The Saw Mill River Coalition

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.

Saw Mill River Coalition
Meeting Minutes
Thursday, January 22, 2004, 10:00 A.M. to 12:30 P.M.
Pace University, Pleasantville, NY
PRESENT: Justin Bloom, Riverkeeper; Carol Capobianco, Saw Mill River
Coalition; Joanne Dittersdorf, NPS Rivers & Trails; Joan Jennings,
Yonkers Downtown/Waterfront BID; Joe Kiernan, Scenic Hudson; Rick
Magder, Groundwork Yonkers; Dick Manley, Beczak Environmental Education
Center; Diane Miller, Westchester County Planning Dept.; Ann-Marie
Mitroff, Dobbs Ferry; Marie Rippo; Groundwork Yonkers; Alix Schnee,
Rockefeller State Park Preserve; Lucille Sciacca, Philipse Manor Hall
State Historic Site; Angelo Spillo, Pace Environmental Center
INTRODUCTIONS: All present introduced themselves. Carol handed out to
each person an 8×10 color reproduction of a map of the Saw Mill River
Basin, the file of which was provided by the Westchester County
Planning Department. She will email an electronic file to all coalition
members. Marie Rippo of Groundwork Yonkers once again recorded the
minutes. Carol announced that this would be Marie’s last meeting, as
she is leaving Groundwork Yonkers. The coalition thanked her with a
round of applause. Since the coalition is not a voting board, review of
meeting minutes was not deemed necessary. Copies of the minutes will
continue to be sent to all coalition members via email.
REPORTS:
• Army Corps/Westchester County Project: Carol has been in touch with David
Kvinge, Director Environmental Planning for the County, who spoke about
the project at the coalition’s last meeting. Carol reiterated the
coalition’s desire to be part of the decision-making process for all
plans along the Saw Mill River; she will send a written request to the
county. David has said he would like to keep the Saw Mill Coalition
up-to-date and involved, as it represents a variety of perspectives and
issues and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table.
Carol asked the coalition how it could ensure that the plans eventually
designed for the project incorporate the most up-to-date and
environmentally sensitive methods. Joanne and Anne-Marie suggested
identifying specialists who could review the plans. Justin reminded us
that any plan would be subject to a full environmental impact study.
Rick wanted specifics on the locations that will be impacted. Carol
mentioned that though a few had been determined in the preliminary
analysis, the scope might be expanded. A suggestion was made to set up
a sub-committee for the project. At present, the contract between the
County and the Army Corps is being finalized, after which the two
parties will have an initial meeting to discuss financing, strategy,
responsibilities, and community involvement. Carol will remain in
contact with David.
• Environmental Security: Carol has sent a letter
to the County Executive on behalf of the coalition, thanking him for
starting up the environmental security unit. Ron Gatto, the director of
the unit who attended our last meeting, recently told Carol that he
again got a tipoff from a jogger on the South County Trailway of
another dumping site along the Saw Mill River, which he is
investigating. A question was raised as to whether there are signs
along the river or pathway asking citizens to report dumping, etc. Rick
indicated that the coalition could perhaps help with signage.
• Identity: Members voted to retain the name of the group as the Saw Mill
River Coalition. Joanne has contracted with a designer to create a logo
for the coalition.
• Organizational: Carol is now set up with a
computer and space at the Groundwork Yonkers office, where she now
works on Mondays and Thursdays.
• Daylighting: Ray Curran of Scenic
Hudson, who has been working on this project to uncover the river in
downtown Yonkers, told Carol that things are moving along. He will have
more to report at the next meeting. Carol received a call from Dan
Richmond of Zarin & Steinmetz in White Plains, which represents
“Save Our Stores” (C&H Martin and others). The
group has filed suit against the city on the proposed stadium issue at
Chicken Island, in part challenging the environmental findings
(contaminants, stormwater) of the EIS. Carol explained to the attorney
the mission of the coalition and that it would not be inclined to join
the lawsuit. She told him that Scenic Hudson’s plans to resituate the
stadium by a few feet so that it isn’t built atop the river might help
some of the stores. He said he would call Ray. But in conversations
with Carol, Ray said he had not received a call. Justin said that the
law firm had first contacted Riverkeeper, which passed on litigation.
