New Castle Town Board Q&A: Lisa Katz

Lisa Katz is a Team New Castle candidate for a New Castle Town Board council seat and is running for one of two council seats that is up for election. Her slate has the Republican and Independence ballot lines. This interview was edited for formatting:

Patch: Tell me about yourself?

Katz: I was raised in Westchester County.  I am a wife to Steven, my loving husband of 17 years; a mom to my two wonderful children, one at Grafflin and one at Bell Middle School; a compassionate attorney, with my own firm; a cancer survivor; a Yankees and Jets fan; an avid photographer; a mentor; and a college interviewer for my alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania. 

Patch: Why should people vote for you next month? [this interview was done in October]

Katz: Because I am smart, educated, practical, and care deeply about our town.  I have no political agenda, only common sense in the knowledge that we need fundamental change in our town.

Patch: You have been against the Chappaqua Crossing retail plan. How would you like to see the site developed?

Katz: I can’t really answer that, because I don’t believe in putting the horse before the cart.  I think we have to amend our master plan to provide a comprehensive plan that looks at the overall future development scenario for our community, which will provide a framework for the way we wish to enhance our Town.  That process needs significant input from our residents and needs to be done thoughtfully, not reactively when a developer approaches the Town Board.  If we had an amended master plan in place, development at Chappaqua Crossing would be clearer, as we could tell developers what we, as a community, want and find acceptable, rather than bowing to the vision of developers. Right now I think the current Town Board is incredibly premature in their decision making.

Patch: If the town board approves rezoning and changing the master plan for the retail proposal before you take office, would you support repealing the changes?

Katz: Yes.  If the Town Board approves retail at Chappaqua Crossing, every indication is that residents will bring an Article 78 proceeding against the current Board.   When I am on Town Board, I would support repealing the changes.

Patch: Your fellow Team New Castle candidate Rob Greenstein indicated recently at a Chappaqua Crossing meeting that he support restarting the town's litigation with developer Summit/Greenfield. Would you also support this?

Katz: Yes.  I do not believe in litigation for litigations’ sake, but I am not afraid to stand up for our Town and to allow litigation to proceed when it is in the best interests of our Town.  In this case, Summit Greenfield’s state lawsuit had already been dismissed.  They chose to appeal that decision.  While the Federal lawsuit is still pending, it is even more difficult for Summit Greenfield to win than the state suit.  We cannot bow to developers in a manner that would adversely impact New Castle simply because they threaten to sue our Town. 

Patch: Would you support either a repeal of Conifer Realty's affordable housing special permit or a planned Article 78 lawsuit from local opposition?

Katz: Yes.  However, I believe that Conifer, the developer, can develop affordable housing in a more acceptable location. 

Patch: From what I have read, the town board's practice has been to interview volunteer board applicants in executive sessions, which are closed to the public. For example, I understand that was a contentious topic in a recent New Castle NOW story about the lack of a planning board appointee. In contrast, Mount Kisco's Village Board of Trustees does interviews in what are essentially ad-hoc work sessions, before regular meetings and before they're recorded. Would you support adopting that model, or do you feel the current model is superior?

Katz: Yes, I would be in favor of adopting Mount Kisco’s model. 

Patch: What changes would you like to see for downtown Chappaqua and downtown Millwood if you are elected?

Katz: We want to draw people into the hamlets, have people notice what’s offered there and patronize our existing shops.  I think you need forethought, which all will stem from our master plan.   We want to find ways to draw people into our two hamlets and make them more welcoming and more beautiful.  So certainly creating a third business district at Chappaqua Crossing is not what we want now.  We need to put our efforts into enhancing and maintaining what we currently have.

Patch: The town board is currently considering participation in a multi-municipal property revaluation effort. Would you support having New Castle participate?

Katz: This is a sensitive issue, but, yes, in fairness, I think it should be done. 

Patch: What is your position on the potential acquisition of the Twin Oaks Swim and Tennis Club property? If you support the town buying it, what use would you like to see on it?

Katz: I do not think the Town should purchase the Twin Oaks Swim and Tennis Club property.  I think the Town has more important expenses at this time, and I would rather see homes built on the property to generate additional tax revenue.

Patch: What is your position on The Spa at New Castle, which is the proposed mix of condos, hotel rooms, spa and restaurant for the former Legionaries of Christ site off of Route 128?

Katz: This is in the early stages of discussion, and a significant amount of research needs to be done before we can consider this project.  We need to balance the need for development with the environmental impact and, certainly, the impact on the neighborhoods near the site.

Patch: Do you support extending Westchester County's sewer district to downtown Millwood? If so, what measures would you take to persuade county officials and lawmakers to approve it?

Katz: I know that this is an important issue.  It also is a very expensive proposition because the Millwood business district is not part of the Croton Watershed, meaning that the $10 million that Westchester County will contribute to the project designed to prevent contaminated surface water from reaching the Croton reservoir, does not apply to Millwood. 

We need to explore our options and figure out how this can be appropriately financed to support development in Millwood without putting an undue burden on Town finances. 

Patch: What do you think of the town board's current relationship with the Chappaqua school board, as well as the school boards of its other overlapping school districts? What changes, if any, would you like to see for relations?

Katz: It is extremely important for the Town Board to have a strong relationship with the school board.  Our schools are, arguably, our most valuable asset, and the reason many people move here.  The Town Board needs to have an open dialogue with the school Board, and should have regularly scheduled meetings to discuss matters impacting both our Town and our schools

Patch: Do you anticipate a time in the next two years when the town board may to vote to override the property tax levy cap?

Katz: I hope not, but, of course, no one can predict the future.  We need to audit the Town budget to ensure that the Town can effectively operate and maintain or enhance its infrastructure while staying within the tax cap. 

Patch: What do you think of the master plan update process as it's arranged now? What changes, if there are any, would you make to it?

Katz: I think that we absolutely need significant and robust community input.  But the way the process is currently set up, it’s too little, too late.  The retail plan for Chappaqua Crossing and the Hunt’s Place project, perhaps the most important projects in our Town, the results of which will have a lasting and significant impact on all of New Castle, are not included in the Master Plan process.  It seems that residents do not to get involved with the Town Board because no one believes that the Town Board will listen to them.  The communication is just not there.  We need to step back and develop the master plan holistically for the entire Town before any significant development decisions are made. 

Patch: How can your professional experience help you on the town board?

Katz: I have spent close to 20 years advising companies in all manner of business transactions, corporate compliance and ethics.  I have advised numerous Boards of Directors, and my work has required financial understanding and inquiry, two assets that I will bring to the Town Board.  I have had to brainstorm creative solutions for many divisive issues with individuals representing many different viewpoints, deal with difficult clients, opine on ethical issues, and publicly disclose issues and problems to constituents.  Most importantly, I think that it is imperative that we bring inclusiveness and transparency to the Board, something that I have done throughout my professional career.