North Salem Town Board Meeting: Public Hearings on STR and Parking, Worksession on Pickleball (October 14, 2025)\n\nThe Town of North Salem Town Board convened on October 14, 2025, for a Regular Meeting and Worksession. The major topics included two public hearings: a continued hearing on a proposed local law to permit and regulate short-term rentals (STRs), and a hearing on new parking restrictions aimed at improving safety at the Bloomer Road and Route 121 intersection. A worksession discussion addressed noise complaints related to pickleball courts at JB Park. The board also completed several routine approvals, including financial resolutions and contract authorizations.\n\n### Public Hearings & Testimony\n\n#### 1. Short-Term Rental (STR) Local Law\nThe board continued a public hearing on Local Law #01-2025, which would amend Chapter 250 (Zoning) to permit and regulate STRs (rentals under 30 days) via a special permit from the Planning Board. Planning Board Chair Cynthia Curtis noted that the revised draft introduced the ability to revoke permits for violations.\n- Resident Maureen Eckman expressed support for the regulations but argued that the proposed $350 penalty for a first offense was too low to deter bad actors, calling it "not an avoidance behavior" for a $3,000 weekend rental.\n- Resident Patrick Sweeney, speaking from experience as a neighbor to an Airbnb, urged a more restrictive approach, such as requiring the owner to be present during rentals (as in New Rochelle) or capping annual rental days at 30 (as in Rye). He also questioned how existing rentals would transition and whether rental logs could be made public.\n- Resident John Nouri proposed several specific amendments, including limiting STR density to one permit per five homes, requiring a one-week rest period between rentals, reducing the annual rental cap from 90 to 60 days, mandating comprehensive liability insurance ($1M minimum), and requiring neighbor notification for ADUs used for STRs.\n- Residents Kathy Mills Hastings and Kathy Collins of Purdy's questioned the one-size-fits-all zoning approach across different districts and requested stronger enforcement and penalties.\n- Resident Fran raised concerns about child safety in neighborhoods due to transient renters.\n- Resident Courtney Covers Azie questioned the 30-day definition of short-term versus longer term rentals.\n- Resident Susie Thompson urged the board to pass the law to establish any control, stating regulations could be fine-tuned later.\n- Town Attorney Lisa confirmed that the $350 maximum penalty is set by state town law and cannot be increased locally.\n\nBoard Discussion: The board declined to adopt the law immediately. Supervisor Warren Lucas stated he wanted to thoroughly consider the public input before voting. The public hearing was closed, and the board will revisit the proposal in a subsequent meeting after further review.\n\n#### 2. Parking Restrictions (Bloomer Road and Route 121)\nThe board held a public hearing on Local Law #02-25 to amend Chapter 220 (Vehicles and Traffic) by creating no-parking and tow-away zones on Bloomer Road, Route 121 (Peach Lake Road), and Dingle Ridge Road to address dangerous crowding from car meetups.\n- Police Chief Tom Halley described the evolution of the problem, citing escalating costs for police details ($1,554 in 2021, over $22,000 in 2023), and stressed that the proposed distances were insufficient to prevent hazards. He recommended eliminating the problem rather than applying a "band-aid."\n- Lieutenant Andrew Brown argued that the initially proposed 300-foot zone on Bloomer would create a "killing field" over the crest of the hill. He advocated for extending the zones to 900 feet on Bloomer, 2,400 feet on the north side of Route 121, and 1,500 feet on the south side, as well as including Dingle Ridge Road.\n- Kurt Golden, President of the North Salem Ambulance Corps, supported the expanded zones, presenting video evidence of congestion and stating emergency vehicles cannot safely navigate the area.\n- Resident Courtney Covers Azie, who lives at the intersection, acknowledged the no-parking zones were needed but argued that general speeding is the root safety issue. She also raised concerns about property damage from parked cars.\n- Planning Board Chair Cynthia Curtis raised a separate issue regarding the striping of parking spaces in the Croton Falls green space lot, which she stated conflicts with the approved site map and easements.\n\nBoard Discussion: Supervisor Lucas accepted the Police Department's expanded distance recommendations. The proposal for the Croton Falls green space was withdrawn from the law for further study. The amended law includes tow-away zone designations.\n\n### Discussion Items\n\n#### Pickleball Court Usage at JB Park\nThe board held a worksession to address a noise complaint regarding pickleball courts at JB Park, which are converted tennis courts. Supervisor Lucas outlined the issues and potential solutions, including sound mitigation blankets ($15,000), specialized paddles, and exploring alternative locations.\n- Residents Craig and Susan Moyer, representing a group of players, presented a petition of 30 signatures in support of continued play. They argued the town sanctioned play by striping the courts, that games are typically a few times per week from 9 to 11 AM, and that restrictions should not eliminate weekend play. They demonstrated quieter paddle options.\n- Resident Frank Bastone, a neighbor for 41 years, stated the pickleball noise is minimal compared to other park activities and criticized the board for reacting to a single complaint.\n- The Recreation Advisory Committee submitted a recommendation via email to limit pickleball to 9 AM to 12 PM, Monday through Saturday, as a short-term compromise. Board member Peter C. criticized this window as too restrictive.\n- The board tabled the decision, agreeing to explore sound mitigation further. Supervisor Lucas expressed interest in visiting the courts in person to assess the noise levels.\n\n### Key Outcomes\n- STR Adoption Deferred: The public hearing on the Short-Term Rental law was closed, but the board deferred the vote to consider public comments on penalty amounts, insurance, and density limits. The proposal will be revised and brought back for adoption. A Negative Declaration under SEQR was adopted.\n- Parking Regulations Adopted: The board adopted Local Law #02-25, implementing expanded no-parking and tow-away zones at the Bloomer Road and Route 121 intersection, incorporating the longer distances recommended by the Police Department.\n- Sunset Ridge Water District: A public hearing was set for a proposed bonding resolution to authorize an additional $150,000 for water system improvements.\n- Routine Approvals: The board approved payment of Town bills ($371,841.74) and Highway bills ($30,294.04). Other approvals included a contract with Tyler Technologies for property reappraisal ($85,000), a contract with Cartographic Associates for tax map maintenance ($4,800), a change order for the solar service upgrade at the Highway Garage ($39,120), a $6,000 contribution to the New Dawn Family Resource Center, various tax refunds and fee reversals, recreation program agreements, and the purchase of a spectrometer for the Peach Lake wastewater treatment plant ($17,128.73).\n- Records Management Day: The board declared October 17, 2025, as Records Management Day.