New York, Westchester & Boston NYW&B Heathcote Station

Scarsdale Ambulance Corps has occupied the former NYWB station at Heathcote (Scarsdale) since 1971. They are now moving into a new headquarters, leaving the structure vacant. The village trustees have put the property up for sale (via a Request for Proposals), and is not particularly interested in preservation. Several trustees have expressed no desire for the structure to remain, though the building is eligible for landmark status. It is one of six remaining NYWB stations in Westchester Country (Quaker Ridge, Wykagl, E. 3rd Street, Larchmont Gardens, and Port Chester are the others).

Village is planning a board meeting sometime next week to discuss. I will try to find out when the meeting is and post info here.

-otto-

Otto, let us know if there's anyone we can email / write to. I would think pursuing landmark status is the best strategy. I'm surprised they want to get rid of it, has it deteriorated that much since I've been there last (late 90's)? It's an attractive building.

I'm guessing none of the other remaining stations are in danger?

Quaker Ridge - private residence (wouldn't that be cool?)

Wykagl, E. 3rd Street (retail, right?) I would think Wykagl would be in some danger of development (I know they built condo's on opposite side of street in old ROW, and replacing the North Avenue bridge would be a major undertaking, unless they rehab and use for parking). Right now, it's just a shopping center, right? Never scouted E 3rd.

Larchmont Gardens (Girl Scouts last I knew, very small). I guess they could sell for a McMansion? That's kind of the last house on the street before that strip road to Weaver.

Port Chester (Still an auto dealership?).

Wykagl is hidden behind the facade of retail establishments.

Port Chester is currrently a church.

Larchmont Gardens is a Girl Scouts meeting house.

Quaker Ridge has been a private residence since the mid-1950s.

E. Third Street has been boarded up and abandoned since the mid-1980s.

That leaves Heathcote, which the village will tell you is "decrepid and rat-infested." I dont know how decrepid a cast concrete structure can get, but I guess anything is possible.

When I learn more I'll pass on the info.

-otto-

That leaves Heathcote, which the village will tell you is "decrepid and rat-infested." I dont know how decrepid a cast concrete structure can get, but I guess anything is possible.

The ROW was below grade, so the building must have a basement, right? I know the entrance is street-level. I imagine no one's been in that bsmt for a while, if there is a bsmt (I'm trying to remember the picture's from the Arcara book, I think it had a basement).

Maybe they want to develop something along the old ROW, the bypass to Old Mamaroneck Rd.

What a shame.

I dont think there was a basement. Access to the tracks was via a bridge and staircases to high-level platforms (much like a modern MN station).

The old ROW in that area was used to build the Heathcote Bypass.

-otto-

Otto Vondrak wrote:I dont think there was a basement. Access to the tracks was via a bridge and staircases to high-level platforms (much like a modern MN station).

The old ROW in that area was used to build the Heathcote Bypass.

-otto-

So I guess the area underneath the building must just be empty.

On the bypass, what I meant was right now the bypass is just that, only a bypass, maybe they want to develop the area fronting it. From what I remember, it was fairly wide. I never thought I'd hear myself say this, but maybe they should explore rail-trailing the bypass as well as the portion north of Old Mamaroneck running into White Plains. I would think that would make a nice linear park.

I thinkthe Village Trustees are having a meeting sometime next week.

I wouldn't expect anything to come out of this. Take your pictures now.

-otto-

Otto Vondrak wrote:Wykagl is hidden behind the facade of retail establishments.

Port Chester is currrently a church.

Larchmont Gardens is a Girl Scouts meeting house.

Quaker Ridge has been a private residence since the mid-1950s.

E. Third Street has been boarded up and abandoned since the mid-1980s.

That leaves Heathcote, which the village will tell you is "decrepid and rat-infested." I dont know how decrepid a cast concrete structure can get, but I guess anything is possible.

When I learn more I'll pass on the info.

-otto-

Who in the village said the former NYW&BR Heathcote station is "decrepid and rat-infested"? The building is in fine shape.

Below is the text of the resolution on the agenda for tonight's Village Board meeting re: RFPs for the fomer Heathcote Station of the NYWB at 300 Heathcote Road at Heathcote Five Corners. The most interesting modification to the original version of the resolution is the addition of the following "resolved" clause:

RESOLVED, that at the pre-RFP submission conference it be indicated that in the selection process some weight will be given to responders that indicate experience in renovating, redeveloping, restoring, and preserving architectural and historical features that may exist on the property.

Eventhough the language in the clause is mild and noncommital ("some weight will be given," and "historical features that may exist on the property"), at least it's a marked improvement from the original resolution that made no reference to "historical features" and indicated no preference for buyers interested in restoring and preserving the existing building. Given some of the previous sentiments expressed by members of the Village Board, this is probably the best we could have hoped for.

The meeting begins at 8 pm tonight at Scarsdale Village Hall, 1001 Post Road, Scarsdale.

