YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, N.Y.—The Yorktown Town Board worked through a routine agenda Tuesday during a two-and-a-half-hour meeting that included a Juneteenth proclamation, remarks from the chief of police, recognition of local scholars, and a public hearing on a stormwater management and tree permit application.
The public can visit yorktownny.gov/ygtv to see the June 17 meeting, as well as other Town Board meetings and meetings of boards and committees such as the Planning Board, Senior Advisory Committee, and more. Residents can subscribe to the town's YouTube channel at youtube.com/@townofyorktownny896.
While visiting Yorktown’s website, town officials are asking residents to respond to its access and usage survey, asking people to share how they use the website and what they struggle to find.
The town acknowledged Juneteenth, the federal holiday celebrated annually on June 19 that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. While the holiday honors the contributions of Black Americans, Town Supervisor Ed Lachterman said it is a time to pause and recognize “justice, equity and inclusion for all” and to show “dignity, equality and mutual respect.”
Lachterman added that the relative newness of the holiday reminds everyone to reflect on the “path that was fought to get there.”
During the public comment period, former Town Supervisor Ilan Gilbert and resident Michael Hickins — both of whom are running for seats on the Town Board — commended the board for its support and acknowledgment of the day.
“We must remain ever vigilant to reach the ideals set forth in our Constitution,” Gilbert said.
Both men highlighted that there is still work to be done.
“The bad news is that the wheels of justice often grind slowly,” Hickins said, but noting Gilbert’s comments added that “the good news is that the moral arc of the universe tends towards justice and as evidence, we can look no further than this board’s proclamation supporting Juneteenth and the affirmation of civil rights for all.”
All town offices will be closed on Thursday in observance of the holiday.
A string of recent incidents has shaken people across town. But Chief of Police Robert Noble popped into Town Hall Tuesday evening, following a press conference at Yorktown Police Headquarters earlier in the afternoon, in an effort to ease community concern.
He praised Officer Timothy Curtin for a quick, calm response that defused a potentially deadly encounter on Father’s Day morning that led to the arrest of a man who attacked with a knife and is now being charged with attempted murder.
Noble also urged residents to lock their cars after the town saw a series of overnight larcenies in the Wildwood Street and Allan Avenue areas. Lachterman added that residents should remove valuables and items like garage door openers from their cars, too.
On a positive note, Noble invited the community to the National Night Out, which will be held on Tuesday, August 5 from 6-9 p.m. at the Jack DeVito Veterans’ Memorial Field and Track.
Lachterman shared praise for local students, one who was at Town Hall on Tuesday. Eleanor Brown, a lifelong Yorktowner and recent graduate of Kennedy Catholic High School is a Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce Foundation Scholarship recipient. She’ll attend the University of Notre Dame this fall. She thanked the board for having her, and they wished her well on future endeavors, while highlighting her deep involvement and accomplishments in academia and across town.
The board opened a public hearing to consider a stormwater management permit and a tree permit application submitted by Site Design Consultants on behalf of homeowners Ionela and Mihail Balan for their property at 2258 Saw Miller River Rd. The proposal calls for a new single-family residence with a new asphalt driveway, a rain garden to absorb runoff, and a new public sewer line.
Longtime Yorktown resident Jennie Sunshine objected to the plan to cut down trees for this project, urging the board to consider preserving more trees or revising the project to better protect them.
While she noted that she does not live near the proposed site, she said she is a passionate advocate and wishes that Yorktown “would have a moratorium on tree cutting.”
She suggested creating a buffer zone and raised concerns about over-development.
“If we don’t cut it out with the development in Yorktown ... the issue is what are we going to end up with?” Sunshine said. “We’re going to end up with traffic ... our sewer system, our water infrastructure system ... our schools are going to be choked and crowded even more. It’s just not healthy.”
Ilan Gilbert said he was puzzled by the proposed sewer line and referenced the image shown on the television screen during the meeting.
Nicole Johns, who lives next door to the property, said it has been hard to follow the application due to all the amendments. She came to the podium to ask the board several questions.
The hearing was closed, and a decision on the two permits is expected in the coming weeks, possibly at the next meeting.
The board accepted a retirement letter received from Lieutenant Samuel Sansone from the Yorktown Police Department, effective June 20. The board thanked him for his many years of service to the town. Sansone, and his service, will be celebrated at Yorktown Police Headquarters later this month.
Gary Link was reappointed to his position as Town Assessor, for a six-year term that will begin on Oct. 1 and will expire on Sept. 30, 2031.
In a special meeting on Tuesday morning, the board appointed Jonathan Pratt as a member of the Board of Assessment Review for a term that will expire Sept. 30, 2028. They also appointed Kim Adams Penner as an alternate member of the Board of Assessment for a term expiring Sept. 30, 2028, to fill the unexpired term of Jonathon Pratt.
The board voted to refer out and set a public hearing for a proposed local law to amend Chapter 300 of the town code, titled “zoning,” regarding microbreweries and micro-distilleries. The hearing will likely be held on July 15.
The board authorized a three-year service agreement with ADP, Inc. for payroll software. Lachterman has previously said the update is part of efforts to modernize the town.
Additional resolutions can be found on the meeting agenda.
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