The Tarrytown Link is issued the Friday after the regular Board of Trustees meeting, twice per month. Questions or concerns? Email us at newsletter@tarrytownny.gov.

Highlights from the February 18, 2026 Board Meeting

Tarrytown Environmental Advisory Council: Year in Review

Dean Gallea, a Co-Chair of the Tarrytown Environmental Advisory Council (TEAC), presented the Committee's 2025 Year in Review to the Board. TEAC is one of the Village's most active committees, representing a range of environmental efforts through their sub-committees: Landscape, Lakes, Energy, Zero Waste, Community Outreach and Habitat and Wildlife. The presentation highlighted some of their many activities throughout the year which included the planting and maintenance of pollinator gardens in public spaces, producing Earth Month events in collaboration with Sustainable Sleepy Hollow, producing an annual Eco-Fair in September in Patriots Park, activating a Vine Squad and a team of Waste Warriors to combat invasive vines in our parks and to reduce waste at our major events including the TaSH Farmer's Market, coordinating regional Repair Cafes, and many more.

The full presentation can be found on the Tarrytown Environmental Advisory Council website, and information about how to sign up for the committee or contribute to one of their many activities can be found there as well.

Coming up: TEAC is helping to coordinate a Repair Cafe at the Sleepy Hollow Senior Center on Sunday, March 29 where you can get items repaired for free instead of throwing them away. In April, they are putting together a suite of events in collaboration with Sleepy Hollow. As the event calendar comes together, it will be posted on https://earthmonth10591.org/.

Kudos to Tarrytown Volunteer Fire Department, Police Department and Ambulance Corps for Response to House Fire on Sunday, Feb. 15

Fire Chief Patrick Derivan gave a report to the Board of Trustees on the actions of the Tarrytown Volunteer Fire Department, other emergency services and mutual aid agencies in the suppression of a significant house fire in the Crest neighborhood in the early morning hours of February 15. Chief Derivan explained that the Tarrytown Fire Department arrived on scene in minutes, and while initially finding two of the nearby fire hydrants to be frozen, the third hydrant was clear to use resulting in the suppression of the fire within approximately ten minutes. Although the Crest neighborhood has previous experience with low water pressure, the Fire Department had no problem with water pressure while combatting the fire. In addition, mutual aid agencies arrived with two tanker trucks, which together with the on-scene pumper trucks meant that an additional 10,700 gallons of water were available if needed.

As Chief Derivan explained, with the deep freeze the region has been experiencing, frozen hydrants are an issue throughout the area, but the key to fire emergency response in this season is preparation, and the Tarrytown Fire Department took all of the proper precautions to ensure they had what was needed to suppress the fire. There were no injuries for either residents or firefighters as a result of the incident, and the fire was kept to the first floor of the structure and did not extend to any other buildings.

29 volunteer Fire Department members responded to the early morning incident, and thanks to mutual aid response from other communities, an additional 30 firefighters were on scene to assist with the fire. Following the incident, Public Works staff was brought on site to address the roadway ice resulting from the incident.

All together it was a rapid, professional and successful response on the part of our Fire Department and we are grateful to our entire emergency response team for the excellent work keeping our community safe.

In the same meeting, the Board authorized funding for new emergency escape harnesses which help firefighters escape when combatting multi-story structure fires.

If you want to help, you can consider volunteering for our Fire Department or Ambulance Corps, or you can "Adopt-A-Hydrant" by ensuring the fire hydrants near your property are thoroughly shoveled out following a storm. In addition, a campaign has been organized to support the family who lost their home in the fire.

Resolution Petitioning Federal Government to Address ICE and CBP Abuses

The Board of Trustees heard from a number of residents in support of the adoption of a resolution in the agenda requesting that the federal government:

• Conduct an independent investigation of tactics and practices employed by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) Agencies.
• Adopt procedures to prevent abusive tactics and practices by ICE and CBP including the adoption of more rigorous and enhanced training to instruct ICE and CBP agents to respect civil rights and to use appropriate and measured responses
• Consider reform of immigration enforcement through the restructuring of the aforementioned enforcement agencies.

The resolution also asserted that the Tarrytown Police Department will continue to follow its policy on Immigration Status including as it relates to the interaction with Federal Immigration Authorities, policies which have previously been reviewed and approved by the Board.