Joan informed us that only three of the 19 stores affected have joined
the lawsuit. She said that the BID is working to relocate the
businesses nearby.
• Stormwater Monitoring Program: Work on this EPA
grant project is under way. Carol has arranged a conference call for
February 9 with key people to determine protocol, parameters, and
logistics for the monitoring project. Doug Reed of Hudson Basin River
Watch has helped to identify the list of advisors and will be
instrumental on the project. He and Carol will be joined on the call by
Harry Hall, the Saunders High teacher whose students will help with the
monitoring; Gary Wall of USGS; Kevin Malone of DEC; Karis Tenneson of
Westchester County; and Rick Magder of Groundwork Yonkers, who wrote
the grant.
STRATEGIC DIRECTION:
• Action Plan: The committee (Carol, Joanne, Diane,
and Scott Cuppett) has been working on an action plan to help focus the
direction of the coalition for the next few years. Carol handed out a
list of possible projects identified by the committee and asked the
coalition to help determine the priorities, beyond those determined by
grant obligations. Much discussion ensued as to how to prioritize the
list, whether it could be prioritized without a firm mission statement,
what the coalition will do as a group, and the need for the coalition
to develop an organizational foundation. Angelo said creating structure
is difficult but essential and will ensure a professional image. He
suggested that the coalition form a committee to tackle such issues as
bylaws and mission statement. He will share with Carol the bylaws and
process as decided on for KEEP (his Kensico group). Some members were
not aware of the working mission statement, which is as follows: The
Saw Mill River Coalition is a dynamic partnership of nonprofit groups,
government agencies, municipalities, and businesses dedicated to
revitalizing and protecting the Saw Mill River, a tributary of the
Hudson River. Its mission is to improve water quality, encourage
sustainable land use, restore habitat and wildlife, promote
recreational opportunities, and raise awareness of the river’s history
and significance. Coalition members shared their ideas of what the
coalition should focus on and whether the coalition should initiate its
own projects or support and coordinate the activities of each member as
it relates to the Saw Mill River. The action plan has elicited many
diverse ideas and opinions, even at the committee level, necessitating
several drafts, and has taken up much of the limited time Carol has to
spend on fulfilling other grant requirements. To alleviate the demands,
Joanne and Rick volunteered to take the action plan to the next stage.
• Funding: Rick spoke about the need to continue supporting the
coordinator’s position long-term and to expand it to a full-time level.
The first of two HREP grants is winding down. The second one will kick
in later this year. Most of the funding for Carol’s two-day-a-week
position this year will be generated from the EPA grant. Rick would
like to explore the possibility of county support for the position.
Diane suggested looking to municipalities for funding as well.
NEW BUSINESS: 
• Great Hudson River Sweep: Joe Kiernan, volunteer
coordinator for Scenic Hudson, presented information about the 7th
annual Great Hudson River Sweep, which will be held April 17-25 this
year. He said the cleanup can be along
the Hudson, its tributaries, or even a park near the river, and
encouraged the coalition to get involved. Scenic Hudson provides trash
bags, refreshments, and helps with publicity. Because much of the trash
in the Saw Mill collects midstream along fallen trees, safety is a
concern. Rick asked if volunteers were covered in case of injury. Carol
has spoken to Cynthia Fowx of Beczak, which traditionally has been
involved with the event on its Hudson River beachfront and extending to
the mouth of the Saw Mill River. The coalition may want to assist the
Beczak, or Cynthia said she can help supply volunteers if we decide to
do a cleanup on the Saw Mill River itself. Rick recently spoke to
businessman Tom Minozzi, who in the past has hired men to clean up the
Saw Mill in front of his business in Hastings-on-Hudson. We may
coordinate a cleanup with him. The Westchester Environmental Club high
school students may also be interested. Carol will coordinate
interested parties either for a river cleanup or for direct contact to
Scenic Hudson.
