Who They Are: Profiles of Our Elected Officials

This week: Village of Larchmont Trustee Marlene Kolbert
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Marlene Kolbert, Village of Larchmont Trustee

(November 19, 2002) It's a long way from Hitler's Berlin to the leafy streets of Larchmont, and Marlene Kolbert doesn't take anything about the journey for granted. A Village of Larchmont Trustee, Ms. Kolbert took time on a soggy November afternoon to chat with the Gazette about her accomplishments and her goals.

"My parents had the good sense to flee Germany in 1938," she remembered. The family emigrated to New York, and young Marlene grew up in Flushing, Queens, later going off to college at Oberlin. She married and worked to put her husband through medical school and further training, had two children, and in 1966, the family moved from Riverdale to Larchmont. Right away, Kolbert got involved in school volunteering, serving as Chatsworth PTA president from 1969-71. Stints as president of the League of Women Voters and president of the PT Council followed, and she served on the Mamaroneck School Board from 1978-84, the last four years as president.

"Those were tumultuous years," she recalled. "The schools were just bursting, including 900 kids at Chatsworth, and we had lots of curriculum conflicts between those who wanted 'open classrooms' and those who wanted tradtitional teaching. And we had a $9 million bond issue, and buildings that weren't in great shape. But it was an education for me, like getting a master's degree in government." She took a break from elective office between 1984 and 2002, serving on various Village commissions and on the not-for-profit Center for Continuing Education board.

Why did she decide to give up her tranquil life for a Village Board run? "When (former Mayor) Cheryl Lewy left office, I thought I would enjoy serving with Ned Benton on the Board and Anne McAndrews as the new mayor, so I ran. I wanted to put all my years of community experience to work." Things didn't turn out as she'd hoped, since Benton lost his bid for re-election and McAndrews was defeated in her mayoral run, losing her Trustee seat in the process. Kolbert is now the lone Democrat on the Village Board.

Kolbert, who served on the Larchmont 2020 Task Force, is glad the current administration has continued to work on implementing the 2020 themes. Larchmont needs more open space, according to Kolbert, along with business district improvements, a close look at regulations on zoning, and a tri-municipal technology committee.

Open space, in fact, is one of Kolbert's pet projects. She was instrumental in the effort to prevent commercial development of David's Island in the 1990's, and she sees a consensus in Larchmont to try to preserve what little open space still exists within the Village.

Another thing Larchmont needs, Kolbert thinks, is a comprehensive tree ordinance. "One thing visitors always say about Larchmont is how beautiful our canopy of trees is. We need an ordinance to control what happens to trees on private property, not just on Village property."

She would also like to see more waterfront access for local residents, and more grass-roots involvement in local governance. "I'm saddened that so few people show up at Village Board meetings. People really should come to the work sessions too, to really learn about what's going on. We really want to hear from people," she said.

What else would she like to see happening in Larchmont?

"I'd love to see more people out walking! Everybody's in such a hurry, and we should all try to slow down a bit," she said, a bit wistfully. "We'd like to get people to use the free weekend parking at the train station, for instance, and maybe we'll even try a shopping jitney for the holidays. Anything to get some of the cars out of the main shopping areas."

Kolbert is currently working on streetscape improvement grant proposals aimed at raising the quality of life for residents in the Palmer Avenue and Post Road business districts. She is liaison to the Committee on the Arts, working with chairperson Nili Asherie to bring the New Rochelle Opera to Flint Park next summer.

When not attending to Village business, Kolbert loves to read, swim (at the Hommocks pool), take care of her grandchildren, and travel. "I love Africa," she said. "It's the most seductive continent. The climate is so wonderful, and even the air is soft. I really can't get enough of the place." Kolbert also loves the famously tough New York Times crossword puzzles. She even finishes them.

We have contacted all of the elected leaders in the Village and the Town, and the profiles will appear in the order in which the interviews were conducted. Check back frequently for more profiles.