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On The Record: A Watchful Rye
City hires consultant to monitor Harrison proposal
Good morning subscribers. ☕This is your Wednesday, May 7, Rye Record newsletter, curating some of the latest headlines across the city of Rye.
Today’s Weather Channel local forecast calls for partly cloudy skies with a high of 73 degrees ⛅ Check out the forecast for the rest of the week here.
Eyes wide open. Rye plans to engage a sustainability consulting firm to monitor a proposal to build a large apartment complex in the flood-prone Beaver Swamp Brook watershed of Harrison next to the city’s Glen Oaks neighborhood.
Storm waters from that area have caused major damage to Rye, Harrison, and Mamaroneck neighborhoods over the years.
Rye expects to sign a $16,000 agreement to hire SLR Engineering, Landscape Architecture and Land Survey, P.C., according to Interim City Manager Brian Shea.
Rye has worked with SLR on this type of review in the past and the firm “has a deep understanding of the area,” because it partnered in 2024 with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to publish the Beaver Swamp Brook Flood Mitigation & Resilience Report, Shea said.
The City Council voted on March 26 to hire a consultant to make sure it would have the technical expertise needed to be sure that Harrison thoroughly scrutinizes the potential environmental impact of the proposed development. The Stagg Group’s proposal is to build a six-story, 164-unit apartment complex on 2.4 acres at 67 Grant Ave.
“Monitoring this project and taking action, if appropriate, is how we are and should be looking out for our residents,” said Democratic Councilman Josh Nathan.
Rye residents in the Glen Oaks neighborhood — bordered by Boston Post Road, Harrison, Rye Neck, and the Osborn School — have been particularly affected by flooding of the Beaver Swamp Brook.
To read the full article by David Hessekiel, click here
A rendering of the massive apartment complex being proposed for Grant Avenue in Harrison.
-Today’s newsletter is curated by Christian Falcone
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IN OTHER NEWS
No contest. The city Board of Education president, Jane Anderson, and vice president, Jenn Boyle, are seeking new three-year terms on the board this May, and will do so without any challenge from the school district community. -Record staff
Get in line.The Rye City Council has received interest from between 26 and 30 candidates for its open city manager position. The role, which oversees the day-to-day operations of city government, was posted on various job boards and websites for over a month. -Rosie Newmark
Going fishing. The Social Security Administration’s New York Hearing Office in White Plains is slated to close on May 31. In a May 1 letter, Leland Dudek, the acting commissioner, stated that the administration’s position is a location in White Plains is no longer needed.
AROUND TOWN
-Job fairs for Playland will be held on Saturday, May 10 and Saturday, June 7 at the Westchester County Center. Another job fair will be held on Saturday, May 17 at the amusement park, the county has just announced. All seasons will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., as Westchester attempts to open the park this summer. -Journal News
-Sunshine Coffee Roasters has launched a limited edition drink called “Café Disco,” in collaboration with the Rye Arts Center to celebrate their upcoming Studio 51 Spring Benefit. The name of the “totally dance floor-ready” drink is an homage to the “Café Disco” episode of the popular TV sitcom “The Office.” -Mayra Kalaora
Off the Record: Jose Garcia, the alleged drug boss who was arrested in March, is now facing additional charges, including operating as a major trafficker — the most serious narcotics charge in New York state — after appearing in court last week. Garcia is facing the possibility of life in prison, if convicted.
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NEWS
Playland is currently being assessed by Zamperla, Inc, after Westchester County awarded the ride manufacturer an emergency contract last week.
Hoping to open Playland this season, Westchester County declared an “emergency situation” last week and immediately awarded a contract to an operator to inspect, repair, and maintain rides at the embattled amusement park.
By last Friday, a crew from Zamperla, Inc, an Italian ride operator that manages thousands of rides worldwide, including those at Coney Island’s Luna Park, was on site at Playland inspecting more than a dozen rides.
The emergency declaration, county officials said, allowed the contract with Zamperla to be signed without a bidding process. Having an operator do that work was needed, the declaration stated, “in order to open the iconic Playland Amusement Park for a portion of the 2025 operating season.”
-by David Hessekiel
The Rye softball team has been on a tear, winning three straight after a horrid start to the season.
SPORTS
Rye’s softball team faced its fair share of adversity through the first seven games of the season, battling injuries, illness, and no home-field advantage during an 0-7 start. When the calendar flipped to May, things turned around dramatically.
Shortly after the Garnets’ home opener on their newly renovated field, the team won three straight games.
The first, an 11-run victory over Byram Hills on Thursday may have been expected, as Rye swept the Bobcats in two spring training scrimmages in Orlando.
-by Ariana Ottrando
NEWS
Con Edison’s proposed rate hikes for 2026 have infuriated many of its Westchester customers.
Thousands of customers have written to New York State officials adamantly opposing Con Edison’s proposal to hike energy and gas prices by more than 10 percent.
Democratic state Sen. Shelley Mayer is so fed up with ConEd’s prices that she and colleagues in Albany are looking at how other states set energy prices with an eye toward possibly scrapping New York’s system altogether.
More than 1,600 comments had been filed with the state Department of Public Service as of May 2.
-by Camille Botello
The city has planted a whopping 200 trees already this year, according to Rye officials.
CITY
Rye held a community tree planting on Wednesday to recognize Arbor Day, but the groundwork has been laid throughout the year.
The red oak is one of more than 200 trees that the city has planted this year, reflecting the city’s commitment to green infrastructure, according to city officials.
The city has long been a Tree City USA designee, a national movement that encourages communities to expand their tree canopy.
-by Record staff