Letter to the Editor: Bill Gaston on Potential Health Hazards of Building a Hotel on Abandoned Marble Quarry in Tuckahoe
Dear Editor:
Apr. 27, 2016: With digging expected to start soon on the controversial Hayes Field redevelopment project, an even larger public health and ecological concern to Bronxville residents looms up the road in Tuckahoe.
Before an overflow crowd of concerned citizens, the state Department of Environmental Conservation ("DEC") held a public hearing on April 14 on a proposed hotel project on Marbledale Road that would be built on top of an abandoned marble quarry, a Brownfield site replete with hair-raising levels of toxic waste and carcinogenic groundwater contaminants.
At the meeting, DEC officials tried to paper over longtime residents' concerns over the potential health hazards of building on this site by putting forward a laughably insufficient remediation plan.
Developed in partnership with the site developer (conflict of interest, anyone?), the planned remediation would involve a "cap and vent" of only a small portion of the actual proposed site. In other words, DEC officials are proposing that the developer be allowed to leave all the wastes in place at the 3.5-acre site except for a small portion (100,000 cubic yards) in the center of the site that would be "capped."
Needless to say, this Band-Aid remedy is entirely unacceptable and a complete waste of tax money. To add insult to injury, DEC also tried to claim with a straight face that there are no groundwater flows that could carry potential contaminants south toward Bronxville and the Bronx River by basing their findings on a previous and inappropriate Brownfield case.
Despite the groundwater testing DEC has conducted to date, it is irresponsible to argue that there is no basis for the community to be concerned.
Before this project is allowed to get off the ground, Bronxville residents must insist upon a full and comprehensive examination of the entire landfill site.
Without a neutral assessment of the environmental impact of such a project, the surrounding community risks exposure to an untold amount of toxic and carcinogenic chemicals. Clean up first, redevelop later.
Bill Gaston
Bronxville, NY
Editor's note: MyhometownBronxville does not fact-check statements in letters to the editor, and the opinions do not necessarily reflect the thinking of its staff. Its objective in publishing letters to the editor is to give air to diverse thoughts and opinions of residents in the community.
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Bronxville is a quaint village (one square mile) located just 16 miles north of midtown Manhattan (roughly 30 minutes on the train) and has a population of approximately 6,500. It is known as a premier community with an excellent public school (K-12) and easy access to Manhattan. Bronxville offers many amenities including an attractive business district, a hospital (Lawrence Hospital), public paddle and tennis courts, fine dining at local restaurants, two private country clubs and a community library.
While the earliest settlers of Bronxville date back to the first half of the 18th century, the history of the modern suburb of Bronxville began in 1890 when William Van Duzer Lawrence purchased a farm and commissioned the architect, William A. Bates, to design a planned community of houses for well-known artists and professionals that became a thriving art colony. This community, now called Lawrence Park, is listed on the National register of Historic Places and many of the homes still have artists’ studios. A neighborhood association within Lawrence Park called “The Hilltop Association” keeps this heritage alive with art shows and other events for neighbors.
Bronxville offers many charming neighborhoods as well as a variety of living options for residents including single family homes, town houses, cooperatives and condominiums. One of the chief benefits of living in “the village” is that your children can attend the Bronxville School.
The Bronxville postal zone (10708, known as “Bronxville PO”) includes the village of Bronxville as well as the Chester Heights section of Eastchester, parts of Tuckahoe and the Lawrence Park West, Cedar Knolls, Armour Villa and Longvale sections of Yonkers. Many of these areas have their own distinct character. For instance, the Armour Villa section has many historic homes and even has its own newsletter called “The Villa Voice” which reports on neighborhood news.
Village of Bronxville Administrative Offices
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