Dear friends,

While the election didn’t go my way, I’m delighted that Ilan “Lanny” Gilbert will be joining the Town Board to serve our community.

Throughout the campaign, we spoke truthfully about the issues and shared our positions with clarity and conviction. I’m deeply grateful to the residents who reached out to express appreciation for how we explained complex issues in ways that were accessible and understandable.

This campaign has been incredibly meaningful to me personally. I’m touched to have made so many new friends across the political spectrum as we worked together for Yorktown’s future.

I want to thank YOU for being a part of this work. I’ve been moved by the many people who have reached out to thank me for running and offer words of encouragement—your support means more than you know.

For now, my plans are to spend time with my family—my husband and children, who have been incredibly supportive throughout this entire journey.

I wish all of the Town Board members well as they take on the important work ahead. The challenges facing our town will require thoughtful leadership and community collaboration.

While I’m obviously disappointed in the results, I remain proud of the campaign we ran and the integrity with which my team and I conducted ourselves. Democracy depends on everyday people getting involved and making their voices heard. If this campaign has inspired others to step up and get involved in our community, then we’ve achieved something meaningful.

Thank you, Yorktown.

The Town Board is advertising a 0% property tax increase for 2026. Sounds great, right? But here’s what they’re not putting in the headlines.

We’ve Seen This Trick Before—And It’s Already Planned Again

Look at the pattern:

Year	Tax Rate	Change	Election Year?
2024	$165.78	0%	✓ Yes
2025	$178.14	+7.45%	No
2026	$178.14	0%	✓ Yes
2027 (projected)	$190.75	+7.08%	No

Your taxes aren’t staying flat—they’re delayed until after the election.

Freezing Maintenance = Future Costs

The Board’s budget says inflation is 3.3%, yet approximately 150 line items show 0% growth: building maintenance, vehicle maintenance, equipment maintenance, and heating costs.

That seems like very poor planning, given the reality of tariffs, supply chain issues, and other economic drags projected for next year.

Prudent planning suggests that these costs should be increasing.

Your Recreation Fees Are Increasing

While advertising “no tax increase,” here’s what IS increasing:

• Pool memberships: +11%
• Summer camp: +8%
• Youth programs: +6%
• General recreation fees: +15%

The Board is raising nearly $90,000 from recreation fees. That means that fees are going up, or the Board is making very optimistic assumptions about our participation rates increasing. Given the pushback from families about the current fees, that seems unlikely.

Leadership Raises vs. Everyone Else

Over three years (2023-2026), the Board voted themselves much larger raises than other town employees:

Position	2024	2025	2026	Total
Supervisor	+8.87%	0%	+7.54%	18.68%
Council Members	+18.00%	0%	+11.74%	38.18%
Comptroller	+5.02%	+7.54%*	+7.97%	23.74%
Average employee	+2.44%	+2.91%	+2.91%	8.74%

*This number is not shown in the preliminary budget but is reflected as the 2025 salary in the 2026 tentative budget.

The Bottom Line

When we defer maintenance, put off much-needed infrastructure improvements, and increase fees for town services, double-digit salary increases are a slap in the face to residents and town employees alike.

The 0% property tax increase is an election-year illusion. The Board’s own budget projections prove they know this isn’t sustainable.

Your facilities. Your money. Your choice.

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All figures are from the Town of Yorktown’s budget reports. 2026 Tentative Budget. 2025 Preliminary Budget (approved). 2024 Preliminary Budget (approved).

As this campaign draws to a close, I find myself reflecting not just on the issues we’ve discussed but on the process and the future. Our team has knocked on over 6,100 doors across Yorktown. We’ve had conversations with residents of every political affiliation about topics ranging from infrastructure and development to schools, taxes, and the future we want for our community. Some of these issues fall directly under the Supervisor’s purview; others do not. But every single conversation was earnest, held with mutual respect and an assumption of good faith on both sides.

