January | 2012 | Rivertowns Real Estate News

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Coyotes in the Rivertowns

Posted on January 27, 2012 2:31 pm by Scott Rosasco

Dobbs Ferry Coyote I grew up in an idyllic spot, directly adjacent to the 76 acre Dobbs Ferry Juhring Estate Nature Preserve, yet never saw much of any interesting wildlife. That all changed about 15 years ago. As more development in Dobbs Ferry occurred, particularly near areas of the Juhring Estate which had seen little previous human contact, more and more of the interesting, yet shy, wildlife population was pushed out to the borders of the Dobbs Ferry owned property. Now, I have a herd of deer sleeping on my front lawn at night. Wild turkeys brazenly walk down my driveway on Thanksgiving. A brown fox eats my neighbors garbage. Coyotes as well have been spotted in Dobbs Ferry and the Rivertowns. One report had a large one walking across Broadway, at the Hastings-on-Hudson border, recently.
The NY DEC put out an interesting bulletin that is required reading for anyone concerned about coyotes. In most cases it appears they are more afraid of us than we should be of them. Not always though. With winter upon us and the prospects for food in the “wild” diminished, the following excerpt might be something to take note of:
“Owners of large and medium sized dogs have little to worry about. Coyotes, with an average weight of 35 lbs., know they are overmatched by large dogs and will yield part of their territory (your yard) to the dog. A confrontation may occur between a mid sized dog and a coyote. Such confrontations, however, usually do not involve physical contact between the two animals. The dog and coyote usually come to an understanding on whose territory is whose.
Owners of small dogs have cause for concern. The outcome of a confrontation between a small dog and a coyote will depend a lot upon the behavior of the dog. A coyote knows it is physically superior to a small dog and expects the dog to be submissive. Trouble occurs when a small dog does not submit to a coyote. The coyote will discipline the dog to correct its inappropriate behavior. This discipline will continue until the dog submits or is eventually killed.
Very small dogs, e.g., small poodles, are viewed by coyotes as easy prey and are at risk to be killed year round.”
Read The Full Article at: http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/6971.html

Filed under: Local News | Tagged: Coyotes, Dobbs Ferry, Dobbs Ferry Real Estate, Hastings-on-Hudson, Juhring, Juhring Estate, Scott Rosasco | Leave a comment »

A Perfect Cape Cod Style Renovation

Posted on January 21, 2012 7:06 pm by Scott Rosasco

1820s home gets new life with beloved collections, new storage solutions and lots of natural light
HOUZZ.COM: In spite of an extensive renovation, this 1820s petite Cape in Vermont still maintains a petite footprint. “The house is quite small by today’s standards,” says Pi Smith, the project architect. “All of the spaces we designed are working really hard.”
The client had owned the home for 15 years, dreaming of and planning for a kitchen renovation for every one of them. While she waited, she filled her barn with collections in anticipation of the day they would rebuild, storing vintage plumbing fixtures, light fixtures, cabinet hardware and antique tiles, among other things. “Our client has a big interest in all kinds of design and has a really good eye; the project was a wonderful collaboration.”
Between creating storage solutions, squeezing as much functionality out of each inch as possible, letting in natural light, creating outdoor rooms, planning around the client’s beloved collections, this is one smart and dramatic transformation.
Full article and complete slide show at: http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/1005795?utm_source=Houzz&utm_campaign=updates&utm_medium=email&utm_content=gallery8&w=518816

Filed under: Rivertowns Design | Tagged: Cape Cod, Dobbs Ferry, Rivertowns Design, Scott Rosasco | 1 Comment »

