Park Hill

A friend writes;

The Zoning Board will hold its 2nd hearing on the application for a variance at 44 Wingate Rd on this coming Tuesday, Oct. 18 - 6:00 - City Hall. The owner would like to create a building lot on what is now a side yard. Anyone interested in preserving the open space left in Park Hill should attend. You do not necessarily have to speak - simply being there to register opposition is enough.

I don’t know the owner, nor do I have any knowledge of what they intend to put there aside from what my friend writes. I am, however, prima facia against building Park Hill out anymore than it has been. It ultimately reduces all our property values and lowers the aesthetic quality of our neighborhood.

I can imagine, however, many reasons an owner would want to establish a buildable lot: perhaps they need the money from its sale for their retirement; perhaps they’re in dire financial straights; perhaps they intend to build a small bungalow for their disabled parents. Then again, perhaps they’re just greedy. I’m not inclined to give folks the benefit of the doubt about this, but I am willing to listen to what they have to say.

Agree or disagree, you should attend if at all possible.

p.s., I haven’t forgotten about the police blotter information. Let’s just say that the Yonkers PD is taking their time with my request.

The Resident’s Association writes:

The Park Hill Land Conservancy and the Park Hill Residents’ Assoc. have been accepted by the Department of Transportation adopt-a-highway program for the Park Hill gateway area at the Rumsey Road/Cross County Parkway intersection.

We will be doing once a month Saturday clean up and vine cutting for the next year. Volunteers are urgently needed. Come for an hour - come for the day - meet your neighbors. The DOT provides hard hats, safety vests, orange trash bags. We provide labor and enthusiasm for picking up garbage, rooting out invasive vines and planting.

The schedule of Saturdays is:
October. 22
November 11
December 10
…with 2006 dates to follow.

Please contact coordinator: Terry Joshi at 914 969 4142 or mommylooloo AT hotmail DOT com.

Into orange? Got a neatness fetish? Or do you just want to keep the first part of Park Hill that we and most visitors often see clean? Than sign up for a Saturday. If everyone does one Saturday a year, why in no time at all you’ll be able to eat right off that highway. Or, um, something like that.

The Park Hill Residents’ Association will hold their annual meeting at the Park Hill Racquet Club on Thursday, June 8th, at 7:30 p.m.

Speakers will include Yonkers Mayor Phil Amicone; Captain Frank Intervallo from the Yonkers Police Dept. 3rd Precinct; Det. Bob Stumpf also from the YPD to discuss identity theft and how to prevent it; and our very own web designer, John Boudreau, presenting highlights from our website.

This is fantastic organization doing good work for the neighborhood. I encourage everyone to go. Capt. Intervallo, whose taken time to do similar engagements before, is an especially good (and patient) speaker. And, naturally, I encourage everyone who’s not a member to become one.

The PHRA says:

Eat Pancakes, Pay Less

Our first Pancake Breakfast & Plant Sale is on Sunday, May 22nd,
9:00 am – 11:30 am at The Racquet Club!
Rain or Shine

Buy advance tickets now and save $2 off each breakfast:
Adults, $10 at the door, $8 in advance
Kids, $7 at the door, $5 in advance

Send your check to PHRA, P.O. Box 59, Yonkers, NY 10705.
Indicate your name, number of adults and number of children.
Your name will be at the door when you arrive.
We must receive your check by Friday, May 20th to receive advance sale prices!

So bring your appetite, and your green thumb and green cash for the plants.

Proceeds will benefit beautification projects in Park Hill. See you there.

Volunteers are needed for the breakfast and the plant sale. If you can help, contact Kathryn Buckley at 375-5125 or email BuckleyJim[@]msn[.]com.

So come on out and eat plant some pancakes, or, em, eat some plants or whatever.