I want to help make Yorktown's planning, zoning, and permitting more efficient. I made a late--unsuccessful run to garner the Yorktown Democratic Committee's endorsement for the election next fall to fill the vacant town board seat as a one issue candidate.
Cut to the chase: I think we can conduct town business faster. I've personally been involved, and still am, with a planning application that took 4 years to approve and will take another 1-2 years to permit--if it gets that far.
Surprisingly, New York City (if you haven't heard, it had a bad reputation as being corrupt and unwieldy) was able to reform their system in the last decade to become a model of transparency and expediency.
Yorktown, on the other hand, is hamstrung with systemic failures inherited from generations past. The volunteer boards are staffed by well-meaning people, but they don't truly serve the residents, or applicants, in Yorktown--because the system won't let them.
Example: the Zoning Board of Appeals meets 11 times a year. The sober/convalescent home issue has already been bandied about for 4+ months, and last Thursday we learned we won't hear a peep from the ZBA until at least June 26th. That's unfair to the residents of Yorktown, the applicant, and the ZBA. It's disingenuous for any politician in this town to step forward and proclaim themselves "pro-business" or "business-friendly" or any other lame catchphrase unless they are willing to confront this systemic problem as a community.
It simply shouldn't take 5 or 6 or 7 or 8 months to figure out if the sober home proposal meets the code definition of a "convalescent home." I personally--and professionally--believe it does. Here's the entire definition in our code for reference;you make the call (§ 300-3):
"Any establishment where three or more persons suffering from or afflicted with or convalescing from any infirmity, disease or ailment are habitually kept [editor's note: Ha! Habitually kept. Sounds kinky.] or boarded or housed for hire, other than municipal or incorporated hospitals and establishments for the care of the mentally ill licensed by the State Commissioner of Mental Hygiene and maternity homes licensed by the State Commissioner of Health."
That's our code, people. Please join with me in reforming both the code and process.
I know there's a lot of skepticism of my credentials and about the proposed Yorktown Business Acceleration Team. I've received comments and questions from YT Planning Board member Rockin' John Savoca and Bruce Apar (see photos); I think we all agree that making things go faster = good for everybody.
We need a concerted effort (no one person could ever do what needs to be done alone) to make meaningful changes in this area. The aim would be to pare down the excruciatingly long lead times for Planning and Zoning approvals--and the subsequent permits.
I'm not sure why anyone would argue with the Yorktown Business Acceleration Team proposal, but I understand that change can be scary. Faster, from a business perspective is better though, no?
You say: I'm blowing smoke.
I counter: here is a concrete proposal:
- In the interim: form a volunteer staff to meet 1 week before the two monthly planning meetings, and one zoning board of appeals meeting with any applicant seeking a consultation; 3 times a month for 2 hours at the library meeting room (or equivalent facility). The building inspector (or assistant, or code enforcement officer), one (of 5) planning and zoning board, and me[:)] would, ideally, voluntarily attend. Personally--as a taxpayer and human--I wouldn't mind seeing them compensated for their time. It would truly be a service to this town. These forces combined constitute the Yorktown Business Acceleration Team!
- Form a committee of same to review the entire planning and zoning code sections to update, clarify and correct it. Work with the town attorney to draft legislation to fix the systemic problems resulting in faster approvals and permits with fewer headaches and bad feelings.
