Larchmont resident warns of Insidious Repercussions should Bramson win County Executive.

I recently received the following letter that a Larchmont resident had emailed to their friends and neighbors this past week… I think it speaks for itself, so as an intro let me just say this: Pleas read it. Please vote.

As residents of Larchmont and the neighboring towns, I encourage each of you to be informed as it relates to next week’s election for County Executive (CE). I do not consider myself overly political but there is an issue in front of each of us that could have an alarming impact on our communities. It is, of course, hardly discussed. 



Over the past several years, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has increasingly flexed its muscle with Westchester County. We are HUD’s test case to utilize a legal theory called disparate impact. Under the legal theory of disparate impact, Westchester’s residential zoning is discriminatory. HUD wants Westchester’s community to dismantle residential zoning and promote multi-family/density free housing. A history of the matter can be found with this link 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KZJYO2XvpM. [Note, while it is related, this is a different matter than the affordable housing units currently being built in Westchester as part of the 2009 settlement]



What this means, in essence, is that everything you know about your community as it relates to single family homes, set back requirements between you and your neighbor and the street, height restrictions on new homes, etc. can all be eliminated. In a zoning free/density free world, a new or existing owner can build an apartment building/townhouse or other multi-family dwelling on the lot next to your property line. In fact, this is precisely what HUD wants. In their view, single family communities with zoning and density restrictions discriminate against lower income families. I attach two letters from HUD. I encourage you to read them. HUD has already withheld $7 million from Westchester as retribution for not capitulating to their demands. Pretty scary. 



So what can you do about it? There are two candidates for County Executive. Rob Astorino (R) and Noam Bramson (D). Rob Astorino, our current CE, has been leading the charge in fighting HUD. He does not believe single-family zoning is discriminatory. He has adopted an “over my dead body” approach to eliminating single family zoning restrictions. By contrast, Noam Bramson plans to work with HUD. He has commented that the suburbs that we know are not sustainable. I personally believe this is somewhere between naïve and preposterous. One does not negotiate with HUD. 



To me, this is not a Republican or Democratic issue. It is an issue at the heart of why we moved to Westchester in the first place…a front lawn, a back yard, some privacy from a neighbor, etc. All of this could change if a developer comes along and builds a multi-family unit next to you or down the street (without height restrictions or setbacks). Imagine how the value of your home will change. There is a reason why property values are higher in Bronxville than Yonkers. 



Westchester is 2:1 Democrat to Republican. Thus, Noam Bramson has a natural advantage should people vote based on party affiliation. To the extent you are a Democrat or are generally apathetic to local elections, I ask that you consider the cost of having HUD impose its will on your town. Noam Bramson will increase exponentially the likelihood that the current zoning protections you enjoy will be eliminated. I personally think this is an enormous cost. It is also a cost that cannot be retroactively changed or eliminated. Once a multi-family unit is built in a single-family-unit town, it will be very hard to unravel. If you are an Independent, please too consider the cost of Noam Bramson and nameless/faceless HUD bureaucrats dictating housing policy. If you are a Republican, please get out and vote. Bramson has a sizable advantage in sheer numbers so the stakes are quite high. To me, this is one of the few elections where its impact can and will directly be felt. If you care about the value of your home, getting out to vote for Astorino will be important. 



Finally, I ask as you walk your street tonight for Halloween, imagine how different it would be without single-family residential zoning functioning as the backbone to the community. Most of us moved here from an urban environment to get away from the density of a big city – that is the beauty of Larchmont. 

Please consider Astorino on Tuesday.