July 15, 2025

Yesterday, torrential rainfall triggered sudden flash flooding across the Northeast, including Westchester County. Ossining, like many Rivertowns, already vulnerable due to aging stormwater systems and infrastructure, experienced rapidly rising waters that overwhelmed roads, basements, waterfront, and the areas around Metro North station. We hope that all in our community have come through the storm safely.

Experts warn that such extreme downpours are becoming increasingly routine, and later and heavier rainfalls in the summers, driven by climate change, place disproportionate strain on outdated, undersized drainage systems throughout the county and in Ossining.

As flooding events become more frequent and severe, Ossining, like many riverfront communities, must prioritize long-term climate adaptation. This includes modernizing aging stormwater infrastructure, expanding green space and permeable surfaces to absorb rainfall, and incorporating flood-resilient design into future development. The Village is exploring partnerships with county, state, and federal agencies to access climate resilience funding and implement sustainable stormwater solutions.

Residents and officials alike are calling for a shift from reactive emergency responses to proactive investment, acknowledging that the cost of inaction will only rise. Adapting to our changing climate isn’t optional, it’s essential to protect homes, transportation, and the safety of people in our community.

Additionally, the Village is actively pursuing long-term adaptation strategies to build resilience in the face of climate disruption. This includes:

• Upgrading critical stormwater infrastructure with support from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and Westchester County.
• Expanding green infrastructure projects like permeable pavers, bioswales, and tree planting, to absorb and redirect runoff.
• Reimagining flood-prone areas like the waterfront and Water Street with climate-resilient design principles.
• Securing greater adherence to flood prevention by tightening local codes through legislation and ensuring that the Zoning, Planning, and Environmental Advisory Boards keep a watchful eye on all development and structural changes, both in terms of quality and capacity.

Stay tuned for more on this topic. 

*image from Application.BCP.C360263.2016-01-18.Phase I ESA .pdf

The NYS DEC Invites Public Comment About Brownfield Application for Site on State St., James St., & Hunter St., Ossining

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has received a Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP) application and Draft Remedial Investigation Work Plan from WB 34 State LLC for a site known as the Former Printex Corporation Site, site ID #C360263. This site is located in the City of Ossining, within the County of Westchester, and is located at 34 State Street, 21 James Street, and 20A Hunter Street.

Access the application and other relevant documents online through the DECinfo Locator. The documents are also available at the document repository located at the Ossining Public Library, 53 Croton Avenue, Ossining, NY 10562.

There are several ways to comment on BCP applications. Comments can be submitted to Caroline Jalanti, Project Manager, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Environmental Remediation, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233; via email to Caroline.Jalanti@dec.ny.gov; or call (518) 402-9650. All comments must be submitted by August 8, 2025.

Use this link and enter the site ID noted above to view site information.

What is the Brownfield Cleanup Program?

New York’s Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP) is designed to encourage private-sector cleanups of brownfields and to promote their redevelopment as a means to revitalize economically blighted communities. The BCP is an alternative to “greenfield” (land not previously developed or contaminated) development and is intended to remove some of the barriers to, and provide tax incentives for, the redevelopment of brownfields. Since its inception (2003), the BCP has catalyzed the cleanup of more than 500 contaminated sites statewide and incentivized redevelopment. There are more than 550 active sites in the BCP.

Additional information on the State's Brownfield program is available at DEC’s website.

The second installment of the 2025 Village of Ossining Taxes are due on Thursday, July 31st. The Village Hall will be open until 6:00 PM on Thursday, July 31^st, for residents to pay in person. All mailed tax payments must be postmarked with an official USPS date stamp by July 31, 2025, to avoid a penalty.

Click here to pay your Village taxes online: https://wipp.edmundsassoc.com/Wipp/?wippid=OSNV

This summer, let $2.75* take you where you want to go. The Bee-Line Bus is your connection to beaches, pools, parks, shopping centers, and the best of Westchester County. Taking the bus makes it easy to enjoy all that the season has to offer while saving money and avoiding the hassle of driving.

Click here to learn more about the Bee-Line Bus service: www.westchestergov.com/beeline

Please join us tonight for the Ossining Recreation FREE Family Summer Entertainment Series starting at 6:00 PM with a mariachi band followed by Flor Bromley @ 7:00 PM in Market Square! Don't forget to pick up dinner from one of Ossining's local eateries to bring to the show!

Join the Ossining Police Department this Wednesday, July 16th, at 9 am for Coffee with a Cop at First Village Coffee. Strike up a conversation!

Please join us on Wednesday, July 16 @ 7:00 PM for the Ossining Recreation FREE Summer Acoustic Series at Market Square, featuring Sundad! Don't forget to pick up dinner from one of Ossining's local eateries to bring to the show!

Join us this Friday for an unforgettable evening with KJ Denhert at Riverjam!

Experience the soulful fusion of urban folk and jazz as award-winning singer-songwriter KJ Denhert takes the stage at the scenic Louis Engel Waterfront Park. With her rich voice, heartfelt lyrics, and genre-blending guitar grooves, KJ delivers a powerful performance that moves both the heart and the feet.

The Landlord-Tenant Relations Council (LTRC) conducts research into community housing problems, formulates programs to improve landlord-tenant relations, accumulates statistical information on available housing accommodations, advises the Board of Trustees on landlord-tenant issues, and resolves disputes between landlords and tenants through mediation.

As part of its responsibility to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants, the LTRC conducts hearings attended by the landlord, the tenant, and their respective representatives.

The LTRC consists of nine members appointed by the Board of Trustees. Three members represent landlord interests, three members are tenants, and three members are neither landlords nor tenants in the Village of Ossining. Examples of this last group of LTRC members are owners of single-family homes, cooperative or condominium units, and non-real estate-related businesses that reside in the Village.

At this time, we have three vacancies on this committee: (1) landlord, (1) tenant, and (1) neither landlord nor tenant. If you're interested in serving on this Board, please complete the application, found here: https://www.villageofossiningny.gov/home/webforms/application-boards-and-committees

If you are a tenant or a landlord with questions or concerns, don't hesitate to contact the Landlord Tenant Relations Council at ltrc@villageofossining.org.

Click here to view the Village of Ossining’s Landlord-Tenant Relations Council (LTRC)

This week’s Legislative Meeting will take place on Wednesday, July 16^th at 7:30PM at the Courthouse.

Some items of note:

1. We will begin with (a return to the 7 Hunter Street Overgrowth Assessment which has been tabled at the June 18^th meeting).
2. There will be a resolution to approve the Cabaret License for VIP Sports Bar.
3. There will be a resolution committing to a one-year lease agreement with Ossining Steamer Company to begin on April 1, 2026.
4. There will also be a resolution memorializing the Village’s support for the Harriet Tubman Scenic Byway.
5. The Board will have a resolution referring the RDD zoning changes to the Village Planning Board, who will review the proposed changes at their July 22^nd meeting.
6. There will be a resolution to award contracts for DPW Materials, Supplies and Services under the Biennial bid (July 2025-July 2027).
7. There will be a resolution amending the Village fee schedule to include various violations of NYS Vehicle and Traffic Law (VTL) that OPD has noticed becoming increasingly frequent.
8. Finally, there are several resolutions adding OFD members to the active roll.

Village of Ossining | www.villageofossining.org