Planners and ecologists have long realized that ecological communities and wildlife habitats do not follow municipal boundaries. In light of this, a team in the Westchester office, led by Jim Nash, is developing an intermunicipal overlay zoning district intended to preserve biodiversity for the Towns of North Salem, Lewisboro and Pound Ridge. This initiative, termed the "Eastern Westchester Biotic Corridor Overlay District," is a cooperative effort by the three towns and local conservation organizations, including the Metropolitan Conservation Alliance which first identified the ecological value of the biotic corridor spanning large portions of these three municipalities. By formulating development guidelines focused on preventing habitat fragmentation and preserving sensitive habitat types and by applying these guidelines across municipal boundaries, the biotic corridor overlay district promises to be a unique, and hopefully trend-setting, concept in land use planning.
We’re developing these regulations with the help of a working group that includes town supervisors and local conservation groups. Once complete, the ordinance will be applied in all three towns. Of central importance will be providing future planning boards and elected officials with the tools to make informed land use decisions when it comes to preserving biodiversity. To that end, the overlay district regulations will provide new guidance on ecological assessments necessary to make such decisions and will complement existing town resource protection laws related to wetlands, steep slopes, and stormwater control.
