Yorktown Town Board Meeting - January 21, 2025: Solar Moratorium, Ground Mount Ban Debate, Battery Storage Safety
Yorktown Town Board Meeting - January 21, 2025
[The January 21, 2025 meeting of the Yorktown Town Board focused extensively on proposals to amend the solar panel moratorium and battery energy storage system moratorium. Board members debated residential bans, floating zones, and strict criteria for large-scale ground-mount solar, alongside community updates and several public comments on local issues. Other key topics included personnel appointments, a resolution for traffic study review, and a clarification request on Fieldstone Manor recreational facilities.]
Personnel & Routine Approvals
- Appointments and Transfers: Approved unanimously: Sergeant Matthew Rassiopo as detective sergeant in the Police Department; Richard De Mellis as Deputy Town Assessor; and transfer of Jake Ficaro from Water Department to Refuse and Recycling as motor equipment operator.
- Consent Resolutions: Several resolutions were adopted, including attendance at a finance conference, chemical bids for the water pollution control plant, laboratory services extension, purchase of blowers, and a budget transfer for Hunter Brook Park repairs (funded by insurance recovery).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Jay Kopstein advocated for banning ground-mount solar in all zones, criticized the cost of solar versus other energy sources, and noted that a four-day closure of Hallocks Mill Road did not cause traffic chaos, suggesting permanent closure options be reconsidered.
- Larry Killian warned about tax certiorari losses from new commercial development and urged the board to incorporate those projections into the budget.
- Mark Lieberman requested information on tax losses from 485-b exemptions, expressed dismay over Elon Musk's gesture, and argued that residential development is preferable to solar farms for local business.
- Brian Sillick proposed placing a solar farm at Navajo Sports Complex and criticized the overlay district process for the Navajo project, citing traffic and infrastructure concerns.
- Charles O'Neill defended developer Michael Grace regarding sewers at Osceola, stating sewers are mandatory regardless of developer generosity.
- Sarah Wilson thanked the board for the Martin Luther King Jr. proclamation, promoted the Super Bowl of Cereal drive (which collected over 800 boxes last year), and noted that solar farms generate no traffic.
- Joanne expressed that many residents feel unheard regarding the Navajo project, questioned the overlay district approval, and asked about sewer hookup costs and traffic impacts.
Discussion Items
- Solar Panel Moratorium Debate (Large-Scale Ground Mount): The board reviewed four options: ban in all residential zones, allow in residential with tight criteria, allow only in commercial, or create a floating zone for case-by-case review. Councilwoman Susan Siegel proposed a floating zone to allow site-specific evaluation. Deputy Supervisor Sergio Esposito favored a total ban in residential zones, calling them ugly and poorly maintained. Councilman Patrick Murphy and Councilwoman Luciana Howitt supported strict criteria but were open to floating zones if guardrails are tight. Supervisor Ed Lacterman noted neighboring towns like Greenburgh and North Castle ban residential ground-mount solar. The board reached a consensus to revise the current law with tightened criteria, focusing on lot coverage, setbacks, and screening, with John (planner) and the town attorney to prepare a draft.
- Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS): Safety concerns dominated, especially regarding lithium-ion batteries and risks to first responders and the watershed. Most members supported removing BESS (large-scale) from allowable uses entirely, possibly through repeal rather than another moratorium. Some suggested allowing only lithium phosphate if technology improves. The board agreed to gather more information on existing installations and tier-one residential systems before final action.
- Fieldstone Manor Deed and Recreational Facilities: Councilwoman Siegel requested clarification on whether the town legally owns 8+ acres of parkland from Fieldstone Manor and when the developer must construct promised recreational facilities. Town Attorney Adam indicated research is ongoing; no deed acceptance was found. The issue involves planning board jurisdiction.
Key Outcomes
- Solar Law Revision: The board directed John (planner) and the town attorney to draft amendments to the current solar law with tighter criteria (e.g., larger minimum lot size, steeper setbacks, stronger screening definitions). Draft to be circulated for review before the next scheduled meeting.
- Battery Storage: Consensus to proceed with removing large-scale battery energy storage from permitted uses; details on grandfathering and tier-one systems to be addressed in follow-up.
