Receive unfettered access to our digital content including our Examiner+ bonus content newsletter and get other perks like free tickets to local performing arts complimentary advertising for your favorite local charity either observed and verified directly by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources North Castle residents raised deep concerns last week over the cost of buying an acclaimed law firm’s building and converting it into a new municipal headquarters as well as potential redevelopment of the current Town Hall parcel Many of the more than 15 speakers at the Feb. 12 public hearing cautioned the Town Board about moving ahead with eminent domain proceedings to acquire the nearly 44,000-square-foot Boies Schiller Flexner building at 333 Main St in Armonk to provide greater room and more modern space for town operations Cramped quarters for the police department at 15 Bedford Rd that are prone to flooding and sewage backups an inadequate meeting room to host the local justice court and the Water and Sewer Department housed in temporary trailers for about 30 years are the most glaring deficiencies cited with the current facilities Town officials received an appraisal of $7 million in November for the Boies building and its roughly two acres of land that figure does not include how much the interior work to retrofit the structure for use as a municipal building would cost the town Supervisor Joseph Rende said the hearings will help the board to decide whether to pursue eminent domain for the property If the board decides to approve progressing with eminent domain he pledged the town would then schedule a town-wide referendum “I’m committed to keep pushing forward and getting all the information out there before we make a final decision but not jumping to conclusions or letting anything get in the way of making the right choice,” Rende said While none of the hearing’s speakers disputed the shortcomings of the existing facilities there were repeated questions over total cost how it would be paid and what might happen to the roughly 10 acres of municipal land should the town vacate the current facility The Town Hall complex is across the street from the Bedford Road Historic District and nearby historic homes the town-owned land also includes the Birdsall Cornell House which is used as an annex that contains several town offices the Highway Department and its equipment and a Little League field “The North Castle Historical Society is very concerned about the lack of clarity on what the plan is for the 15 Bedford Rd property that would be left behind if Town Hall were to move,” said historical society member Tim Radice “This property is of critical importance to the North Castle Historical Society and it has a large impact on the historic district that was set up to preserve the original town square that was set up by St Others surmised that the sale and redevelopment of the 15 Bedford Rd parcel would likely have to happen for the move to make financial sense for the town neglecting what might become of the current Town Hall site has to be discussed simultaneously “I do also fear that the current town land would have to be sold and make back some of that money I think that would ruin the character of Armonk of downtown,” said Armonk resident Brendon Molloy Molloy also suggested the town consider constructing a new Town Hall building at the 15 Bedford Rd Lack of clarity regarding final costs weighed on other residents’ minds said the poor working environment for many of the town’s employees is problematic the town needs to show what the final costs will be “What’s not been talked about tonight is the money right,” Baumann told the board during the more than two-and-a-half-hour hearing “Where is the money going to come from to purchase this property and to put a few million dollars maybe a lot of millions of dollars to bring it up to be a Town Hall?” A few other residents also urged the board to present an outline of a parallel plan to consider what would happen to the current Town Hall property if it is vacated The Town Hall land is currently zoned quarter-acre residential “We need to ensure that our locally landmarked district is not destroyed and that the federal landmarked district across the street is not ruined by sitting across from dense housing or a supermarket or whatever development I’ve been hearing about from others,” said resident and former town justice Susan Shimer There were several speakers who applauded the board for exploring the purchase of the Boies building as the next Town Hall Stefan Martinovic said that the current facilities are so “beyond inadequate and functionally obsolete” that the municipal employees who work there deserve better If plans were to move forward with purchasing 333 Main St. redevelopment of the current Town Hall site and historic preservation can both be achieved “Just because moving the town facility (nearby) does not mean 15 Bedford Rd It doesn’t mean it can’t be used as an office but it’s just inadequate for what the town’s needs are.” the longtime president of the Armonk Chamber of Commerce said the town should be able to find a balance between maintaining the charm of the downtown while also moving forward “The opportunity for that 333 building is something that comes around once and it may not come around again I trust this board and I can trust this town that you’re going to do the right thing with the land where the current (Town Hall) is and the property that is there.” Councilman Matt Milim said waiting until the town decides what to do with 15 Bedford Rd would take multiple years while the opportunity for the Boies building is presenting itself now He said the board will have all the information regarding renovation costs before a referendum and is seeking robust