These conversations have reinforced what I already knew: Yorktown residents care deeply about their community and want leaders who will listen, act with integrity, and put the town’s interests first.

Throughout this campaign, I’ve been guided by principles instilled in me long ago—to be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, and courteous. To do my duty to serve others and to always strive to do what’s right, even when it’s difficult. These aren’t just words to me; they’re a foundation for how I approach leadership and public service.

My positions on the critical issues facing Yorktown stem from these values and from listening to you:

Infrastructure: Our roads, parks, and public facilities need attention. With over $22 million in excess fund balance, we have the resources to invest in our aging infrastructure without raising taxes. This isn’t about grand gestures—it’s about responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars and ensuring our community’s foundation is strong for generations to come.

Smart Development: I believe in incentivizing redevelopment that revitalizes our existing hamlet districts—embracing placemaking that honors Yorktown’s character while building thoughtfully for our future. What I oppose is unchecked development that strains our resources and giving tax exemptions to projects that don’t serve our long-term interests. Growth should strengthen our community, not burden it.

Fiscal Responsibility: My 35 years of experience in finance, small business ownership, and executive leadership have taught me that every dollar must be spent wisely. I will approach the town’s budget with the same discipline and care that families use when managing their own finances—making strategic investments while being mindful of taxpayers’ hard-earned money.

Representation for All: Throughout this campaign, I’ve spoken with Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and voters who don’t fit neatly into any category. What I’ve learned is that good ideas don’t belong to any single party. As Supervisor, I will work with anyone—regardless of political affiliation—if it means better outcomes for Yorktown residents.

I also want to take a moment to express my profound gratitude. To the volunteers who walked neighborhoods in rain and heat, who made phone calls, and who believed in this campaign’s message of positive change. To the residents who invited us into their homes and shared their concerns, their hopes, and their ideas. To my family, who supported me through long days and late nights. And to every person who took the time to listen, to question, and to engage in the democratic process.

This campaign has never been about me—it’s been about all of us and the kind of community we want to build together. It’s about ensuring that every voice is heard and that Yorktown’s government works for everyone, not just a select few.

Yorktown is a special place, and it deserves leadership that honors that. I would be honored to serve as your Supervisor and work every day to move our community forward.

The current Supervisor is seeking re-election based on claims of revitalizing downtown and improving infrastructure.

After seven years on the Town Board—including two as Supervisor—these claims deserve scrutiny.

When Good Timing Isn’t Good Leadership

The recent influx of businesses downtown is welcome, but it’s largely the result of long-term leases from the old A&P and Kmart spaces finally expiring—allowing property owners to attract new tenants. This is how private real estate markets work. It’s not the product of Town Board action, and frankly, it shouldn’t be.

At the March 18th Town Board meeting, the Supervisor himself acknowledged: “…we don’t have a large say in what stores come and what stores go.” This candid admission stands in stark contrast to his campaign rhetoric claiming credit for revitalizing Yorktown Heights and the necessary commercial expansion for our tax base. After all this “revitalization,” our taxes went up 7.4% last year.

Missed Opportunities in Development

Underhill Farms, also part of our “revitalization,” received additional density under our overlay zoning, designed to improve walkability in our hamlet hubs. Yet Underhill Farms sits at a four-way intersection with no direct crosswalk. To reach the opposite corner, pedestrians must cross three busy streets in a circuitous route—or trespass through private property. And taxpayers are footing the bill for paving shoulders, adding turn lanes, and installing new traffic lights; solutions that are barely adequate for current needs, woefully underwhelming as a plan to mitigate this latest development, and are ill-equipped to address future growth. 

A Pattern of Deferred Maintenance and Good Money After Bad

Old Crompond Road tells a similar story. At the September 10, 2019 Board meeting, at the end of the Gilbert administration, the town engineer identified this culvert as a priority in 2019. In late 2025, it remains closed. The incumbent has been on the Board and a participant in every budget cycle for this entire seven-year period.

