Solar Law. The Board referred out for comment proposed amendments to the current law. The major change is a ban on large scale ground mounted solar farms in all residential districts. Large scale ground mounted solar farms will continue to be banned as a primary use in commercial districts and allowed only as an accessory use subject to new guidelines in the law relating to setback, lot size, screening, etc.
The proposed law does not include a grandfathering provision and the town attorney stated that the Planning Board will not be able to approve either of the two applications for large scale solar farms currently before the Planning Board.
The text of the law will be available online on the town clerk’s page.
Foothill Street rezoning. (See Planning Board January 13, 2025 and November 4, 2024.) The developer made a presentation in support of rezoning the property for 20 multi family rental units instead of seven single family houses based on the current R1-40 (one acre) zoning. The main advantages he said, would be less land disturbance, better stormwater management, the units would be on sewers rather than septic, there would be two access points instead of one to Foothill Street and that only a few of the units would be visible on Foothill Street.
The developer will wait for the Planning Board to make a recommendation to the Town Board before filing a formal application to rezone the property.
Tree Inventory. Keith Schepart, chairman of the Tree Conservation Advisory Commission (TCAC) spoke about the need for a street tree inventory so that the group can fulfill its mission to advise the town on the trees on town owned property. The inventory, he said, would be a necessary first step that would identify what trees were where and their size and condition. It would also be guide to where the trees currently growing in the town’s tree nursery could be planted in order to avoid what he called treeless “heat islands.” He suggested that the town hire an arborist to conduct an inventory, starting with the Yorktown Heights and Shrub Oak hamlets. The funds would come from the Tree Fund that currently has about $120,000. The Board asked Mr. Schepart to return with more information on what such an inventory would cost.
Sensory Garden. (See Town Board March 18, 2025 and October 22, 2024.) In a 4-1 vote, the Board authorized the supervisor to sign an agreement with Site Design Consultants to provide engineering services for the design of a sensory garden, splash pad, picnic area, handicapped parking area and rainwater harvesting system at a cost not to exceed $14,500. The funds will come from a $50,000 reimbursable grant.
Councilwoman Siegel voted against the resolution questioning why the engineer should be developing a plan that included a splash pad that was not in the original concept for the garden and in the absence of any Board decision to include one. She also suggested that there be no ground breaking for the garden until there was a Board approved plan for the garden.
Bids. The Board authorized going out to bid for the installation of new coping at the Shrub Oak pool (the work would begin after the close of this summer’s pool season) and the replacement of the culvert on Old Crompond Road (work will begin after the end of the trout spawning season in late summer.)
Peekskill Operation & Maintenance District. (See Town Board, April 1, 2025.) In an item not on the agenda, Councilwoman Siegel expressed concern that a resolution creating the district was not on the agenda given the May 1 deadline for the adoption of the 2025 Tentative Assessment Roll. Although the town attorney has determined that the district can be created by resolution, which does not require a public hearing, Supervisor Lachterman said he was waiting to confirm that with outside bond counsel. He also said that if the resolution wasn’t adopted by May 1, it could still be adopted by the June 1 deadline for the Final Assessment Roll.
Fieldstone Manor. (See Town Board, March 4, 2025.) In an item not on the agenda, Councilwoman Siegel expressed concern about the ongoing use of an 8.9 acre town owned parcel as a parking lot for an assortment of trucks, campers, construction equipment and storage containers. At issue was whether the owner of the abutting property was charging rent and/or whether the town should charge for the use. Councilman Esposito said the town attorney has been in consultation with the property owner’s attorney on the issue.
A video of the meeting is available at https://yorktownny.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=1&clip_id=1940