feedback from the community the costs of building a new Town Hall of comparable size to the Boies building based on square footage could approach $30 million “We made a decision to do this with a referendum not because we had to but because we chose to “It’s a big enough issue where we want everyone in town to have a say on this.” But Councilwoman Barbara DiGiacinto said she was apprehensive about moving forward with buying 333 Main St what it’s going to cost to buy that building to retrofit that building to meet our needs,” she said Potentially complicating matters is that the attorney BSF&F the limited liability company that owns 333 Main St. sent a letter last Tuesday to the town stating that the $7 million valuation of the property by North Castle’s appraiser is “substantially below the property’s fair market value.” said if the town moves ahead with eminent domain the property owner will conduct its own appraisal Based on the two appraisals negotiations could lead to an agreement or the purchase price would be decided by a judge Spolzino said BSF&F asked for the town to pursue eminent domain because there would be significant tax advantages for the seller The hearing is set to resume at the Town Board’s next meeting on Feb We'd love for you to support our work by joining as a free, partial access subscriber, or by registering as a full access member. 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Copyright © 2025 The Examiner News The North Castle Republican Committee is proud to endorse Barbara DiGiacinto for North Castle Town Board, Mel Orellana for North Castle Town Board, Christine Sculti for Westchester County Executive and Margaret Cunzio for Westchester County Legislator.   a retired English teacher of 35 years (Westlake High School) has served on the Town Board since 2014 and worked closely with prior Supervisor Schiliro to preserve over 130 acres of open space she was treasurer of the North Castle Historical Society and was appointed by Supervisor Jack Lombardi as Chair of the North Castle Housing Board DiGiacinto’s family has lived in North Castle for over 100 years and has had many relatives serve the town John Hergenhan was police chief and in total served 40 years on the police force was Receiver of Taxes for 40 years as well. Joseph Wago was for decades an active volunteer serving the Armonk Fire Dept and was also an active member of American Legion Post 1097 in Armonk donated $1,000,000 to convert the town’s old firehouse into the Hergenhan Community Center.  my wife—a lifelong resident—and I have been raising our three daughters in the same town that has given so much to our family and community.  I graduated from Cazenovia College with a degree in Business Administration which has equipped me with valuable skills in management and leadership I decided to take over the family construction business allowing me to blend my financial expertise with our community’s needs I serve on the town’s Architectural Review Board working to ensure that development projects respect Armonk’s unique character This role has given me a deep understanding of the balance between growth and preservation thoughtful decisions for our town’s future.  As the owner of a local construction business I see firsthand the challenges and opportunities facing our community I am dedicated to supporting local businesses and ensuring responsible development that benefits all residents while preserving the charm that makes Armonk so special.  I believe in practical solutions and a common-sense approach to leadership I’m running for the Town Board to help make Armonk an even better place to live and raise a family—just as my family and I have.  more vibrant Armonk while preserving the values that make it home.  If you would like to learn more about our candidates, and/or get involved with the North Castle Republican Committee, please contact us via our website: https://www.northcastlerepublican.com  North Castle officials agreed to open a public hearing next month on acquiring the property and building that has housed a high-powered law firm in downtown Armonk to serve as the next Town Hall The hearing on buying the building that has been the home of the Boies Schiller Flexner law firm at 333 Main St through eminent domain will open on Wednesday the North Castle Town Board’s next scheduled meeting The board’s scheduling of the hearing came last Wednesday as it was disclosed that a recent appraisal of the property by Beckman Appraisals pegged the value of the building and the 2.9 acres that it sits on at $7 million as of Nov Supervisor Joseph Rende said given the condition and inadequate space of the current Town Hall and annex on Bedford Road along with having the Water & Sewer Department housed in temporary trailers for about 30 years “There are serious needs and I think we’re blessed to have this opportunity available to us where it’s a building that’s already constructed and it’s going to require outfitting…to accommodate our needs but I think that’s minimal compared to what it would cost us if we had to construct something (new),” Rende said I think the information that we gather will be overwhelming and I ask everyone to keep an open mind as we move forward and not rush to judgment one way or another.” Rende said that he also supports putting the question of acquisition to a public referendum because of the importance of the issue He said he is highly confident a majority of residents will support the effort It is not yet known how much it would cost to complete the interior work to the more than 44,000-square-foot building in order to convert into a municipal building The owner of record for the property is listed as BSF&F The town is pursuing eminent domain proceedings to ensure the process plays out in a timely fashion not because