New Castle Town Board Approves Affordable Housing

CHAPPAQUA, N.Y. — The New Castle Town Board voted to amend its town code Tuesday evening when it approved an affordable housing model ordinance that the county proposed in 31 communities. The town board also approved the creation of the South Greeley Ave. commercial solid waste district.

The town board chose to approve most of Westchester County’s provisions for the "Affordable Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Model Ordinance" (AFFH), including defining a model ordinance affordable AFFH unit, residential development, affirmative marketing and resale and lease requirements. The one provision the town board did not accept was section two, which calls for residential developments of five to 10 units to include at least one affordable AAFH unit. The town board approved that “subdivisions of at least eight but less than 10 building lots” will require one affordable AFFH unit, rather than opting for the minimum five units.

One New Castle resident, Gerry Ritterman and his counsel, Leslie Snyder, contested the subdivision.

“There are flaws in the subdivision provision. My client has been applying for a 10 lot subdivision on 60 acres in an area that is not zoned for affordable housing,” Snyder said. “We think legislation to modify this provision to take into account this particular subdivision is necessary at this time.”

Ritterman, owner and resident of the property in question at 47 Lawrence Farms Crossway, said he is hoping to create 10 single-family homes on his 60-acre property.

“I was hoping to sell homes in this subdivision for $5.5 to $7.5 million but this provision would require I have one affordable housing unit,” Ritterman said. “I would be willing to relocate this development to fulfill the demands of the affordable housing ordinance.”

Despite Ritterman and Snyder’s opposition, the board went ahead and approved the county’s provisions to New Castle Code chapters 60 and 113.

The board also approved the creation of a commercial waste district in the South Greeley Ave. parking lot, which is currently under construction and set to be completed on Labor Day. The waste district would consolidate 14 dumpsters in the original parking lot into two designated areas for waste collection. An area for recycling will also be included.

The waste district will be at a cost of $49,500 to the property owners within the area along South Greeley Ave. and lower King St. The waste collection will take place in two screened-in pads that will include a four cubic yard trash compactor, a second four cubic yard recyclables container and a third eight cubic-yard container for paper, cardboard and newspapers.

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