Photo by N. Bower

By Mary Marvin, Mayor of Bronxville

July 10, 2026: When I first became Mayor, the Village seemed to grind to a halt the day after school ended and everyone took a municipal breather.

Such is not the case anymore, as we have found so many of our capital projects can be accomplished so much more expeditiously if those of us in government stay close to home and orchestrate the many changes that are expedited by less traffic and the availability of contractors who often go into high gear in the fall.

I thought I would share what the Village administration, the Trustees and I are working on this summer with the goal of having much of it completed before many of you settle back home in earnest post Labor Day.

We have listened to our constituents through comprehensive plan surveys, your suggestions and public outreach and learned that most Villagers are not looking for major changes to the Village, rather an enhancement.

To that end, we have embarked on a myriad of projects traversing the length and breadth of the Village from the Siwanoy Country Club border to the Bronx River. As example, on our West Side, our DPW staff, which is lean and extremely versatile, has been maintaining the landscaping with great attention to detail including the beautiful privet hedge over by our Maltby Park complex. They are also doing the same at the other end of the Village at the Nature Preserve. This in-house care service saves us as taxpayers a great deal of money by not having to enlist outside contractors. You will also see a nice awning in the coming months at Maltby Park as many park goers have asked for shade for the children while we wait for the young trees to grow. I think you will be pleased with what we will construct totally in concert with the vision of early park supporters - a park which has now become a true gem for child play and families meeting each other on a very relaxed basis.

Upgrades and enhancement of our downtown are a major priority for our current Board of Trustees, as we are well aware that our small-town environment and unique and varied business district is rare not only in Westchester, but throughout the country.

Our number one focus at this point is on our police department. We are five officers short so we will be interviewing candidates, many of them who are seasoned police officers, often coming from the NYPD, as well as candidates who will go through the police academy. This is our highest priority as safety in this Village is number one and the tradition of living in a place where you get police help in approximately two minutes is something we can never forfeit.

Due to less traffic and school closures, we can go into high gear with some of our most disruptive projects. As example, there are two projects currently in the design and development stage, including new curbing and a bump-out design at the Parkway Road highway exit to align with Stone Place. The improvement will include crosswalks reducing exposure to our pedestrians at that challenging intersection. We are hoping to stripe the area in the coming weeks. The County will pay for the improvements in cooperation with the Village and in conjunction with the County’s continuation of the nearby bike/walking path along the Bronx River Reservation. The installation of a new five-foot sidewalk and teardrop lighting fixtures adjacent to Maltby Park will illuminate the sidewalk as well as the park. This project will be funded by the Village, but with major help thanks to a grant from Assemblywoman Amy Paulin.

On the other side of town and only 11 years in the making, but it is here, the State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) is currently working on pedestrian improvements at the intersection of Route 22 and Pondfield Road. The new sidewalks and granite curbing will be a huge improvement and will be completed within the week following hydrant relocation. In conjunction, we are lobbying strenuously to get the portion of Route 22 that traverses the Village repaved in its entirety.

We continue to remain committed to addressing drainage issues throughout the community. We are currently working on Hemlock Road drainage improvements and collaborating with Village Counsel to draft the necessary easements for short-term improvements while we apply for County stormwater funding to support on our long-term solutions.

Repurposing the roof of the new DPW garage for the installation of solar panels is currently underway. Designed specifically for this addition, completion date is projected for late summer. Once operational, the solar system will provide enough energy to electrify the new DPW facility as well as a portion of Village Hall resulting in significantly lower energy costs for our Village campus.

In addition to these Village projects, our utility partners are making significant infrastructure investments in the Village.

Veolia Water is replacing the water main along Garden Avenue from Pondfield Road to the fire hydrant at the northeast corner of Garden Avenue and Tanglewylde Avenue. This long-overdue upgrade will improve the reliability of the water distribution system.

Con Edison will also be replacing a gas main on portions of Kensington Road. The work will extend from just north of the Upper Kensington parking lot to the intersection of Kensington Road and Avon Road, modernizing the area's gas infrastructure.

We have so many more projects in the quiver that explanation will require a second column to follow. In the interim, please reach out with any suggestions for repairs/improvements throughout the Village.