Springfest
I am very happy to be reminding everyone that this coming Saturday, May 20th, will be the second annual “Springfest” presented by F.A.C.E. in cooperation with Bridge Street Properties and the Genuine Origin Coffee Project.
Springfest will run from 2pm until 9pm and will feature five local bands, including the Gil Parris Band featuring Jessie Lambiase, Divining Rod and The Short Stories. Springfest is very family friendly and the “KID ZONE” will feature an obstacle course, inflatable slides, a carousel, Macaroni the Clown and more.
Admission is $10 per person, children under 14 are free. Entrance to the KID ZONE is $10 per child or a “family pass” can be purchased for $25 for three or more children. There will also be multiple food vendors as well as beer and wine for adults. All net proceeds will go to F.A.C.E. so they can continue to bring us great events as well as assist the less fortunate in our community.
Also, in Matthiessen Park on Saturday between 2pm and 5pm, children will have an opportunity to make a flower or herb box or paint a bird house (while supplies last).
Irvington Union Free School District Voting Tomorrow: Tuesday May 16th
Before Saturday’s Springfest fun, if you are of legal voting age, do not forget to vote on Tuesday in the Irvington Union Free School District’s annual budget vote and member election. In addition to the budget vote and voting for a school board member, this year there is a special ballot item proposing to increase the school board from five to seven members. Have your say by voting anytime from 7am to 9pm at the Main Street School.
Two Important Public Hearings
At tonight’s regular Board of Trustee meeting I will be announcing two public hearings to be held on June 5th for two proposed local laws:
1. A leaf blower law that would ban the use of gas-powered leaf blowers in the village from May 15th to September 15th. There would be exemptions for large multifamily developments and emergencies, but generally the use of gas-powered leaf blowers would not be allowed except for spring (March 15th-May 15th) and fall (September 15th-December 15th) cleanups and for snow removal. This law has been worked on for the last several years but has recently come to the forefront based on complaints from numerous residents about the noise and associated pollution from gas powered leaf blowers.
2. An adoption of historic district guidelines for the Architectural Review Board (“ARB”) to consider when reviewing applications in the Historic District. This would cover both contributing buildings as well as non-contributing buildings but the guidelines would obviously be different. The goal of this law is to find the balance between protecting the historic character of Irvington while also protecting homeowner rights. Thus, we are proposing to adopt guidelines, not detailed legislative restrictions. Additionally, an appeal to the Board of Trustees is included as an additional “check and balance”.
So far, even though we have been publicly discussing these proposed laws for months, we have received little feedback from the public. I hope you will consider either attending our meeting on June 5th or submitting written or emailed feedback. A link to tonight’s meeting which contains full drafts of the proposed local laws can be found here (click on download agenda): http://irvingtonny.gov/Calendar.aspx?EID=1121&day=15&month=5&year=2017&calType=0
Please never hesitate to contact me about any Village issues.
Sincerely,
Brian C. Smith, Mayor
Village of Irvington, NY
bsmith@irvingtonny.gov