September 24, 2018 -- Throughout the month of October, the Westchester County Department of Planning will be conducting training sessions at four local municipal buildings to discuss the guidelines and specifics of General Municipal Law 239. All Westchester County municipalities are subject to Municipal Law 239, which requires that certain development projects, based on their closeness to state or county property or proximity to a neighboring municipality, be referred to the County Planning Board for their review. The County review provides an objective opinion on what consequences may result from a potential project. The training sessions are designed for municipal clerks, planning and zoning board members and local elected officials to attend.

Westchester County Executive George Latimer said: “These training sessions uphold the County’s commitment to transparency, because we are making sure the County Planning Board gets the best information they need to make the most informed decision.”

Commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Planning Norma Drummond said: “The Planning Department has found that there is not a clear understanding of why municipalities do referrals, what should be referred and what a municipality should do if they don’t agree with the County Planning Board’s response. We have organized this training to help municipalities better understand each party’s role.” 

The four training sessions will be held at the following municipal buildings: 

  • Thursday, October 4 at Greenburgh Town Hall from 9:30 to 11 a.m.

  • Thursday, October 11 at New Rochelle City Hall from 9:30 to 11 a.m.

  • Wednesday, October 17 at Yorktown Town Hall from 10:30 a.m. to noon

  • Thursday, October 23 at North Castle Town Hall from 9:30 to 11 a.m.

The final training session at the Town of North Castle will be videotaped and posted to the Westchester County website, so the information is available to municipalities when they have changes in leadership and staff. The Westchester Municipal Planning Federation is certifying the classes to meet the local training requirements for Planning and Zoning Board members.