Town committee proposes local law to regulate electric vehicle charging stations in Greenburgh

The Greenburgh Town Board on June 25 heard recommendations from the town's Sustainability and Energy Efficiency Committee to create a local law regulating electric vehicle charging stations across public, private and municipal properties.

Aaron Schmidt, Deputy Commissioner with the Department of Community Development and Transformation, introduced the committee's work and said the group could move quickly to draft a straightforward local law if the board is supportive. "If the town board is supportive of the committee's recommendations, I think we can move through the drafting of a rather straightforward local law in short order," he said.

Leslie Davis, a member of the committee, summarized the group's process: twice-monthly meetings, a review of Greenburgh's existing code, benchmarking against New York municipalities (including New Paltz, Poughkeepsie and Menands) and selective review of California and Vermont ordinances to learn design and cold-weather operation lessons. "The town needs regulations that clarify what is and what is not permitted," Davis said, emphasizing the goals of streamlining approvals, ensuring public safety and protecting the natural environment.

Committee presenters said they used New York State Department of Energy criteria to define charger levels: Level 1 (suitable for individual homes), Level 2 (appropriate for homes and commercial sites) and Level 3 (commercial, fast-charging installations). The committee proposed that Level 1 installations require an electrical permit from the building department; the deputy building inspector told the presenters the office would expect a permit even for Level 1 chargers.

On parking, the committee recommended allowing EV charging spaces that exclusively serve electric vehicles to count 1-for-1 toward off-street parking requirements rather than being discounted. That change would prevent EV installations from reducing a property's required parking supply under current interpretation.

Board members pressed on the ordinance's scope. Some asked whether the town should set procurement contracts or pricing for commercial charging providers; Davis said the ordinance's immediate purpose is to set siting, safety and accessibility standards and streamline approval processes, not to manage commercial contracting or retail pricing.

The committee also plans to consider whether new construction should be required to be wired for Level 1 or Level 2 chargers to reduce retrofit costs and discourage ad-hoc electrical work. The presenters said they have prepared initial draft language and expect to continue meetings through the summer with a target of presenting a formal draft local law in early fall.

The board did not take formal legislative action on the ordinance at the meeting; members expressed general support and asked the committee to bring a draft for the board's review. The meeting then proceeded to routine announcements and scheduled a special work session with Westchester Power the following day.