Dobbs Ferry Residents Raise Traffic and Property Value Concerns

Posted on January 18, 2012 6:00 am by Scott Rosasco

Proposed Rivertowns Square, Dobbs Ferry NY

Among the myriad concerns brought to the table at the Monday, January 9 public hearing on the Dobbs Ferry Rivertowns Square proposal, two inter-related issues were raised by residents.
While the developers contend that they have resolved the expected traffic concerns with a variety of roadway improvements, including a proposed traffic light at Ogden Avenue and Ashford Avenue, they seem unimpressed by Dobbs Ferry residents statements that Ogden Avenue, expected to be an access road, is already substandard to begin with and any new influx of traffic will make an already bad situation all the more untenable. Further, this new light would only be installed, after the construction of the project is complete and the traffic situation is re-monitored. This leads one to believe that a deteriorated traffic situation might exist for quite some time before being alleviated, if at all.
A related and more important concern was that of property values, raised by one resident of Ogden Avenue who noted that the DEIS states that property values would actually go up, after the construction of this project. A recently published interview with the developer stated that local Realtors had been consulted in this conclusion, yet the developer was uncertain as to how many. It is highly unlikely however, that any experienced Realtor would suggest that an increase in the amount of traffic on the road facing a residence, of which there is no argument from any party is anything but the expected outcome of this project, would cause a corresponding increase in that homes property values. In fact, just the reverse is true. Clearly, houses on heavily traveled roads are more difficult to sell and for less money than their identical counterparts in quieter areas of Dobbs Ferry, for all the obvious reasons.
These kinds of questions can be best and more thoroughly answered by independent, licensed real estate appraisers, as opposed to Realtors, who generally are not prone to making subjective assumptions based on the party that is paying them and whose testimony, accordingly, is accepted in court. Hopefully, both the village and the FEIS will engage independent, licensed real estate appraisers to verify that property values will, at a minimum, not go down for neighbors with respect to this proposal. Several of the statutory Dobbs Ferry boards charged with looking at this proposal cannot, by village code, approve a project which will cause a reduction in property values to neighbors. This is an important issue that it would be best to attempt to resolve now, thru the FEIS, before it gets to a more subjective and contentious level.
Also see:
https://dobbsferry-rivertowns.com/2011/08/06/rivertown-square-development-review-moving-along/

https://dobbsferry-rivertowns.com/2011/11/23/dobbs-ferry-rivertowns-square-deis-released/

Filed under: Local News, Real Estate | Tagged: Dobbs Ferry, Dobbs Ferry Real Estate, Ogden Avenue, Rivertowns Square, Scott Rosasco | Leave a comment »

New Irvington NY Waterfront Rezoning Draft Released

Posted on January 16, 2012 7:16 pm by Scott Rosasco

Irvington Waterfront Rezoning
On January 5, 2012 the Irvington Board of Trustees released a revised draft of a new waterfront plan to replace the previous unapproved draft. That draft, originally prepared as of September 28, 2010, which was debated and also revised thru three public hearings, was ultimately not approved by the Board of Trustees, after they closed the last of the public hearings, in April of 2011. Reasons for the lack of approval centered on the possibility of a parking garage structure in the newly created waterfront zone. The new draft is much briefer at a mere 7 pages and leaves out a number of protections which were meant to further enhance the expected quality of life concerns for the village of Irvington, with respect to any future development on the waterfront. The tradeoff is that the new plan does not in any way encourage or permit the construction of a parking garage. The parking garage was deemed necessary by the property owner for any realistic future development of the waterfront.
The Irvington Board of Trustees invites review of this proposal and comments from the public, either at the public hearing scheduled for January 18, at village hall or via regular mail or email to the village administrator, Larry Schopfer, 85 Main Street, Irvington NY 10533 or LSHOPFER@irvingtonny.gov
The revised draft can be seen here: http://www.irvingtonny.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DID=5125

Filed under: Local News, Real Estate, Rivertowns Design | Tagged: Irvington NY, Irvington Real Estate, Irvington Waterfront, Scott Rosasco | Leave a comment »

20 Weekend Projects for Every Room

Posted on January 9, 2012 1:49 pm by Scott Rosasco

APARTMENT THERAPY. It’s the first full weekend after all the holiday hubbub — a perfect time to settle down and get the apartment whipped into shape for the coming year. We’ve collected 20 useful posts, from room to room, to instruct and inspire. Delve into 2012 clutter-free and ready to go!
Read The Full Article at: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/20-weekend-projects-for-every-164043