Wetland and Open Water Preservation at the Former Armonk Bowling Alley
Dec. 21, 2011 The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYC DEP) has presented an application to preserve some wetland through erosion and settlement control on the former Armonk bowling alley site on Old Route 22.
Laura Csoboth, an engineering consultant for NYC DEP says mitigation has been needed because of the impacts on the north shoreline of the Kensico Reservoir watershed in the town of Mount Pleasant. A wide search for property suitable for mitigation in the Kensico Watershed led to the former Armonk bowling alley.
North Castle's Conservation Board Chairman, John Fava, says any disturbance in a wetland buffer area that is within 100 feet of the wetlands requires a mitigation plan to offset the impact on the wetlands. A mitigation plan must have a ratio of two for one: two acres of created wetlands for every one acre of wetland loss.
The bowling alley parcel is seven acres of land. NYC DEP bought the bowling alley property plus another 15 acres behind the site from Michael Fareri for over $20 million.
The bowling alley itself was demolished last summer. The footings in the floor of the bowling alley will be excavated and the existing parking lot will be demolished. Permits allow to realign Bear Gutter Creek, which was restructured when the bowling alley was built and now runs along George Smith Place on the periphery of the property. The creek will follow its natural pathway with plantings and deer fencing that will protect the wetlands and it plantlife.
DEP's 22 acres border the Betsy Sluder Preserve. Fava said that the Betsy Sluder Preserve is almost 100 acres of open space that extends from Old Route 22 up to the top of Bear Gutter Creek, which is located in the hills of Whippoorwill.
Councilman Becky Kittredge has asked the DEP to allow public access for hikers on the property to connect to the trails in the Betsy Sluder Preserve . But with over 3 acres of wetlands, Csobeth says it wouldn't be the most walker-friendly terrain.
Supervisor Bill Weaver says there are plans to improve Old Route 22 with on-street parking and sidewalks. Weaver has asked the DEP to consider granting access to a small part of the parcel off of Old Route 22 to allow some off-street parking, since the street can become crowded with vehicles of patrons of the three restaurants there. The DEP representative said that it would consider an agreement in the resolution that would allow a parking area on their property through a revocable land use permit.
Kensico Dam as it stands today in Valhalla was built in 1916 by the NYC Board of Water Supply.
The Kensico Reservoir, traveling south on Route 22 looking towards the Kensico Dam.
The Kensico Watershed
December 23, 2008
The Kensico
watershed area covers 9.9 square miles or a total of about 6,000 acres
including the Kensico Reservoir in the towns of North Castle, Harrison, Mount Pleasant, New Castle and Greenwich, Ct. The reservoir delivers
1.3 billion gallons of water a day to nearly nine million downstate
residents.
The Reservoir holds 30.6 billion gallons of water at full
capacity. Nearly 90% of water consumed in NYC flows through the Kensico
Reservoir. It is the most densely populated watershed in the Catskill/Delaware system. Kensico Dam as it stands today in Valhalla
was built in 1916 by the NYC Board of Water Supply.
Kensico
Watershed Land Use adapted from NYCDEP Kensico Watershed Study, July
1997
(new developments since 1997 not taken into account):
Industrial/ Commercial/Pave 2.0mi 1,260 acres 20% of land area Residential 2.9mi 1,848 acres 29% Open Space 3.9mi 2,436 acres 38.5% Undeveloped 1.2mi 775 acres 12%
The reservoir receives most of its water from two huge aqueducts that
transports water from New York City’s
six west-of-Hudson Reservoirs in
the Catskill and Delaware watershed systems. Upstate water is usually held in Kensico Reservoir for 15 to 20 days before heading south into
the smaller Hillview Reservoir in Yonkers for distribution to New York
City’s five boroughs, the cities of Yonkers and Mount Vernon and other
southern Westchester towns. The holding period provides an opportunity
for settling of impurities, including solids and microorganisms.
