North Salem · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in North Salem, NY public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Pabst Water District PFAS filtration and $850K bond
The town plans an $850,000 wellhouse project in the Pabst Water District, with an approximately $860,000 state grant covering it. Setting the public hearing is a step toward borrowing authority, and residents can weigh in on October 27.
Route 121 parking near Hayfields
The board is still hashing out how to restrict parking along Route 121 near Hayfields, where Sunday car-show crowds and poor sight lines at the Dingle Ridge entrance create safety risks. No vote was taken; state DOT permission is needed before signs go up.
Route 22 closure beginning November 9
The state is closing Route 22 for about three months starting November 9, with detours on Bloomer and June Roads, while Route 121 and I-684 also have work — a triple traffic squeeze. The supervisor said the closure came with little notice and may stretch into winter.
Lobdell House porch repair
The Capital Planning Committee suggested the town think harder about whether Lobdell House is the right home for town offices, since fixing the porch, windows, insulation, and roof could total around $400,000. The board will consider shorter-term fixes and other options.
Water and Sewer Districts Special Meeting
Board members again flagged budget lines with insufficient funds, unposted water-district revenue and small sub-code errors that force constant transfers. The supervisor promised a Tyler-system report to catch shortfalls before bills are approved.
$526,000 ARPA commitment to Somers sewer project
The worksession was also to cover Croton Falls parking and sewer funding — both matters affecting the hamlet's infrastructure and daily life.
Candlewood Lake culvert and road work
Water pouring off the Lewisboro hill has flooded homes around Valeria Circle and Nash Road for decades, and the lake keeps silting in. The board authorized applying for a FEMA grant matched by a county stormwater grant — about $826,000 — which both towns have sought for years.
Hewlett Property Wetlands Permit / Floodplain Fill
The board toured the Hewlett property and the chair is pushing back on a plan to bring in 380 yards of fill and push a retaining wall into the floodplain, worried about water pushing onto neighbors and emergency access. The applicant was urged to redesign within the already-disturbed area.
Special Permits for Land Conservation
Board members flagged that the Bossi plan doesn't fully restore a violated conservation easement to its original condition, setting what one member called a poor precedent for easement enforcement town-wide.
Verizon Equipment Upgrade at 73 Crosby Road
The board is pushing AT&T and other tower tenants to produce accurate as-builts and lease-area maps after a past incident where a contractor dug through a homeowner's septic field — plus a locked gate the ambulance corps can't open.
Dish Wireless Bond Default and Cell Tower Removal Security
Dish Wireless, which holds approvals for antennas on two North Salem towers, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and its surety is canceling the bonds that guarantee equipment removal. By calling the bonds in default while still valid, the town protects roughly $64,000 in removal funds if the antennas are ever abandoned.
Delancey Hall renovation and reopening
Delancey Hall is getting new carpeting while the town works out of rented trailers. The board picked the low bidder but is still sorting out colors and whether stair runners are needed — with a goal of being back in the building before the end of October to avoid another $2,000 in rent.
Croton Falls Water District Fund Deficit
Bond counsel told the town it must adopt Croton Falls Water District bond proceedings or pay about $6,000 more on its November 5 note renewal — but the papers weren't on the special meeting agenda. The board can't add items from the floor at a special meeting, so this remains outstanding.
Proposed Falls Sewer District (Croton Falls/Hammond)
The town is applying again for a state grant to help finance the sewer district's bond and cash flow — last year's application was rejected over a missed map submission, a mistake officials are determined not to repeat.
Route 22 / Valeria Circle Road Closure
The state will close Route 22 near Valeria Circle for eight to ten weeks of work, forcing detours via Goldens Bridge. The town plans to block Valeria Circle entirely on police advice, since the local bridge can't handle diverted truck traffic — a major inconvenience for commuters and school runs.
Tree Removal Code Rewrite and Clearance Form
The town is rewriting its tree ordinance to create a simpler two-track system: small removals (up to ~10 trees) handled administratively by the building inspector, larger or sensitive-site jobs going to the Planning Board. Enforcement and public education remain challenges.
Bond Anticipation Note and Capital Plan Dispute
The town faces about $2.4 million in short-term borrowings coming due November 5 and will need new money for water district projects. A separate flare-up erupted over a draft capital plan published under the Capital Planning Committee's name, prompting a committee member to threaten resignation.
