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Bridge Construction Finished |
May 10, 2013
by Steve Coyle
Editor’s Note: Steve Coyle, who has worked for 25 years in real estate investment, sent the following letter to Town Board members on May 6, 2013 After receiving a response from Supervisor Susan Carpenter, he added a Post Script to his letter, also included below.
Read MoreMonday, May 6, 2013
by Bill Spade
Dear Editor:
We would like to alert your readers to a critical new development regarding the proposed 4-story affordable housing project by Conifer Development at Hunt’s Place: Having now determined that this oversized project being crammed onto a small site required as many as 10 zoning variances, and that obtaining these variances through the public process envisioned in our zoning code was likely impossible, the New Castle Town Board, at the behest of Conifer’s attorney, has come up with a new strategy to run an end-around on our zoning code and the public review process.
Read MoreMay 3, 2013
by Jean and Bruce Gavril
Dear Town Board members:
We are writing to voice our strong objection to the development of the former Readers Digest property to include grocery and retail stores.
Read MoreApril 29, 2013
by Rita C. Tobin
My husband and I attended last Tuesday’s public hearing to consider Summit Greenfield’s plan to build a 120,000 square foot shopping center at Chappaqua Crossing. We are Lawrence Farms residents and are opposed to the Summit Greenfield plan.
Read MoreApril 26, 2013
With 17 comments since publication Friday
by Les Himel
Summit Greenfield has every right to ask for something, anything that will help their position in an obviously losing proposition. But “ask” is the operational word. The Town Board has the right to respond, but the Town Board is empowered to represent the populace.
Read MoreApril 26, 2013
With 8 comments since publication Friday
by David B. Metz
Undecided? It’s hard to beleive that town board members have not made up their minds (as they claimed last Tuesday) about whether to approve 120,000 square feet of retail at Chappaqua Crossing when they 1. invited Summit Greenfield to work up a plan for it, 2. drafted zoning changes along with Summit Greenfield that will allow it, and 3. are peremptorily changing the town’s master plan to make it all seem acceptable.
Read MoreApril 19, 2013
With 48 comments since publication Friday
by Rob Greenstein
Based on the actions of the Town Board, the public hearings beginning on Tuesday, April 23 at 7:00 p.m. on Summit Greenfield’s proposal for the construction of a 120,000 square-foot strip mall* at Chappaqua Crossing are a sham. The actions of the Town Board indicate that they intend to approve this project. The developer apparently feels that it has the green light and has already started looking for tenants.
Read MoreMonday, April 8, 2013
by Dawn Greenberg
As noted in Chappaqua-Mt. Kisco Patch yesterday, Bedford is holding a charrette to discuss a proposed development near their village green. A “charrette,*” meaning a review, open discussion, polite and free-flowing with ideas—in this case led by a professor from PACE who is a land use expert, John Nolan.
Read MoreApril 12, 2013
by David Buchwald
When I was elected to the State Assembly this past November, I pledged to fight for an increase in state aid to local schools, so as to provide an opportunity to reduce our property taxes and invest in our future. And so, I made state support for education my top priority in the recent state budget debate.
Read MoreFebruary 1, 2013
by Rob Greenstein
I was happy to hear the Town Board has put into motion the update of the 1989 Town Development Plan. The town’s planner, Sabrina Charney-Hull, said “the intent is to have a draft plan ready for SEQRA review by the end of 2013.” Town Supervisor Susan Carpenter has said that the Master Plan would offer some guidance as to how the town wants to handle its 90-plus-acre parcels, presumably Chappaqua Crossing and the only other large parcel, the Legionaries property on Armonk Road.
Read MoreMonday, January 28, 2013
by Bill Spade
During the Public Hearing this past Tuesday evening on the Conifer / Hunts Place affordable housing proposal, there were discussions between the Town Board and developer about whether the number of units in the building could be reduced, presumably based on a notion that a smaller building would make this proposal more acceptable.
Read MoreConifer returns to town hall on Tues. Dec. 11, for the continuation of the public hearing on its proposal to build affordable housing at Hunts Place.
Monday, December 3, 2012
by Nancy King
The HUD settlement has identified New Castle as one of the Westchester towns with so little diversity that we are included in the group of communities among which 750 affordable housing must be created and marketed to protected classes, Black and Hispanic.
Read MoreOctober 19, 2012
by Rob Greenstein
There are a lot of proposals for development right now, and they all seem to be happening in separate compartments. We need a Big Picture talk with town officials, residents and developers.
Read MoreJune 15, 2012
by Dick Hubert
Many of you won’t know it, but on June 26 there will be a Republican primary to decide the party’s nominee to oppose Rep. Nita Lowey in the newly redrawn 17th Congressional District this fall.
Read MoreApril 26, 2013
by Ann Styles Brochstein
Last week we watched 45 senators vote against the bipartisan “Manchin-Toomey bill” which would expand background checks and close the gun show and internet loopholes for gun purchases.