Although pollution runoff is a recognized problem of the reservoir, the
quality of water leaving the Kensico
Reservoir meets the state and
federal water quality standards. Warning signs do indicate that
preventative steps should be taken to protect the water quality of the
Kensico watershed. Water flowing into the reservoir from surrounding
properties is responsible for most of the pollution threatening the
Kensico Reservoir.
During the past 40 years, portions of
the Kensico watershed have experienced a development boom. IBM’s is one
of North Castle’s corporations located in the Kensico watershed. The
450 acre international headquarter complex was built in the 1960s and includes three buildings; the headquarter building of 283,500 sq. ft;
IBM Credit Corp. building is 420,000 sq. ft. housing over 1,000
employees; and IBM Learning Center of 130,000 sq ft; plus parking to
accommodate 429 vehicles.
Other significant corporate
development projects in North Castle’s Kensico watershed include Swiss Re and MBIA. Swiss Re American Corporate Headquarters site is an office
complex of 127 acres and a 360,000 sq. ft building located within 1,000
feet from the Kensico Reservoir. Their underground parking facilities
include spaces for more than 1,000 vehicles. MBIA, Municipal Bond
Investor Assurance Corporation Headquarters consist of a 235,000 sq.
ft. facility. The property is 15.7 acres with on-site parking for 678
vehicles. This property is adjacent to the buffer of the NYC owned
property.
Located in North Castle adjacent to the
Armonk Bowl property are three recently built residential communities
on Old Route 22 in Armonk; Whippoorwill Hills, Whippoorwill Ridge and Cider Mill. Whippoorwill Hills is an 82 acre lot developed into 135 of
one-and two-family houses and recreation center. Whippoorwill Ridge is
a 24 acre parcel with 50-60 individual and multi family units. Cider
Mill, the most recent community built was the former 80 year old
Schultz’s Cider Mill Farm that is now 27 units in a village like
setting.
Intensifying development has New York City
Department of Environmental Protection purchasing property in North
Castle to protect the water supply in the all-important Kensico
Reservoir. The EPA recommended that the NYCDEP protect open space areas
by utilizing the Land Acquisition program in Kensico watershed.
The NYCDEP’s acquisition of Armonk Bowl property is critical to the
Kensico watershed to minimize impact of new growth and pollution of the
Reservoir. The property includes Bear Gutter Creek, an important
waterway leading to the Kensico Reservoir. The creek begins on
Whippoorwill Road, runs through a pond on The Sluder
Preserve, on Old
Route 22, and crosses the Armonk Bowl property, under Kasal and
Labriola Courts flowing into the concrete detention basin inlet on
Route 120 and continuing south passing under Route 22 to the Kensico
Reservoir.
According to The North Castle Town Board minutes,
The Town Planner, Adam Kaufman suggested that the former Armonk Bowl site be open to the public for recreational use, such as hiking and limited trail development. NYCDEP responded by letter that it would be
inappropriate to plan alternative uses of the site at this time, but
that all existing structure and impervious surfaces will be removed.
Furthermore, Kaufman said that the letter advised North Castle that plans are being considered for “a
future wetlands mitigation site in connection with plans for “an
I-684/Rte 120 project.” A project was proposed in 1997 and is currently
at a stand still with no timetable for completion included The NY State Department of Transportation (DOT) to widen a 1.2
mile stretch of Route 120 from two lanes to a four lane roadway and to
expand Route 22 with an additional traffic lane, as well as two paved
shoulders and a paved median where the roadway is 20 feet close to the
reservoir. According to the NRDC, (Natural Resources Defense Council)
NYCDEP was cooperating with the DOT by providing the use for watershed
land to facilitate the project, but met with objections from many
environmental groups.
Information for this article has been taken http://www.NRDC.org/
water/drinking/attack/kensico.asp
North Castle Water District No.2 Annual Water Supply Report for 2006
The source of drinking water for North Castle Water District No.2 is pumped from four (4) wells, where the supply is chlorinated. The water supply is pumped from the Mianus Aquifer located within the gravel pit area of Windmill Farms, at the intersection of Windmill and Long Pond Roads. Water District No. 2 serves approximately 1200 people through 372 service connections.
