3 » Peabody Preserve 12-13 » Election 2014 17 » Horsemen Advance Your Most Trusted Source for Local News and Events November 2014 Serving Tarrytown, Sleepy Hollow, Irvington, Scarborough-on-Hudson and Ardsley-on-Hudson Vol. IX No. 11 First Public Outdoor Swimming Pool Irvington’s in Tarrytown to Open in 2016 Peyser Left by Rick Pezzullo His Mark on Residents in the Village of Tarrytown will be able to cool off in the summer months Village in a village-owned outdoor swimming pool, starting in 2016. A ceremonial groundbreaking ceremony by Paula Romanow Etzel was held October 10 with village officials and National Resources Principal Joseph Flags flew at half-mast in Irvington to Cotter, developer of Hudson Harbor, who honor former United States congressman reached an agreement with the village last and Irvington mayor, Peter Peyser, who year to construct a six-lane pool, kiddie died on October 9 at the age of 93. At a pool and recreational facility equipped with celebration of Peyser’s life at the Church of exercise apparatus and locker rooms on vil- St. Barnabas in Irvington where Peyser was lage-owned property on West Main Street, Taking part in the groundbreaking ceremony were (L-R:) Steve Antonucci, trustees an active parishioner, Peyser was remem- Tom Basher and Mary McGee, Mayor Drew Fixell, trustees Thomas Butler and Robert behind the Tarrytown train station and west bered for his patriotism, quick wit, gen- Hoyt, Planning Board Chairman Stanley Friedlander and National Resources Principal of the Tarrytown Senior Center, with the erous nature and love of family, baseball, Joseph Cotter. Tappan Zee Bridge in the backdrop. Photo by: Sunny Mclean music, and dessert. The project is estimated to cost approxi- Peyser fought on World War II’s front mately $3.5 million and take about 18 promise. Some people had an issue with the Harbor required the construction of two lines as an infantry soldier during the months to complete. creation of an indoor pool. It was the deci- indoor swimming pools, an exercise facil- Battle of the Bulge, Remagen Bridge En- “I have often heard from residents that we sion of the board that this made sense for ity and a small café that would be avail- gagement and Huertgen Forest, receiving don’t have a pool,” said Village Administra- the community.” able to all village residents. The agreement a Bronze Star medal. Later he brought the tor Michael Blau. “This is definitely a com- The original agreement with Hudson Continued on page 2 same tenacity to Capitol Hill as a congress- man. In between, he was elected mayor of Irvington for four terms, a tenure that con- tinues to benefit residents every day. Local Hospitals Facing Infectious Born on September 7, 1921 in Cedar- hurst, New York, Peyser’s family moved to PAID Manhattan when he was a child; for years, PRSRT STD Diseases Stress Preparedness U.S. POSTAGE U.S. PERMIT NO. 971 PERMIT NO. he missed Long Island’s small-town, scenic WHITE PLAINS, NY WHITE PLAINS, surroundings. He gladly rediscovered them by Robert Kimmel peared in Westchester are also getting the close in 1939 at Colgate University (graduating attention of health officials. Cases of the respira- in 1942) and again in 1960 when he and While Westchester medical facilities are em- tory disease, Enterovirus D68, which has mainly his wife Marguerite settled in Irvington phasizing their preparedness in the face of the infected children, have been present in the coun- with their five children, Penny, Safi, Peter, potential spread of infectious diseases, no cases ty and caused concern, but appear to have lev- James, and Thomas. At Colgate, Peyser in the county have been identified as being what eled off. Health authorities also stress that the found friendships and interests that lasted much of the nation is concerned about: Ebo- flu season has arrived and urge that everyone six throughout his life. He was an original la. Contagious only through contact with the months or older, with a few exceptions, get a flu member of the Colgate Thirteen a cappella bodily secretions or blood of infected persons, shot. The flu season begins in October, hits its singing group, founded in 1942 and a Col- the disease is, however, causing area hospitals to peak in February, and ends in May. Flu vaccina- gate institution ever since. (Peyser’s funeral develop safeguards against its spread and remain tions are available at many drugstore chains and service began with the Colgate Thirteen vigilant for any signs of its appearance. West- doctor’s offices. singing the university’s alma mater.) chester County Health Commissioner Dr. Sher- As an airborne viral disease, the flu historically Peyser ran for mayor in 1962, a position lita has been quoted as