• Imaging of the River field trip: This exhibit at the
Hudson River Museum features a segment about the Saw Mill River. Carol
is arranging for a private tour of the exhibit for coalition members
either on a weekday or weekday evening. She will send out information
as plans develop. Members also were interested in visiting the Saw Mill
River Brewery. Discussion earlier in the meeting spoke of the river’s
historical role in running liquor during Prohibition.
• Save Water, Safe Water Conference: Ann-Marie said brochures will be available in
February for the conference, to be held March 24 at the County Center.
The Saw Mill River Coalition will be a co-sponsor of the event.
• Yonkers Canoe and Kayak Club: Joan reported that the county is trying
to evict the group because of a perceived environmental threat to the
wetlands that are being developed. The City of Yonkers and the Downtown
BID are supporting ways to keep the club on the waterfront.
• National Trails Day: Lucille said the event is June 5. She would like to
coordinate a joint venture with Philipse Manor Hall and the coalition,
perhaps a hike or bird walk. She’ll be in touch with Carol.
• Stormwater Management: Diane reported on a workshop in April by the
Center for Watershed Protection. More to come.
• Photo exhibit: Carol announced that her husband, Joseph Squillante, has been asked to
exhibit his work at the opening of the Rivers and Estuaries Center in
Beacon on February 14. She will send out invitations via email to all
coalition members.
NEXT MEETING: End of April. Date to be determined.

Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, September 14, 2004, 10:00 A.M. to 12:30 P.M.
Pace University, Pleasantville, NY
PRESENT: Lisa Amato, Scenic Hudson; Jan Blaire, Irvington and FCWC;
Carol Capobianco, Saw Mill River Coalition; Theresa Conway,
Pleasantville; Ray Curran, Scenic Hudson; Dorothy Fitch, Park Hill Land
Conservancy; Kenneth Greehan, City of Yonkers; Lorraine Kuhn, Village
of Ardsley; Dave Kvinge, Westchester County Planning Dept.; Lawrence
Lee, Village of Elmsford; Victoria Marshall, Columbia University;
Robert McCrillis, Saw Mill River Audubon; Ann-Marie Mitroff, Groundwork
Yonkers; Mark Stellato, Town of Greenburgh; Carolyn Summers,
Hastings-on-Hudson and FCWC; Victor Tafur, Riverkeeper; Kathy
Tucciarone, Village of Pleasantville; Stan Wecker, Saw Mill River
Audubon; MJ Wilson, Irvington
INTRODUCTIONS: All present introduced themselves. Due to the many new
faces, Carol gave a background summary of the Saw Mill River Coalition,
Groundwork Yonkers, and current projects. She had sent notice of this
meeting to the top elected officials and managers of each of the 12
communities in the watershed, as well as to other municipal contacts
and all Coalition participants.
WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLAN: ARMY CORPS/WESTCHESTER COUNTY: The primary
focus of this meeting was to discuss the scope of work for the
management plan. Dave Kvinge, Director of Environmental Planning for
Westchester County who will coordinate the project, explained its
history, process, and funding. In 1999, the Army Corps completed a
reconnaissance study to identify sites for restoration. Sites in
several communities and the county were included in the report, but
only the county stayed on as a non-federal matching fund partner. This
current project has two main elements: 1) Ecosystem restoration of two
County-owned sites, the Stump Dump in Elmsford and upstream of
Woodlands Lake in Irvington, and 2) the drafting of a watershed
management plan for the entire Saw Mill River Basin. For the watershed
management plan, the County will use as a guideline the scope of work
it has crafted for other waterbodies in the County, most notably the
Bronx River and Croton Bay. The County will also draw on the input from
the Coalition, which already exists as an alliance of stakeholders
(municipalities, government organizations, nonprofits, businesses,
schools, individuals, et al.) Together we well collect and consolidate
recommendations and the identification of specific hot spots and try to
integrate these into the draft working document before the Army Corps’
public scoping session this fall (date and location to be announced).