IMPORTANT WATER CONSERVATION NOTICE The need to conserve water during times of drought is obvious to all. It is just as important to use water wisely when the supply is plentiful. However, with the ever-increasing installation of automatic irrigation systems, it is mandatory that we begin a water conservation program relative to irrigation. Most systems have automatic programmable timers, in addition to which we will require that rain sensors be installed, so as to avoid needless watering. The following irrigation practices will be enforced for all irrigation. Homes with even numbered addresses will water even numbered days, and homes with odd numbered addresses will water on odd numbered days. These restrictions shall apply all year, even during non-drought periods. Your cooperation in this matter will be appreciated. The water supplied in Water District No.2 is not fluoridated! Annual Water Supply Report for 2007 All water consumed in North Castle Water District No.7 during this year was provided by Water District No. 4, pumping from a combination of six (6) wells. Two are located within the Town Park on the former IBM property, two are located within the Whippoorwill Ridge subdivision, and two are located on School Street. The water supply at each source is chlorinated, the supply at the School Street location is also filtered for iron removal prior to system distribution. Water District No. 4 serves approximately 1200 people through 350 service connections. Also, Water District No. 4 sells water to North Castle Water District No. 5 which serves 350 people through 117 service connections and Water District No.7, which serves approximately 100 people through 22 service connections. Source:Northcastleny.com
North Castle’s wetlands ordinance protects multiple wetlands of all sizes, as well as a surrounding buffer zones or 100
to 150 feet (depending on the steepness of any slopes). However, to successfully protect
small wetlands, which often support a unique biodiversity
that cannot be found in larger wetlands, one first needs to know where
they are located. Broad-scale wetlands maps often fail to identify
smaller wetlands and as a result, they tend to “slip” through
regulatory “cracks.” North Castle's Biodiversity Plan recommends mapping all wetlands including identification of all small wetlands. This is preferable
to identifying wetlands reactively (as development proposals are
submitted) and would provide the town's Conservation Board a regional context which
will assist them in making informed planning choices. Although a labor-
intensive task, mapping vernal pools would be a prudent next step for
North Castle to undertake. A volunteer, citizen-scientist mapping
program may help to make this a practical task. Procedures and
considerations for mapping vernal pools on a town-wide basis are
provided in MCA Technical Paper No. 5 (Calhoun and Klemens 2002).
Source: North Castle Biodiversity Plan by Danielle T. LaBruna, M.A. and Michael W. Klemens, Ph.D. Metropolitan Conservation Alliance, Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, New York, Michael W. Klemens, LLC
A Strike at the Armonk Bowling Alley
June 24, 2010 by Louise T. Gantress
Some of you may recall chain link fencing along Route 120 several years ago. Its purpose was to provide security for the Kensico Reservoir. Eventually taken down, the fence did make residents aware of the interest of both the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the quality of the water in New York City watershed. In 2007 the EPA awarded New York City a ten year Filtration Avoidance Determination (FAD) which freed the City from spending billions of dollars in construction of plants to filter its drinking water. This rare honor is shared by only four other major cities: Boston, Portland, San Francisco and Seattle. In fact, most of southern Westchester County also draws water from Kensico.
The City has three watersheds to protect: Kensico, Croton and the Delaware. It has committed $541 million to an active acquisition program of three million acres by either paying a fair market price, or through the purchase of conservation easements. The NYCDEP is now engaged in various projects related to preserving the quality of its drinking water and protecting its watershed.
An ultraviolet (UV) Light Disinfection Facility is under construction in the Town of Mount Pleasant to treat water from the Catskill-Delaware Aqueducts. This to fulfill conditions and compliance requirements of the 2002 FAD, and is to be completed in November 2010. Construction of this project had an impact on 3.1 acres of wetland and a forested habitat, which must be recreated on another site. After water leaves Kensico Reservoir, it is routed to New York City via aqueducts that pass through Mount Pleasant and Greenburgh, 83 and 66 acres respectively. The area is adjacent to the Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla.