saying, “I think we are as has taken a continuing toll greater than most that paid $100 per month. “When I came ready as possible.” other such diseases in the United States. That is along to run for mayor, there were all sorts Anxiety heightened last week when a New particularly true of persons 65 years and older, of problems,” Peyser told The Hudson In- York City doctor who had just returned from who, according to the Centers for Disease Con- dependent in 2009. “The water system was Guinea, where he treated Ebola patients, tested trol and Prevention, account for an estimated breaking down, there was no fire house, the positive for the Ebola virus and was placed in 90% of the “influenza associated” deaths in the park wasn’t large enough, the roads were in isolation at Bellevue Hospital. U.S. Flu related deaths occurring during sea- terrible condition and the then-mayor’s at- Other communicable diseases which have ap- sonal years of vastly Continued on page 26 Continued on page 4 www.thehudsonindependent.com SH Planning Board Action Clears Way for GM Site Sale by Robert Kimmel However, GM shuttered the plant in 1996 titled to a newly created Sleepy Hollow Lo- The village saves money by having the and subsequently traveled an obstacle rid- cal Development Corporation (LDC) and land it will use owned by the LDC. With Nearly 30 years have passed since the Gen- den course aimed at redevelopment of the will be leased for use by the village. the LDC handling the construction of a new by Linda Viertel eral Motors’ 96-acre, long vacated property site for residential and businesses use. The About 28 acres remaining in the east par- Public Works building and proposed athletic along the Hudson River in Sleepy Hollow company finally found a developer earlier cel will go to Historic Hudson Valley toward fields, it relieves the village from complying has been absent from the village’s tax rolls. this year to whom it will sell the property. improving the Philipsburg Manor Upper with state rules governing costly contractor Action by Sleepy Hollow’s Planning Board GM and the developer, Lighthouse Land- Mills Historic site. hiring practices by municipalities. The LDC this month, approving the subdivision of ing LLC, are required to adhere to the pro- Trustee Karin Wompa, who also serves will issue bonds for the construction costs, the site, brought the property a step closer visions of a special permit provided by the as chairperson of the village’s newly named and use the leasing payments from Sleepy to development and a return to taxation. village that calls for the property’s subdivi- Local Development Committee, hailed the Hollow to pay them off. Ultimately, it can The site’s tax exempt status goes back to sion when it is sold. The subdivision, unani- Planning Board’s approval as “paving the cede the property back to the village. 1985 when village officials were anxious to mously approved by the Planning Board, way for the sale of the property to Light- GM’s sale of the property to Lighthouse keep GM operating the plant and agreed to carves out east, south and west parcels of the house Landing LLC , and getting it back on Landing LLC triggers the property tax pay- accept a relatively small annual payment in site. About eight acres of the east portion the tax rolls.” ments to the village, estimated initially to be lieu of taxes, (PILOT), from the company. and a small part of the south division will be Wompa noted that with the four lots about $1 million as opposed to the approxi- having been “officially subdivided and rec- mately $140,000 PILOT it now receives an- ognized,” the action can “be filed with the nually. The Tarrytown School District will Westchester County Land records, allowing benefit by having the $240,000 PILOT turn GM to transfer the properties to the LDC, into taxes of close to $2 million. and move forward with the sale to the de- GM and Lighthouse Landing LLC have velopers of the remaining lots.” Regarding agreed to the sale, and its completion is ex- the village’s parcels, she added that the LDC pected by the end of this year. Details have could then “start the planning process for ... not been made public. Based on provisions new Department of Public Works facilities of the special permit, the developer will be and recreational amenities for Sleepy Hol- able to build 1,177 residential units as well low residents.” as retail and office space. Pool ter County with pools handle permits and Continued from page 1 daily charges. The letter of intent the village signed was amended several times over the years, with Cotter also stipulated that he build but the obligation of building some sort of 12 units of affordable housing on the site aquatic center was never nixed.