North Salem Town Board Meeting and Public Hearing, August 12, 2025

On August 12, 2025, at 7:00 p.m., the Town of North Salem Town Board held a combined public hearing, regular meeting, and worksession at 66 June Road and via Zoom. The main focus was a proposed local law amending Chapter 250 of the Zoning Code to permit and regulate short-term rentals of dwellings as an accessory use. The board also approved routine reports and a series of resolutions, and held worksession discussions on parking restrictions on Route 121/Bloomer Road and at the Croton Falls Community Greenspace.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the minutes of the July 8, 2025 Regular Meeting/Worksession.
• Approved monthly reports for July 2025 from the Building Inspector, Facilities Manager, Highway Department, Planning Board, Police Department, Receiver of Taxes, Supervisor, and Town Clerk.

Public Hearing on Short-Term Rental Local Law

• Planning Board Chair Cynthia Curtis presented the proposal, explaining that short-term rentals are rentals of fewer than 30 days and have been occurring without adequate enforcement. She described the approach as regulation through a special permit rather than prohibition, with conditions on parking, use, and county registration.
• The public hearing remained open; the board did not close it or vote on adoption.

Public Comments & Testimony

• John Nuri (405 Route 22) raised detailed technical comments on the draft law, including asking the board to consider prohibiting unhosted short-term rentals, restricting investors who own multiple properties, reducing the proposed 90-day cap to 60 days, strengthening penalty and quiet-hours language, and conducting a traffic study. He expressed support for preserving the town's character.
• Matt Winshov, who identified himself as president of Purdy's, suggested requiring hosts to keep copies of guest identification for a period of time.
• Barbara Gerlock (33 Cottage Lane) opposed short-term rentals, saying she saw no advantage for the town and citing infrastructure, crime, traffic, noise, and transient use concerns. She said she would rather see large homes converted to co-ops with permanent residents.
• Jessica Broomhead (Bloomer Road) supported well-run short-term rentals and described her accessory-apartment Airbnb; she said about 95% of her guests were visiting family, and she asked the board to reconsider the 90-day cap and the two-year ownership requirement for resident hosts.
• Nazinga Milan (Croton Falls), who said she serves on the zoning board, opposed carve-outs and supported uniform rules and the 90-day cap, warning that under New York law stays longer than 30 days can create tenant/eviction protections.
• Kathy Collins (Purdy's) asked whether short-term rentals could legally be prohibited, asked about excluding dense areas like Purdy's, and shared negative experiences from a community in Florida while praising Ms. Broomhead's operation.
• A resident identified as Sweeney, a neighbor of a current Airbnb, supported the law's stated purposes but said the draft lacked limits on the number of rentals, on-site management requirements, a compliance mechanism for the 90-day cap, and adequate penalties. He described a nearby property managed from Florida and asked whether it would qualify.
• An online participant, Lydia V., said regulation is crucial but raised concerns about implementation and whether enforcement would fall on neighbors.
• Ashley Asso (Bloomer Road) supported short-term rentals, saying her Airbnb neighbors caused no problems and that Airbnb/VRBO vetting was sufficient.
• Sue Lacalla (Lakeview Road) said she relied on Airbnb income after losing her job and wants to retire in North Salem; she said she vets guests and would not be able to keep the house if the use were overly restricted. She asked about implementation timing.
• Written comments, including one from Lorraine, were received; the board said they would be attached to the minutes/record.

Resolutions and Board Actions

• Approved payment of town bills totaling $207,574.50 and highway bills totaling $387,497.07.
• Approved a $1,000 salary step increase for Assessment Assistant Alexia Vasilou, effective September 1, 2025.
• Approved a salary increase for Highway Department employee Peter J. Esposito to $45.60 per hour, effective August 10, 2025.
• Reappointed Claire Champion to the Historic Preservation Commission with a term to expire September 1, 2030.
• Appointed seasonal Day Camp staff Leander Esner at $13.20/hour, Amanda Naylor at $18/hour, and Chloe Stalker at $18/hour for August 11-29, 2025.
• Authorized the Supervisor to sign an agreement with Air Professional Associates, LLC for $1,983.60 to repair an air conditioning unit at the North Salem Community Center.
• Authorized an expense to Logically for HP server renewal per quote 054811 dated August 6, 2025.
• Authorized the Supervisor to sign an agreement with Elevator Service Co. Connecticut LLC for $2,340 to evaluate the elevator at 270 Titicus Road.
• Approved a budget modification for cemetery headstone repairs, increasing cemetery contractual funding from $5,500 to $13,950 and the interfund revenue line from $28,500 to $36,950 by $8,450.
• Authorized inclusion of an insert with 2025 water bills.
• Postponed the North Salem Artisanal Farmers Market facilities-use request until the August 26, 2025 meeting, pending information on the proposed trailer/storage placement and the conditions from the Police Chief, Building Inspector, and Highway Superintendent.
• Authorized the Supervisor to sign the five-year Mutual Aid and Rapid Response Inter-Municipal Agreement with Westchester County Department of Public Safety (July 31, 2025-July 30, 2030).
• Accepted a $30,000 removal bond for New Cingular Wireless/AT&T at the Delancey Road Tower.
• Accepted a $72,000 removal bond for AT&T Mobility Corp. at the Sun Valley Drive Tower.
• Authorized acceptance of the 2025 annual water collection billings and estimated bills.
• Authorized a solicitor's license for Renewal by Andersen (George Cuggy) until January 1, 2026.
• Authorized a refund of $800 to William Kelly for Croton Falls parking, receipt 2423.
• Resolutions 21 and 22 (SEQR Negative Declaration and adoption of Local Law #01-2025) were not voted on because the short-term rental public hearing remained open.

Discussion Items

• No parking designations on portions of Route 121 and Bloomer Road: The board discussed a draft local law amending Chapter 220 (Vehicles and Traffic), but decided not to set a public hearing date yet. Members agreed to first place stakes at the proposed no-parking limits and have board members inspect the locations.
• Croton Falls Community Greenspace parking: The board discussed imposing a three-hour parking limit, painting/defining spaces, the existing sundown sign, and whether electric-vehicle charging would be affected after dark. No formal decision was made; the Highway Superintendent was asked to evaluate the parking layout.

Key Outcomes

• The short-term rental public hearing remained open, and the board did not adopt Local Law #01-2025 or the associated SEQR negative declaration; Planning Board review of the public comments was expected before a future vote.
• The board directed that legal counsel be asked about possible limits on investor-owned properties or excluding high-density hamlet areas such as Purdy's.
• The Planning Board indicated it would revisit the 90-day cap and consider a waiver or special-criteria route for accessory-unit hosts/resident owners.
• The board postponed setting a public hearing for the Route 121/Bloomer Road no-parking law until field staking and inspection are completed.
• The Farmers Market resolution was postponed to the August 26, 2025 meeting pending additional details.