Many citizens of Ossining have expressed concern over the past few years, about the type of guidance the Planning Consultant has been provided the Town Board and Planning Board.  We feel that zoning laws have been changed to favor developers and show disregard for current residents and taxpayers.  There Consultant has disregarded valuable information provided by our Town Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC) and questionable decisions have been made as a result.  The following details some of the issues we feel warrant the discontinuation of the relationship between the Consultant and the Town.  We have made the request in 2015 and 2016.  We need residents to sign this petition to let the Town Board know that 39 years with the same consulting firm is long enough. 

We the undersigned Town of Ossining residents ask our Town Board to retain a new planning consultation firm or town planner.

Mistakes and planning decisions under the guidance of our town’s current planning consultation firm for 39 years, F.P. Clark and Associates, have impacted, or have the potential to impact many of our town’s residents, neighborhoods and natural resources.  For 2 1/2 years residents have asked that a new planning consultation firm be retained.  It is now time for that change.

Examples:

1. Hawkes Crossing development – A developer’s last minute change to the final site plan which prevented access to an adjacent property was missed by the Planning Consultant.  This change requires future owners to negotiate for access to their own property. The property foreclosed and was turned over to the Town, and was also the subject of a lawsuit.  The mistake cost the Town a $520,000.00 sale.  All the Town of Ossining taxpayers were impacted. 

2. Briar Commons/558 North State Road – A zoning change was made at the request of a developer, unbeknownst to adjacent residential neighbors, for a property under the required size for this zoning change. The inaccurate final site plan omitted screening agreements which left residents without recourse when the developer refused to honor these agreements.  Gordon Avenue, North State Road and Morningside Drive residents were impacted.

November 23, 2011: 558 North State Road is rezoned to General Business (GB) to allow the construction of 12 townhouses on the property.  Gordon Avenue is now a mixed residential/GB zoned street.

Town Code § 200-49 A. (2) Requires the development to be “in harmony” “with the district in which it is proposed to be situated.” B. (1)(a) “The project shall” have “usable open space” (b) “The lot on which the dwellings are proposed shall be at least one acre in size”. (Note: the development is out of character with the Gordon Avenue neighborhood.  “Open Space” for this project is not usable space but rather the area required for zoning setbacks.  The property is under 1 acre.)

Town Code § 200-50 A. (3) “that the general landscaping of the site is in character with that generally prevailing in the neighborhood.” (Note: this property was razed, with all the trees removed and surrounding homes left completely exposed)

3. The exclusion of the Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC) during the review of Briar Commons and the Veterinary Building proposals, was against code. Gordon Avenue, North State Road, Morningside Drive and Ridgeview Road residents impacted.

4. Artis Senior Living proposed development–To date the inaccurate and incomplete NYS SEQRA Negative Declaration authored by F.P Clark has not been corrected. The SEQRA Neg Dec inaccurately states that there will be no excavation, no pesticide usage, and that the property will be preserved as much as possible.  It entirely omits the Pocantico River tributary, demolition of an asbestos shingled house within 13 ft of a residential property, and within 20 ft of the wetland and tributary, and that 3,360 cubic yards of fill will create slopes which slope down and end at the wetland.  The zoning usage change at the request of the developer was made to the entire GB district, but the SEQRA Neg. Dec did not assess impacts to any other property within the district.  Morningside Drive, Gordon Avenue and North State Road residents, and the wetland and tributary to be impacted.

5. High View Farm proposed development -  As early as, March of 2013, the EAC and residents expressed concerns regarding the steep slopes and wetlands located on the property and asked for a Positive Declaration SEQRA determination so that a full environmental review would be required.  Despite reports and reviews from the EAC and others, our planning consultant chose to continue the proposal review and delayed the SEQRA Pos Dec determination for 2 years, during which time FP Clarke issued invoices totaling more than $14,000.  Tavano Road, Morningside Court and Morningside Drive residents were impacted.

6. Parth Knolls proposed development - Residents question the zoning change to the 87 Hawkes Avenue property and express serious concerns about traffic impacts. Deerfield, The Woods, and Hawkes Avenue residents and Rt. 9A traffic impacted.

7. Town of Ossining Comprehensive Plan (CP) - Town of Ossining taxpayers paid for FP Clarke’s extensive review and creation of the 2002 CP.  Beginning in 2014, FP Clark was paid for the extensive review and creation of the amended CP and the extensive review and creation of the amended environmental laws – laws which add very little protection to our Town’s natural resources.  The CP includes several zoning change recommendations which have benefited developments with questionable regard to impacted residents, neighborhoods and natural resources. How much did this cost our taxpayers?

For 39 years, too many of the Town’s residents, neighborhoods and natural resources have been adversely impacted from planning decisions under the guidance of our current planning consultation firm.  We desperately need a balance between a developer’s right to develop and the urgent need to protect our natural resources, our neighborhoods, our property values and the ability of our residents to enjoy their homes.

It is now time for a new Planning Consultation Firm or Town Planner.