- Traffic Study Resolution (Navajo Project): A resolution to hire Transpo to review the applicant's traffic study was tabled after Councilwoman Siegel deemed the proposed scope inadequate. The supervisor will send a list of deficiencies to the applicant and ask if they wish to expand the study before spending $6,000. A special meeting may be called if needed.
- Highway Department Kudos: Supervisor recognized the highway department for excellent snow plowing during a 5-inch snowfall that required 15 hours of continuous work.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening everyone and welcome to the January 21st, 2025 uh board meeting. Uh if anyone can if everyone could stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. Mr. Silic, would you uh lead us out? Pledge allegiance to the United States of America and the Republic, which is one nation under God under God, indivisible, liberty, and justice for all. If we could have a uh moment of silence, uh as uh we remember those fighting for our freedoms, uh those impacted by the uh forest fires in California, and also those uh uh you know pray for the peace in the Middle East to hold and uh uh thank God for the release of uh the hostages that have uh made it home. Amen. Introductions to my right. Good evening, Diana Kwas, town clerk. Good evening, Luciana Howitt, Councilwoman. Supervisor Ed Lacterman, Deputy Supervisor Sergio Esposito, Councilman Patrick Murphy. Councilwoman Susan Siegel. Okay, for reports to the town. I just want to uh really give a uh big kudos to our highway department and all of those that help in the plowing, an excellent job. Uh had actually gotten a couple of emails saying how grateful people were for the uh quality of the uh the work done. We also want to make sure that when we do have these snow dates, please do not snow uh park in the road. Uh we did do a snow emergency due to the amount uh mainly for the parking and to make sure our first responders could get through because sometimes uh on our narrow roads the rolls the roads get bottlenecked, and if we can't plow them, it gets even worse. Uh I know it was very successful this time around, according to our highway superintendent, and we'll look at uh maybe addressing snow advisories and see how we could address that versus doing a full-scale emergency uh in the future. Uh I also want to uh give a big uh you know thank you and kudos to our water department, one of our employees driving down uh 202 today, saw a little water coming out off of the side of the road, uh stopped, and it was a uh an old, very old valve, a style we don't use anymore, uh, over by one of the churches on 202 that had uh rusted through, and they were able to get in there without much uh water getting away and without uh much damage. Uh also in this weather, of course, you worry about the icing of the roads. Uh so it was way too cold for the road to dry up. They salted it down, but uh got right on it and got everything taken care of. Uh this is the time of year where we will see the the effects of the cold on uh on cast iron and ductile iron and all of those different things. So great job and uh thank you all. I actually am going to wish the fourth graders good luck tomorrow on the simulation for the state test. I know that it's gonna seem a bit scary, so anybody at Crompon in fourth grade, I know that that's coming. Um and also anyone who has students at Brookside, United for the Troops is collecting for their Valentine's Day boxes. If you have any friends or kids that are there, we can go ahead and have their classroom take it. They can do a note, or they can get something that's non-perishable so that we can send it over to our troops. All right, Sergio, I'm sorry. Let me just also add in since uh you reminded me uh if you have a student in the high school, uh the the um Leo's club is doing a cereal collection. They've also asked us to put a box in town hall, which I uh approved for them to do. Uh this time of year, the food banks uh, you know, they've been hit pretty hard after the holidays, and one of the things that is a big commodity that they have trouble getting is cereal, and every year there's a s the what what they call the Super Bowl of cereal drive. So uh we uh I think the Lions last year collected over 300 boxes, and uh the Leos have picked up on it this year as well. It's a great way to help our community. Uh cereal is a very easy staple food, and especially for those in need and for kids, it could be breakfast, lunch, and dinner sometimes. I know I had a lot of uh a lot of uh round the clock cereal bowls uh growing up. Thanks, Serge. Well, good evening, everybody. I hope everybody's uh keeping warm. I'm gonna keep this short. We have a couple of discussion items on here, and so I just want to wish everybody uh uh a great week and uh hope that you guys all stay warm, and I'm gonna pass it on to the gentleman on my left. Even everybody. Uh just a couple of little things. Um I saw Jim Monorano out here before, but uh he had very successful polar plunge. Rob Giordano did it. It was cold. They had to get a little backhoe to break through about four inches of ice, but they did it. And there was close to a hundred people there. Probably, yeah.
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