Lewisboro planners earn county recognition

Lewisboro Planning Board Chairwoman Janet Andersen will be presented with a Westchester Municipal Planning Federation award May 29. The town and comprehensive plan steering committee chairwoman, Katherine McGinn, will also be honored at the event.

By NEAL RENTZ

The evening of May 29 will be a big one for the town of Lewisboro and two of its committee chairs.

On that date, the Westchester Municipal Planning Federation will present a Planning Achievement Award to Lewisboro for its comprehensive plan update, as well as Distinguished Planner Awards to comprehensive plan steering committee chairwoman, Katerine McGinn, and planning board chairwoman, Janet Andersen.

The event will be held at the Hudson Loft in Irvington.  

The town board approved the revised comprehensive plan last year and this year is in the process of approving zoning amendments, which were recommended by the committee and the firm hired to serve as its consultant, Nelson Pope Voorhis. The committee consisted of McGinn, as well as Charlene Indelicato, Lawrence Mango, Mark Robbins and John Wolff. The town board’s liaisons to the committee were Councilwoman Adrea Rendo and Councilman Daniel Welsh. 

“I was absolutely delighted to hear that I had won the WMPF’s Distinguished Citizen Planner Award, especially because the town of Lewisboro’s comprehensive plan also won the Planning Achievement Award,” McGinn said. “It feels great to be recognized for all the hard work along the way and for the final product itself.”

McGinn thanked her committee’s administrator, Ciorsdan Conran, and chief of staff to the supervisor, Kerri Wolfe, for nominating the committee.

McGinn discussed the significance of the award to her committee. 

“The awards are a formal recognition of two things. First, the thought, time, and effort that went into making sure community engagement was as widespread and inclusive as possible throughout the long process,” she said. “Second, the representative vision and goals that are captured in the plan were based on all the wonderful iterations of input from the community.”

McGinn explained why she and her fellow committee members choose to put in the time and effort to update the comprehensive plan.

“We saw this as a special opportunity to give back to our community,” she said. “From a practical standpoint, the comprehensive plan is a very important document when it comes to applying for local, state and federal grants. So having a robust plan that is well respected is very helpful in setting the town up for long-term success.”

“From an engagement standpoint, ensuring widespread, fair and inclusive opportunities for community participation was the key to our vision from the start, and we knew that it would take a lot of work to make that happen,” said McGinn. 

McGinn said most of the committee’s work has been completed. But there are a few more proposed zoning code amendments that were initially developed, publicly posted and workshopped as part of the broader comprehensive plan update process that are still up for town board approval, she said. 

McGinn expressed what she hoped would be the committee’s legacy. 

“I hope that the steering committee’s community outreach and engagement process is our legacy,” she said. “We showed that first, you need to create events and virtual spaces for residents and stakeholders to come together and openly share their opinions, making the space accessible, providing free child care, providing free translators. These features are all so important,” she said. “Second, you need to make sure as many people as possible know about them, mobilizing volunteers, using all advertising methods available, setting up hamlet-based community outreach teams and sharing information in multiple languages. I’m hoping that this process is a template for future community projects.”

Andersen was pleased about receiving the recognition. “But I know that this is really recognition for the achievements of a great team, not an individual, and I’ve been fortunate to have a thoughtful and participatory board, the effective assistance of the planning board administrator and the advice of our consultants,” she said. “I see this award as a recognition of the accomplishments of many town volunteers and I’m grateful to represent them. I’m delighted that the town board expressed their confidence in me by reappointing me to the board and as chair.”

Andersen was appointed to the planning board in 2018 and appointed chair in 2019. Previously, Andersen served 12 years on the conservation advisory council and she chaired that body for 10 years. 

Andersen said her proudest planning board achievements were, “Generally, helping town businesses and residents move forward efficiently while being a good steward of the wonderful natural resources of our town.” 

Some of the several achievements Andersen said she helped achieve as a planning board member included: providing input to the comprehensive plan steering committee; approving the 42-unit Lewisboro Commons, the first affordable housing development in Lewisboro; the approval of the Silvermine housing development, which is a clustered subdivision of 13 homes that allowed the permanent preservation of sizable open space and wetlands.

Some other planning board achievements during her tenure Andersen pointed to include the approval of the Mercedes-Benz of Goldens Bridge project, which included site renovation with a significant upgrade to sales and service centers, including important stormwater practices; the approval of the Oakridge Common developments, including a new child care center, 46 multifamily units and 12 rental units, including affordable housing units; approval of the Waccabuc Country Club’s enhanced recreational activities, septic upgrades, beach facility renovation, a golf cart washing facility and stormwater management; approval of the Wolf Conservation Center’s proposals for significant upgrades to its educational and outreach facilities; approval of the Boro Café & Market significant renovations; and high hazard dam renovations on the Scotts and Browns reservoirs.