The pickleball courts are another example—taxpayers paid twice for the same work. They needed a complete redo because they were built atop cracked tennis courts that eventually destabilized, requiring excavation and proper drainage installation.

My Approach: Build on Solid Foundations

As they say, “if you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll probably end up someplace else.” Yorktown needs a roadmap to ensure we get back on course.

Update Our Comprehensive Plan. Our current plan is 15 years old. We need an accurate blueprint that creates a strong sense of community identity while preserving each hamlet’s unique character. This update must address sustainable energy transitions and carbon footprint reduction—changes that will lower both environmental impact and long-term expenses. 

Align Development with Community Goals. Every development proposal should be measured against our comprehensive plan. Does it advance our community’s vision? Does it contribute to walkability, affordability, and hamlet character? Or does it simply maximize developer profit while shifting infrastructure costs to taxpayers? We need enforceable standards that ensure developers deliver on their commitments.

Build Strategic Partnerships. I’ll host an economic development forum working with our advisory boards to bring together community organizations, developers, unions, and potential partners who want to be true community stakeholders—not just extract value. These relationships will help us identify projects that genuinely serve community needs.

Position Yorktown for Success. By updating our comprehensive plan and building strategic partnerships, we’ll be better positioned to compete for state and federal grants. Combined with strategic investment of our excess fund balance for real improvements and proactive maintenance, this approach maximizes every taxpayer dollar while building infrastructure that serves us for decades.

Revitalize Our Hamlets with Purpose. Each hamlet needs context-appropriate development. Yorktown Heights should leverage its proximity to the North County Trailway—creating inviting connections that draw cyclists and walkers into our downtown. Railroad Park could be transformed with the streetscaping improvements that were promised but never delivered to better connect the Trailway to our downtown shops and restaurants. Shrub Oak already has the bones of a walkable hamlet—we need to build on that character with careful infill development. Imagine finally transforming that blighted tire center into a community gathering space.

I don’t have all the answers. No one person does. I know none of this is a quick fix. Strategic planning takes time and genuine community input. It’s hard work.

But the alternative is settling for what developers are willing to give us.

The incumbent has had ten years to provide a vision and leadership for Yorktown.

I believe it’s time for change.

Yorktown is facing its share of challenges. But we also have choices in how we deal with them. From establishing a vacant building registry to reviewing costly tax exemptions to updating our 15-year-old Comprehensive Plan, we need both immediate action and long-term vision. Today, I want to highlight specific policy initiatives that can move our town forward.

Establishing a Vacant Building Registry

Walk through any of Yorktown’s hamlet centers, and you’ll likely notice buildings sitting empty for months or even years. But under current federal and state tax law, property owners can deduct expenses and depreciation on vacant buildings, creating incentives to leave properties empty while waiting for higher rents.

A Vacant Building Registry would eliminate these perverse incentives and create accountability. Buildings vacant beyond a set period must be registered, with owners paying fees and submitting mitigation plans.

This approach has proven successful across New York. Yonkers established its Vacant Building Registry in 2010 and requires owners to register within 30 days of a building becoming vacant, submit annual renewals, and provide a performance guaranty to cover potential city costs of correcting violations. The law’s stated purpose: “to speed the rehabilitation of vacant properties.”

The benefits are clear: registered properties must be maintained, owners face real financial consequences for prolonged vacancies, and our hamlets become more attractive to businesses and residents. Most importantly, it makes it more advantageous to occupy and invest in buildings rather than let them deteriorate.

Reviewing the 485-b Tax Exemption Law

Yorktown’s 485-b tax exemption law gives developers tax breaks for any commercial construction—breaks that have cost taxpayers nearly $1.7 million to date. While tax exemptions can be valuable economic development tools, this one deserves a fresh look.