The proposed mitigation for the UV facility places the mitigating habitat in North Castle. There is to be creation/enhancement of wetland, shrub/grassland creation and upland forest creation. The site, one parcel on each side of Kaysal Court adjacent to the Bowling Alley property, is designed to “emulate a natural, self-sustaining system that is integrated ecologically with its surroundings.” The mix of plantings include canopy trees, understory trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants. The two parcels proved to be archaeologically sensitive and so tests had to be conducted to determine the extent and value of any items found.
In a separate action the New York City Department of Environmental Protection acquired the Bowling Alley property in 2008. There are actually two projects under way: removal of the three acre parking lot and demolition of the bowling alley building. NYCDEP has received a Negative Declaration (the Neg Dac), as it was determined the proposed plan would not have a negative impact on the environment. NYCDEP does not anticipate any “significant adverse impact on natural resources, water quality, traffic, air quality, noise, neighborhood character, land use, visual character or public health, or other impact categories” as a result of the construction program. Therefore the plan is considered an Unlisted Action and will not require an Environmental Impact Statement. The site is to be restored to its natural, historical condition, including returning Bear Gutter Creek to its original route. Bear Gutter Creek begins on the Betsy Sluder Preserve, crosses under Kaysal Court and onto the Bowling Alley site and eventually flows into Kensico Reservoir. It was rerouted to create the parking lot.
Construction began with breaking up the parking lot pavement and removing debris off site. Previously, the Town had condemned the bowling alley structure. Included in the overall plan is the demolition of the building, to begin in October, and removal of asbestos and other hazardous materials, which include a ground transformer. Utility lines that serve the property will be removed and capped at the property line. The light posts and large sign will also be removed. All sediment and erosion controls, as mandated by the State, will be in place. Construction and landscaping are planned to begin sometime in 2010 and the project is expected to be completed in 2011.
NYCDEP is in the process of obtaining permits from the Town of North Castle. At Wednesday’s Town Board meeting the matter was referred to the Town engineer and wetland consultant as well as to the Conservation Board for consideration of a wetland permit.
Whippoorwill Stream stabilization. Click image to enlarge.
Existing deteriorating conditions of Whippoorwill Stream shorelines.
Work to be done on Whippoorwill Stream near Nanny Hagen Rd and Route 128
(Click images to enlarge)
Wed 26 Feb by Michelle Boyle
Bureau of Water Supply New York City Department of Environmental Protection presented a Kensico Action Plan to the North Castle Town Board at the February 25, 2009 Town Board meeting.
The plan includes improvement to the storm water flow and reduction of discharge of pollutants from the Whippoorwill Stream along Nanny Hagen Road and Route 120 bordering both towns of North Castle and Mt. Pleasant. This project is in line with the NYCDEP’s commitment to protect the water supply leading into the Kensico Watershed.
The plan includes building a temporary access road adjacent to the stream off Nanny Hagen Road effecting about 1.5 acres of property. Construction involves a series of in-stream rock or log structures.
The presentation included a plan to remove 70 trees among the site and post construction plan calls for mitigation including deer fencing to protect the new plantings of 160 6-8 feet trees and 300 natural shrubs.
The proposed time frame of construction is to commence July 2009 with a 65 day construction period. The anticipated construction completion is before October 1, 2009 with the property replanting completion of 2010.
A resident commented that it would be fifty years before the newly planted trees would provide a natural screening of the area and larger trees should be considered.
Town Councilman Gerry Geist expressed concern about the proposed average 3-4 daily truck trips using our local roads from I-684. John Roebig, Sr. Project Manager of HDR presented the project and responded that traffic patterns were the responsibility of the contractors and to be determined by the origin of the construction vehicles. Ryan Coyne, a town engineer from Kellard Associates, stated that a traffic study should be coordinated.
A Public Hearing has been scheduled for March 25 allowing further public comments.