of a contentious battle for the property Rende and other officials described the deteriorating conditions in the outdated 76-year-old Town Hall at 15 Bedford Rd the police department has cramped quarters with inadequate facilities for officers to change into and out of uniform and experiences periodic flooding in the basement “We recognize that there’s many deficiencies currently in this building and the building in the back,” Rende said of the current Town Hall and annex “When we realized that there was a possibility that 333 Main St might be available to us and may be available to house all of the town operations under one roof we felt that it was a prudent idea to investigate it further.” Board members agreed that it was the right decision to begin scrutinizing the potential purchase of the Boies Schiller building Councilman Jose Berra said in addition to cost the town must also determine how much space is needed for its offices and what it might do if there is excess space at 333 Main St “It is an opportunity but we have to be very prudent in considering this and considering the long-term needs of the town and I think we have good professionals involved in this,” Berra said the town has been aware that its operations have had inadequate space but my personal opinion is this is a once-in-a-lifetime situation no-brainer opportunity and we would be silly not to pursue it aggressively,” Milim said While Councilwoman Barbara DiGiacinto agreed that pursuing the Boies building is the correct decision She called for her colleagues to also undertake a parallel study in which the board analyzes its current facilities as a means of comparison The board also should establish what it needs as opposed to what it wants the board approved retaining Arconics Architecture and moving ahead with a feasibility study of the Boies building Board members indicated that the public hearing would run for at least two sessions to ensure robust feedback from residents North Castle Town Board members and the former chair of the town’s Board of Ethics battled last week over key differences of opinion on aspects of proposed updates to the municipality’s ethics code During an April 9 public hearing on possible changes to the code Board of Ethics member Brett Summers advocated for why a Town Board member should not hold a leadership position or be a voting member of a town political committee Accompanied by current Board of Ethics Chair Susan Shimer he also stated that their board reached consensus that an elected or appointed board member or candidate who serves on a land use board must recuse themselves from voting on a matter where an applicant donated more than $500 to a sitting board member’s campaign Another key provision would require an applicant who is before the Town Board or a land use board to disclose if he or she contributed more than $500 in the aggregate to a campaign of a sitting board member Summers called it a system of checks and balances that looks to limit the influence of potentially significant infusions of cash into local elections “The purpose for our recommendation here is to try and get away from what is perceived in our town as the domination in the election process of developers who make the big campaign contribution and if somebody can’t vote when that developer comes to that application before that vote then that developer isn’t really going to be incentivized to that big campaign contribution,” Summers said While there was general agreement on the Town Board’s part that much of what the Board of Ethics was proposing would be beneficial Supervisor Joseph Rende said that disclosure should continue to be required but recusal shouldn’t be necessary in all cases Rende argued that whether it’s a Town Board member of someone serving on the Planning Board or Zoning Board of Appeals who ran for elected office it’s someone’s First Amendment right to contribute to political campaigns and as long as that is disclosed to the public “I think that opens up some serious conversation as to whether or not it’s a violation of someone’s rights,” Rende said Last year, it was brought to light that during the 2023 campaign for supervisor, Rende had received contributions from the White Plains law firm of Abrams Fensterman, the same firm that would represent him after the election, which landed in court over the contested absentee ballots. Rende won the election by four votes.  The Town Board last summer then voted on assigning the retainer agreement to Abrams Fensterman when longtime Town Attorney Roland Baroni announced that his law firm would be absorbed by the new firm because he is nearing retirement. Rende eventually disclosed the contributions but participated in the vote.  Councilwoman Barbara DiGiacinto took issue with some of the changes, arguing that Summer’s comments and proposed revisions to the code suggests that North Castle politics is riddled with corruption. “If I were a total stranger, tonight I must be thinking there must be a lot of money that people take on this board as developers that this has to be stressed,” DiGiacinto said. “That’s not accurate. It’s not fair, and you’re sending out a message, in my opinion, and it’s doing a real disservice to this Town Board.” Another board member, Matt Milim, said the $500 stipulation that’s been proposed is not perfect but an improvement over the current requirement to only disclose the contribution. However, he said he was hesitant to support the prohibition of serving on a political committee for sitting board members. Milim also wondered whether the stricter ethics code would result in discouraging residents to run for public office and serve their town. Councilman Saleem Hussain offered that he hoped that that wasn’t the case, but was concerned it could complicate matters in other ways. “One thing that’s a little hard for me is just the complexity of the rules,” Hussain said. “I think I disagree with this point (that) ethics comes from within. I feel like we all have moral compasses for sure. But I do think it’s hard. You actually have to read what the rules are and you like constantly have to be self-evaluating and be paying attention to what you do in ways that are beyond organic.” Last week, Rende also took issue with how the Town Board’s liaison to the Board of Ethics, Councilman Jose Berra, was involved in discussions of the proposed revisions at recent meetings that he watched.  “The reason why I find that troubling is because the liaison is a member of the board that is ultimately going to be deciding on what rules become adopted or entered as law,” Rende said. Summers responded that the five-member Board of Ethics reached consensus on its own and is in agreement with the proposed changes. The Town Board adjourned the hearing but will have its attorneys review the proposed changes to make sure they cannot be legally challenged, particularly the provision that would prevent political donors of over $500 to serve on political committees. Officials hope to have the legal opinion returned by next month and resume the hearing sometime after that. Examiner Media – Keeping you informed with professionally-reported local news, features, and sports coverage. The North Castle Town Board last week largely favored a set of recommendations from the Board of Ethics that would bolster the municipality’s ethics code to improve transparency and public confidence in local government Board of Ethics Chair Brett Summers outlined a handful of proposed revisions and additions one of which prevents any Town Board member department head or the town attorney from holding an office leadership position or be a voting member of a town political committee Disclosure and recusal would also be required for any Town Board member who received an aggregate campaign contribution of more than $500 or an equivalent amount in goods or services from a donor who has an application or matter before them Other proposed revisions require applicants coming before the Town Board to disclose in writing if they have contributed more than $500 to a member’s campaign; prohibiting members of a board or committee that oversees a land use application to professionally represent a third party before one of those boards; and failure to disclose a campaign finance disclosure statement would be considered a violation of the Code of Ethics Summers said the efforts to continually strengthen the code is to employ best practices and educate the public that the town is striving to create a healthy function that is free from questionable entanglements “Our board has a general philosophy of continuous improvement so during the last year we surveyed many municipal ethics codes some from around the state and many from other Westchester communities,” Summers said “We identified and refined those that we judged would improve our ethics function without undue burden We also considered amendments to some of our existing code provisions that had particular relevance to issues that have been identified in town.” Although last week’s work session discussion did not point to any specific examples of ethics issues last year controversy was sparked when Supervisor Joseph Rende eventually disclosed that the law practice of Town Attorney Roland Baroni was merging with the law firm that represented Rende post-election over disputed absentee ballots in an extremely close election Town Board members were receptive to the recommendations with Rende thanking the Board of Ethics for their work “The main purpose of this is to ensure that the people sitting here and the people ultimately making decisions on half of all of the residents of the community are behaving and acting and disclosing in an ethical way,” Rende said there were a few points that officials wanted clarified before the public hearing opens was whether the town should pursue or has the authority to prohibit a Town Board member or the head of a department from serving as a leader or voting member of a town political committee Rende mentioned that only judges have that requirement in most jurisdictions “I don’t see how you can take away someone’s right to be a voting member of a political party,” he said The Board of Ethics intends to research whether that is permissible under the law Another was an inquiry as to why it would be an applicant’s responsibility to disclose his contributions Summers responded that it served as a check and balance in case one party did not adhere to the process There was also discussion relating to when the revised code would go into effect should it be approved by the Town Board who said he agreed with nearly all of the proposals suggested that it should apply to anyone running in this year’s election for two board seats and the supervisor’s post and all subsequent elections but not be retroactive because neither previous candidates nor the donors could have known because people didn’t know these rules when they were campaigning when they were taking campaign contributions the right thing to do is have it start after the next election Councilman Saleem Hussain said one concern he had was if the bolstered code results in more recusals whether that impair the Town Board’s ability to complete business If the board fails to achieve a quorum because of recusals then the recusals are nullified Hussain also applauded the efforts of the Board of Ethics ensuring it “as a way to make sure that our town can build more and more trust in us as a board because having these in place helps our residents know that we’re working with them on a more and more construct of ethics.” The Board of Ethics is scheduled