Read MoreTuesday, January 22, 2013
by Les Himel
With 52 comments since publication 1/22
My first point is that I have no direct financial motivation in suggesting the following. We have a nice little town, but the retail commercial base is lacking vitality. Before you say you want to keep the town’s activity as it is, consider how long a merchant can “tread water”, paying his/her bills and accomplishing economic security. In our town, a good number of merchants are in pain and need to do better. If there is no accommodation for commercial improvement, merchants will leave and, in their wake, you will see more nail salons and their like.
Read MoreJanuary 11, 2013
by Les Himel
New Castle is a bucolic little town. It’s populated with people – myself included—interested in maintaining that quiet nature. But we also need a stronger commercial tax base to help cover town and school costs. And we happen to have a group of merchants interested in strengthening their businesses.
Read MoreMonday, December 3, 2012
by Chuck Napoli
Both Summit Greenfield and New Castle residents are getting tired of the uncertain fate of this site—but not so tired that we don’t know a bad plan when we see one. The developer must be tired of this hit-or-miss proposing of projects. Instead, let’s meet together to talk about what might be acceptable.
Read MoreMonday, December 3, 2012
by Poonam Arora
I went to the public hearing on changing the zoning for Chappaqua Crossings on Tuesday, November 27, 2012 as a resident who, having read a little about the potential effects of the rezoning, was concerned enough about the possible impact on Route 117 to want to hear directly from the Developer.
Read MoreSeptember 28, 2012
by Chuck Napoli
I wish the town board had waited until they had a picture or a site plan to show us before holding a public hearing on the zoning change at Chappaqua Crossing to allow retail uses. The confusion and fear that was revealed at Monday night’s hearing means to me that it’s time to have a real conversation about how we can all work together with Chappaqua Crossing to develop their property without hurting our downtown hamlet. To get this conversation going, here are a few questions that the hearing on Monday night left me—and probably a lot of you—wondering about.
Read MoreMonday, August 27, 2012
by Jeffrey Mester
To the Editor:
I want to thank you for printing the story, “Monday Night Lights - An Invitation to see the Quakers Practice on Rec Field”. I write wearing many hats. Most prominently, I am a School Board Member and I am the father of both a Varsity (and a JV) football player.
Read MoreMonday, May 7, 2012
Editor’s Note: On Tuesday, May 8, Conifer will return to the town board with revised plans for its Hunts Place affordable housing proposal. Yesterday, members of “Chappaqua For Responsible Affordable Housing” (CFRAH) sent the following letter to Town Board members.
Read More
Last week at the pole barn, Turf Committee members experienced a demo of a matrix scoreboard and sound system for the Competition Field
April 20, 2012
by Rob Greenstein
Last month, there was an article in NewCastleNOW listing “10 Reasons to Support and Contribute to Our Community Turf Field Project.” As a father of three young children, two reasons resonated with me: The need for properly maintained grass fields and sports under the lights.
Read MoreMarch 23, 2012
Editor’s Note: Bill Spade and nine other residents submitted a letter to the planning board listing their objections to the Hunts Lane proposal for an rental apartment building of 36 “fair and affordable” units. The text of their letter follows.
Read MoreMarch 2, 2012
by Rob Greenstein
We’ve all come to realize that New Castle’s commercial base is very small. Greater commercial revenue = less dependence on residential taxes to run our town and schools. We need our merchant/business community, and they need us. We must all work together to achieve our common objectives. An important part of the way forward is to create a strong Chamber of Commerce for Chappaqua and Millwood.
Read MoreMonday, February 27, 2012
by Chris Weddle
I read last week that Robert Rhodes, a young man with a young family, will be recommended as principal of Horace Greeley High School. I read that he lives in Brooklyn. I like Brooklyn; I used to live there and one of my brothers still does. However, if Mr. Rhodes is offered and takes the job, he really might want to consider moving here. As I was reading about Mr. Rhodes I started thinking about my years at Greeley.
Read MoreFebruary 12, 2012
With 27 comments since publication
by Henry Koster, 2010
Since last year’s budget debates, and my contribution to the discussions that year (see ,“Don’t cut teachers at the high school,” 3/25/12), I have remained interested in the challenges that the district faces amid the many changes that have been taking place recently. So when I came home from college recently for a short break before the start of my spring semester, I was sure to ask my family about the newest developments.
Read MoreMonday, November 7, 2011
Editor’s Note: We’ve archived all pieces published in NCNOW on the subject of the November 8 referendum to increase the number of town board members from four to six and to elect them by geographic ward rather than as “at-large” candidates. Included are reports of the League of Women Voters’ forum on the subject, as well as the League’s decision to recommend voting against it.
Read More
Friday, November 4, 2011
Editor’s Note: On October 21, NCNOW produced a roundtable discussion with candidates for New Castle supervisor and town board spots. Reporters from NewCastleNOW.org, Chappaqua-Mt.Kisco Patch and The Examiner met for one hour with the two candidates for supervisor and for an hour with the four candidates for town board to ask them a series of questions. New Castle Media Center is running the two interview sessions on its website in “video on demand.” Below are the embedded videos.
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