Police Chief Barbelet explained that it is the policy of the Tarrytown Police Department to never ask for immigration status in their operations. He also explained that the Tarrytown Police Department, along with staff and elected officials have been working in collaboration with Sleepy Hollow and the School District to come up with a collective strategy to identify the best ways to communicate, provide advanced training and awareness about rights; and provide community resources if needed should ICE operations in Tarrytown impact the community.

The Board unanimously adopted the resolution. Similar resolutions have been passed in Ardsley, Greenburgh and Hastings. The full discussion can be viewed online (about 37 minutes into the meeting).

H-Bridge Repair Work in 2026

The Village Engineering Department is preparing a new phase of repair work for the H-Bridge (the bridge at the end of Main Street that crosses the railroad tracks to the waterfront). The repairs will address multiple issues that need to be addressed as the 100-year-old bridge continues to age. The Village has been working with Labella Engineering on the design and is preparing to issue the bid for construction in the coming weeks.

Many thanks to Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Assembly Member MaryJane Shimsky and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie for the financial support for this project. They have prioritized maintenance and upgrades to critical infrastructure throughout the state including Tarrytown, and we are very grateful for their support. This bridge provides the sole connection to the waterfront areas in our community, and its repair and maintenance is vital to the success of our community.

The Village has applied for a grant to support a long-term strategic plan for this bridge, and is waiting to hear about whether the grant will be awarded.

Rt. 119 Complete Streets Project with Town of Greenburgh

The Board authorized the submission of a 2026 USDOT BUILD grant application to fund pedestrian and bike lane improvements to the Rt. 119 corridor connecting the Shared Use Path in Tarrytown to the Empire State Trail in Greenburgh. The US DOT Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) program helps fund multi-modal ad multi-jurisdictional surface transportation improvements. The project design for the Rt. 119 project was begun with funding during the construction of the Mario Cuomo Bridge as part of the Community Benefit Fund. This will be the third time the Village and the Town are applying to fund the next phase in the project which would complete the necessary studies and design elements to get the project to a shovel-ready phase.

Local Waterfront Advisor Plan Committee Members Appointed

This year the Village will be embarking on an update to the draft Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan (LWRP) that was last revised more than 10 years ago. The draft LWRP plan that was developed in 2015 was never finalized or approved by the State of New York. With multiple new waterfront issues coming forward, and a need to re-engage the community on the vision for Tarrytown's waterfront, the update to the plan is both timely and necessary. The Village received a grant award from the Department of State to help fund the update to the plan. The next step will involve identifying a consultant to help update the plan.

The following members of the community have volunteered to serve on the LWRP Committee and were appointed at the 2/18 meeting:

Peter Feroe

Barbara Robertson

Janet Lorn

Sally Lawrence

David Gutschmit

Jim Haggerty

Charles Appel

Maria Canales

Kevin Lustyik

Thank you to these community members for volunteering their time and skills for the LWRP plan development.

Coming Up

• Board of Trustees Work Session: Wednesday, February 25, 6:00pm
• Board of Trustees Regular Meeting: Monday, March 2, 2026 7:00pm
• Board of Trustees Priorities Meeting: Monday, February 23, 2026, 6pm, EF School

Please note, this meeting date was re-scheduled due to the snow storm on the previously scheduled meeting date. The location is at the EF School instead of in Village Hall for a change of venue as the Board works on setting priorities for FY 2026-2027. The priorities will be published in a message on the website and in the annual budget document.

Reminder: Black History Month at the TaSH

Join us on 2/21 from 10am to 12:30pm

We invite you to join us this Saturday, February 21 to celebrate Black History Month at the TaSH Farmer's Market.. The Cultural Heritage Recognition Committeewas newly formed in 2025 and has put together a wonderful event to celebrate Black culture, history and community in cooperation with the TaSH. Taste dessert offerings from Pik Nik, listen to MoTown music, and learn about the Harriet Tubman Scenic Byway that is being developed along Rt. 9 through Tarrytown. We look forward to seeing you Saturday!

Notice of Scam: All Land Use Board and Building Permit Applicants Should be Aware

Applicants to our Land Use Boards and recipients of Building Permits have been targeted by scammers recently. Please be cautious of any requests for payment from the Village of Tarrytown. Please confirm that the email address of a Village communication ends in "@tarrytownny.gov." If it does not, please call our Department to confirm that we sent you a communication.