Peach Lake Road (Route 121) Parking Restrictions
The town extended no-parking rules to the east side of Route 121 near Bloomer Road after discovering the original law only covered the west side. The police chief wanted weekend-only enforcement, but the board went with the full restriction since signs are already ordered and both businesses want cars off the road.
Uranium removal at Sunset Ridge Water District
Budget coding chaos in Tyler ERP system
Dozens of town bills were charged to budget lines without enough money in them, sparking a nearly 35-minute debate over who's responsible and whether the board should approve them anyway. The board approved the bills and adopted transfers to patch the worst gaps, but the underlying coding problems remain a work in progress.
Croton Falls pedestrian safety
Board members called the sidewalks in Croton Falls 'terrifying' during a recent walk-through, and pedestrian safety improvements could be a candidate for the CREST grant — though DOT involvement on Route 22 complicates things.
CREST grant spending — generator, tasers, Croton Falls safety
Senator Harckham's $100,000 CREST grant is up for grabs, and the board leaned toward a backup generator for town hall. Tasers for police and Lucas CPR devices for the ambulance corps are also on the table, as are pedestrian safety improvements in Croton Falls.
Budget line coding and accounting alignment
Bills keep getting coded to budget lines that don't have enough money, triggering pink-sticky flags on every bill list. Councilwoman Daniels wants the budget and the accounting software aligned so the board can tell whether the town actually has money where it says it does.
Croton Falls Sewer District grant application
The supervisor is seeking $5.19 million in state WQIP grant money toward the $19.99 million Croton Falls sewer project, with a Friday application deadline. Board members want to see the grant's terms and conditions before any agreement is signed.
PFOS contamination and Croton Falls Water District improvements
Croton Falls water tests between 4 and 6.5 parts of PFOS, and the state plans to cut the legal limit from 10 to 4 — likely by 2029. The town needs filters, a small building addition, and a second well hookup, and just received a county health letter confirming the future violation, which should earn grant-scoring points.
Croton Falls Sewer District funding and bond resolution
The town is pursuing grants to build a sewer system for the Croton Falls village area at nearly zero capital cost to residents. The $19.99 million bond resolution is paperwork required to apply for more grant money; grants of roughly $16.5 million are already identified. Debate centered on whether taxpayers could be left holding any gap between grants and actual construction costs.
Town Hall Water System New Meter
The town's aging water meters date to 2012, and replacing them all with modern cellular-reading meters would run about $160,000. The Supervisor flagged six likely household leaks while manually reading meters, and the board agreed to schedule a dedicated discussion.
Short-term rental regulation enforcement
The Town Board adopted short-term rental rules with no comment and is expected to adopt the Croton Falls Plan as-is — so the Planning Board's February 18 work session on these topics may be cancelled.
Highway vehicles discussion
The highway superintendent laid out a plan to save big money by reusing an existing dump body on a new cab, adding an F-600, and converting an old truck into a brining/water truck — plus a plea for a second mechanic, since one man covers 50+ pieces of equipment and vehicles are literally rotting apart.
Hawley Woods subdivision approval
A proposal to create three house lots on 40 acres off Hawley Road with a shared driveway, private wells, septic systems and 10,000-gallon fire-suppression water tanks per lot. Downhill neighbors worry a septic system sits about 12 feet from their property line and that drainage may reach their land.
2 Brookside Lane wetlands permit and violation remediation
Roughly 71 trees were cleared without approval in a wetland and conservation easement near Peach Lake, and the owner now proposes restoring the area while adding a 170-foot floating boardwalk to the lake. Two board members say the boardwalk rewards the violation, and the original subdivision may ban any new path — this could go to the town board and possibly require resubdivision sign-off from neighbors.
2026-2027 North Salem Central School District Budget
The school district presented its budget: $53.8 million in spending, a 2.9% tax levy increase right at the cap, and stable enrollment around 960 students. Universal pre-K is expanding to about 70 kids, and the budget vote is May 19 at PQ from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Bossi wetland restoration enforcement
The Bossi plan at 2 Brookside Lane was revised to remove a defined trail that conflicted with the conservation easement, and to expand replanting to 65 trees plus 176 shrubs. It now awaits expert review by the wetlands inspector and CAC.