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Record of Proceedings

Infrastructure & Housing Committee Meeting on September 29, 2026: Planning Updates on County Land and Housing Funding

Board of Legislators & Committees — Tuesday, September 29, 2026
BodyWestchester County, New York
SessionBoard of Legislators & Committees
DateTuesday, September 29, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 50:28

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:16

Good afternoon.

Speaker 2

0:18

It is September 29th.

0:20

Tuesday the 29th, and it is 104.

0:23

I'm going to do take attendance.

0:25

Sure.

0:25

It's an open infrastructure and housing committee.

0:27

I'm here.

0:28

Vice Chair

Speaker 3

0:29

Pierce

Speaker 2

0:30

is not

Speaker 3

0:30

there.

0:31

Legislator Holstein.

Unassigned speaker

0:33

Present.

Speaker 2

0:35

Thank you.

0:36

Legislative Navy are legislative Samuels and Chairman Goshi.

0:40

And we also have with us legislative.

0:44

I was going to say something else I wanted to say.

Speaker 4

0:48

The other

Speaker 2

0:49

David.

0:50

Thank you for being here.

0:53

So we have guests from the planning department today that is going to speak about update us on two things.

1:02

One we could take it in any order, but one is the housing funding that was put into the budget last year, the 10 million dollars.

1:12

And the other is the study that was done for county land, county owned property to see where we can possibly develop housing.

1:24

So I'll let the team here introduce themselves, starting with the commissioner, and then we can go from there.

Speaker 3

1:30

Thank you, Madam Chair of Blanca Lopez, Commissioner Planning.

1:34

Commissioner Planning.

Speaker 4

1:35

Matthew Castro, Chief Water.

Speaker 2

1:38

Thank you.

1:40

Would you like to start with the 10 million or let's start with the study first?

Speaker 3

1:45

Yes.

1:48

Okay.

1:49

We had set up a uh provided a PowerPoint for you.

1:52

I don't know if you're

Speaker 2

1:54

going to pull that up.

Speaker 3

1:56

And in addition to the PowerPoint, there is a report that we prepared for you called from surplus to housing, a suitability analysis of county owned land.

Speaker 2

2:05

Right.

2:06

75-page documents.

2:07

Thank you.

Speaker 3

2:08

You're welcome.

2:09

We want to, there was a lot of effort and work that was put into this request from your committee.

2:17

We certainly want to thank, I want to thank my team who is here with me as well as our colleagues from Department of IT, especially Anna Hidaldo Gomez from GIS, who provided a lot of information

Speaker 5

2:33

and

Speaker 3

2:33

support

Speaker 5

2:33

as well in this process.

Speaker 3

2:46

So we'll be more than happy to answer any questions at the end of the presentation.

2:51

Yes, next slide, please.

2:56

Thank you.

2:56

So last year, as you know, the Board of Legislators tasked the department to assess the current feasibility of using county-owned land for affordable housing or the construction of affordable housing.

3:10

So this presentation provides an overview and findings of the analysis performed as well as throughout my presentation.

3:27

Next slide, please.

Unassigned speaker

3:31

So

Speaker 3

3:31

we started off with looking at the overall number of units.

3:47

Representing about a little over 7% of the county total acres.

3:52

Most of these parcels have a current identified use by county department, or most are being used as county park facilities, which is by far the largest in acreage, close to 16,000 acres.

4:06

That breakdown is shown in your report on page six, table two.

Speaker 5

4:11

From the 714 parcels, we focus

Speaker 3

4:14

on 63 specific parcels that have at one point been declared residual by this current legislative body or previous bodies, such as the board of supervisors.

4:27

A residual parcel are is identified as property as a property that is no longer needed for the purpose for which they were originally acquired.

4:37

So a number of these parcel, for example, were left over from the creation of county parkways in the early 20th century.

4:49

In the 60s, some were not taken by the state.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Affordable Housing█████████████████████████████████████████████81%
Parks and Recreation█████9%
Public Engagement███6%
Procedural█2%
Technology and Innovation█2%
Summary of Proceedings

Infrastructure & Housing Committee Meeting on September 29, 2026: Planning Updates on County Land and Housing Funding

The Infrastructure & Housing Committee of the Westchester County Legislature met on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, to receive updates from the Planning Department on two initiatives: the suitability analysis of county-owned land for affordable housing and the rollout of $10 million in capital funding for income-restricted housing. Discussions focused on the scope of the land study, environmental constraints, next steps, and the application process for the housing fund.

