The Westchester Municipal Planning Federation announced its 2025 awards
(June 10, 2025) Several Westchester County municipalities, residents and nonprofit organizations were recognized for their exceptional planning achievements and contributions during the 2025 Westchester Municipal Planning Federation (WMPF) Awards Program.
Many of the Planning Achievement Award winners were praised for their innovative approaches to housing, including the Town of Lewisboro, which unveiled an updated Comprehensive Master Plan in August of 2024.
The Town’s Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee – comprised of residents and a consulting firm – was tasked with reviewing and updating the 1985 plan. The updated Comprehensive Master Plan includes provisions for a Senior Housing Floating Zone, applicable to any existing zoning district once approved by the Town Board, as well as more flexibility for accessory dwelling units (ADUs).
Town of Lewisboro Planning Board Chair Janet Anderson and Katherine McGinn, chair of the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee, also received Distinguished Citizen Planner Awards from WMPF.
”We’re thrilled to accept the WMPF’s Planning Achievement Award and Distinguished Citizen Planner Awards as recognition of the thought, time and effort that went into making sure community engagement was as wide-spread and inclusive as possible throughout the long Comprehensive Plan update process,” McGinn stated. “We’re proud that the representative vision and goals captured in the Plan are solidly built on all these wonderful iterations of input from the community.”
WMPF recognized the Village of Croton-on-Hudson for its recent Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) legislation, which permits accessory cottages in residential districts for the first time.
“For our seniors fighting to stay in the community they call home or young people struggling to find a place to put down roots, accessory dwelling units mean opportunity,” said Village Mayor Brian Pugh. “The Westchester Municipal Planning Federation’s commendation is a recognition of the progress that our village has made with a comprehensive, all-of-the-above strategy to address the housing shortage. Together, we can build a better future and make our community accessible for people of all ages and backgrounds.”
Other municipalities recognized by WMPF included for their housing-related work include:
- The Village of Tarrytown for its 62 Main Street affordable housing development, which includes 109 units of affordable housing for age 55-plus households
- The City of White Plains for its One White Plains Comprehensive Plan, which outlines priorities for transit-oriented development, affordable housing and more.
- The City of Yonkers for its La Mora Senior Apartments, which include 60 units of low-income housing for seniors.
- The Town of New Castle for its “Envision New Castle” community visioning outreach program, which explored future use of the 23 acres of Town-owned land surrounding the Chappaqua train station.
- The Village of Buchanan for its C1/C2 Overlay Zoning District adoption, created in part to promote residential and business development.
Additional Distinguished Citizen Planners recognized by WMPF include:
- Christine Wagner, zoning board chair, Village of Croton-on-Hudson
- Cynthia Curtis, planning board chair, Town of North Salem
- Nancy Gerbino, former planning board and comprehensive plan update committee member, Town of Somers
- Patricia Lynn Oliva, planning board member, City of White Plains
Andrew Tung of DTS Provident Design Engineering received the President’s Award; students Nicole Blanco and Antonio Osso were each awarded a scholarship from WMPF.
Welcome Home Westchester commends the municipalities and individuals recognized for taking thoughtful actions to address the housing shortage that is felt most sharply by seniors, millennials, people of color, middle class families and others looking for affordable options, as well as those who serve the public interest such as teachers, police, fire personnel and local government workers who can no longer afford to live where they work. As part of WHW’s Five in 2025 Policy Agenda, we encourage local leaders in each village, town and city in Westchester to identify at least one method to promote much-needed housing in a way that makes sense for their individual communities.