November 25, 2016 | Vol. 4, Number 48 | www.ryecityreview.com
KEEP IT
CLEAN
A coalition of elected officials, conservationists and titans of industry is calling upon New York state to provide more funding to municipalities under the Clean Water grants program. Pictured is a view from the Hommocks Conservation area in the town of Mamaroneck, where the coalition held a news conference on Nov.16. For story, see page 8. Photo/Andrew Dapolite
The Manhattanville College administration is leaning toward adjusting its shuttle bus service, following elevated outrage from the student body about the safety of its current schedule. On Nov. 10, Michael Geisler, the college’s president, confirmed that the administration
has begun discussing retracting last year’s controversial decision to alter the bus service schedule, according to Touchstone, the school’s newspaper. “I think we’re willing to bring back the bus starting in the spring term,” he said. The interest in altering the school’s bus service comes in the wake of last month’s death of Robby Schartner, a 21-year-
old junior at the college who was killed by Emma Fox, of Rye, while returning to campus after a night out in White Plains. As of September 2015, the college decided to cut the last campus bus route on Fridays and Saturdays, which typically returned to campus by 3:30 a.m. As a result, the bus, the Valiant Express, makes its final
By JAMES PERO Staff Writer
As deliberations over a controversial proposal by telecom contractor Crown Castle aimed at bolstering Rye’s cellular service drag on, the Rye City Council will now also consider an alternative plan spawned from an independent consultant hired by some of the city’s own residents. The alternative plan, submitted by the consulting group CityScape officials48 on | November 25, 2016 | Vol.to4,city Number Nov. 16, would replace the installation of dozens of smaller wireless signal-emitting nodes—which currently number 64 in Crown Castle’s proposal— to 10 much larger poles across the city. Documents submitted last week show that the newly proposed poles would be located on or near municipal buildings and range in size from 70 to 100 feet long and resemble a flagpole, as opposed to the currently proreturn to campus at 1:30 a.m. posed equipment which would On Oct. 9, Schartner had include antennae that range in been walking along Westches- size from 4 to 6 feet long. ter Avenue in White Plains According to Josh Coen, a when he was struck by Fox, 24, Rye resident who has helped who was under the influence at mobilize a committee of resithe time of the incident. At the dents opposed to the proposal time, police reported that Fox and are responsible for hiring had a blood alcohol content of CityScape, though the poles three times the legal limit in would be much larger, their location could help mitigate poMANHATTANVILLE continued on page 11 tential adverse effects on prop-
Manhattanville plans change in bus service schedule By FRANCO FINO Staff Writer
Residents propose Crown Castle plan alternative erty values; a primary concern of residents. While the telecom service provider’s current proposal would install equipment on top of telephone poles located in what’s known as the city “right-ofway”—specifically locations adjacent to homes and city sidewalks—the residents’ plan would shift any additional equipment away from homes, and towards government-owned property such as the Fire Department, Whitby Castle and the city Boat Basin. “The 64 new Crown [nodes] www.cityreviewnr.com would go in the utility right-ofway, that runs across many people’s lawn or backyard,” Coen said. “We think that’s a bad thing.” The right-of-way use agreement was enacted between the city and Crown Castle—then called NextG—in 2011 during the administration of Mayor Douglas French, a Republican, and sets guidelines for when, where and how the company may alter or improve its equipment. Coen said both he and other residents fear that once new equipment is installed, it could give Crown Castle—who is being contracted by Verizon Wirelesss—license to alter the site at will. “Once a [pole] is an existing wireless site, other equipment CROWN continued on page 8