Happy Lunar New Year, New Castle! This past Sunday marked the first day of the new lunar year, the Year of the Rabbit. The celebration of the Lunar New Year is culturally important for many countries throughout Asia, particularly in China. This year in New Castle, we will be commemorating the occasion with two great events.
First, on Saturday, February 4th, please join us to watch the renowned Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company's The Art of Chinese Dance at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center. This is a delightful event for the whole family! And on February 5th, join us for a Lunar New Year celebration at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center. This family program celebrates The Year of the Rabbit with a red envelope give away, lion and Chinese dance, taekwondo, tea ceremony calligraphy, and arts & crafts! Tickets are required for both of these events, and you can find more information in the flyers below.
It is so important here in New Castle to celebrate and explore the similarities and differences of our neighbors from various ethnicities, religions, cultures, genders, intellect, and physical abilities, among other attributes, that make us each unique. After all, that is what helps to make us such a wonderful and welcoming community!
With that in mind, there are two other events of note this week in New Castle. Tomorrow evening, January 26th, please join our community at 7:30PM at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center to commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day. International Holocaust Remembrance Day (which is actually on the 27th), marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. It is an annual day of commemoration in honor and memory of the 6 million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and millions of other victims of Nazism. With antisemitic incidents and Holocaust denialism on the rise in the U.S. and other parts of the world, our responsibility to educate about the consequences of hate has never been so relevant.
And this Sunday is a great time to teach our children about acceptance and how to respect and celebrate our differences, especially as we approach black history month. Please join us on January 29th for “I Have A Dream": A Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Black History Month. The day will commence at 12:30 PM with a peace march commencing at the Peace Pole in front of Scattered Books and ending at the Chappaqua Library. This walk is an opportunity to demonstrate community solidarity and connection with our neighbors. This will be followed by a panel discussion about the impact of Dr. King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech at the library, with a choir performance and community weave.
I hope to see you at these events. New Castle is the sum of our collective identities, all of which should be celebrated. I don’t know what the Year of the Rabbit will bring, but I hope it is a good one, and I wish you all laughter, health, and love.
Unfortunately, the Town cannot currently post the community’s best wishes on the electronic sign across from the train station, but we are happy to report it here until we negotiate a new agreement with the CCSD for our shared sign.
If you have a community shout-out (birthdays or otherwise), please send an email to CommunityCorner@mynewcastle.org. We make our Community Corner announcements at each of our public meetings.
The 1/24/23 Town Board Work Session and Meeting Recap
We invited our State Senator Peter Harckham to speak to our Board and were pleased to host him last night. Assemblyman Harckham discussed one of the key proposals announced by Governor Hochul in her recent State of the State address -- the “New York Housing Compact.” I discussed this is a bit of detail in the recap of the 1/17/23 meeting, so I won’t repeat it all here. Like your Town Board, Senator Harckham appeared to be deeply skeptical of this proposal, noting that the exact terms of the proposed legislation contained in the budget were not yet available, though they are expected to be released by February 1st.
Senator Harckham also discussed revised Accessory Dwelling Unit legislation that he expects to put forth. We appreciate that Senator Harckham listened to us and is redesigning the legislation to make it incentive-based, as opposed to mandated. You should know that we already allow for Accessory Dwelling Units in the Town of New Castle. Thank you, Senator Harckham for taking time out of your busy schedule to join us yesterday.
We next held a joint meeting with the Planning Board to continue our joint work on proposed zoning legislation with respect to 50 North Greeley Avenue (the former Rite Aid site). The proposed project would replace the empty and dilapidated building with 45 residential apartments and a diner on the ground floor. I want to thank my colleagues on the Town Board and the Planning Board, for all of their work on this proposed legislation.
As I stated during this joint meeting, the 50 North Greeley project has come to the Town Board at a time when we are facing significant challenges. We have a housing shortage in Westchester and throughout New York State. Here in New Castle, our Comprehensive Plan, which we updated in 2017, recognizes the need to create more housing opportunities for empty nesters, seniors, young professionals, and low-to-middle income households. So how do we do this? The Town was against establishing a Form-Based Code for the Chappaqua hamlet, and we have no desire to resurrect that initiative. Rather, we need to look at what makes sense for individual parcels, while keeping the needs and wants of the community in mind.
We also need to keep the Governor’s housing legislation in mind. As we discussed with Senator Harckham earlier in the evening, the Governor’s budget includes what is called the “New York Housing Compact.” If enacted, this could transform the land use approval process in New York, with the State potentially overriding local zoning laws and procedures. This would have far-reaching impacts in our Town.
