Bonding measure fails for new Lewisboro town office building

SOUTH SALEM, N.Y. - A bonding resolution by the Lewisboro Town Board to buy a new town office building at 892 Route 35 failed to gain a supermajority of votes. The vote took place at the Board’s June 23 bimonthly meeting.

The purchase will move forward, but the Town must instead use money from the town’s fund balance. In a vote at a special meeting on May 19, the Board okayed the purchase of the building at a price of $2,222,500.

Voting in favor of the bond measure were Town Supervisor Tony Gonçalves, Deputy Town Supervisor Mary Shah, and Councilman Dan Welsh. Councilman Rich Sklarin voted no, while Councilwoman Andrea Rendo recused herself.

The bonding measure was also on the agenda at the June 9 meeting but was tabled because two board members were not in attendance, making a supermajority impossible. For the Lewisboro Town Board, a “supermajority” would translate to four-fifths of the Board members.

In addition to Gonçalves, Shah and Welsh, the bonding measure was favored by Town Comptroller Annie Burnham. Gonçalves explained that the measure would give the Town Board a degree of flexibility: It could borrow an amount up to the purchase price and elect later to pay all or some of the funds back.

In framing his opposition, Sklarin noted that the property purchase and the bond resolution failed to address the need for new space for the Lewisboro Police as well as the Town Court. Instead, the Board will need to address both in the budget process that begins this fall.

“I was hoping that we would use this opportunity to do things in a more comprehensive fashion for the taxpayers of Lewisboro instead of piecemeal,” Sklarin said. “We need a police station and we need a courthouse, and we need both of those things now, in 2025.”

Sklarin also noted that the town paid the full asking price for the building, though it hadn’t been listed for sale on the open market or with a broker.

Welsh pointed out that several proposals have been eyed in the past that would have consolidated all town departments into one large campus. “We've been sort of dancing around that for a few decades now,” Welsh said. “Maybe it sounds good, but I don't think it's practical.”

Welsh added that the design and execution of other facilities, such as police, would not be affected in a negative way by purchasing the Route 35 building.

Shah pointed to the work that Councilman Rendo spearheaded a task force on finding new quarters for the departments that need to vacate the old school building. “The task force looked at several properties in the community,” Shah noted. “Some were lovely but beyond our financial capabilities. This one building that we've agreed to purchase is a step in the right direction. It doesn't solve all of our problems, but it is a first step.”

“We're going to be using the fund balance for capital projects at some point - I'm just hesitant to do it right now,” Burnham said prior to the Board’s vote. Given the failure of the bond measure the Town Board and others are going to be involved in a heavy degree of capital planning on new police and court facilities. The Highway Department may be added to the mix as well.

The Farmer's Grind

During the meeting the Town Board also heard from Michelle Smith, who co-owns The Farmer’s Grind in Vista with her husband, Erich. With sadness, the Smiths have announced that they are closing their doors rather than comply with an expensive new requirement from the Westchester County Department of Health (DOH).

The shop, which uses well water, had since opening in 2020 tested its water monthly, to the DOH’s satisfaction. However, the department recently insisted they install a costly four-stage water-filtration system.

The couple instead opted to shut their doors and to operate instead as a food-and-beverage truck. They asked for a resolution to be put on the Board’s agenda to permit them to operate their truck at one of the town parks; the measure was tabled pending legal review.

The Smith's would later announce on Instagram that the final day of operation for The Farmer's Grind will be Sunday, Aug. 17.

Other Business

The Board also passed the following measures:

A resolution approving the renewal, for one year, by Hach Services for its service agreement for the Wild Oaks Sewer complex.

Based on one non-conforming bid, the Town Board rejected all bids received for the camera system project at town parks and for highways. There is the possibility that this project, which opened on June 18, will be re-bid.

The Board authorized the issuance of a one-year license for the collection of commercial refuse to Sani-Pro Disposal Services (Suburban Carting).