The question is straightforward: are these tax breaks actually necessary to attract development? Consider the two largest beneficiaries. Optum was already consolidating multiple Yorktown locations to reduce operating costs—would they really have gone elsewhere without a tax break? And Lowe’s, a major national retailer, was seeking a prime location in a growing market—did they need taxpayer subsidies to make it work?

During the 2024 budget process, Supervisor Lachterman said he was open to reevaluating this law. Yet nearly a year later, nothing has been done.

A responsible review means analyzing whether current market conditions justify these exemptions and comparing what we’re giving away against what we’re gaining.

Updating Our Comprehensive Plan

Yorktown’s Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 2010—fifteen years ago. To put that in perspective, when that plan was written, the first iPad had just been released.

Planning experts across the country recommend updating comprehensive plans every 5 to 10 years to remain relevant and effective.

Here’s the urgency: Comprehensive plans typically take 2-4 years to develop, from initial community engagement through final adoption. Yorktown’s current plan took three years to create. If we start the update process now, we won’t have a new plan in place until 2027 or later. An outdated plan means we’re making today’s decisions based on yesterday’s reality.

An up-to-date plan helps prioritize infrastructure, addresses climate resilience, and is often required for state and federal grants.

A Path Forward

These tools are proven. The vacant building registry incentivizes productive use of commercial spaces. The 485-b review ensures we’re not giving away tax revenue unnecessarily. The comprehensive plan update provides the strategic framework we need.

The question isn’t whether we can afford to implement these policies—it’s whether we can afford not to. Every day we delay is another day our hamlet centers struggle, another day property owners benefit from vacancy over occupancy, and another day we make decisions based on outdated assumptions. Inaction is no longer a viable option.

At the Town Board meeting on September 2nd, Supervisor Lachterman started the meeting by canceling a vote to exclude the Navajo Fields project from the Osceola overlay district. A mere two weeks later, however, he attempted to stoke fear about Democrats and their supposed unbridled drive towards affordable housing. He made vague, ominous references to laws being decided “in Albany”—itself a veiled threat—that would create dire circumstances here in Yorktown. 

If the Supervisor was truly concerned about development in Yorktown, he had the power to act. Instead, he chose to leave the door open. The Navajo Fields project remains eligible for special zoning treatment because the Board—led by Lachterman—chose not to vote. To be clear, the developer has the right to return at any time, but by not voting, the board ensured that they don’t lose time by beginning the process all over again.

The Laws He’s Warning You About Don’t Exist

Lachterman appears to be fear-mongering about “home rule”—the idea that Albany will take away local control over zoning.

Here’s the truth: Those laws never passed. Governor Hochul proposed a housing mandate that could have overridden local zoning back in 2023. It faced massive opposition and Hochul abandoned the entire approach by November 2023.

Lachterman is either deliberately misleading you or hasn’t read the news since 2023.

The Fine Print He Hopes You Won’t Read

The other law he might be referencing is the Faith-Based Affordable Housing Act, which is still just a proposal in committee. Even if it eventually passes, it would only apply to religious organizations developing property they already own—and there don’t appear to be any in Yorktown that qualify.

Here’s the irony: The bill he’s warning about is very similar to the overlay zoning he’s repeatedly voted to support. One of the main differences is that the Faith-Based Housing Act includes an affordable housing benefit that Yorktown’s overlay zoning laws lack.

Look at what is already happening. Underhill Farms has density well in excess of the surrounding area, with buildings standing at 4.5 stories tall. The townhomes on Route 202 are going for nearly a million dollars. The first project was approved as part of an overlay district, the other as part of transitional zoning. Both allow for increased density. Neither includes any condition for affordability standards.

What This Really Tells Us

This isn’t about protecting Yorktown from overdevelopment. If it were, Lachterman would have voted to exclude Navajo Fields from special zoning and pushed for housing diversity that benefits working families and seniors looking to downsize—not just luxury developments that maximize developer profits.

