By Staff
Jul. 20, 2016: Westchester County has been ordered by federal judge Denise L. Cote to hire a consultant to study the barriers to fair housing in most of its communities.
According to a July 8, 2016, article in the New York Times, the decision is a result of a request by a federal monitor who had overseen the implementation of a 2009 consent decree between the county and the federal government requiring that 750 affordable housing units be built in 31 "overwhelmingly white municipalities" and requiring that the county submit to "analyses of impediments" to affordable housing to ensure that its municipalities do not use exclusionary zoning practices.
The article explained, "The county has since submitted several of the analyses, arguing each time that none of the county’s municipalities have exclusionary zoning. The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD] has rejected them all as inadequate."
County officials must choose a consultant, who will have four months to recommend any zoning changes.
The article says, "Westchester officials said they will appeal the ruling and seek an immediate stay of the order" and notes that Edwin McCormack, a spokesman for Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, pointed out that "nationwide, HUD no longer requires communities that receive government money to submit" such analyses.
For more details, click here for the New York Times article on the ruling.
Bronxville is a quaint village (one square mile) located just 16 miles north of midtown Manhattan (roughly 30 minutes on the train) and has a population of approximately 6,500. It is known as a premier community with an excellent public school (K-12) and easy access to Manhattan. Bronxville offers many amenities including an attractive business district, a hospital (Lawrence Hospital), public paddle and tennis courts, fine dining at local restaurants, two private country clubs and a community library.
While the earliest settlers of Bronxville date back to the first half of the 18th century, the history of the modern suburb of Bronxville began in 1890 when William Van Duzer Lawrence purchased a farm and commissioned the architect, William A. Bates, to design a planned community of houses for well-known artists and professionals that became a thriving art colony. This community, now called Lawrence Park, is listed on the National register of Historic Places and many of the homes still have artists’ studios. A neighborhood association within Lawrence Park called “The Hilltop Association” keeps this heritage alive with art shows and other events for neighbors.
Bronxville offers many charming neighborhoods as well as a variety of living options for residents including single family homes, town houses, cooperatives and condominiums. One of the chief benefits of living in “the village” is that your children can attend the Bronxville School.
The Bronxville postal zone (10708, known as “Bronxville PO”) includes the village of Bronxville as well as the Chester Heights section of Eastchester, parts of Tuckahoe and the Lawrence Park West, Cedar Knolls, Armour Villa and Longvale sections of Yonkers. Many of these areas have their own distinct character. For instance, the Armour Villa section has many historic homes and even has its own newsletter called “The Villa Voice” which reports on neighborhood news.
Village of Bronxville Administrative Offices
337-6500
Open 9:00am - 4pm excluding holidays and weekends
Bronxville Police Department
337-0500
Open 24 hours
Bronxville Parking Violations
337-2024
Open 9:00am - 4pm excluding holidays and weekends
Bronxville Fire Deparment
793-6400