There are an abundance of
waterways in North Castle's lakes, ponds and brooks including; Wampus Brook,
Wampus Pond, Wampus Lake; Wampus River; Byram Lake Reservoir; North Lake: Windmill
Lake; Gifford Lake; Long Pond; Converse Lake.
Nearby pond which is part of the quarry of Cranberry Lake Preserve, North White Plains. Photo courtesy of Geo.meetup.com.
Nearby 10 acre Cranberry Lake in North White Plains flows to Kensico Reservoir.
Water cascade at nearby Cranberry Lake Preserve.
Nearby
Cranberry Lake Preserve, located in North White Plains, is a
nature preserve located off Old Orchard St and Route 22 in North White
Plains. Cranberry Lake is the source for most of the stone used to build
the Kensico Dam and flows to the Kensico Reservoir. The Preserve is
administered by the Westchester County Department of Parks, Recreation
& Conservation. The 190-acre nature preserve is comprised of
forest, wetlands, and a 10-acre lake. Three miles of trails, including a
loop around the lake and others traversing the preserve. Hiking, bird
watching, nature studies and cross country skiing. http://whiteplainsusa.com/active-wp.htm Ken
Soltesz, curator at the Cranberry Lake Preserve, said: ''Biodiversity
is very important because the more complete a given ecosystem is, the
more stable it is and the better it is for all the species involved. I
tell people that our ecosystem is like a fabric. As long as every thread
is interwoven and entwined with the others, the fabric -- the ecosystem
-- keeps its strength. Squirrels, for example, bury acorns which later
become oak trees. But if something happens to disrupt the squirrels,
then the acorns don't get buried, and so on.'' Cranberry Lake is home
to three very old species of bladderwort. The carnivorous plant, which
Mr. Soltesz said dates from pre-human times, lives in water and captures
and eats microscopic aquatic organisms as they float by. ''Cranberry
Lake is glacially made -- it has been here since the glaciers -- and we
have some very, very old habitats,'' he said. ''One of the habitats is
called a graminoid fen, which is like a bog.'' Other ancient species
found during the study include the white corporal skimmer, a rare and
picturesque dragonfly. Sources: whiteplainsusa.com
& LYNNE AMES, July 19, 1998 New York Times
North Castle's Waterways
CASTELLI-SPONSORED HYDRO-FRACKING PROHIBITION ADVANCING THROUGH ASSEMBLY Assemblyman says White Plains oil spill reminds us of the need to protect our Environment for future generations
Assemblyman Robert J. Castelli (R, C, I – Goldens Bridge) today applauded the advancement of Assembly Bill A10490A from the Assembly’s Environmental Conservation Committee. Castelli is a co-sponsor of the legislation, which places a moratorium on conducting hydraulic fracturing for the extraction of natural gas or oil in New York State.
“Environmentally conscientious citizens in the Westchester area are already on alert today after an environmental disaster in White Plains that went undetected for hours as hundreds of gallons of oil leaked into the Bronx River from a White Plains Apartment building,” Castelli said. “This tragic incident, and the current oil spill catastrophe in the Gulf clearly illustrate the need for prudence when extracting oil and gas.”
The moratorium will remain in place until 120 days after federal Environmental Protection Agency issues a report on the effects of hydraulic fracturing on water quality and public health.
Castelli believes the bill will give both State and Federal agencies more time to thoroughly examine the mining technique and determine its potential impact on the state’s natural resources.
“A hydro-fracking disaster of similar proportions to the tragedy in the Gulf occurring in the New York City Watershed region has the potential to destroy Westchester’s fresh water supply permanently,” Castelli said. “This legislation will give the EPA the time it needs to fully review the hydro-fracturing techniques to determine whether or not this type of mining should be permitted in New York State.”
Hydraulic fracturing or hydrofracking is a mining technique that is used to drill for natural gas. Many people are concerned that the chemicals used during the drilling process could contaminate the downstate water supply.
Earlier this year, Assemblyman Castelli hosted a public hearing at the Katonah Village Library to discuss the proposed hydrofracking project for drilling natural gas in the Marcellus Shale Region of Upstate New York.
