Regional Perspective
OVERVIEW
Within the New York Region, Pound Ridge is in an
area historically insulated from the main path of urbanization. Recently, the
development of a mature corporate economy in Westchester and Fairfield
Counties, focusing upon the White Plains and GreewichStamford areas, as well
as the completion of Interstate 684 have made the Town relatively more
accessible than it has been in the past.
The population of Westchester County, currently
about 870,000, has declined from nearly 900,000 in the late 1960’s and is projected
by the County Planning Department to continue to decline or remain at this
level during the coming decade. There has, however, been a significant shift
occuring within the County, whereby the North County population has actually
increased while the South County’s has shown a significant decline.
Long term energy supply considerations will have a
significant effect upon growth trends in the Town. Pound Ridge’s present
development pattern is very heavily dependent upon automobile transportation and
therefore upon an assured supply of gasoline.
Public
confidence in the availability of this fuel will have an impact on the future
rate of development in the Town.
Map 1 shows the relationships of Pound Ridge to the
New York Metropolitan Area —the
Town is located very near the periphery of the area which is substantially
developed. This circumstance is of great importance in defining the Town’s
regional role. It provides open space and a comparatively undisturbed natural
environment within a relatively short distance of the nation’s largest city.
This location at the fringe of urban development is
significant in developing a framework for planning in Pound Ridge. Location at
a transition point means that a reversal of the regional decline to even a mild
growth trend could place strong development pressure upon the Town. Therefore,
the basic structure of the Town’s planning should continue to be based upon a
logically established ultimate capacity population, rather than a ten or twenty
year growth projection.
Areawide planning documents have been prepared at
the State, Regional and County levels. Because our Town Plan has been prepared
in the context of these documents, a brief review is included here.
CONCLUSIONS: REGIONAL
OVERVIEW
The principal conclusion of this regional overview
is that the current planning policies of the Town are in conformity with
areawide studies by the State and Regional planning agencies and Westchester
County. The environmental planning work which Pound Ridge already has accomplished,
combined with the current program which is designed to produce a comprehensive
plan based on a strict environmental preservation policy, will continue to
maintain the Town’s position in the forefront of community planning in the
region. The purpose of this program might best be described as an effort to
develop the municipal planning technology that is needed to implement regional
environmental planning goals.
Having established the importance of the Town’s
environmental and open space planning within the regional context, it is
valuable to examine Pound Ridge’s hydrologic environment in a regional sense.
The Town is located in an upland area. This means that water flows from Pound
Ridge into adjoining communities, and of special significance, into a number of
reservoirs. The Mill River, which actually begins in Ridgefield, Connecticut,
contributes water to the Laurel Reservoir in Stamford. In the western portion
of the Town, tributaries of the Mianus River contribute water to the Bargh
Reservoir, also in Stamford. The northern portion of the Town, much of which is
occupied by the Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, contributes water to New York
City’s Croton Reservoir system. Of special significance is the proposed “AA
Special” designation for all streams which flow into the Connecticut
Reservoirs. Water quality requirements for this proposed class are extremely
high and would not allow sewage treatment facilities, even with tertiary
systems, to have outfalls into those streams.
Town of Pound Ridge Planning Analyses
POPULATION AND RESIDENTIAL
LAND USE
Overview
Growth in Pound Ridge throughout the 1970’s has
occurred in conformance with the Town’s 1971 Comprehensive Plan. The pace of
growth can be described as slow to moderate, averaging about 26 new homes per
year, with the exception of 1978, when 72 new homes were built.’
As shown on Map 4, building permit trends indicate
that the rate of growth in Pound Ridge is slightly less than that of most of
its New York neighbors. This is largely a function of the relative isolation
of the Town from major commuting corridors.
The Town’s growth per year is much less than that
experienced by adjoining municipalities in Connecticut, particularly Stamford.
However, varying taxation policies between New York and Connecticut serve as a
barrier to growth pressures from Stamford.
Reflecting the growing environmental awareness in
the Town, much recent subdividing has involved modest clustering of residences
to preserve open space, particularly in environmentally sensitive areas. The
results of this policy, in reflection of the 1971 Plan, have been to preserve
green belts along
streams;
to provide contiguous open space corridors and to increase the total amount of
preserved acreage in the Town.