The development of an intermunicipal agreement may be useful in this
undertaking. Dave said that this $2.5 million project will be funded
only $93,000 this year and $50,000 next year, so will go at a slower
pace; it was originally scheduled to be completed end of 2005. Among
the tasks the county aims to achieve is the collection of detailed
information about the Saw Mill River watershed, such as land use data
and other mapping, pollutant loading and other modeling, local
regulations, and floodways. Dave emphasized that the study is one of
ecosystem restoration, but said there is a lot of overlap with
flooding. We recognize that the way the flooding problem is dealt with
can impact other communities and affect the overall health of the river
as well. (Copies of Carol’s letter to the NY Times re: need for
watershed-wide planning was made available at the meeting)
The watershed management plan will be a technical document addressing
problem sites and presenting best management practices to reduce volume
and improve water quality. Each meeting attendee then gave input on
concerns of their affiliations. Pleasantville: Flooding (Thornwood and
Grant St.), dumping, and streamside restoration and cleanup (Parkway
Terrace between Bedford Road and Rte. 117) Elmsford: Flooding (and
resulting traffic and safety problems), stormwater, trash, enforcement
of environmental laws Yonkers: Environmental awareness Irvington:
Invasive plants, education Hastings-on-Hudson: Mapping of
wetlands, land use Greenburgh: Land use, flooding, and future
management of stormwater facilities Ardsley: DPW facility management
Park Hill Land Conservancy: Vines, planting of meadows and native
species that require lower maintenance Scenic Hudson: Daylighting the
river. Ray Curran, senior planner, gave an update of the efforts to
uncover the Saw Mill River in Yonkers. After an initial report that was
sent to the Governor’s office, Scenic Hudson followed up with a cost
analysis and feasibility study of daylighting the area at Chicken
Island and Larkin Plaza. The city and the development group both have
embraced the idea. The developer would like to expand on this effort
and upgrade the river north of the proposed ball stadium area (Chicken
Island) as well. Talks are in the preliminary stages at the city and
state levels to determine unresolved issues such as funding, permits,
lawsuits, etc. Carol will send the ideas/concerns generated at the
meeting to the county and Army Corps before the public scoping session.
Carol has already sent the project partners a number of issues (see
below) and has spoken at length to the Army Corps’ Project Biologist.
According to the biologist, at the public scoping session the Army
Corps will explain the scope of work and field questions. Public
comments will be taken in the weeks following the session. Carol will
notify the Coalition of the meeting date and time.
REPORTS:
• Columbia University: Victoria Marshall, a professor with the school’s Urban
Design graduate program, spoke about the program and its interest in
the Saw Mill River this semester. After site visits in October, the
students will choose from several projects proposed by Carol, Dave, and
the instructors. The results can provide meaningful data and
information to the Coalition and its work.
• Storm drain markers: Carol
showed the prototype of storm drain markers for Saw Mill River and
Hudson River catch basins being produced by the DEC. A small number of
markers will be made available through the Hudson River Estuary Program
and Hudson Basin River Watch for adhering to the curb of storm drains.
The Saw Mill River Coalition has been asked to help with this
educational outreach. Some communities have already expressed interest
in participating.
• Make a Difference Day: The County Parks Department
and the Coalition will team up to do either a cleanup or vine removal
project along the Saw Mill River on October 23 as part of this
nationwide event. Carol will notify the Coalition as details develop.
NEXT MEETING: Mid-December. Specific date to be announced.
