Rocktoberfest
One of the best Saturdays of the year is coming up this Saturday September 29th when the annual Rocktoberfest will be held in Matthiessen Park starting at 1pm and running until 9pm (rain date September 30th). This year we will feature additional food trucks to go along with plenty of beer, wine and live music. The headliner this year is Stella Blues Band, which is a Grateful Dead cover band and local favorite The Stories will also be playing. In all, the lineup boasts a total of seven bands and features something for everyone. While this event has more of an adult theme as the night goes on, during the day there will be a Kids Play Zone with inflatables and other activities for children. The best part is Rocktoberfest is a fundraising event lead by the FACE Committee to support Irvington Recreation & Parks Programs. So while you are having a great time, you will also be supporting your local community.
Note: Yes, Rocktoberfest is in September, but Octoberfest in Germany begins in September. So, we are OK calendar-wise!
Bed-and-Breakfasts and Beekeeping
Earlier this year, the Village Board of Trustees adopted an update to the Village’s Comprehensive Plan. The updated Plan will help chart the direction of the Village for the next ten years or more. After a group of nearly 40 volunteers held approximately 2 dozen meetings over a period of 8 weeks, they produced a list of 50 recommendations, many of which were ultimately incorporated into the updated Comprehensive Plan.
The Trustees are now considering adopting legislation to implement two of those recommendations:
• Permit Bed-and-Breakfasts as a special permit use on Broadway and on Main Street. Link: http://www.irvingtonny.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1809
• Allow beekeeping in one-family districts. Link: http://www.irvingtonny.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1808
The public hearing for both of these proposed local laws is scheduled for Monday, October 1, 2018 at 7pm in Village Hall. I encourage anyone interested to review the proposed local laws and attend the public hearing or send comments to Village Administrator Larry Schopfer at lschopfer@irvingtonny.gov. Links to both laws are in my email above and on the Village web site (www.irvingtonny.gov).
Halsey Pond Construction
There is yet another sizable construction project in the Village involving the dam structure and the lower holding pond in Halsey Pond Park. The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation is requiring the Village to make repairs to the dam structure to ensure its safety along with the area in and around the holding pond. The initial phase of construction is expected to last into November and possibly longer depending on unforeseen conditions. There is no imminent danger of collapse, but the dam structure needs to be addressed.
Unfortunately, the construction vehicles have damaged the path around Halsey Pond and we have had to temporarily halt access to this beautiful area. While the path itself is not the subject of construction, the paths are also needed for the construction vehicles to obtain access, another reason we need to keep the area clear of pedestrians. We will do a restoration of the path once the repair work is complete and will reopen the path to residents as soon as the area is safe.
Thank you as always for reading my email, I hope to see you at Rocktoberfest this Saturday!
Sincerely,
Brian C. Smith, Mayor
bsmith@irvingtonny.gov