As currently proposed, the Governor’s Housing Compact would require New Castle to increase our housing stock by 3% every three years. The Housing Compact also incorporates Transit Oriented Development that would require that we undertake a local rezoning of higher density multifamily development within a half a mile radius of the train station. If we don’t do this, the State would be able to override our zoning while granting specific relief from environmental review.
We also face challenges on the environmental front. I think we all should be proud of the leadership that New Castle has demonstrated in the areas of sustainability and environmental protection. In 2008, New Castle became the very first municipality in New York State to become a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's Climate Smart Community, and we have achieved the highest status currently awarded. And we recently adopted the NYS Stretch Code for new construction and renovation projects.
Nevertheless, there is more work to do. The NYS Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act requires that by 2030, 70% of statewide electric generation come from renewable energy systems. By 2040, the statewide electrical system must be zero emissions and 100% renewable. This is the future, and I am excited about the opportunity for New Castle to again demonstrate its leadership by facilitating new residential development that is carbon neutral and environmentally sustainable.
So, last night we jointly spoke for over an hour about the Planning Board’s preliminary draft referral memorandum on the proposed zoning legislation for 50 North Greeley. The meeting was very productive. The legislation will move forward (1) using the special permit approach, (2) including environmental and affordable housing verbiage, (3) considering only the 50 North Greeley parcel, and (4) including a ground floor commercial requirement. We expect to hold another joint meeting with the Planning Board soon.
Meanwhile, if you have any thoughts about the proposal, we would love to hear from you! Of course, we will be having public hearings on this as well (that will be widely publicized).
Following this joint meeting, the Board held a public hearing regarding the Wright Guest House at Chappaqua Crossing. The guest house is the white building on the right side of the road as you drive into the Chappaqua Crossing development off of Bedford Road. Toll Brothers currently is required to adaptively re-use the guest house as part of their clubhouse building, but they have petitioned the Board to instead permit the construction of a new clubhouse building. The application states that the building is in poor condition, the integrity of the foundation has been compromised and is not safe to accommodate the increase in structural loads from an adaptive re-use, has little or no historic or architectural value due to extensive prior renovations, and that a new building would provide a more efficient footprint for residential amenity space and would be more aesthetically cohesive.
Grey Williams, our Town historian, advocated to preserve the guest house. The original home is an example of Federalist architecture and was constructed around 1855 with hand hewn, post-and-beam construction. He highlighted its numerous historic elements and took issue with the claim that the basic integrity of its structure was in poor condition. He observed that the house as a whole is sound and well preserved – far more so than most others of its age in the community. He advised that Lila and DeWitt Wallace (the Reader’s Digest founders) devoted much effort and expense to restoring and maintaining the building, and that it reflects their determination to make the house a symbol of the traditional American values that they venerated. He believes that the home can be landmarked, and that it should be renovated and repurposed.
Many residents and current and former Reader’s Digest employees spoke at the public hearing. Following discussions, the Board voted to close the public hearing and leave it open for written comments until 5PM on February 3rd. If you have any thoughts or comments, please email the Town Board.
Want to See for Yourself?
For more information on the meeting, please watch the recordings.
Town Board of New Castle Work Session HERE.
New Castle Town & Planning Boards Joint Meeting HERE.
Town of New Castle Board Meeting HERE.
Our next Town Board meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 7th.
Second Half School Taxes are Due!
Second half school taxes are due without penalty on or before January 31, 2023. The Tax office will be open on January 31, 2023 from 7 am to 7 pm. School Taxes can also be paid using the Town’s online system free of charge ( for ACH payments) through our website: Mynewcastle.org. Credit card payments are also accepted with a fee.
If you are mailing your taxes, please make sure you see the post office affix a post-mark. The date on the UPS postmark is proof of timely mailing if the payment is received after the due date.
If you, as opposed to your bank, are responsible to pay property taxes and did not save your second half bill from September, or have any questions, please contact the Tax Office at 914. 238. 4773.
International Holocaust Remembrance Day
Tomorrow, January 26th at 7:30PM
International Holocaust Remembrance Day is commemorated each year on January 27th which marks the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Holocaust memory is unfortunately fading at the same time that group-targeted hate is rising.
