Editor’s note: This letter was provided by Village of Pelham Mayor Chance Mullen.

Dear neighbors,

I write with a handful of updates as we head into what will hopefully be a beautiful, sunny weekend.

Bulk Pickup Restored
First, I’m happy to announce that residential bulk pickup will be restored to its usual cadence next week. Area A is on Mondays, Area B is on Tuesdays (twice a month). Be sure to put out your items after 7:00pm the night before and visit the Village of Pelham website to see the updated 2021 Sanitation/Recycling Calendar here.

Parking Lot 2
Remediation of Parking Lot 2 is well underway, and thankfully, we anticipate the work to be completed by the end of next week. As soon as the structure is safe, we will communicate with permit holders so that residents and merchants will be able to return to the lot.

Highbrook Highline Discussion
Next Tuesday, June 8th, at 8:00pm, Friends of the Highbrook Highline will be providing a presentation to the Village Board on the history of the Highline, the progress made so far, and what remains to be done to realize the full vision of the project. Specifically, we’ll be discussing the path forward for Young Avenue Field (the easternmost portion of that land). If you’ve been following the discussion, I encourage you to attend. While no votes will take place that night, the Village Board is weighing whether or not to remediate the field and designate it as parkland.

Municipal Center Schematic Designs
The Village Board of Trustees will be holding a Special Work Session at 7:00pm on Thursday, June 17 to review the initial schematic designs of our new municipal center. For the last few months, we’ve been working with our consultants and Pelham House’s architects to design a building layout that will serve our community’s needs long into the future, and this will be an opportunity for members of the public to get a sneak peek at the draft designs. Members of the Architectural Review Board and the Planning Board will also be in attendance to provide feedback on the building layout and program. Aesthetic considerations related to the exterior of the building will be developed in the next phase of the process, but we will get to see a handful of potential designs. It’s an amazing opportunity to get to build a historic new building in the heart of our downtown. This meeting will be the first of many as we start to visualize what that’s going to look like. Please join us via Zoom (information below).

Enjoying a Clean Downtown
We’ve recently received complaints about excess garbage and litter in our commercial corridor. It’s been a frustration for the Village Board and me as well. Please know that commercial garbage pickup is three times per week (as it has always been), and Oakridge is contracted to empty public trash cans daily, Monday thru Friday. Ensuring that our public spaces are well kept is a high priority and we will adapt as summer activities begin to ramp up. We have already begun to implement the following:

• We are committing additional staff resources for cleaning up garbage in our downtown during Holiday weekends and after we’ve enjoyed events and activities in our park. We planned for this in this year’s budget to ensure beautiful public spaces all summer long.
• Additional trash cans have been added to the area near the Metro North train station since commuters often dispose of trash when exiting the train, and capacity will be an issue as we return to normal.
• Some public trash cans have been removed from the front of residential buildings. Residential garbage should be disposed of behind the building and collected curbside on designated pickup days (3 times per week), but some have been using public trash cans outside their building as a more convenient receptacle for household garbage. This is illegal. We’ve taken measures like this in the past, and seen good results.
• And finally, citations continue to be written for all storefront owners who sweep trash into the street or otherwise fail to properly maintain their outdoor areas. We have the full support of the Pelham Chamber of Commerce in issuing these violations.

While I am confident these measures will be helpful, please remember that your Village government will not be able to maintain cleanliness on its own. Many trash cans that appear to be overflowing are actually not even full. Diners, shoppers and residents often place trash beside bins or on top of bins, which can cause others to follow that example. We all live here and we all must do our part. If you see overflowing trash, or other related issues, call Village Hall and report it so we can act quickly to resolve the problem.  Please help us keep Pelham clean.

As a final note, this weekend marks the first weekend of Pride month, commemorating the Stonewall riots in June of 1969. This month is dedicated to love, self-affirmation, dignity, and equality for all – values that are fundamental to a just and equitable society. We are proud to fly the Pride flag outside Village Hall, as a sign of respect, inclusion and unwavering solidarity. To my LGBTQIA neighbors, thank you for all you’ve done and endured to make our world a better place for future generations.

Best regards,
Chance