Accessory Dwelling Units Would Overburden Mount Kisco
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The residents of Mount Kisco must immediately become involved, informed and outspoken. The Village Board is in the process of rezoning neighborhoods from single family to multifamily. This will forever change the Village of Mount Kisco.
At the Democratic mayoral candidate debate, Lisa Abzun was asked her position on Accessory Dwelling Units. ADUs can be additions built onto your existing home, renovation of a garage or a separate building on your property. After seven seconds of awkward silence, she stated that she is a proponent of ADU legislation. She stated that the board is currently working on honing language and terms to present to the public.
She said she does NOT believe this will do away with single-family neighborhoods. That CANNOT be true. She is either lying or ignorant. Neither is acceptable. She then became visibly uncomfortable, stuttering and stammering in trying to explain how these neighborhoods would still remain single-family zoned, while you will be able to rent out a room, garage or a separate unit to anyone. That is called multifamily housing.
This change to the village’s zoning would have devastating effects. Not only would this cause property values to fall (basically theft by village officials), it would also overwhelm our already fragile, overburdened infrastructure. Our elementary school has a limited amount of space with no room for expansion, traffic is already a nightmare. (How many more traffic studies do we need?) The sewer system is at maximum capacity. We have one main, limited water source for the entire village, Byram Lake, which is essentially on permanent water restrictions. We already have many overcrowding situations in homes that the village routinely ignores. Just imagine how many more people would be added with the approval of ADUs.
Mount Kisco has several high-rise apartment buildings, condominium complexes, townhouses, co-ops, low-income housing, senior housing, housing for the physically and mentally impaired, single-family houses and many multifamily-zoned neighborhoods. We have provided more than our fair share of affordable housing options in our small, three-square-mile village, much more than any neighboring towns that have a lot more space. We cannot accommodate the increase in population density.
As Lisa Abzun indicated, this is going to be brought to the public for discussion. Residents MUST get involved. Go to meetings, watch on Zoom, e-mail village officials.
A person’s home is widely considered their greatest financial asset. A change of this magnitude demands a voter referendum in order to allow the taxpaying residents of Mount Kisco to decide what is best for them and their families.
Kim Terlizzi
Mount Kisco
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