Candidate Profile: Victoria Bayard Tipp For New Castle Council

NEW CASTLE, NY — In 2021's general election, residents of the Hudson Valley will be voting for local officials. In anticipation, Patch asked candidates in the contested races to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as Election Day draws near.

Victoria Bayard Tipp is seeking election to the New Castle Town Council in November. The 60-year-old is running as a Democrat.

Learn more about Bayard Tipp on www.UniteNewCastle.org

Check out Patch's full Q&A with Victoria Bayard Tipp:

Position Sought

Town Council Member

Family

I live in New Castle with my husband and have raised four children here.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Harvard Law School, J.D.;
Barnard College, B.A.;
United Nations International School, International Baccalaureate

Occupation

Former lawyer, having worked 5 yrs at large NY law firm on banking, finance and international transactions. Mediation of court-referred contractual and family law matters.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Chappaqua Board of Education, 10 year member, three-time President, four-time Vice President.

Why are you seeking elective office?

I believe in the importance of public service and a strong representative democracy. I seek to promote good governance, transparency, and an inclusive approach, where diverse voices are actively sought, welcomed, and respected throughout all areas of our town.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Our current pressing issue is the rezoning of the 72-acre Chappaqua hamlet commercial district through a Form Based Code (FBC), allowing out of scale build-outs of 4-story buildings throughout the narrow streets of the hamlet, with up to 1000 residential rental units. The FBC eliminates current checks and balances of our Planning, Zoning and Architectural Boards, and leaves control over the future of our town to developers as long as they meet requirements of the code.

We can revitalize the hamlet through sustainable and appropriate development working within our current zoning, in collaboration with all stakeholders. I am committed to bringing vibrancy, mix of housing options, and diversity to our town, by lifting the 3-year moratorium on building permits, and negotiating with developers using overlay zones and special permits to plan for civic, cultural, retail, and residential spaces that create an attractive town. The FBC allows build-outs based simply on developer profitability, creating unacceptable future risks. We can revitalize and bring vibrancy to the Chappaqua hamlet as the many surrounding towns have done without an FBC.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

The entire 72-acre parcel is being approved for rezoning. My opponent believes that an initial implementation on six acres at N Greeley Avenue is sufficient to address concerns of overdevelopment. This ignores that the legislation can be extended to the entire commercial hamlet with a three-person majority vote of the town board. The process has left residents out, created an unnecessary risk of overwhelming our small bucolic streetscapes, would negatively impact our schools and other services, and is the result of a top-down form of governance that has been dismissive of residents, the Chappaqua school district, and other interested agencies.

I would promote integration of housing options for an environment where everyone feels a sense of inclusion and belonging in our community.

My opponent agrees with the rezoning scheme and the process which has ignored the input and requests of stakeholders. I believe in representative government that respects and collaborates with all stakeholders, and promotes responsible sustainable development.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

The current majority board has failed to engage the community in an inclusive and representative process:

- The FBC transformational zoning proposal was introduced during the worst global health pandemic in history, limiting meaningful public engagement.
- Initial planning sessions included only developers without balancing interests with other stakeholder groups and residents.
- Responses to public comments failed to meaningfully address concerns.
- Chappaqua School District concerns and requests for mitigation measures were ignored and school district expenses were misrepresented, putting our schools at risk of significant financial stress.

My opponent and her slate agrees with the town's process and have minimized significant concerns raised by the Chappaqua school district.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

There are many other issues that face the Town of New Castle.

Representation of all areas of New Castle:

We must give equal focus to all areas of our town, including Millwood, the West End, and the East End. We must unite our entire community and connect our hamlets and our residents throughout New Castle by engaging in open dialogue about resident needs and interests. I would work with the Millwood-West End advisory board and the East End to make sure voices are heard and resident input is factored into making needed improvements. Issues include managing sewer and wastewater concerns, responsiveness to Sunshine Children's Home and Hudson Ridge Wellness Center concerns.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion:

As the only minority and woman of color among all candidates, equity issues are personally important to me. I am committed to improving inclusion and sense of belonging for all individuals to create a thriving community that honors our differences.I am committed to implementing the recommendations of the Town’s CRE committee and ensuring funding to support these efforts. I would collaborate with the Chappaqua school district through their equity committee which I now co-chair to collaborate on programs and share information on resources and best practices. I would also include the Ossining school district which has excellent equity related programs and has been largely ignored by our local government.

