Community Corner

Mottel's Statement on Voting for Conifer Permit

(Below is a copy of New Castle Deputy Supervisor Elise Kessler Mottel's statement on voting for Conifer's special permit)

When I was re-elected to the Town Board 2 years ago, I knew that there would be important issues that we would address in short order. Affordable housing was clearly one of those issues. But first, I want to make one thing clear. We here on the board have to make tough decisions. Sometimes, if you measure the opposition by volume, these decisions aren't always popular. But, I don't believe that the loudest voice always represents the consensus opinion. Sometimes, it's just the loudest voice.

We do have to make tough decisions, and, for me, this means that we have to make the right decision. The "right" decision is, at least for me, the decision that takes the following interests into account: what is best for our community, what is best for our future, and what we are obligated to do under the law.

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New Castle has a long history of understanding the importance of affordable housing. This Town Board, as well as prior Town Boards, has recognized the need for affordable housing in our community. More than twenty (20) years ago, Polly Kuhn, the then Supervisor of the Town of New Castle, created the first affordable housing advisory board in our town. The mission of this advisory board was to find opportunities for affordable housing in our community. The hard work of the advisory board and the Town Board resulted in the creation of 56 units of affordable housing in the Stone Creek development in 1995.

Over the years, Westchester County imposed obligations to create affordable housing on each of the County’s municipalities. Westchester County’s 1993 Plan allocated 103 affordable housing units as New Castle’s unmet obligations. In 2004, the Westchester County Housing Opportunity Commission prepared the 2004 Affordable Housing Allocation Plan for the period 2000-2015, recognizing that “all of the County’s municipalities needed guidance, including recommended allocations, to assist them in meeting a share of the need for affordable housing”. Under the 2004 Allocation Plan, New Castle’s allocation was 255 affordable housing units.

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In August 2009, Westchester County entered into an agreement with the U.S, Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) to settle the housing lawsuit which provided for, among other things, the implementation of a plan to build fair and affordable housing in 31 communities in Westchester, including the Town of New Castle.

Let's be clear about one thing--there is no Westchester County without its towns and villages, including New Castle. The agreement, which was part of a lawsuit filed against Westchester County, obligated the 31 municipalities, including New Castle, to build affordable housing. And Westchester County agreed that "the broad and equitable distribution of affordable housing promotes sustainable and integrated residential patterns, increases fair and equal access to economic, educational and other opportunities, and advances the health and welfare of the residents of the defendant County of Westchester, New York (the “County”) and the municipalities."

Despite the efforts of the various New Castle Town Boards and the affordable housing advisory board, no affordable housing has been created in our town since the Stone Creek development, with the exception of the affordable housing units approved at Chappaqua Crossing, nor has New Castle met its obligations under the Westchester County Allocation Plans or the Housing Settlement. As we all know, creating affordable housing presents many challenges. High land costs, lack of access to public utilities, difficult site conditions, and lack of adequate financing are just a few of the obstacles. During my tenure on the Town Board, the Town explored affordable housing opportunities at Warburg Park, the Burden property and the Amsterdam property, but for reasons such as a lack of access to sewers and pubic transportation, no affordable housing was created at these sites or any other sites nor have any viable alternatives been presented, with the exception of Chappaqua Station project.

So, with that backdrop, it is clear to me that the time has come for us to approve an affordable housing project in New Castle. One near public transportation that provides access to shopping and other conveniences.

I agree that the site for the Conifer project is not the perfect site and that the building is large for the size of the site. At one of our public hearings on this project, a resident commented that “for four years, we have been waiting for a funded development to come here and if this site does not come through, I don’t seen any other sites happening”. I agree with this sentiment – unless we act now, there will be no affordable housing built in New Castle.

I heard comments from residents that “this is the wrong building in the wrong place at the wrong time” or that “this project will isolate it residents”. I disagree with these statements. I believe that the project, as modified by the changes requested by the Town Board and agreed to by the applicant, will not isolate its residents but in fact will make the residents an integral part of our community.

The site has a great pedestrian connection to the hamlet. It is within walking distance to the Chappaqua train station, Westchester bus service, the library, the Bell school, places of worship, the community center and shopping. Although the project lacks outdoor play areas, it has easy access to playgrounds and the recreation field. The pedestrian connection to the Route 120 bridge and the crosswalk and sidewalk along Hunts Place provide a physical connection to the hamlet and our community.

Our board has worked tirelessly on this project to improve it for the entire community's benefit. The original plan for the project presented a box-like building with 5 stories and little if any architectural appeal. The developer was responsive to concerns of the public and the Town Board and redesigned the building by reducing its height from strictly 4 stories to a 3 and 4 story townhouse style design with meaningful roof height variations and a stone veneer. With these changes the building more closely resembles the design of the buildings in the hamlet and the Route 120 bridge. The developer reduced the number of units from 36 units to 28, but more importantly, increased the number of two bedroom units from 12 to 17, encouraging more families to live in the building. As we all know, so much of our town is about family.

The applicant has addressed safety concerns raised by the public and the Town Board by agreeing to provide adequate fencing on the north and south sidewalk of the Route 120 Bridge between the sidewalk and the roadway to discourage dropoffs/pick-ups from the traffic lanes of the Route 120 bridge and crossing of Route 120 in the middle of the bridge. The Town Board has conditioned its approval of the negative declaration on the applicant revising the fire safety plan in accordance with the New Castle Building Inspector, presenting fire service and access information in a separate plan dedicated to fire and safety and including in the fire and safety plan an explanation as how the fence to be constructed on the Route 120 Bridge may or may not affect the fire equipment staging on the bridge. As set forth in the Conditioned Negative Declaration, the crosswalk and sidewalk to be installed on Hunts Lane will be signalized if required by NYS DOT.

I do not doubt the sincerity of many people who oppose this project. There may be some who oppose this project simply they do not want affordable housing in New Castle. But, as the Settlement Agreement makes clear, that is not the law of this land.

A resident commented at the public hearing: “I find it embarrassing that we are so focused on the outside of the building and what people will perceive driving off the exit – and are not so focused on the inside and on what this will bring to our community – by bringing affordable housing, socially diverse families to our community and bettering the image of Chappaqua to the outside world. I see this as more important than what people see as they drive by”. I believe that this project will make New Castle a better community. It will provide an opportunity for others less fortunate than you and I to live in our great community and for their children to attend our wonderful schools. I believe that this will not just be a project that benefits the residents of the development, but, in fact, will benefit all of us, adults and children. For me, this project is an investment in our community. I am voting yes, because, quite simply, the time is right.

I would like to thank my fellow board members, the town personnel and advisors who have been involved in this process, including our counsel, the applicant, and, perhaps most importantly, the public for its attentiveness and thoughtful comments. My decision was not made in a vacuum, but thanks to all of you that I just mentioned, an informed and considered one.

Respectfully submitted,

Elise K. Mottel

September 10, 2013


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