Instead, he’s created a smoke screen—scaring residents about laws that don’t exist while quietly enabling the very development he claims to oppose.

What Yorktown Deserves

Yorktown deserves leaders who protect our community from real threats, not gin up imaginary ones. We deserve honest conversations about development that benefits our community and developers, not political theater designed to distract from failed leadership.

Most importantly, we deserve leaders who will actually vote to protect our neighborhoods—not politicians who warn about affordable housing that might help our neighbors while voting for developer giveaways that don’t.

The facts are clear. It’s time for leadership that matches words with actions.

A Guest Column by Jann Mirchandani, submitted to Yorktown News

This week, Cait Conley, Candidate for Congressional District 17, and I hosted a community discussion about Yorktown’s infrastructure and housing challenges. What became clear is that our town is stuck in a costly cycle of crisis management when we should be investing in proactive solutions.

The Real Cost of Waiting

Take our sewer issues. We’ve been talking about this problem for decades. Money was allocated years ago, but no action was taken. Now costs have skyrocketed, and we’re still talking. Research shows that every dollar spent on preventive maintenance saves five dollars later—yet we continue to defer essential upgrades until they become emergencies.

Meanwhile, our current leadership celebrates paving the high school commuter parking lot as a major “infrastructure improvement” and “beautifying our parks.” While maintaining parking lots is certainly necessary, calling routine pavement repair a significant infrastructure achievement highlights exactly what’s wrong with our approach. When parking lot repaving gets social media posts with exclamation points, but our sewer system gets years of inaction, our priorities are clearly misaligned.

This reactive approach isn’t just inefficient; it’s expensive. According to a study completed by Utah State University in December 2023, every water main break costs us approximately $10,000 in emergency repairs when you factor in labor, materials, traffic management, and emergency response. And with utility rate hikes looming—NYSEG is seeking 35% increases for delivery rates starting in 2026—the fact that we’re not investing in renewable energy sources for our municipal buildings is particularly short-sighted.

Other communities are doing better. Croton-on-Hudson partnered with Columbia University and private developers to install a solar canopy at their train station—at no cost to taxpayers. The village now receives annual lease payments totalling $500,000 a year, while residents can subscribe to community solar and save on their electric bills.

Housing: The Hidden Infrastructure Crisis

With average home prices in Westchester at $833,161 and over 41% of households paying more than half their income on housing, we’re facing a workforce crisis. Our teachers, police officers, and nurses can’t afford to live here. This isn’t just a housing problem—it’s an economic development problem.

Federal programs like Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and HUD grants can help private developers build affordable housing locally without requiring large municipal investments. But accessing these programs requires proactive planning and coordination.

Our current leadership’s response to the housing crisis has been to approve high-density developments under the banner of addressing housing costs. But when these projects—like the proposed Navajo Fields development in a wetland area—include no affordability requirements whatsoever, they’re not solving the problem for working families.

Building luxury units in environmentally sensitive areas doesn’t make housing more affordable—it just makes developers richer while potentially damaging our natural resources and exacerbating flooding concerns.

What Yorktown Needs Now

We need leaders who understand that investing in infrastructure isn’t just about fixing what’s broken—it’s about building systems that work for the future. We need to:

• Pursue federal resilience grants for proactive infrastructure upgrades
• Coordinate with Westchester County on regional solutions like our sewer system
• Leverage programs that help developers build housing that is affordable at a variety of price points
• Implement community solar projects that benefit renters and homeowners alike

Time to Lead

Ten years is a significant tenure in local government—long enough to implement meaningful change, complete major projects, and move a community forward. Instead, Yorktown has been stuck in crisis management mode, celebrating parking lot repairs while real infrastructure challenges go unaddressed.

The question isn’t whether we can afford to invest in our infrastructure and housing—it’s whether we can afford not to.

