GINA ARENA---HOME RULE PROTECTS US FROM ALBANY. IT'S TIME ELECTED OFFICIALS UNDERSTOOD THAT

EXAMINER NEWS---Home Rule Protects Us from Albany. It’s Time Elected Officials Understood That

July 2, 2024 -Examiner Media
Opinion

By Gina Arena

Suburban communities have been under assault by New York State and the federal government for several years now, and some of our Democratic legislators have outright embraced the effort.

From 2008 to 2017, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) worked to dissolve local zoning in seven Westchester communities, which they outrageously labeled “racist” for having single-family zoning, much of it quarter-acre. The feds, and the local elected leaders who bowed down to them, refused to acknowledge that local zoning determines where projects can be built in towns and villages, not who can live there.

(It’s worth noting that Westchester is the most diverse county in New York State outside the five boroughs of New York City, something we can be proud of.)

Then, in 2022, state Sen. Peter Harckham, one of HUD’s kowtowers, tried to pull another fast one on his constituents. Harckham sponsored legislation to effectively erase local zoning laws in Westchester and Putnam communities near train stations. Under Harckham’s bill, multifamily buildings could be erected as-of-right in quiet residential neighborhoods in Putnam and Westchester, threatening their resources, character and traffic patterns. Extraordinary organic blowback convinced Harckham to pull his measure.

Now, Harckham is at it again, this time by working to give New York State authority over local communities in placing massive energy facilities. Harckham seems to believe that progressives in Albany, like him, know what’s better for our communities than we do. We only live here.

I mention Harckham by name because he refused to use mine in an attack on me recently published in these pages.  MORE AT Home Rule Protects Us from Albany. It’s Time Elected Officials Understood That | The Examiner News