Yorktown Announces Reopening Strategy
Today business leaders and town officials announced how Yorktown will help local businesses reopen safely.
Members of the Reboot Yorktown taskforce—including Supervisor Matt Slater, the Yorktown Chamber of Commerce and the Yorktown Small Business Association—explained how recent actions by the town’s leaders will help the local economy recover from the March New York State on Pause order that shuttered most businesses.
Westchester County has met five of the seven benchmarks required by the state before beginning a phased reopening of businesses; county officials have stated that the county may reach the remaining two benchmarks by next week.
The new initiatives designed to help local businesses and protect public health include:
- Expediting the permit process and eliminating fees that allow restaurants to expand or begin outdoor dining.
- Expediting approvals and eliminating fees for retail businesses to have sidewalk sales.
- The installation of Plexiglass barriers in Town Hall offices that serve the public.
“I’ve already signed emergency orders putting these policies into place,” said Supervisor Matt Slater. “We are already accepting those applications and beginning that process. That’s to set the table for our small businesses, so that when they can get back to work, the town has done everything in our ability for them to get back to work.”
Previously, obtaining a permit for outdoor dining or sidewalk sales required a lengthy application to the Planning Board. Now the Building Department can quickly issue the permits.
The new initiatives will help local businesses like Furci’s restaurant, which will expand its outdoor dining in anticipation of the easing of restrictions on restaurant dining.
“That will allow us to serve more customers,” said Deneen Furci. “It will also allow us to bring back more of our staff, as they’re eager to get back to work.”
Bob Giordano, president of the Yorktown Small Business Alliance and a taskforce member, said the new initiatives are about reassuring the public.
“What we’ve discovered is that lots of businesses are going want to be able to show that they have a safe place for their customers,” said Giordano of the new sidewalk measures. “If that means me getting my hair cut outside…under this veranda. If that gets me to come rather than being fearful of going inside, that’s great. It’s great for the barbershop, for the nail salons and every small business in town.”
“I am excited to have had the privilege to work extremely closely with our town board,” said Yorktown Chamber of Commerce president Sergio Esposito. “I’ve actually never seen something move so fast, so I appreciate it.”
“We’re in the middle of a difficult time,” said County Legislator Vedat Gashi, who praised the town’s initiatives. “It’s going to end at some point and we need to be ready for when it is.”
“As a small business owner, I understand the importance of this program immensely. I also understand the importance of local government working with the business owners,” said Councilman Ed Lachterman.
A video of today’s press conference is posted on Yorktown’s Facebook page:
