Town Board: Open Space Acquisition, Multi-Family Rezoning, Neighborhood Concerns

Town Board Work Session
Oct. 9, 2012

Meeting highlights for this untelevised work session.

These are issues our elected officials are currently considering. Many of them impact all of us, regardless of what part of Yorktown we live in. Many will directly impact our taxes.

For a summary of all 19 agenda items, visit ciyinfo.org.
 
1. YCCC bathrooms
The Board gave the green light to proceed with preparing preliminary plans for the bathroom upgrades while it awaits the receipt of the state grant funds announced by Senator Ball. Supervisor Grace said no work could be started until the money was actually received.
 
2. Yorktown Volunteer Ambulance Corps/Paramedic flycar
The absence of a valid lease was cited as the reason the Town recently suspended monthly payments to YVAC which houses the Advanced Life Support district’s paramedic flycar.
 
3. Open Space Acquisitions
The Board reviewed three possible open space acquisitions with members of the Advisory Committee on Open Space (ACOS): a two-acre donation of part of the Kelderhouse property  off Inspiration Drive in Mohegan Lake; an 18 acre parcel sandwiched between the Sylvan Glen Nature Preserve and the town-owned Granite Knolls property; and an offer of donation of a small parcel on Route 35 near Willoway.
 
4. Jefferson Valley Issues
The Board will ask the Public Safety Committee to consider the suitability of No Parking signs on East Main Street near Wood Street.
 
5. Electrical bid
After an often contentious discussion, the Board decided to re-advertise the bid for electrical work on Town buildings rather than extend the 2010 bid award for a third one year contract. The problem stems from confusion in the bid specs over how the contractor bills for materials, as distinct from labor charges.
 
6. Old Crompond Road rezoning
Representatives of two properties on the portion of Old Crompond Road known as the Bear Mountain Triangle initiated a discussion about the future development of the area and the possibility of rezoning two, and possibly more, properties on the road to multi family, with a possible commercial zoning fronting on Old Crompond Road.  
 
7. Lake Mohegan Outlet
The Board voted to direct the town attorney to send a letter to the DOT putting the department on notice that it will be held responsible for any damage claims resulting from the damaged culvert and that if the DOT does not repair the culvert ASAP, the Town will consider the issue an emergency, perform the work itself and then bill the state.
 
8. Granite Knolls Barn
The asbestos abatement company has changed its mind - again - and will do the work at the barn. The highway department will then demolish the barn.
 
9.  Garbage contract
The Town is still reviewing the two bids, but Supervisor Grace informed the Board that based on a preliminary review, he did not see any problems with awarding the bid to the lowest bidder which would result in an $800,000 savings.

This summary is being provided by Citizens for an Informed Yorktown, a non partisan grassroots organization whose goal it is to inform residents about what's happening in our community and to increase the level of resident participation in town affairs.

For more information about the group, visit www.ciyinfo.org.

To receive the next Town Board meeting summary automatically as an email, send an email to ciyinfo@verizon.net and request to have your email address added to mailing list for the Town Board meeting summaries.