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Westchester planning commission delays adoption of county parks plan after debate over dedication standards
Summary
The Westchester Borough Planning Commission discussed the county-drafted 'Parks for All' plan and a motion to recommend its adoption failed after commissioners pressed for clearer ordinance language on mandatory parkland dedication, credits for private amenities and solicitor review; the item was carried to January.
The Westchester Borough Planning Commission voted on Dec. 15 on whether to recommend Borough Council adopt 'Parks for All: Westchester Borough Park, Recreation and Open Space Plan' and the motion failed after debate over dedication standards, developer credits and outstanding legal questions.
Keith Carouse, the borough’s parks and recreation director, who introduced the plan to the commission, said the borough had not updated its parks plan since 1992 and emphasized the borough is short on parkland. "We are significantly underserved when it comes to park land," he said, urging the commission to use the plan to guide maintenance, programming and land acquisition.
Consultants from the county and private firms framed the document as a 10-year guiding plan designed to help the borough secure grants and craft an ordinance. Anne Toole, one of the consultants, told the…
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