Architects, engineers, and other design professionals working on projects in Scarsdale would need a village-issued license under a package of land use code changes the Village Board discussed at a work session on Tuesday, July 14.
The proposed rules also establish a tiered fine schedule that could hit corporate offenders with penalties as high as $50,000 for repeated violations of building code or site plan approvals. The Board directed village staff to revise portions of the draft before a public hearing in August, meaning the specific figures could still change. The proposals were outlined in a memo from the Village Attorney, according to a report by Joanne Wallenstein on Scarsdale10583.com published Thursday, July 23.
Who needs a license
Under the new provision, any "design professional" who receives a land use approval from the Village of Scarsdale would be required to hold a village license. The code defines design professionals as architects, engineers, landscape architects, or land surveyors licensed by New York State, plus ISA Certified Arborists.
The village could revoke or deny a license if the applicant has, within the prior 12 months, submitted false or misleading information on four or more land use applications, been issued four or more stop-work orders, or received four or more notices of violation.
Fine schedule for unpermitted work
The draft lays out escalating penalties for work done without site plan approval or work that deviates from an approved plan:
- First offense: $500–$1,000 for individuals (up to 15 days imprisonment); $2,500–$5,000 for corporate offenders.
- Second offense within five years: $1,500–$2,500 for individuals; $7,500–$15,000 for corporations.
- Third offense: $4,000–$6,000 for individuals; $25,000–$50,000 for corporations.
Each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense. The draft also establishes a separate civil penalty of up to $50,000.
Other changes
The proposals would also expand the list of village employees authorized to issue appearance tickets for code violations, adding the Director of Planning and the Assistant Civil Engineer. Freshwater wetlands rules would be simplified, removing provisions that allowed certain encroachments into wetland buffers and empowering the Village Engineer or Director of Planning to approve minor structures and tree cutting within 50 to 150 feet of a wetland. Changes to the environmental review process would eliminate local provisions that duplicate state SEQRA regulations.
What happens next
The Board has not announced a specific August hearing date. Residents can review the full 54-page draft of proposed revisions, linked from the July 14 meeting recap on Scarsdale10583.com, and submit comments by email to [email protected] before the hearing.
