Stop the Unfair Share of Group Homes by Yorktown Residents
- Concerned Citizens
- Closed on
- Target:
- Westchester County Executive, New Yorkt State Government
- Region:
- United States of America
- Website:
- www.yorktownunited.org
This petition is now closed.
The New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD) is in the process of adding two more group homes to the 17 homes which currently exist in Yorktown. As taxpayers we should be outraged. Not only is the State squandering funds on the purchase and retrofit of these homes, but approximately $40,000 in taxes will be eliminated from the tax rolls for these two homes.
The need for group homes is increasing, with 248 people in the county currently waiting for placement. However, Yorktown already has 17 group homes while Cortland has 12, Bedford has 8, Somers has 4, Pound Ridge has 3, Lewisboro has 3 and North Salem has 2. OMRDD in its decision states that when assessing the need for a new group home, it only needs to consider at the county level. OMRDD is not bound to take into account the fiscal impact group homes have on a town. In fact, OMRDD claims its decision can only be reversed if there is “substantial alteration in the nature and character of the neighborhood,” although there is no definition of what this means.
Clearly, this allows the state to continue putting more group homes in Yorktown while at the same time ignoring the fact that the towns around us have not done their fair share.
To Westchester County Executive Andrew Spano, New York State Government
We, the undersigned, call on the Westchester County and New York State to stop the unfair share of group homes by Yorktown residents.
With 17 group homes, Yorktown has disproportionately more than many of the surrounding towns (Cortland-12, Somers-4, Bedford-8, North Salem-2, Lewisboro-3, and Pound Ridge-3). The New York State agency, Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD), has currently sponsored two more group homes for Opengate Inc. at 3793 Marcy Street and 2799 Evergreen Street, making the final number of group homes in Yorktown an astounding number of 19.
Yorktown has been a big supporter of group home and it is time for our surrounding neighbors to have their fair share as well. Unfortunately, the state agency continues to approve the establishment of the 19th group home in Yorktown. It also states that the agency only needs to assess the need for a new group home at the county level and regarding the fiscal impacts on a specific town, OMRDD claims that their decision can only be reversed if there is “substantial alteration in the nature and character of the neighborhood,” although there is no clear definition of what this means.
As we, Yorktown residents, have been paying higher property taxes than residents of other towns and been disproportionately supporting County’s group homes by sharing their tax burden, it’s time for the county to stop our unfair share and to request other towns to have their share.
The Stop the Unfair Share of Group Homes by Yorktown Residents petition to Westchester County Executive, New Yorkt State Government was written by Concerned Citizens and is in the category Government at GoPetition.