ADDENDUM: Because of time constraints the following information was not
reported in detail at the meeting. Watershed Management Plan: This is
the first flush of ideas/concerns Carol sent to Army Corps and
Westchester County. > Improved public access > Habitat and
wildlife restoration > Removing and preventing floatables >
Improved water quality > Identifying all storm drains and illicit
discharges > Preventing stormwater pollution > Identifying the
Saw Mill’s impact on the Hudson River > Impervious surface modeling
> Restoring streambanks and preventing further soil erosion >
Open space and biodiversity inventories > Invasive plant removal and
replacement with native vegetation > Mapping of Saw Mill River
tributaries
> BMPs for road maintenance (salting, etc.) > Daylighting the
river (or as much as is feasible)
> Renovating Corps projects to restore ecosystems that have been
degraded
> Rectifying remaining flooding issues in an ecologically sound
manner (including wetlands restoration, wise land use practices, open
space protection, and possible retrofits in developed areas)
> Improved recreational opportunities, including connecting to
Croton Aqueduct and Hudson River greenway trails and completing the
South-North County trailways link; fishing opportunities; boating
opportunities; passive recreation opportunities
Departures: The National Parks Service Rivers & Trails Program
will be ending its technical assistance to the Saw Mill River
Coalition. Joanne Dittersdorf, who has been the NPS representative,
played an important role in the Coalition’s development. Her knowledge
of organizational process and of similar programs on other rivers,
including the Bronx River, helped in building the Coalition. Justin
Bloom, staff attorney at Riverkeeper, has played a supportive and
informative role with the Coalition. He and Carol learned more about
the Saw Mill River together in a tubing escapade from Chappaqua to
Pleasantville last year. Justin is leaving Riverkeeper to help start up
Urban Green in Brooklyn, an organization that will focus on
environmental issues that affect New York City. A big thanks to Joanne
and Justin, and welcome Victor Tafur, who will be our new liaison at
Riverkeeper. Stormwater monitoring: Interns from Saunders Trades and
Technical School and Manhattan College, under the supervision of
Professor Rich Carbonaro, conducted baseline and storm water quality
sampling this past summer at sites in Yonkers, through a grant to the
Coalition from the EPA. After gathering samples in dry and wet weather
conditions, with the help of automated equipment, the interns analyzed
the data at the Manhattan College labs. Saunders Environmental Tech
teacher Harry Hall and his students will carry on the project this
semester. Some of the initial findings: Ammonia and total coliform
levels increased over the course of the storm; orthophosphates and
conductivity decreased. Additional testing and a more complete analysis
are still to be done. For a further description of the project, see the
web site the interns produced,
http://home.manhattan.edu/~richard.carbonaro/sawmill.html Funding
prospects: The Coalition is waiting to hear back on several proposals,
including two HREP grants (intermunicipal work and restoration), the
Westchester Community Foundation (biodiversity restoration), the City
of Yonkers (stormwater outreach assistance), and an Environmental
Benefit Fund possibility through the County DA’s office and Riverkeeper
(monitoring/coalition building).
Outreach:
• Carol completed the PowerPoint presentation,
“The Saw Mill River: Challenges and Champions of an Urban Stream,”
and presented it at the DEC Hudson River Watershed
Roundtable meeting on urban streams
• Our logo has been finalized, with
the help of Joanne Dittersdorf and the National Parks Service
• Continued to meet with municipalities and organizations about the
river; outreach to DOT Groundwork USA National Conference: Groundwork
Yonkers will host this year’s event. Groundwork programs from around
the United States and other countries, as well as representatives from
the EPA and the National Parks Service will convene in Yonkers next
month. The session on Thursday, October 21, is open to the public.
Morning discussions will focus on building healthy communities, and the
afternoon session will be site visits to Groundwork Yonkers projects,
including the Saw Mill River. The meeting is free of charge and begins
at 9:30 a.m. at the Yonkers Downtown Riverfront Library.