In 1976, the Planning Board conducted a land use
survey and mapping of the Town. The data gathered during that study have been
compiled on the 1976 Land Use Map. Comparison of this map with the 1971 Plan
indicates that most of the Plan’s recommendations have been carried out.
A comparison of the 1976 to the 1966 land use data
indicates a gradual growth in most categories of land use during that period of
time. If major waterbodies are excluded, the total increase in land which is
either in use or at least presently committed to some use has increased by
approximately 1,100 to 1,200 acres or about 15%
during that decade. Similarly, land classified as “undeveloped” has
decreased by about the same amount. Significantly, whereas in 1966 it was still
true that approximately half of the Town’s land area was undeveloped and
uncommitted to any particular use, we now find that only a little over 40% of
the Town’s land area remains in that “undeveloped” category.
It is noteworthy, however, that although more than
half of the land in Town is now “committed” to specific uses, the amount of
land utilized for residential development, including roads, comprised less
than one quarter of the Town’s total acreage in 1976. The amount of land which
remained uncommitted and developable was twice the size of the developed
residential acreage. Therefore, although the Town is very fortunate in having a
large proportion of its total acreage commit-
ted
to open space, the Town when developed to its capacity according to existing
zoning could have perhaps two and one half times the present acreage devoted to
residential purposes.
As illustrated in Section III of this report, “The
Natural Environment,” much of the re
maining
undeveloped land is associated with significant environmental limitations.’
Table I
SUMMARY OF EXISTING LAND USE
RESIDENTIAL ZONING DISTRICTS
Pound Ridge. New York . 1978
(All Figures in Acres)
Land in Use For:
Publ,cI Open
Space(Recrealion
Business Semi. Major Total
Zoning Gross (IncI. Public Walershed Waler Land Total
District Acres Residence Nursery Facil. County Town Private Body Roads In Use Undeveloped
R-3A 11,227 1558 — 17 2,850 93 452 1240 145 219 6,574 4,653
R.2A 3,311 1,310 47 48 — 61 94 226 — 162 1,948 1,363
9-lA 176 35 — — — — — 41 — 7 83 93
Residential
Districts
Total 14,714 2,903 47 65 2,850 154 546~ 1,50 145 388 8,605 6,109
Table 2
ESTIMATED
RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL
Pound Ridge,
New York- 1976
Town Land 10 Year Increase Remaining
Undeveloped Potential Additional
Zoning In Use 1966-76 and Not in Use - 1976~ Dwelling Units
District Acres % of District Acres _______ Acres % of District (Estimated)
R-3A 6,574 58.60/c 1,317 25.1% 4,653 41.4% 1,160 @ 0.25/Acre
R-2A 1,948 58.5% 34 1.80/c 1,363 41.28/c 490
@ 0.36/Acre
R-1A 83 47.20/c -7 -7.8% 93 52.8% 60 @ 0.67/Acre
Resident
al
Districts
Total 8,605 58.50/a 1,344 18.5% 6,109 41.5% 1,710 Dwelling Units
Present Residential
Development Potential
An analysis of the present potential for additional
residential development in Pound Ridge based upon the current zoning and experience
with development in recent years has been prepared. The result of this analysis
with respect to the Town’s residential zoning districts is presented in Table
2.
The potential number of additional dwelling units
was estimated for each zoning district after taking into consideration the loss
of potential building lots due to roads, recreation requirements, design
inefficiency, wetlands and other evironmental constraints. It should be noted,
however, that the estimate is not based upon an actual property-by-property
hypothetical subdivision layout, nor does it include a detailed mapping of the
stream setback concept recommended in a subsequent section of this Plan.
In addition to the potential for development of
additional dwelling units in residential districts, there is also a potential
for the development of approximately 90 new apartment dwelling units in the
Scotts Corners Business District in accordance with present zoning. A summary
of the existing and potential dwelling units in Pound Ridge’s residential and
business districts is presented in Table
3.
Projection of Residential
Growth
Assuming a growth rate of 26 new residences per year
(the average rate of the
past several
years), the following projection of residential growth results:
1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
Total
Number
of
Households 1,400 1,530 1,660 1,790 1,920
Thus,
the projected number of additional dwelling units by the year 2000 is about
500. Assuming that two-thirds of these would be in
the
Three Acre District and one-third in the Two Acre District, approximately 2,000
additional acres of land would be committed to residential use by the year
2000. This would mean that about 5,000 acres (without accounting for the
effects of clustering), or 35% of the
Town’s total land area, would be committed to residential use by that time.