Scammers have been sending notices that are very similar to letters sent by our departments with minor differences. For instance, instead of the "Planning Board" or "Planning Department" the email is from the "Planning Commission" which is not the appropriate Department title. The email address from which the email is sent is "Planning.VillageOfTarrytownNY@usa.com." This is not a Village email address.

Please be very cautious of any emails requesting payment, and if you have doubts please confirm by calling the Village department in question.

Sign Up for the Vine Squad

All interested weekend vine warriors are invited to join the next season of Vine Squad. We will be cutting the vines that choke our trees in several of the park areas of Tarrytown. The next meet-up will be on January 24. Please dress appropriately and wear heavy shoes for safety’s sake.

The meet-ups, which are always on Saturdays from 10 am to 12 noon, are scheduled as follows:

February 21

March 7

March 21

To sign up please go to  Volunteer New York and search for Vine Squad in Tarrytown.

E-Bike Vouchers Still Available

Anyone who lives in Tarrytown, Sleepy Hollow, Croton on Hudson, Dobbs Ferry, or Village or Town of Ossining and who makes less than 80% of Area Median Income can qualify for an e-bike voucher for up to $1,000 off the purchase of an e-bike.

New Program to Support

Accessory Dwelling Unit Construction

ADU Plus One offers grants to income-eligible property owners

The Plus One ADU Program is a New York State grant available to support homeowners of modest means to build or renovate accessory dwelling units (ADUs). The program provides up to $125,000 per home in soft and hard costs to create or legalize ADUs/accessory apartments in Tarrytown, with 10% of the award dedicated to HAC delivery/administrative fees.

The program supports low- and middle-income single-family homeowners who wish to build a new ADU or improve an existing one. Eligible projects include basement, attic, or interior apartments; garage conversions; and small stand-alone units on single-family lots. Homeowners needing to legalize or bring existing ADUs up to code may also apply.

To qualify, homeowners must:

• Have a household income not exceeding 120% of the area median income (AMI) as shown in the chart below.
• Own and occupy the residence as their primary home.
• Demonstrate financial need for the grant.
• Ensure the ADU complies with local zoning and that homeowner’s insurance is in place.
• If project costs exceed $125,000, homeowners must secure additional funding.
• Be a U.S. citizen or legal resident.

Maximum Annual Gross Household Income Limits

Applications are open through March 1st.

If you are interested in applying, please contact Savannah Hoffman at shoffman@affordablehomes.org

Sustainable Westchester Offers Free Training to Prepare for Clean Energy Careers

Sustainable Westchester, in partnership with the Healthy Home Academy, is offering a fully funded, hands-on training program that prepares participants for clean energy careers. This program welcomes high school graduates and adults changing careers.

Participants receive a full scholarship, industry-recognized training, stipends, and job placement support.

Latin Dance Night with the Rivertown Dance Academy

Claim your spot on the floor at Latin Dance Night, celebrating Dominican Independence Weekend. Enjoy mini lessons in Merengue & Bachata, tasty bites and adult beverages.

 - $40 per person

 - No experience necessary, all levels welcome

 - Non-partner event

Space is limited, reserve your spot early!

www.RivertownDanceAcademy.org/store/p43/latindancenighttickets

Featuring Guest Artist: Brianna Luciano

Yonkers-based choreographer and performer with 18 years of dance experience and 13+ years of teaching across Latin, hip hop, street jazz, acro, heels, and hustle.

When: Saturday, Feb 28 | 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Where: Rivertown Dance Academy | 69 N Broadway Lower Level, Tarrytown, NY 10591

Contact: Christina, Rivertown Dance Academy

Email: christina@rivertowndanceacademy.org, Phone: 914.631.4302

Westchester County Community Gardener Meet Up

February 27, 12:30pm - 4:30pm,

Connect, Network and Get Inspired by others with similar interests in community gardening.

Affordable Housing Lottery Open for 55+ Development in Yonkers

New affordable housing is available for seniors aged 55+! Applications for the lottery at Mary the Queen Senior Housing , located at 35 Vark Street in Yonkers, are due February 26, 2026. Apply and learn more at https://shorturl.at/brhBo.

Mary the Queen, financed by New York States Homes and Community Renewal (NYS HCR), will have 12 units available for seniors aged 55+ rents starting from $1,430 (see attached for more information). 3 units will be adapted for those with mobility impairments and 1 will be adapted for those with hearing and vision impairments.

Follow along on social media: