Politics & Government

Pleasantville Mayor Addresses Saw Mill Flooding

The village reportedly continues to ask for assistance in mitigating traffic in the village when the roadway floods.

"We are apparently in monsoon season," Pleasantville Mayor Peter Scherer asserted at Monday's board of trustees meeting.

The ongoing rain, he noted, "has exacerbated the longstanding problem of the closing of the Saw Mill River Parkway," a problem that has been addressed very little.

The roadway, which is owned by New York State, but subcontracted in part by Westchester County, often first sees flooding in the Pleasantville area before anywhere else in the county. As a result, there is large amounts of traffic funneled into the village.

"We have asked for a series of things," Scherer said, noting the ultimate goal is for a flood mitigation solution to avoid closings altogether.

"Absent that," he said, "we have also asked for assistance when the closings happen, including a network of signs for people who get knocked off the Saw Mill."

The village, he said, also doesn't get any notice when the road is going to close.

Most recently, the roadway was closed between Marble Avenue and Manville Road and at the Taconic State Parkway northbound ramp for several hours overnight—reopening at about 8:30 a.m. this morning.

"It continues to be a source of major frustration, not only for the residents of that area, but for all the residents of Pleasantville," he said. "I just want you to know we are renewing our comments both to the state and the county about this—both for near-term relief and for a long-term solution."


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