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.