Meeting Minutes
Friday, January 28, 2005, 10 A.M. to 12:30 P.M.
Campus Center, Pace University, Pleasantville, NY
PRESENT: Karl Ahlen, Army Corps of Engineers;
Lisa Amato, Scenic Hudson; Jan Blaire, Irvington and FCWC;
Justin Bloom, Urban Green;
Camilla Calhoun; Carol Capobianco, Saw Mill River Coalition; Debra
Cohen, attorney;
Scott Cuppett, NYS DEC Hudson River Estuary; Ray Curran, Scenic Hudson;
Bob DelTorto, Westchester Count Parks Dept.; Lee Ellman, City of
Yonkers; Peter Feroe, Rep. Nita Lowey’s office; Leila Goldmark,
Riverkeeper; Kenneth Greehan, City of Yonkers; Jeanne Gural, Scenic
Hudson;
Elisabeth Kolb, NYS DOT; Lorraine Kuhn, Village of Ardsley; Dave
Kvinge, Westchester County Planning; Lawrence Lee, Village of Elmsford;
Rick Magder, Groundwork Yonkers; Dick Manley, Beczak Environmental Ed
Center; Robert McCrillis, Saw Mill River Audubon;
Jodi McDonald, Army Corps of Engineers; Ann-Marie Mitroff, Groundwork
Yonkers; Emmett Pepper, Citizens Campaign forthe Env; David Rambo, Town
of New Castle;
Kimberly Rightler, Army Corps of Engineers; Kathleen Savolt, Beczak
Environ. Ed Center; Jesse Sayles, NYS DEC Hudson River Estuary; Alix
Schnee, Rockefeller State Park Preserve; Mark Stellato, Town of
Greenburgh; Andrew Tiess, Village of Mount Kisco; James J. Vanoli, Town
of Mount Pleasant; Lisa Weiss, NYS DOT; Jean Zimmerman, author
INTRODUCTIONS: All present introduced themselves. Carol congratulated
and thanked Ray Curran of Scenic Hudson for his work on the daylighting
issue and the recent attention it gained when Governor Pataki mentioned
his support for the project in his State of the State address. Carol
also thanked Justin Bloom for his part in helping the Coalition secure
$100,000 from Riverkeeper and the Westchester DA’s office through an
environmental pollution case. A press release about the case was handed
out, as was a New York Times article about the daylighting of the
river, and a New York Times article about the Coalition’s stormwater
monitoring program funded by an EPA grant.
SPECIAL PRESENTATION: ROAD SALTING PRACTICES.
Elisabeth Kolb, Maintenance Environmental Coordinator for
NYS DOT Region 8, discussed best management practices
and the latest technology in road salting. Among her key points: Snow
removal is expensive, the DOT spends $100 million for winter highway
maintenance. Early response is important. Create a “brine sandwich,” a
layer of brine between the snow and pavement. In this way, less energy
is needed to remove the snow and ice. The goal is to keep the brine
layer alive, otherwise seven times more salt is needed. Know the
temperature of the pavement as well as the air; the DOT trucks are
fitted with sensors that record both, and in some regions the DOT is
using in-pavement sensors to measure pavement temperatures to determine
when to start spreading salt. Salt is only effective down to 15
degrees. Saw Mill River Coalition Calibrated spreaders adjust the rate of salt
spreading to the speed of the truck. David Rambo of the DPW in New
Castle, said the town bought new trucks outfitted with these spreaders
for $100,000 each. However older equipment can be retrofitted with the
automated spreaders, presumably at a lower cost. The automated
spreaders eliminate such waste of salt as the commonly seen mounds left
at traffic lights after the truck has stopped for a red light. Carol
mentioned that if municipalities are interested in purchasing automated
spreaders, perhaps they can get a better price if purchasing together
in a single order. The Coalition can help coordinate this. The DOT’s
storm plan tools include solid chemicals such as salt, liquid
chemicals, sand, and other methods. Some of the alternatives, though
less corrosive, are high in nutrients, which negatively affect
waterways. High salt concentrations also negatively impact waterways
and contaminate drinking wells, but the DOT has found it to be the most
effective overall. The DOT is continually studying ways to reduce the
amount of salt that must be
used for driver safety. Kenny Greehan of the DPW in Yonkers noted that
safety, not the environment, is the primary concern of communities, and
the only way for this to change is if the state creates standards for
municipalities to adopt. Jesse Sayles of the NYS DEC posed that a
snow-tire policy and snow removal and filtration technology would help
alleviate environmental salting issues. Another way municipalities can
reduce salt intrusion into waterways is to cover their salt storage
areas. The DOT had to replace 100 salt domes due to structural
deficiencies, which caused worker safety concerns. The new storage shed
design is of canvas and cement. Elisabeth encouraged municipalities to
share information with others about what works and doesn’t work and
invited communities to attend, at no cost, the DOT’s annual Snow
University, which teaches the latest methods of effective snow removal.
WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLAN: ARMY CORPS/WESTCHESTER COUNTY REPORT.
Dave Kvinge, Director of Environmental Planning for Westchester County, and
the Army Corps of Engineers’ Karl Ahlen, Project Manager; Kimberly
Rightler, Project Biologist; and Jodi McDonald, Rivers & Lakes
Section Chief, explained the work plan for the year for the Saw Mill
River ecosystem restoration and watershed management plan. Restoration
study and work will begin at the Stump Dump in Elmsford. For the
watershed management plan, the parties will gather existing information
from various agencies such as the DOT and FEMA and overlapping data
from County Watershed Advisory Committees. Karl said that had funding
been unlimited, the project would be completed in two to three years,
but this won’t be the case. Lawrence Lee of the Village of Elmsford
brought up the problem of flooding and asked why, after several studies
and great cost, the issue is not prioritized ahead of restoration. Karl
explained that at the time of the flooding study several years ago, the
economics were not favorable but that the issue is being revisited. He
said flood control is separate from the current projects with
Westchester County as the non-federal partner. The Coalition is being
viewed as an integral part of the watershed management plan. Carol had
available at the meeting the comment letter she wrote on behalf of the
Coalition in response to the public scoping session in October 2004.
She also noted a recent need for a watershed management plan: The New
York City DEP is building a UV filtration plant for the NYC drinking
water supply on land in Mount Pleasant and Greenburgh along a Saw Mill
River tributary. The DEP plans to remove 62 acres of forest and fill
three acres of wetlands, but plans to mitigate these losses outside the
Saw Mill River watershed. She has sent a comment letter requesting
mitigation within the Saw Mill River watershed,
and the affected towns also are requesting this, especially
in that they both suffer from flooding. Jim Vanoli, Town Engineer for
Mount Pleasant, said he would work with Carol to determine some
mitigation sites in the watershed. Dave said it is important to have a
list of such sites so that when opportunities and grants become
available we know where to focus attention. A watershed management plan
will assist in this area. Carol noted that Ann-Marie Mitroff, Pollution
Prevention Director, is drafting an Intermunicipal Agreement focusing
on communities working together on this and other issues. The
discussion remained on the subject of flooding, as it is persistent in
several communities. Jim explained the stormwater controls for a
particular development project in Mount Pleasant a few years ago. Carol
mentioned that we need to start thinking about retrofitting the
landscape rather than looking at stream channelization as a solution.
