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FALL 2007 - Highlights from this Issue:
PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT
NORTH CASTLE AND BEYOND
On the Town with Supervisor Reese Berman...
Protecting the environment takes many forms. We in Town government have taken important steps over the past year and a half to preserve our precious resources.
Controlled Sustainable Development. In December, 2006 the Town Board demonstrated our new proactive approach to protection of North Castle's environment by passing sweeping land-use legislation.
The legislation's environmentally focused laws include limits on gross land coverage, regulation of construction on steep slopes, and environmental subtractions for steep slopes and wetlands. We also increased zoning in the more rural sections of Town from two to four acres to preserve our dwindling open space.
Recycling; Getting It Started. Recycling is critical to reducing the amount of garbage and non-biodegradable materials in our landfills. Fortunately, recycling is on the increase in North Castle.
Most North Castle residents have been recycling paper, cardboard, plastic, and aluminum for years; but it was not practiced at all in our municipal buildings. I instituted recycling in our municipal buildings when I became Supervisor in 2006, and now it's part of our regular routine. In addition, the Byram Hills schools, at my request, have instituted an active recycling program.
Local businesses have long been required to recycle, but the requirement was not enforced in the past. I have notified the businesses that they must recycle cardboard, paper, plastic and cooking grease. I met with members of the Armonk Chamber of Commerce, representatives of Suburban Carting and a company that recycles cooking grease to plan a recycling program scheduled to get underway in September. We will be working with businesses in North White Plains and Banksville soon.
Recycling; Is It For Real? Numerous residents have said they don’t believe that our carting company separates recyclables from trash. I went to the transfer station in Mount Kisco to see for myself. Each day recycled paper, cardboard and commingled glass, aluminum and plastic are brought to the transfer station and taken from there to various recycling locations. Here I am inspecting the operation.
Protecting Biodiversity In And Beyond North Castle. The Open Space Committee and I initiated a biodiversity workshop in 2006, involving all of our own governing boards and representatives from New Castle, Bedford, and Yorktown. We followed up this year by commissioning biodiversity surveys in the Byram Lake and Seven Springs areas of North Castle adjacent to Mt. Kisco, Bedford and New Castle. Depending upon the results of the study, the three towns and Mt. Kisco might explore a Biotic Corridor project to protect the region's biodiversity.
The Hudson Valley Community Preservation Act; Is It Right For North Castle? Governor Spitzer signed the Hudson Valley Community Preservation Act into law on August 16. The Law gives towns and cities in Westchester and Putnam a powerful tool to help protect open space if the public votes to use it.
The Preservation Act authorizes municipalities to decide by public referendum whether to levy a real estate transfer tax which goes into a dedicated open space fund. The tax would be paid by the buyer in an amount of no more than two percent of the sale price above a local median. I plan to open public discussion to gauge support for this source of funding for open space.
Take A Hike. Encouraging non-polluting forms of transportation such as walking and bicycling is another way to protect our environment. The Town has been planning a bike and walk path from Wampus Brook Park to the Major Andre Monument near the Ehrman Pool, and perhaps northward to the Wampus Pond County Park off of Route 128.
Looking Ahead; Learning From Our Neighbors To Reduce Pollution. As co-chair of the Westchester County Global Warming Task Force, I have learned about steps that other municipalities have initiated and what other resources are available to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This has led me to start several initiatives in North Castle.
- I authorized New York Power Authority to conduct an energy audit of our municipal buildings, at no charge to the Town, to see where we can reduce energy use and save tax dollars.
- We are exploring both solar panels and geothermal heating as we plan for a new highway garage.
- We will be purchasing hybrid vehicles for our Town Departments whenever possible.
- North Castle joined ICLEI, Local Governments for Sustainability. The mission of this international organization of more than 650 local governments is to improve the global environment through local action. ICLEI assists local governments in implementing quantifiable measures to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions. We have begun to inventory North Castle’s greenhouse gas emissions so that we can create a baseline inventory and establish a goal.
- I have established a volunteer committee to schedule a series of programs and informational meetings to educate our residents on what individuals can do to reduce their carbon footprints.
- I am discussing “green” building with a few of the developers of new commercial construction in North Castle.
Learn What The County Is Doing. The County Executive will be announcing Westchester’s action plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on October 10. The public is invited to attend this all-day event and its panel discussions and exhibits at the County Center.
Learn More On Our Green Page. We have recently created a Green Page on our Town website to provide educational tips and internet links on conservation and environmental issues, ranging from septic system maintenance to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Publication and regular updating of the Green Page demonstrates that protecting the environment is a top priority in North Castle.
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