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Dobbs Ferry trustees approve Washington Avenue sidewalk cost increase, 5-1
Summary
The Village of Dobbs Ferry Board of Trustees voted 5-1 to approve an increase in the Washington Avenue sidewalk project cost after resident comment and debate over tree removal and project estimates.
The Village of Dobbs Ferry Board of Trustees voted 5-1 on March 25 to approve an increase in the cost for the Washington Avenue sidewalk project.
The measure, moved by Trustee Rosen Asher and seconded by Trustee Galen, passed with five trustees in favor and one opposed. The board did not identify the opposing trustee by name on the record; the recorded outcome was "Motion passes 5 to 1." The vote followed public comment and a workshop discussion on project scope and tree removal.
The vote came after several residents urged the board to consider the environmental and short-term flooding impacts of removing century-old street trees for the project. At the public microphone, Alan Harris of 39 Rochambeau Avenue said he spoke "on behalf of the trees" and for "the creatures in the trees," describing the trees as more than a neighborhood amenity. Patty Steinstein, who said she lives at 320 Am Bridal, told trustees that removing the trees could create short-term water problems on the street and suggested the board re-check cost estimates and deductions related to the trees. "The wall they're building ... it's $34,000 more after they deduct for the trees," Steinstein said.
Trustees said the board had already discussed the project in a workshop session and heard from residents. When the motion was called, a trustee stated, without naming themselves, that they would vote against the measure; nevertheless the motion carried 5-1.
Why it matters: Washington Avenue is a village street where trees, sidewalks and drainage intersect with resident safety and project costs. Trustees approved the cost increase after weighing resident concerns and staff recommendations; the record shows both dissent and support among trustees.
The board did not adopt new conditions tied to the vote on the record. Trustees said the Washington Avenue item had been the subject of prior workshop-level review and public comment; they moved to finalize the contract increase at this meeting.
The village administrator and department staff previously presented project details during the workshop; residents asked the board to revisit engineering assumptions and ensure deductions for tree impacts were correctly applied.
The board did not specify a revised contract amount on the public motion record at the time of the vote, and no statutory citation was discussed in the motion.