After reading about the Triangle Shopping Center renovation and watching the accompanying Facebook video, I believe residents deserve a more complete picture of what this project actually delivers for our community – and what critical opportunities it misses.

While the $10 million investment in facade updates addresses long-overdue maintenance needs, let’s be honest about what we’re getting: this is cosmetic renovation, not the transformative “investment in Yorktown” that was repeatedly emphasized.

Most notably absent from the celebration was any mention of the locally-owned businesses that continue to serve our community throughout this construction period. For elected officials who frequently champion being “pro-business,” this oversight speaks volumes. These local entrepreneurs deserve recognition and support, not to be overlooked in favor of discussions about attracting national chain retailers.

Property Values vs. Community Character

Supervisor Lachterman’s claim that this shopping development helps property values deserves scrutiny. When we focus on attracting big box stores and national chains, we’re essentially subsidizing regional shoppers who use our roads and infrastructure – which Yorktown taxpayers maintain – while the sales tax revenue gets distributed across all Westchester municipalities. We bear the costs while sharing the benefits.

I don’t share the Board’s enthusiasm for creating what Councilman Murphy calls making “Yorktown a destination.” The kind of destination being celebrated here changes our community’s character in ways that may not benefit residents. Do we want to be the next strip mall town, or do we want to be a place where people choose to live and build their lives?

Councilman Esposito’s excitement about attracting national retailers is particularly striking given his 2021 campaign, when he specifically decried “The Amazon Effect” on local businesses.

What’s Missing from This “Investment”

The project plans reveal what’s absent from this renovation: no solar panels despite our stated commitment to sustainability, no electric vehicle charging stations for our evolving transportation needs, and no community gathering spaces – benches, pocket parks, or other elements that would create genuine neighborhood character rather than just another strip mall.

Most tellingly, there are no meaningful improvements to create the “walkable town” this Board regularly champions. The press release proudly notes that Triangle Shopping Center “is within walking distance of the Yorktown Green center—about 12 minutes, according to Apple Maps.” But if you’ve actually tried to walk between these locations, you know the sidewalks along that route are in desperate need of repair and refurbishment. Measuring walking distance on Apple Maps is meaningless if residents can’t safely navigate deteriorating sidewalks.

Real Investment vs. Private Property Improvements

Let’s be clear about what’s actually happening here: this is not a “$10 million investment in Yorktown” as it’s being celebrated. This is a $10 million investment in much-needed improvements to private property that will primarily benefit the owner through increased rents from the national chain retailers they’re courting (and they only need to apply for a 10-year tax exemption on the improved value of the property to receive it). Meanwhile, our community gets the traffic, infrastructure wear, and regional shoppers while the property owner reaps the financial rewards.

Real community investment would mean putting resources into ourselves – supporting local businesses that keep money circulating in our community, creating gathering spaces where neighbors connect, and building infrastructure that serves residents, not just consumers. I want to see Yorktown attract young families and seniors who can downsize while staying near friends and family, not just become a pit stop for regional shoppers.

As a candidate for Yorktown Supervisor, I believe we can and must think bigger about our community’s future. We deserve leadership that creates a genuine vision for Yorktown as a place where people want to build their lives, not just a destination where people shop and leave.

Sincerely,
Jann Mirchandani
Candidate for Yorktown Supervisor

Here is a follow-up on my remarks at the Public Hearing on adding the Navajo Fields project to the Overlay District. Ed tried to respond to my concerns about the Navajo Fields project, but he dodged the tough questions and used misleading talking points. The facts matter, and Yorktown residents deserve straight answers about irresponsible development and our infrastructure capacity.

Watch as I break down his response and set the record straight. We need leaders who will be honest about the challenges our town faces, not ones who deflect and dodge accountability.

It’s time for new leadership that puts residents first.

#YorktownNY #NavajoFields #Infrastructure #Leadership #Accountability #YorktownSupervisor #LocalPolitics #BreakUpWithTheBoard #JannCan

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?