Andy

RESOLUTION RE: REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
300 HEATHCOTE ROAD (SVAC)


WHEREAS, the Village of Scarsdale (Village) is the owner of a property at 300 Heathcote Road currently serving as the headquarters for the Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps (SVAC) which began operations in 1971 as one of the first volunteer corps to be certified by New York State; and

WHEREAS, the Village and SVAC are guided by Operating Agreements most recently amended on October 8, 2002 detailing the services to be provided to the Community, which include Emergency Medical Services, Basic Life Support Services and Advanced Life Support Services 365 days a year, 24 hours a day; and

WHEREAS, the Village and SVAC entered into a Lease Agreement on September 28, 2004 in which the Village committed its property at 5 Weaver Street to SVAC for the sole purpose of the construction by SVAC of a new ambulance facility for governmental use and pre-hospital emergency service pursuant to section 122b of the New York State General Municipal Law; and

WHEREAS, the construction of the new SVAC ambulance facility at 5 Weaver Street is progressing with an estimated completion date of Spring 2007; and

WHEREAS, in accordance with a January 17, 2007 memorandum, attached hereto and made a part hereof, the existing facility at 300 Heathcote Road used by SVAC as its headquarters will no longer be of use by the Village for any governmental purpose and should be declared as surplus and available for disposition upon determination of the Village; and

WHEREAS, in keeping with the due diligence role held by the Village Board, two independent and separate appraisals were prepared by firms certified to practice in the State of New York utilizing requirements specified in the Appraisal Institute and in conformity with the Code of Professional Ethics and Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice; and

WHEREAS, in accordance with the Lease Agreement SVAC has embarked on a fundraising campaign to obtain the funds necessary to cover the construction of a new headquarters at 5 Weaver Street and to create an endowment for future operating needs, thus limiting the number of future community appeals necessary to support SVAC’s annual services; and

WHEREAS, to date the capital and endowment campaign conducted by SVAC has raised well over $2 million due to the efforts of the dedicated volunteers and officers of SVAC and the generosity of Scarsdale residents and institutions; and

WHEREAS, it may be appropriate and fitting to dispose of the existing SVAC headquarters at 300 Heathcote Road and utilize a portion of the proceeds to support the capital and endowment campaign being conducted by SVAC for the services prescribed by the current Operating Agreement and to be continued by successor agreements; and

WHEREAS, the Village Board, at its November 14, 2006 meeting, referred this item to the Law Committee for review and discussion and the Law Committee met on January 10, 2007 and recommended favorably on the resolution with certain modifications herein incorporated; now therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the Village of Scarsdale Board of Trustees, herein, declares the property at 300 Heathcote Road to be of surplus with no future governmental use and authorizes the Village Manager to prepare and promulgate a Request for Proposal, in substantially the same form as attached hereto, for the sale of said property subject to the Village Board approving said sale to the highest and most qualified responder with the proceeds from the potential sale being placed in the Capital Fund; and be it further

RESOLVED, that at the pre-RFP submission conference it be indicated that in the selection process some weight will be given to responders that indicate experience in renovating, redeveloping, restoring, and preserving architectural and historical features that may exist on the property.

Submitted by: Village Manager
Dated: November 9, 2006
For: November 14, 2006

Referred by: Village Board
Date: November 14, 2006

Revised by: Law Committee
Date: January 10, 2007

Submitted by: Village Manager
Date: January 17, 2007
For: January 23, 2007

Just up the line, a home builder has purchased the former NYW&B right of way east of Secor Rd from the Village of Scarsdale and plans to build homes on the property.

s4ny wrote:Just up the line, a home builder has purchased the former NYW&B right of way east of Secor Rd from the Village of Scarsdale and plans to build homes on the property.

Do you have a cross street for that? I'm trying to Google Earth it, and see that Secor is close to the Heathcote Bypass, but Secor seems to already be east of the old ROW.

A Queens based builder purchased the former ROW in the triangle bounded by Secor Rd, Corell Rd and Wildwood Rd. He plans to build 2 houses on the property.

He also owns the house on the west corner of Wildwood and Corell. He renovated that house and transferred some land from the former ROW to that house which is, or was, for sale.

"It is one of six remaining NYWB stations in Westchester Country (Quaker Ridge, Wykagl, E. 3rd Street, Larchmont Gardens, and Port Chester are the others).

You can be forgiven, Otto, for forgetting to mention Webster Avenue Station. Like Wykagyl, it's now used for a store, but its exterior features are almost completely invisible today.

I've always thought of the Heathcote Station as a microcosm for the entire NYW&B, with its beautiful design, excess track capacity with the tower just outside the station (did they really need four tracks there?) location practically in the middle of nowhere, and of course the nearby coal siding.

To know Heathcote was to know the NYW&B.

RDL, you make me cry. During the 1930s my parents would drive us kiddies from Scarsdale to Rye Beach, always crossing over the Westchester at Heathcote. I never saw a train, though, and my father (an NYC man) would always politely dismiss the railroad as "going nowhere." Which, of course, it did.

The elaborate facilities at Heathcote (and Wykagyl) originally were intended as through passing sidings so that expresses could overtake and pass locals in the station. The pair of sidings west of the North Ave. station in New Rochelle were intended for the same purpose. In the earliest years, this may have been done, but reality soon dawned and all sidings were dead-ended. In the case of Heathcote and Wykagyl, they were dead-ended so that each siding would end in a trailing point switch so as to eliminate the possibility of a switch set the wrong way for a passenger train. There was a freight station at Heathcote for LCL (still standing in the early '50s when I photographed it) and a track or two for the Scarsdale Supply Co., which was the leading local coal and building materials dealer.

-BaltOhio, thanks for the comments. Enjoy the sentiments as well.
"A railroad which didn't go anywheres" and yet it has so many fans???
-where exactly was the Heathcote freight office and its track? On the tower side, off the southbound local track, or off the freight siding? Or was it on the lower level of the station, on the northbound local track? In 1912, a freight house or baggage room would have had room for a horse and wagon to unload. Would your picture reveal the location? Thank you,

-ha the Scarsdale board taken any further action? Any local historical interest in the station?


Roger