Daily Archives: May 20, 2013

Astorino: Update On Affordable Housing In Westchester | Chappaqua Real Estate

In 2009, my predecessor, Andrew Spano and the Board of Legislators signed a legal settlement obligating the county to spend $51.6 million to develop 750 units of fair and affordable housing in 31 so-called eligible or mostly white communities by the end of 2016.

Here’s an update on the status.  Let’s start with the bad news.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is trying to use the settlement to dismantle local zoning laws.  HUD has the misguided view that zoning and discrimination is the same thing.

It is not. Zoning restricts how land is used, not who lives there. The impediment to where people live in Westchester is money, not race or ethnicity.

Washington bureaucrats, who you will never see or meet, want the power to determine who will live where and how each neighborhood will look.  What’s at stake is the fundamental right of our cities, towns, and villages to plan and zone for themselves.  This home rule is guaranteed by the New York State Constitution.

HUD wants no restrictions – in any neighborhood – on height, size, acreage, density, or number of bedrooms. HUD even sees sewers as a problem, which is critically significant since Westchester zoning protects the drinking water of 8 million New Yorkers.

If there are no restrictions for HUD, there will be no restrictions for any developer. A high rise can be built on any street, even right next door to you. And if HUD can trample on zoning here, it can do it anywhere.

I urge you to read the HUD letters for yourself and see how the federal government is trying to abolish even basic zoning protections.

Now here’s the good news.

The county is ahead of schedule in fulfilling its obligation in the settlement. Our current benchmark is to have 300 units with financing in place by the end of 2013. The county exceeded the mark in December and currently has 309 units in place with financing, of which 117 are already occupied. Over 91 percent of the required 750 units are already in the pipeline.

Ask yourself this: If the county is ahead of schedule in building affordable housing in these communities, how can their zoning be exclusionary?

One of Westchester’s greatest strengths is its diversity. It is the fourth most-diverse county in the state — tied with Manhattan — in terms of African-Americans and Hispanics.

I pledge to defend with every tool at my disposal the right of people to live anywhere in Westchester in any home they can afford.  There is absolutely no place for discrimination in our county. But we won’t be bullied or threatened by HUD to do things that are not in the settlement.

 

Astorino: Update On Affordable Housing In Westchester | The Bedford Daily Voice.

‘Click It Or Ticket’ Law Enforcement Begins Monday In Bedford | Bedford Corners Real Estate

Beginning May 20, officers will be out in full force as part of the 2013 national “Click It or Ticket” seat belt enforcement mobilization.

The program makes a priority of cracking down on drivers and passengers who are not wearing a seat belt.

“As we kick-off the busy summer driving season, it’s important that everyone buckles up every time they go out, both day and night—no excuses,” said Bedford Police Lieutenant Melvin Padilla.

“Our officers are prepared to ticket anyone who is not wearing their seat belt.”

Starting Monday morning, all local police departments will be joining other law enforcement agencies throughout the northeast in mobilizing Click It or Ticket in a “Border to Border” operation. This means law enforcement agencies that share state border will team up to provide increased coverage, resulting in a “zero tolerance” message to the public: “Driving or riding unbuckled will result in a ticket—no matter what state.”

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 52 percent of 21,253 vehicle passengers killed in 2011 were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash. According to the same report, deaths involving seat belt nonuse are more likely to occur at night than during the day and 62 percent of 10,135 passengers killed in overnight accidents during 2011 were also not wearing their seat belts.

“Seat belts save thousands of lives every year, but far too many motorists are still not buckling up, especially at night when the risk of getting in a crash is even greater,” said Padilla.

 

 

‘Click It Or Ticket’ Law Enforcement Begins Monday In Bedford | The Bedford Daily Voice.

Westchester May See Traffic, Transit Delays After Metro-North Crash | Armonk Real Estate

Westchester residents can expect chaos on highways and rail lines for at least the next week as crews continue to repair damage caused by Friday evening’s train collision in Fairfield County, Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy said Sunday evening.

“There are going to be substantial delays until we get this line back in full service,” Malloy said in a press conference. “Residents should plan for a week’s worth of disruptions. The delays will not be limited to mass transit, as more people get behind the wheel to drive and make their own connections.”

Metro-North warned customers that travel times will be significantly longer and trains will be crowded Monday. Customers should stagger their work schedule or seek alternative means of travel to get to work, Metro-North said.

About 30,000 train commuters are affected by the break in train travel in the Bridgeport-Fairfield area, Malloy said. Those commuters are expected to hit train stations in lower Fairfield County or Westchester County or to travel via Interstate 95 and the parkways to get to work or elsewhere Monday morning.

Connecticut will have 150 buses on the highways as train shuttles, in addition to the normal rush-hour traffic. Malloy also noted that the weather is expected to be wet Monday morning, causing more potential problems.

“If all of those were to get on the highway in single-occupancy cars, we will literally have a parking lot,” Malloy said.

 

Westchester May See Traffic, Transit Delays After Metro-North Crash | The Bedford Daily Voice.

Katonah Museum of Art Begins Search For New Executive Director | Katonah Real Estate

 

The Board of Trustees of the Katonah Museum of Art has announced that a formal search for the Museum’s next Executive Director has begun.

The Board has retained worldwide executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles, renowned for the placement of chief executives, board of directors and senior level management assignments in both the corporate and nonprofit sectors.

In addition, the Museum will engage input from its local residents.

“Our Board is focused on vision and ensuring that our long-standing mission of excellence in art and education is carried out through new programs, initiatives and collaborations — and most significantly, the next phase of executive leadership,” said Board President Rochelle Rosenberg.

“This is a very important moment for the Museum.  As we continue to serve the community, we look forward to new leadership, greater opportunities and growth,” she added.

Katonah Museum of Art Begins Search For New Executive Director | The Bedford Daily Voice.