Smith Excited About Prospects of Tackling New Castle’s Issues

For several years, Jim Smith has been part of a think tank that examines security issues.

A consultant who has spent most of his time helping governments address challenges to their energy supply and working on intellectual property matters, Smith has often consorted with groups from varied political backgrounds, which made it all the more rewarding to solve problems.

More recently, that model has started to break down with hyper-partisanship. As a result, Smith began to look more locally to utilize his interests and expertise.

The eight-year Chappaqua resident, who has served on the Town of Fremont Planning Board in Sullivan County for the last 12 years, began attending town meetings and was tabbed to become the New Castle Republican Committee’s nominee for supervisor this year.

“Everyone needs to focus locally,” said Smith, 45, who would resign from the Fremont Planning Board if victorious next week. “So it was sort of a realization that, yeah, if we want things to be better, we have to really engage. That’s where the change is happening, that’s where our lives are.”

There will be no shortage of issues. The future of downtown Chappaqua is what the town will spend much of its time on in the next year or two, he said. During this next phase, following the 2017 update of the Comprehensive Plan and the nearly completed infrastructure and streetscape project, is when the next board will get a chance to amend its zoning to bring in the types of development and uses that would be beneficial to the hamlet, Smith said.

“I think that making the downtown work is not something that requires an enormous amount of budget but it requires a lot of effort,” he said. “It’s getting the zoning right and there are some reasons for that. That’s a big deal.”

Smith said the downtown zoning comes down to two main issues: the height and appearance of the structures and the future of the town-owned parking lot at the train station. First, the town must get an accurate pulse for what the community wants. Smith’s preference would be to consider buildings as high as four to five stories, in appropriate sites, while in other locations it can be shorter.

While not opposed to the idea of adding residential units downtown, Smith said he would want that confined to private property, not land currently owned by the town. The more residential units that are downtown, the greater the likelihood parking would have to be addressed, potentially in the form of a parking structure.

“I’d rather focus on activities that bring people into our town from other towns into our downtown,” Smith said. “Residential is not going to attract anybody from outside our town to come in. I’d rather bring people in to participate in the town. I think that’s better for residents.”

Improving restaurant choices, including having a diner, and eventually more activities to attract visitors would increase the foot traffic. It would also retain the character of the town, he said.

Another way to increase activity would be to use $1.5 million from Summit/Greenfield toward constructing the Chap Line, Smith said. The 1.5-mile pedestrian and bike path would extend from near Chappaqua Crossing to downtown. With several hundred residents living near the path, it would be more effective than the Democrats’ proposed façade grant program, he said.

“(The program) gets complicated and merchants aren’t ever asking for it,” Smith said. “Bring foot traffic. The Chap Line is one example.”

On the other side of town, Smith said while Millwood won’t become a major downtown because of its layout and lack of sewers, it should be featured as a recreational hub. The North County Trailway runs through the hamlet while Gedney and Amsterdam parks are close by.

Smith said he would like to explore connecting the trailway with Gedney Park, which are separated by about 800 feet.

An issue that Smith has tirelessly delved into are the factors behind the increase in airplane noise from landings at Westchester County Airport. He said he has researched the issue back to 2007 and found that flight patterns have been changing. Aircraft are now being directed to drop to 2,000 feet in altitude about 12 miles from the airport, as opposed to a previous altitude of 4,000 feet at the point.

While it’s the county’s facility, the town must take the initiative to approach the FAA with real data and solutions.

“We just need to take this one on,” Smith said. “There are probably five things we can convince the FAA to do that they might be willing to do because there’s a groundswell. We’ve got to go to them with smart analysis.”

Smith was critical of the current Town Board’s handling of the proposed leaf blower legislation to regulate and eventually prohibit the gas-powered machines. The Town Board made the mistake of waiting for the Sustainability Advisory Board to present them with a proposal rather than taking the lead, he said. Also, the Planning Department, police chief, school district and Recreation Department should have been engaged at the start of the process.

“If you start with a ban, you’re satisfying 30 percent of the town, maybe less, but you’re trading off two-thirds of the town and if you want to accomplish something on an environmental agenda, you need those two-thirds,” he said.

Smith said to limit the machines’ use, it should establish noise and time guidelines and equipment standards, then create an educational program.

New Castle is in an outstanding fiscal situation, which Smith gave the current board credit for, but said he would employ more of a zero-based budgeting to justify every expense. He would also be open to borrowing to more quickly catch up with road paving since the interest rates remain historically low.

Smith said he is excited at the prospects of tackling the town’s issues. If elected, he would work toward finding an identity for New Castle.

“I think we’re looking at what is our brand as a town?” Smith said. “The schools have always defined our brand and brings us to town in the first place. What else defines our brand?”