Representatives from Chesapeake Energy, the gas drilling company that holds rights to the Marcellus Shale; Damascus Citizens, a grassroots environmental group protesting hydrofracking of the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania; Sierra Club members and concerned citizens attended the event to voice their concerns on the subject.
Annual Fishing Derby
May 16, 2009
1. Wampus Brook Park Annual Fishing Derby. The ducks lined up one at a time to exit the pond while fishing lines were casted throughout the brook.
2. (L to R) James, Andrew, Joe, John, and Joey come from Yorktown and White Plains to
fish Wampus Brook during the North Castle Recreation Department’s Fishing
Derby.
Five years in a row John has
won first place. This year he caught six fish, although a small number compared
to prior years, it was enough to win first place with the most fish. He also
caught the largest fish, a 14” trout.
John and his Dad fish on most
weekends. They get up and out early 4:30 – 5:00am to fish streams and rivers all
over Westchester. Their secret to catching so many fish is to change the bait.
“The fish stop biting the same bait, so we change it up,” Joe said as he hooked
on a minnow, changing bait from worms.
North Castle Recreation
Supervisor for 29 years, Frank Sampognaremembers always having the Fishing Derby.Greg from the Parks department informed
us that Wampus Brook was filled the day before with 300 trout from a fish farm
in NJ.
“The fish are fenced in with
chicken wire and tomorrow we open the fence and the fish become part of the
natural habitat.”
3. John, 9, and his brother
Daniel, 4, fish with their Dad, Doug.Their secret fish food for farm feed fish is marshmallows.
4. Fishing friends (L to R) Callie, 3, Shira,
6,Madison, 6, and Brinton, 5, gently return the second and the smallerof their catfish caught back into the
pond.
5. Rob strings a trout and tells
us, “ Trout is very good, it’s my favorite.I’ve been fishing since I’ve been two years old. I clean it
and cook it like my grandfather taught me: grill it with a little lemon, butter
and white wine."
Fishing
Fishing is permitted in all the streams and lakes under the
control of the Westchester County Parks Department, except in the
nature preserves and where "No Fishing" signs are displayed. There is
also a fly fishing area available at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation in
Cross River.
During the winter, ice fishing is allowed on several lakes, conditions permitting, except in areas specifically designated for ice skaters. A
New York State fishing license is required, which can be obtained
through the Town Clerks' Office, Armonk and Westchester County Clerk's
office at 914-995-3080.
Information on permits and requirements
for fishing in reservoirs located within Westchester can be obtained by
calling the New York City Department of Environmental Protection at
914-232-1309. Source:Westchsetergov.com
Boating is by permit at Wampus Pond.
BOATING
Wampus Pond, Route 128, Armonk 914-273-3230.
Rowboats are available weekends and holidays, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
Memorial Day through Labor Day. Boat Rentals Playland Park, Rye 914-813-7010. Pedal boats and a lake cruise are located on Playland Lake. (May through Labor Day)
Kayaking Hudson River ,
Group kayaking and canoeing tours are available in season. Advance
reservations and fees required. Call Hudson River Recreation at 1-(888)
321-HUDSON for reservations.
Boat Launching:
Croton Point Park, Croton-on-Hudson, 914-862-5290.
Provides access to the Hudson River and can accommodate sailboards,
canoes and car-top carried boats only. Open April through October,
from 8 a.m. to dusk, 7 days a week.
George's Island Park, Montrose, 914-737-7530. Ramp provides
access to the Hudson River and can accommodate boats up to 21 feet in
length. Open April through October, from 8 a.m. to dusk, 7 days a week.
Glen Island Park, New Rochelle 914-813-6720/6721. Ramp
provides access to Long Island Sound and can accommodate boats up to 21
feet in length. Open April through October, from 8 a.m. to dusk, 7
days a week.
Playland Park, Rye 914-813-7010. Provides self-launching
access to Long Island Sound for car-top carried boats and kayaks only.
Open May through September, 8 a.m. to dusk, 7 days a week. Parking fees
apply.
