What’s your vision for downtown Chappaqua?

July 24, 2009
by Jeremy Lippman

In recent years downtown Chappaqua has undergone numerous changes. According to an informal survey of over 90 Chappaqua residents, our town has seen a number of positive changes, but there have also been quite a few changes with which Chappaqua residents have not been happy.

The idea for a survey of residents and merchants came from a confluence of events, explained David Perlmutter, its sponsor and a real estate broker. “I had summer interns, I had a listing to market in Chappaqua and I’ve had a long standing concern about the fabric of our downtown. I thought it was a great opportunity to see what my fellow citizens and the merchants of Chappaqua would like to see to enrich their lives and serve their needs.”

The survey was designed by two Chappaqua summer interns, Jeremy Lippmann, HGHS Class of 2009 and Rachel Greenberg HGHS Class of 2010, for Perlmutter Properties, a White Plains - based real estate company that is owned by Chappaqua resident David Perlmutter.

Want to help improve the town? Speak up, give your opinions voice. Fill out the survey (below) by August 7. As of July 20, only 94 surveys have been submitted. The initial responses were obtained by handing out hardcopies of the survey in town as well as sending out e-mails to contacts in the interns’ e-mail address books. Therefore, the information gathered so far only reflects the views of Chappaqua residents who were in town from roughly 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon on weekdays or who are friendly with Lippman and Greenberg.

The issues that those Chappaqua residents responding to this survey most frequently cited as troublesome included a lack of sufficient parking in the downtown area; the accessibility of getting in and out of Chappaqua, especially with the bridge construction underway; and the closing of certain stores that many residents shopped at daily. “The most frequently mentioned desires were for an ice cream parlor, a good Chinese restaurant and a place for our teenagers to hang out,” reported Perlmutter.

Anyone over the age of 10 is encouraged to fill out the survey. You can answer as many or as few of the questions as you desire, although the entire survey should take no more than five minutes, and any information you enter is strictly confidential as the survey does not ask for your name. Once sufficient information has been gathered, the results of the survey will be used by Perlmutter Properties to help lease the space they represent at 65 King Street to a business that citizens have indicated they want. The information obtained from the survey will also be shared with the New Castle Town Board to inform them of residents’ preferences for improvements.

So, if you’re interested in having your voice heard, click the link below and tell us how you think Chappaqua can be improved.

http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=cm5Db1FkT3p4V3FhaWIzZlNpSzltcXc6MA..

Jeremy Lippman is a 2009 graduate of Horace Greeley High School.

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