Discussion Items

Land Suitability Analysis for Affordable Housing

  • The Planning Department presented a 75-page report, "From Surplus to Housing: A Suitability Analysis of County-Owned Land." Starting with 714 parcels (over 19,000 acres), they focused on 63 residual parcels (declared no longer needed) and screened for floodplains, wetlands, and steep slopes. This yielded 14 parcels (16.5 acres) with development potential.
  • Commissioner Blanca Lopez noted that a 1992 study did not consider environmental constraints. Most county parcels are in active use or parkland; 11 of 14 identified parcels lie in single-family zones.
  • Legislator David (a sponsor of the review) questioned why only residual parcels (0.5% of all county land) were analyzed, expressing a desire for evaluation of all 714 parcels, including parkland. Planner Matthew Castro responded that parkland alienation is a lengthy, complex process and the initial report focused on parcels where action could be immediate.
  • Chairman Goshi emphasized the need for a holistic understanding of all county-owned property, stating that alienation is possible though challenging. He urged future analysis of parkland and building additions (e.g., building on top of county structures).
  • Legislator Nancy Barr inquired about the cross system inventory (created in 2008) and its updates. Recommendations include updating the system and improving inter-departmental collaboration.
  • The committee discussed next steps: site assessments, title reviews, engaging operating departments, and incorporating affordable housing into the Parks Master Plan. No formal action was taken on the study.

$10 Million Housing Capital Funding Program

  • Commissioner Lopez outlined the program: $10 million from the capital budget for capital improvements (roofs, fire protection, elevators) in income-restricted properties. Applications open October 15, close end of November 2026, with bonding expected in first quarter 2027.
  • Eligible applicants are for-profit or non-profit owners of income-restricted housing, with priority to units at risk of losing affordability after 30 years. Rent and income compliance must be verified.
  • Legislator Holstein asked about eligibility for elevator upgrades in a rent-controlled building. Commissioner confirmed multiple projects can be prioritized in one application.
  • Chair Williams noted the importance of demand data for future budget cycles. Commissioner reported that the $25 million flex fund received 17–18 applications requesting over $100 million, indicating high need.
  • Vice Chair Pierce (via chair) requested a walkthrough of the parkland alienation process. Commissioner gave a general overview: requires state legislation, often replacement parkland, and federal review if federal funds were used.

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)

  • A legislator requested information on which municipalities allow ADUs and the number being built. Commissioner noted over half of municipalities now allow ADUs in some form, with various restrictions. The department previously presented to the planning board and will share the presentation.
  • The report on the 14 parcels includes ADU zoning information for each site.

Key Outcomes

  • No formal votes were taken. The Planning Department presented findings and recommendations for both land analysis and the housing fund.
  • The committee will continue discussions and may request analysis of all county-owned parcels, including parkland.
  • The $10 million housing fund application process launches mid-October 2026; application data will inform future budget decisions.
  • The committee requested the Planning Department share its ADU regulatory presentation.
  • Land study recommendations include updating the cross system, conducting site assessments, and collaborating with operating departments and the county executive’s office.

Meeting Transcript

Good afternoon. It is September 29th. Tuesday the 29th, and it is 104. I'm going to do take attendance. Sure. It's an open infrastructure and housing committee. I'm here. Vice Chair Pierce is not there. Legislator Holstein. Present. Thank you. Legislative Navy are legislative Samuels and Chairman Goshi. And we also have with us legislative. I was going to say something else I wanted to say. The other David. Thank you for being here. So we have guests from the planning department today that is going to speak about update us on two things. One we could take it in any order, but one is the housing funding that was put into the budget last year, the 10 million dollars. And the other is the study that was done for county land, county owned property to see where we can possibly develop housing. So I'll let the team here introduce themselves, starting with the commissioner, and then we can go from there. Thank you, Madam Chair of Blanca Lopez, Commissioner Planning. Commissioner Planning. Matthew Castro, Chief Water. Thank you. Would you like to start with the 10 million or let's start with the study first? Yes. Okay. We had set up a uh provided a PowerPoint for you. I don't know if you're going to pull that up. And in addition to the PowerPoint, there is a report that we prepared for you called from surplus to housing, a suitability analysis of county owned land. Right. 75-page documents. Thank you. You're welcome. We want to, there was a lot of effort and work that was put into this request from your committee. We certainly want to thank, I want to thank my team who is here with me as well as our colleagues from Department of IT, especially Anna Hidaldo Gomez from GIS, who provided a lot of information and support as well in this process. So we'll be more than happy to answer any questions at the end of the presentation. Yes, next slide, please. Thank you. So last year, as you know, the Board of Legislators tasked the department to assess the current feasibility of using county-owned land for affordable housing or the construction of affordable housing. So this presentation provides an overview and findings of the analysis performed as well as throughout my presentation. Next slide, please.

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