Please join Horace Greeley's Student Club E.N.O.U.G.H. and the Town of New Castle Holocaust & Human Rights Committee to remember and honor the victims of the Holocaust on Thursday, January 26th at 7:30pm at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center.
Our responsibility to educate about the consequences of hate has never been so relevant to all. Follow the Holocaust & Human Rights Committee on Social Media:
Lunar New Year Celebration
Sunday, February 5th at 2PM
A FREE family program celebrating The Year of the Rabbit with a red envelope give away, lion and Chinese dance, taekwondo, tea ceremony calligraphy, and arts & crafts!
Doors Open at 1:30PM
Sponsored by: The Chappaqua Library, The Chappaqua Performing Arts Center, The New Castle Committee on Race, Equity and Inclusion.
The Town of New Castle strives to identify sustainable policies, practices and procedures that promote equal access to civic involvement opportunities to all its citizens regardless of race, gender, or other protected class, thereby creating a more diverse, equitable and inclusive systems of community governance. All qualified and interested residents are strongly encouraged to apply.
Beautification Advisory Board
The Town of New Castle is looking for volunteers to serve on its Beautification Advisory Board, a non-partisan advisory committee that advises on, formulates and promotes programs that will enhance the beauty and appearance of New Castle. Meetings are the second Monday of every month, excluding July and August.
If interested please complete the Board Application at the link HERE by February 3, 2023.
Conservation Board
The Conservation Board studies and advises the Town Board and other Town departments, boards and commissions on developing sound open space planning and assuring preservation of natural and scenic resources within the Town of New Castle. Meetings are the frist Monday of every month.
If interested please complete the Board Application at the link HERE by February 3, 2023.
Environmental Review Board
The Environmental Review Board (ERB) is governed by Chapter 137 “Wetlands” of the Town Code of New Castle. The ERB is the primary approving authority for applications submitted in connection with the Town’s wetlands regulations.
Members are expected to be familiar with the regulatory thresholds and requirements of the Town ordinances relating to environmental protection, including steep slopes, trees, and especially wetlands and wetland buffers. They are also encouraged to develop skill in reading blueprints, maps, and draft plans, as well as the basic science underlying environmental evaluation.
Meetings are held the third Monday of every month.
If you are interested in serving on this board please complete the Board Application at the link HERE by February 3, 2023.
LBGTQIA+ Committee
The Town of New Castle is looking for volunteers to serve on its LBGTQIA+ Committee. The Committee shall establish channels for outreach and inclusion for members of our community who identify as LBGTQIA+ and their allies, including providing information and resources.
If interested please complete the Committee Application at the link HERE by February 3, 2023.
Millwood-West End Advisory Board
The Millwood West End Advisory Board (MWEAB) monitors events in and represents the interests of the West End of Town and the Hamlet of Millwood including land use applications and zoning violations. The MWEAB advises the Town Board about programs that will contribute to improving the appearance, safety, comfort and quality of life in Millwood and the West End for both residents and businesses. The Committee works in cooperation with other Town Boards including:
Architectural Review Board
Beautification Advisory Board
Conservation Board
Planning Board
Zoning Board of Appeals
Meetings are the 3rd Thursday of every month. If interested please complete the Board Application at the link HERE by February 3, 2023.
Planning Board
The Planning Board is responsible for approval of all subdivisions and site plans throughout the Town as well as certain environmental permits.
Meetings are held the first and third Tuesdays of every month (except August).
If you are interested in serving on this board please complete the Board Application at the link HERE by February 3, 2023.
Zoning Board of Appeals
The Zoning Board of Appeals reviews specific actions taken by town officials, the building inspector or code enforcement officer, and residents and may grant variances - such as building setbacks and lot size, use variances, and special use permits according to board jurisdiction. An appeal may also be made to the Zoning Board for an interpretation of specific code language based on a decision of a town official. You must appear in person or by agent or attorney.
Meetings are held the last Monday of every month (except August).
If you are interested in serving on this board please complete the Board Application at the link HERE by February 3, 2023.
New York State Covid-19 Data
The New York State Covid-19 data can be viewed HERE.
Get Vaccinated!
COVID vaccines are now widely available at pharmacies, clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers and other locations across the state. Visit Vaccine Finder or the NY State vaccine appointment website or call 833-NYS-4-VAX.
Town Hall: Learn More and Contact Us
Town Hall Meetings and Board Packets
Agendas, supporting documents, and minutes for Board meetings:
To watch videos from recent meetings recorded by New Castle Community Media Center, click here.
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