From the Office of the Mayor

By Mayor Sarah Bauer

We have been working closely with the Flint Park Conservancy to get ready to begin our renovation of Flint Park. Phase 1 of the restoration is underway and includes the installation of a beautiful new playground and outdoor fitness area, basketball courts, tennis pavilion building with a café and community space, and a turf renovation and expansion of Alma field. The proposed playground looks amazing!

Also underway are plans for renovations of Willow Park, including a new playground configuration, new swingset, a new combination playground structure for ages 2-5, a new basketball court, and new fencing around the perimeter of the park! Staff is working to finalize vendors for each component of the upgrades in hopes of having a new playground by late Summer 2023. Thank you to the Friends of Larchmont Parks for their generous support of this much-needed park upgrade!

Land Use Process Improvements 

On Monday night, February 7, the Village Board continued its public discussion of land use process improvements through public hearings for two proposed laws. These changes have been proposed in connection with the Village’s review of its land use application process. The goal is to improve and simplify that process for residents, and this is the first step in making changes to accomplish that goal.

The two proposed local laws remove the pre-submission conference requirement, increase the threshold for site plan review so fewer applications will need to go before the Planning Board, and clarify that repairs in kind do not need to be submitted to the Architectural Review Board for review. 

These are just the initial proposals and we anticipate making additional changes. Please check the Village calendar for details on upcoming meetings: https://villageoflarchmont.org/calendar

We are also asking anyone who has participated in our land use application process to please provide any feedback that they have on the process by email.  Please send your feedback to newsletter@villageoflarchmont.org with the subject “Land Use Feedback.” Please include as much detail as possible, as well as the address of the property that was the subject of the land use application. 

The Board is committed to improving the land use review experience for all residents and property owners and welcomes feedback to ensure we consider all concerns and suggestions.  

FY 2023-24 Budget Process is Underway

We have begun our budget process for the next fiscal year. The budget is how the Village Board sets our priorities for the next year. On Monday night, February 06, 2023, the Village Administrator presented the First Pass revenue and expenditure estimates to the Village Board and the Finance & Budget Committee. The Village’s finances at the six-month mark of this fiscal year were presented, along with projections that focused mainly on expenditures for FY 2023-24, including dramatic increases in health insurance, retirement costs, and shared community services. 

If you are interested in participating, our meetings are all open to the public. The schedule, along with relevant budget documents, can be found in the Village calendar: https://villageoflarchmont.org/calendar.

We have a busy spring ahead of us! Stay tuned for additional changes to our zoning code, more ribbon cuttings, and updates on our new Village website.