Assuming no other changes were to take place, about 4,000 acres of land would
remain in the privately owned, undeveloped category.
Therefore, these growth projections indicate that
by the year 2000, it is likely that Pound Ridge’s landscape will have experienced
some considerable change but will still be characterized by abundant open
space.
However, as discussed in the regional section of
this report, the Town’s location at the periphery of the New York Metropolitan
Area’s urbanized area renders any growth projection inherently unstable.
Typically, suburban development moves outward from the core in a wave-like
pattern. This means that it is possible that the Town could experience a
sudden, dramatic increase in its rate of growth. On the other hand, due to a
combination of factors such as the halt of regional growth, fuel shortages, and
changes in family lifestyles, residential growth in the Town could also
possibly come to a standstill.
Proper planning strategies require being prepared
for all contingencies. This is best done by planning for a capacity population,
rather than a growth estimate for any particular year. As stated earlier, the
current estimate of maximum capacity residential development is about 2,900
dwelling units.
Population and Family Type
Changes and Predictions
During the past ten years, trends in lifestyle
across the nation have altered the typical family’s size and function. These
trends are potentially significant for Pound Ridge. The 1980 Census will
produce more definitive information on these changes; until that time,
alternative data sources must suffice. A special population study by
Westchester County, undertaken in 1975, showed that the average family size in
Pound Ridge has declined from 3.59 in
1970 to about 3.25. The results of a
survey of Town residents under-
taken
in 1977 yielded an average family size among respondents of 3.1.’ Analysis of
data supplied by the Bedford Central School system provided indications that
the average family size may actually be slighly lower than this number. For
purposes of this report, average family size in Pound Ridge will be assumed to
be 3.25, although this can be rechecked when the final 1980 Census results
become known.
Assuming a growth rate of approximately 26 new
dwellings per year, this yields the following range of estimates of future
population:
1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
Total Number of hslds: 1,400 1,530 1,660 1,790
1,920
Population at 3.0/hsld: 4,200 4,590 4,980
5,370 5,760
Population at 3.5/hsld: 4,900 5,355 5,810 6,265 6,720
In comparison, Westchest County produced the
following population growth estimate for Pound Ridge as a part of the ‘208’ Program:
Population
1970 3,792
1975 4,200
1980 4,400
1985 4,600
1990 4,800
2000 5,000
Thus, there is a considerable range between various
projections of Town growth. The highest estimate, however, is still for a
moderate growth rate. Applying the 3.0 to 3.5
projected household size yields a capacity population estimate, based on
current zoning, of an additional 5,000 people, or a total of about 9,500 based
upon full development in accordance with present zoning. As a result of reduced
household size, this is somewhat less than the potential maximum of 11,150 persons
estimated in the 1971 Town Plan.
It is anticipated that as time goes by, this number
may be reduced further because of the commitment of some of the remaining
undeveloped lands to other uses, primarily permanent open space. On the other
hand, there are some factors which may tend to
counterbalance
this and possibly even result in a somewhat larger development potential; for
example, the residential development of the Country Club properties, the sale
for development of some of the Stamford Water Company watershed lands’, etc.
Nevertheless, a range of 9,000 to 10,000 persons,
represents a reasonable maximum planning yardstick for the Town. It should be
recognized, however, that this is not a forecast
but simply a measure of maximum ultimate potential based upon present zoning
and present conditions.
Characteristics
of the Town’s Population
The only current data available that deals with
specific characteristics of the Town’s population are from a 1977 Planning
Board Survey which was concerned with needs for alternative housing types. It
is likely that some bias is built into the survey’s results, since those
interested in an alternative housing form would presumably be more likely to
respond than the population as a whole. Therefore, its conclusions should be
used cautiously. Other data sources of a more general nature include enrollment
trends in the Pound Ridge School, and the Bedford Central School District, as
well as the County Department of Planning research.
The results of the Pound Ridge Survey indicate the
following:
• The median age of a Pound Ridge resident is 37, most adults in
the Town are over 40, and most Pound Ridge children are teenagers (this latter
is generally confirmed by School District data).
