Development and infrastructure should move like oars on a rowboat—pulling together in rhythm to move forward efficiently. But in Yorktown, we’re witnessing a concerning pattern where development outpaces infrastructure, leaving us veering off course.
As high-density housing projects advance across our town, we’re seeing a troubling disconnect between growth and the foundational services that support it. When we approve developments before confirming infrastructure capacity, we’re left with unsuitable projects—projects that may look viable on paper but can’t actually support what is promised. This isn’t just about convenience—it’s about public safety, quality of life, and responsible planning.
Safety Services Stretched Thin
Our volunteer fire departments and ambulance corps have served Yorktown admirably for decades, but have we conducted a comprehensive assessment of how multiple high-density developments will impact their capacity? These dedicated volunteers already respond to emergencies across our growing community. Adding hundreds of new residents without ensuring adequate emergency response capabilities puts everyone at risk.
Volunteer services work when call volumes are predictable and manageable. But rapid residential growth without corresponding infrastructure investment, including capacity, equipment, and training, creates dangerous gaps in our safety net.
Transportation: The Cart Before the Horse
The Underhill Farms development exemplifies this backwards approach. Dense housing construction is proceeding before the road improvements needed to handle increased traffic are in place. Residents in these new units will be moving in while the work necessary to address traffic concerns has yet to be started, with changes still being discussed.
This creates immediate problems for new residents and existing neighbors alike—longer commutes, safety concerns, and frustrated drivers navigating inadequate roadways.
The Sewer Mirage
Perhaps most concerning is the Navajo Fields situation, where promises of sewer infrastructure are being used to justify development before the necessary approvals are obtained. The Town Board is being asked to vote on adding this project to the overlay district—essentially changing zoning rules for this specific development—before the county has determined whether the promised sewers can even be built.
County sewer decisions must consider the cumulative impact across multiple municipalities, including development pressures in Somers, Cortlandt, and Peekskill. Yorktown cannot make land use decisions based on infrastructure that may never materialize.
A Pattern of Poor Planning
These examples reveal a troubling pattern: development decisions are being made before the infrastructure needed to support them is secured. It’s like installing plumbing after the walls are already up—technically possible, but unnecessarily disruptive and expensive for everyone involved.
Responsible growth requires coordination. Development and infrastructure must advance together, each enabling the other in a carefully choreographed process that protects both current residents and newcomers.
The Path Forward
Yorktown needs to establish clear infrastructure benchmarks before approving high-density projects. This means:
- Comprehensive emergency services capacity studies before major residential approvals
- Transportation impact assessments with required improvements completed before occupancy
- Firm infrastructure commitments from county and state agencies before zoning changes
- Public transparency about the true costs and timeline of supporting development
Growth isn’t inherently bad, but unplanned growth is irresponsible. Our residents deserve development that enhances our community rather than straining it.
The question before us is simple: Will we continue letting development lead while infrastructure follows breathlessly behind, or will we insist they move forward together, as true partners in building Yorktown’s future?