Online Petition Surfaces Against Proposed New Castle Code Change
An online petition was started last month warning New Castle residents that the proposed form-based code for downtown Chappaqua would lead to overdevelopment and “a massive redesign” of the business hamlet.
Chappaqua resident Suzanne Chazin said she started the petition last month after she and other concerned residents were rejected after they appealed to the Town Board to put the rezoning project on the back burner until the COVID-19 pandemic is over.
Many town residents, distracted by a multitude of issues, are largely unaware that the town is moving forward with public engagement sessions and a public hearing that is scheduled to begin later this month, Chazin said.
She said building up to five stories in portions of the downtown is not what most residents sought during the 2014 engagement sessions on the updated Comprehensive Plan. Instead, they were looking for more of a quaint hamlet with small independently-owned businesses that don’t compete with other merchants in town.
“This is concerning because the Town Board may portray the people who are against this as people who absolutely don’t want to develop the town and that’s not true,” Chazin said. “What people want is they understand things need to happen, but anything over three stories is just ridiculous.”
As of late Monday, there were 363 signatures on the petition. It charges that public input and review of downtown projects would be eliminated, there would be no green space, and it would trigger construction of large parking garages and a makeover of the hamlet without presenting any specific concepts to the public.
Supervisor Ivy Pool said she was pleased to see people engaged in the process. However, some residents don’t understand that the level of change that has been outlined for the maximum buildout is virtually certain not to occur. The buildout scenario is required of the town in the state Environmental Quality Review Act process.
Pool mentioned that it has been a challenge to effectively communicate that and other points of the plan to the public, but this month’s public engagement sessions were scheduled to help residents ask questions and understand the goals. She added that the board is open to hearing from people and their concerns.
“I’d like to think that we’re at a place in the process where we don’t need petitions, we don’t need to start petitions as much as we need to start conversations,” said Pool.
Councilman Jeremy Saland emphasized that should the new zoning code be approved, there won’t be shovels in the ground soon after the vote.
“This is not a construction plan, it’s not a development plan,” Saland said. “It’s being sold by some as that because that’s obviously an emotional thing because that gets people upset and anxious and nervous.”
He also mentioned that the petition, which mentioned no green space, and a social media page that stated that the code allows for five-story buildings along the length of Greeley Avenue “is a moving target of misinformation.”
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