• The median length of residence of a family is eight years.
• The median family size is declining. The results of the survey
described above, as well as one extrapolation from school district data
indicate that average family size may now be as low as 3.1.
These results appear to show that typically a family
moves to Pound Ridge after its
children
are already in school, and they can afford the type of housing which is
available. One implication, related to facilities planning, is that emphasis
probably should be placed upon the recreational needs of adults and teenagers.
The decreasing size of families is of particular
significance to Pound Ridge. The Town, for at least the past 30 years, has been
oriented primarily to providing housing for families with children, and for
families above national average size. Its physical facilities, in particular
its stock of housing, are oriented toward meeting the needs of such families.
Presumably, the economics of residential
construction in Pound Ridge also dictates the building of comparatively large
houses. Therefore, it is not certain whether smaller family sizes are a
temporary phenomenon or a stable, long term feature.
Given this uncertainty, a somewhat flexible planning
policy is needed, and the Board should continue to keep careful watch on
changing trends. The results of the upcoming 1980 U.S. Census should be studied
very carefully in this regard. Within the framework of the “ultimate capacity”
plan, however, allowance should continue to be made for the facilities needs
which would be generated by a Town with a median family size of 3.5 until such time as a definitive long
term trend becomes more certain.
Housing
Needs
Pound Ridge fulfills a specialized role in terms of
helping to supply the Region’s housing needs. It provides high quality housing
within a rural atmosphere, which is reasonably convenient to major employment
centers. This primary housing role generates two subsidiary demands for
housing:
1. Jobs-Housing Imbalance: People
who live in the above described housing produce a demand for locally supplied
goods and services. This generates employment in the Town and a housing need
for the families of these employees, such as local rental sales clerks,
suppliers of personal services, and Town and School employees. These same
people typically perform other roles, such as staffing the Volunteer Fire
Department. A survey conducted by the Planning Board has identified a large
sampling of 59
local employers
and 258 local employees in Pound Ridge. Their places of residences are listed
in Table 4.
This is related to the problem of “jobs-housing
imbalance”, as it is defined by the Tn-State Regional Planning Commission and
as discussed earlier. Some of these local employees would normally be expected
to reside closer to their place of work but the present lack of affordable
housing makes this difficult. In 1978, the Tn-State estimate of jobs-housing imbalance
for Pound Ridge was 27, the second lowest in Westchester County.’ This very
low figure is a direct reflection of the Town’s small employment base.
One way in which this housing need has been and can
continue to be accommodated is via permitting apartments
above businesses in Scotts Corners. This Plan
recommends another planning tool which has been in use in some similar communities
for many years and is gaining increasing popularity in others. This is the
technique of allowing an accessory apartment to be associated with an existing
single-family residence. Garage apartments, gatehouses, caretakers’
residences, etc., are examples. Implemented with stringent regulations as to
septic capacity, size, visibility, appearance, owner occupancy of either the
house or the apartment, existence of the primary dwelling unit prior to a
given date, entrances and parking, among other considerations, and restricted
to the R-2A and R-3A districts, this technique would give the Town positive
control over a number of situations which are currently operated illegally.
Creating an accessory apartment might make it possible for some older residents
of the Town to remain in their own homes longer.
~. Families with Grown
Children: The
second subsidiary housing need is produced by families who have moved to Pound
Ridge, raised their children in large single-family homes, and now, with no
children at home, wish to remain in Town but in a smaller residence, perhaps a
townhouse or a small detached residence in a cluster subdivision, such as at
Lyons Farm in Greenwich.
The 1977 Planning Board
Survey, which was answered by 252 households, produced the following results
(note that not all respondents answered this question):
“Will probably retire in our
present home: Yes 104 No 33
“Would probably retire in
Pound Ridge if suitable housing were available: Yes 60 No 26”
Among those indicating an
interest in
“suitable housing”, the following
preferences were registered:
Single-family detached: 42
Single-family attached: 31
Two-story garden apartment: 16
Most respondents who
indicated interest in an alternative form of housing desired a two-bedroom
unit.
3. Senior Citizen Housing: There
is a current housing need for those who no longer wish to maintain large homes
on two and three