its new
acquisition, Hilltop Hanover Farm, are moving ahead.
• Carol reported
that she received a call from AKRF, planners and environmental
consultants working for the NYC DEP on the EIS for the UV filtration
plant that is proposed within the Saw Mill River watershed, near
Grasslands. The planner asked if we could recommend potential
mitigation wetland sites in the watershed, preferably in Mount Pleasant
or Greenburgh, for the acre or two of wetlands that may be disturbed
with the proposed project. Dave suggested we speak to Rob Doscher in
the County Planning Dept., find out the state-suggested ratio for
mitigation, and also look at the wetlands that will be disturbed to
determine if there is critical habitat that needs to be replaced.
NEXT MEETING: September. Specific date to be announced.