North Salem · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in North Salem, NY public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
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.
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.
2027 Tentative Budget
Police want tasers (a five-year, $10,795 agreement) and a new hybrid cruiser; recreation reports meals-on-wheels demand has roughly doubled and requests staffing and budget line changes. Board members urged hunting for grants to offset the taser cost.
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.
Candidate Forum
North Salem candidates went head-to-head at a community forum, giving voters a chance to hear their positions before casting a ballot. If you care about local decisions, this is your preview of who stands for what.
Delancey Hall renovations and move-in
The town will seek sealed bids — not just quotes — for interior painting of DeLancey Hall, expected around $35,000, with performance bonds added to protect the town.
Auxiliary heat for Delancey Hall
The town is in the final stretch of paying out the Tundra Contracting job at Delancey Hall. This payment brings total contract spending to about $664,800, with only a small balance left to pay.
Political signs in the public right-of-way
A resident complained that illegal signs keep appearing in road rights-of-way and nobody is enforcing the ordinance. The board agreed Highway will pick them up during political season and post advisory signage.
$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.
Blue Envelope Program for residents with autism and related conditions
A free, locally created program lets residents with autism, ADHD, PTSD and similar conditions hand police a printed envelope explaining their condition during a traffic stop or encounter, reducing misunderstandings. The board wants to launch it town-wide and train officers.
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.
Federal Immigration Enforcement
Reports that ICE tear-gassed about 30 people in north Salem have local leaders speaking out, and the city may soon have to decide whether to weigh in or act on immigration enforcement in local neighborhoods. The big question is how much City Hall can or will do, since immigration enforcement is largely federal.
Building coverage variance request at 8 Bonnieview Street
A Bonnieview Street couple wants to add a primary suite, laundry, and expanded kitchen, nudging their building coverage to 10.5% against a 10% cap. The board decides whether the small overrun is acceptable.
Home addition variance on undersized lot
A Bonnieview Street family can add a primary suite to their home despite slightly exceeding the town's building-coverage cap, because their lot is a pre-existing non-conforming size.
Accessory apartment for elderly parents at 724 Titicus Road
A family can convert their basement into an apartment for elderly parents, allowing them to stay with family rather than enter a nursing home.
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.
Chapter 189 Tree Ordinance
A neighbor clear-cut roughly 17 trees on Silver Coup's property, triggering an application to restore the land with replanting and invasive removal. The board wrestled with who is legally responsible when the disturbance was caused by someone other than the owner.
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.
Silver Coup / Nash Road Lot Line Change
Reed Road Group's subdivision lot-line adjustment finally got approved after months of technical back-and-forth. Stormwater DEP sign-off and written highway and fire department approvals remain as conditions.
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.
2025 Town Audit Findings
The town's finances are in good shape: the general fund outperformed budget by nearly $600,000 and carries a healthy 36% fund balance. But the Peach Lake Sewer District sits on a large cushion while aging pumps start to fail, and small water districts run dangerously thin.
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.
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.
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.
Plus-One ADU Program
The state offers up to $125,000 per household to build accessory apartments for households earning under about $144,000. The town is considering signing on as local administrator but wants to study the program's terms and how other towns have fared first.
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.
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.
Home standby generator variance at 5 Hilltop Drive
A homeowner needs to place a backup generator closer to the side lot line than zoning allows because that's where the utilities enter. The board agreed it's well hidden and granted it with a condition that weekly test runs happen midweek, midday.
Firewood shed setback variance at 46 Lakeview Road
A homeowner wants to replace an old, leaky tarp-covered woodshed with a smaller one that sits within required side and rear setbacks. Neighbors worried about their backyard view, and the board split the difference by keeping the new shed on the existing footprint.
Abutter notification radius for cooperative properties (Appendix E.2)
The ZBA's own appendix still requires notifying abutters within 50 feet, while the Town Code was updated to 150 feet for co-ops. The board endorsed fixing the mismatch, but its authority to change the appendix is uncertain, so it goes to the Town Board.
Police Officer Hiring Request
The Police Chief asked the board to approve hiring a new police officer. The decision affects staffing levels, response times, and the town budget.
Uranium removal at Sunset Ridge Water District
No-parking signage and Route 22 traffic calming
Peach Lake wastewater plant equipment repairs
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.
Cottage Lane residential applications
Three small-lot rebuild projects on Cottage Lane (Watson, Peirce, and a drive-by planned) are moving slowly through review. Peirce's variances were not yet referred to the Zoning Board because the application isn't complete, and neighbors on the small co-op lots will see construction activity if these proceed.
Meeting-room microphone failures
Zoom participants and the board again couldn't hear podium speakers; the chair will file another complaint with the Town and may try the new 'owl' camera as an interim fix, plus request better microphones from the planning budget.
Proposed dog park at Purdys Field
The Supervisor has been working with the DEP for over a year on a dog park (and maybe pickleball) at Purdys Field. Board members debated whether to move ahead now or wait for the recreation master plan — and one resident argued a safe Route 22 crossing matters more.
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.
Turtle crossings on Route 116/Titicus Road
Turtles, including large snapping turtles, are regularly killed crossing Route 116 near the Croton Falls firehouse. A young resident pushed the town to act, and the board is seeking a DOT permit for warning signs while exploring public education and possible long-term solutions like crossing structures.
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.
Keeping of livestock and barn setback relief at 338 Hardscrabble Road
A resident wants to house rescue donkeys and miniature goats in a new four-stall barn built closer to the property line than zoning normally allows. The board found good cause in operational efficiency, safety and aesthetics, mirroring a similar permit granted to prior owners in 2007.
Renewal of horse boarding operation and gatehouse maintenance at 15 Turkey Hill Road
A long-running commercial horse boarding farm got its ten-year special permit renewal, but board members called out clutter around the caretaker's cottage visible from Turkey Hill Road. The renewal now carries a condition to clean up equipment, trash cans and outdoor furniture.
Grant Road LLC application at 658 Grant Road
The preliminary subdivision at 658 Grant Road is still pending — its public hearing got carried over to March, so residents will have another chance to weigh in then.
Town Wi-Fi network address shortage
Town employees keep getting knocked off the network because guest phones gobble up the limited IP addresses. New access points on a separate network segment will fix it, and stripping out unneeded wiring saved about $4,000.