Housing Diversity and a Multi-Generational Community:

I support a healthy mix of Affordable, Workforce and Senior housing. The current zoning proposal requires only 10% affordable housing and no workforce or senior housing. The current board majority is making a weak attempt to include workforce housing at the 11th hour, with no adequate analysis. There is still no senior housing requirement. The award-winning Chappaqua Crossing Cupola building has 60 integrated affordable, workforce and senior units without a FBC. You’d need 600 luxury units to get that under the Code.

Conservation:

It would be a priority to protect and support the maintenance of open spaces, wooded parklands, sanctuaries, and our sensitive ecosystems, including protection of our watershed areas.

Environment and Sustainability:

I support the goals of the Paris Agreement and the town’s local Paris Accord Resolution to cut greenhouse gas emissions and hold down the rise of global temperatures. Small municipalities like ours are important ways to contribute to these efforts.

New Castle is designated as a Climate Smart and Clean Energy Community representing a commitment to reduce our carbon footprint and use renewable energy sources.
I would support the Climate Smart Communities Task Force and the Sustainability Advisory Board, to build on these programs.

I would support the continuance of sidewalk improvement plans and connection of hamlets and recreational spaces.

The Form Based Code re-zoning of the Chappaqua hamlet would bring added pollution and traffic, and I would instead promote responsible sustainable development in scale with our hamlet.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I’ve served this community in many capacities over these 20 years in roles that I believe have given me the skills to foster positive change in town government:

- Chappaqua Board of Education, three-time President, 10-year Trustee;
- Westchester Putnam School Boards Association representing 54 school districts, 3-year President, 3-year Advocacy Chair, 8-year Director;
- Lower Hudson Education Coalition representing 77 school districts in four counties, through Advocacy on issues of Equity in school funding.
- Chappaqua PTA President;
- New Castle League of Women Voters Board of Directors;
- Lawyer for large NY law firm, worked on financing transactions;
- Mediator for court referred disputes.

I’ve represented CCSD residents, monitored issues of town governance, worked with many stakeholders, and understand the importance of collaboration with individuals, organizations, and institutions to reach best outcomes.

I have extensive advocacy experience, through organizing legislative forums, calls to action, and providing legislative testimony on various issues, which are skills that would advance the needs of our town such as mitigating Airport noise.

My legal background allows me to easily digest legal documents and understand legal implications of government action. My mediation experience helps me bridge diverse views, and engage in constructive dialogue.

Having represented the school district for over 10 years, I will immediately foster an excellent working relationship between the town and school district.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

As a child, my dad taught me the importance of listening over speaking, and to listening especially closely to those who disagree with me in order to learn. This perspective has given me a collaborative mind-set, and supported my team-building work across organizations and initiatives I’ve been involved with.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I want to bring progress and revitalization to our Town, and create robust vibrant commercial spaces for a diverse and multi-generational community. We can do this while preserving the natural beauty and open spaces of our hamlets, as the towns around us have done without rigid and out-of-scale Form Based Code zoning. We must stay flexible and innovative to navigate an ever-changing world. A one-size-fits-all Form Based Code can block progress and innovation by allowing future obsolete developments.

I value a strong democracy and responsive representative governance. I want to bring positive change by building an inclusive and respectful climate that values a diversity of voices and opinions. I commit to being open to learning, allowing voices to be heard, engaging in respectful conversations, being equity-focused, and building trust and a positive social climate.

Some answers may have been edited for clarity.

Find information about absentee and early voting here: Election 2021: New Systems For Early Voting In Westchester. To find all your candidates, as well as statewide, county and local propositions, follow the links offered by the Board of Elections:

• View the 2021 General Election Candidates List.
• View the 2021 General Election State Propositions.
• View the 2021 General Election County and Local Propositions.