It is clear, too, that the Army Corps has limited funding during this
time of war. Ways in which communities can take action on flooding on
their own included cleaning out catch basins, finding and eliminating
illicit discharges, and
identifying backups in the stream channel caused by downed trees. Scott
Cuppett of the DEC said that in general, removing downed trees is not
the best practice. The fallen trees supply some of the last refuges in
the river for aquatic life. He suggested retrofitting the landscape,
starting at the top of the watershed and working down. Jan Blaire of
Irvington and the FCWC seconded the catch basin cleanup and
Intermunicipal Agreement ideas and recommended, in addition, the use of
more pervious surfaces and an education campaign. Carol noted that
she’d like to see communities work together on the issue of trash as
well, perhaps doing away with open-mouthed storm drains that let in
soda bottles and other large garbage items that end up in the river and
replacing them with grates that accept only storm water, such as can be
seen in Manhattan and elsewhere.
DAYLIGHTING REPORT: Ray Curran, Senior Planner with Scenic Hudson,
updated us on the efforts to uncover the river in Yonkers, an issue
that recently received media attention after Gov. Pataki announced his
support in his State of the State address. Ray gave an overview of the
project, which will include Chicken Island and Larkin Plaza. The
developer chosen by the City of Yonkers for the ball stadium, which
worked on the Baltimore inner harbor development, embraces the idea and
is looking at other restoration opportunities along the Saw Mill River
as well. The state had provided some funding for a feasibility study
last year, and now Scenic Hudson has received additional funding from
the state for an ecological analysis. Jeanne Gural, a field biologist
with Scenic Hudson, said they would take a “mosaic approach,” looking
to create pocket habitats. More technical analysis needs to be done and
some additional state funding is expected. During the lively discussion
of the daylighting project, which included the history of the
redirecting and covering over of the river, it was mentioned that the
channelization of the stream into what is known as “The Flume” was an
Army Corps project. Jodi McDonald of the Army Corps said that if this
is so, funding might be available through a special Corps fund that
modifies past projects for ecosystem improvements. Kathy Savolt of the
Beczak Environmental Education Center said that her organization is
very interested in being involved in the educational aspect of the
daylighting, as the Center is within walking distance from Larkin
Plaza. The timeframe for daylighting is not scheduled, but Lee Ellman
of the Planning Dept. in Yonkers said that the deadline for the ball
stadium is 2007.
COORDINATOR’S REPORT: Carol briefly summarized some of the additional
projects she’s been working on that weren’t mentioned above.
• Funding—Besides the $100,000 environmental benefit fund that came
through Riverkeeper and the DA’s office, the Coalition received a grant
from the Westchester Community Foundation to help launch the Saw Mill
River RATs (Restoration Action Team). This project will engage
volunteers in restoring habitat along the river with the aim of
increasing biodiversity.
• Stormwater outreach—the DEC HREP provided
125 stormdrain markers that say “Don’t Dump, Drains to the Saw Mill
River” to be placed by volunteers in the spring in Yonkers, Elmsford,
and Pleasantville.
• Land use—several communities are considering
proposed developments along the river, which need to be monitored for
ecological sensitivity.
• Media/Education—Columbia University urban
design graduate students used the Saw Mill River for their fall
semester projects. The results will be posted to the school’s web site.
The Coalition teamed with Westchester County Parks for “Make a
Difference Day” in the fall in which volunteers removed invasive vines
along the river at Woodlands Lake. In addition to much media coverage
about the daylighting and polluter fine case, Carol was interviewed for
a half-hour program on Pleasantville Community TV, along with the village’s
Conservation Advisory Committee chair. By request from the NYS DEC and
Pace Land Use Center, Carol submitted nominations from each watershed
community to attend the Pace Land Use Center workshop this spring.
Carol also reviewed the work plan for the Coalition for 2005.
• Streambank & Habitat Restoration: River RATs program, Daylighting,
Stump Dump & Woodlands Lake;
• Stormwater & Pollution
Prevention: Water quality monitoring, stormdrain marking, investigating
an end to “floatables”;
• Watershed Management Plan—working with
County/Army Corps, Intermunicipal Agreement, land use issues,
investigating flood abatement.
NEXT MEETING: Spring. Specific date to
be announced.