By NEAL RENTZ
The Lewisboro Town Board unanimously approved the revised version of the town’s comprehensive plan and also OK’d three revisions to its tree preservation ordinance at its meeting Aug. 12.
Following several months of work by the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee, including a series of public outreach meetings beginning in 2023, the proposed revised document, formally known as the master plan, was approved 4-0.
Councilwoman Mary Shah did not attend the meeting.
The plan was last reviewed in 1999.
Even with the passage of the revised plan, the work of the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee is not complete. Supervisor Tony Gonçalves said the board will have the opportunity to approve zoning amendments being proposed by the steering committee after a public hearing is held in September.
The revised comprehensive plan includes goals and objectives in the areas of land use and zoning, housing, economic development, natural resources, climate change, sustainability and resiliency, infrastructure, community facilities and services, transportation and mobility, and community character and historic preservation.
During this week’s public hearing, resident Chris Zoller said the creation of a center for seniors in town should be part of the revised comprehensive plan, noting that about 7% of the town’s population is comprised of seniors.
Valerie Monastra, principal planner at Nelson Pope Voorhis, the environmental planning and land use analysis consulting firm retained by the steering committee, said during public outreach meetings that many residents expressed support for a center for the town’s seniors.
Tree ordinance revised
The town board also voted 3-1 to approve three revisions to the tree preservation ordinance, while delaying the implementation of other changes until there has been additional discussion.
Voting against the legislation was Councilwoman Andrea Rendo. She reiterated previous opposition, stating she would prefer the town board send one package to Albany with all the future changes rather than having the board send different sets of changes. The state Legislature must approve the town’s home rule request for the tree ordinance revisions to become law.
The ordinance changes were originally presented by the Conservation Advisory Council with the intent to make the tree ordinance consistent with the Westchester County licensing requirements for tree removal, tighten the language to prevent clearcutting of trees and correct an error in the special character portion of the ordinance.
A majority of the town board previously agreed with the suggestion made by Gonçalves to postpone action on proposals regarding penalties and tree replacement schedule for violations of the ordinance. CAC chair John Wolff has agreed that some additional discussion should be held before revising the penalty section of the ordinance, including creating a work group that would consider the issue.
During the meeting’s public hearing, resident Carol Cernak asked if someone who owned a piece of property near a state road would be permitted to take down a tree that could potentially fall onto the road without being penalized. If a tree is dying it could be cut down, Councilman Richard Sklarin said. If a tree falls down on a state road it would be removed by the state, Rendo said.
Battery storage facilities moratorium
Also at the meeting, Gonçalves said he supported a six-month moratorium on approvals for storage facilities for lithium-ion batteries to give the town board an opportunity to draft legislation for such facilities.
Resident Barbara Mangione said local towns have recently created regulations for battery storage farms and Lewisboro could follow their lead by putting laws for them in the building code.
While Gonçalves supported a moratorium, he said “there’s a process” to passing one, including conducting a public hearing; he said it could take place in September.
The town board did not set a date for a public hearing.