Correcting Misinformation in Yorktown About Accessory Apartments
Opinion Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the author/producer’s interpretation of facts and data.
Contrary to what was said at a recent Town Board meeting, Yorktown IS NOT at risk of the state circumventing our Zoning Code or ignoring the expertise of our professional staff by forcing us to accept “proverbial illegal basement apartments,” aka accessory dwelling units (ADUs).
To set the record straight, accessory apartments have been legal in Yorktown since 1983 – and they are highly regulated. It’s in our Zoning Code, Chapter 300-38.
Yorktown has strict requirements governing the creation of accessory apartments in single-family houses:
- Where they can be located
- Their size and floor plan layout
- Traffic impact and parking needs
- Impact on the neighborhood, etc.
Before homeowners can create an accessory apartment, they must obtain a special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals. There’s a public hearing process. The special permit has to be renewed every three years.
Accessory apartments accomplish two goals: In addition to creating much-needed smaller rental units for singles and young couples without children who grew up in Yorktown and want to continue living here, they also provide needed revenue for homeowners, particularly senior citizens, who want to remain in their homes but don’t need all the space now that their children are grown and on their own.
Before attacking accessory apartments, let’s know what we’re talking about.
Susan Siegel
Yorktown Heights
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