Pleasantville DOT Towers Opponents Take Fight to Chappaqua

Opponents of the state Department of Transportation's plan to erect seven large traffic monitoring towers along the Saw Mill River Parkway are expanding their effort from just Pleasantville to Mount Pleasant and New Castle, the towns that will also be affected by the proposal.

The has been mainly in Pleasantville, where a tower proposed for the village's Grant Street would be near a residential community.

“It’s right in front of my house," said Mark Markarian, who lives in unincorporated Mount Pleasant, but near the village line and the Grant Street area.

Markarian was among those handing out flyers this week at the and train stations to spread awareness of the project.

He said the response from commuters in Chappaqua was “Good enough to start.”

The towers are proposed , with three being placed in New Castle's Chappaqua hamlet (the most northern one near the Roaring Brook Road exit), two in Pleasantville and two in Mount Pleasant. The structures have drawn concern from officials in all three municipalities, including officials in New Castle.

“People in Chappaqua don’t know it yet," Markarian said of local awareness.

Concerns cited by Markarian include the height of the towers, distribution of microwaves and whether cameras mounted could lead to invasions of privacy.

Chappaqua resident Susan Rubin was among the trio of folks at the station. Her concerns focused on height and microwave radiation. Describing the aesthetics, she said the towers are “big and tall and ugly.”

Also joining was Asterio Scopino, a Pleasantville resident who lives near Grant Street. He said that he first found out when property near by was being cleared for one of the towers.

Local officials and residents held a meeting on the issue in Pleasantville Sunday. Opponents have also developed a website.