to meet Feb 3 to review language and some of the concerns raised and return them to the Town Board in time to resolution scheduled a hearing at its Feb A proposed development aims to bring 198 townhouses improve infrastructure and even contribute to affordable housing funds to Greenwich Why are officials in a Westchester town so concerned about a development over the border Ongoing discourse between North Castle and Greenwich officials and the developers have included multiple appearances at planning and zoning meetings The back and forth is fueling the question — does the law allow for a New York municipality to get involved in Connecticut town business In Greenwich, Connecticut’s northwestern corner, real-estate company Tishman Speyer plans to build the townhouses on more than 154 acres off King Street (Route 120), a few miles or less from the downtown business district of Armonk according to documents and land-use board meetings Called the Greenwich American Centre property, at 1 American Lane, the development plans include continuing existing corporate offices and the developer contributing millions of dollars to Greenwich’s fund for affordable housing in other parts of that town The "project will also improve environmental quality and enhance property values in that adequate open space will be provided," Thomas Heagney lawyer for the developer on its application said in a May 2024 document to the Greenwich commissioners adding that "high quality building design and appropriate neighborhood appearance will be provided." first came before the Greenwich commissioners a few years ago the commission in February approved a zoning change the site plan and permit for the scaled-down 198-townhome development enlarging a conservation easement — protected open space — installing storm-water management systems and contributing to the affordable housing fund Where is Greenwich in relation to Westchester?Both towns have a lot in common highly-ranked school districts and sports team affinities (despite the New York-New England dividing line) at an expansive 67 square miles and home to more than 65,000 residents in New York parlance) whose downtowns are well to the south None of those hamlets are as close to the planned development as Armonk is The development location is separated from most of Greenwich by Interstate 684 — which is in New York except for about 1.4 miles that run through the Connecticut town — "and cannot be accessed directly from the town without crossing into New York State," a site description said The route sits on the edge of the state line and along an upper stretch of the proposed Greenwich development site The North Castle Town Board's main concerns That traffic across the border and into Armonk would increase and that the development could have unknown impacts on the environment They say more environmental analysis is needed All this has led to back and forth between lawyers for the Westchester town and developer a lawyer for the developer has said North Castle ignored reductions in the development's size and that North Castle approved a similar project without qualms about 2,000 feet away saying the developer failed to provide sufficient evidence to determine if what's proposed “has impairing or destroying the public trust in the air Greenwich Time reported in March that North Castle's petition to intervene to challenge the plans could possibly lead to a review by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Greenwich Time wrote that the Greenwich Planning and Zoning Commission accepted the petition from North Castle moving things along at the Connecticut state level also questioned whether there was enough review of things such as the wastewater treatment plant and drainage from the development "No analysis has been done at all in that regard in what the impacts to the environment would be— only theoretical desktop numbers," Tesei said at a 2024 hearing The New York City Department of Environmental Protection "has commented and noted no concerns regarding the proposal's impact on the New York City watershed," according to documents Smith in a November 2024 document asserted North Castle officials didn't prove the development would increase Armonk traffic and cited a consultant's May 20 report that it “would have no adverse impact on traffic operating conditions of the street system in the vicinity of the site." but the charge of the government of North Castle is to protect (the citizens)," North Castle Town Board member José Berra said at a Greenwich Planning and Zoning Commission hearing 30 memorandum that North Castle did not have legal standing as a political subdivision of a state other than Connecticut does not have a statutory right to intervene in the matter,” Smith said Greenwich’s Planning and Zoning Commission has jurisdiction North Castle officials are exploring the possibility of relocating Town Hall operations from its Bedford Road facility and moving into the Boies Schiller Flexner building an office of one of the nation’s most prestigious law firms Supervisor Joseph Rende said last week he has had communication with representatives for the principals of the property at 333 Main St in Armonk to consider a move because the current Town Hall is inadequate The town also uses the Birdsall Cornell House behind Town Hall while the Water & Sewer Department has been housed in temporary construction trailers for about 30 years The current owners of record for 333 Main St. which includes the 44,542-square-foot building according to the North Castle assessor’s office “We sent them a letter expressing our interest as a town to look at possibly purchasing the building and taking ownership of the building for the purpose of moving our Town Hall meeting room and courtroom to that location,” Rende said the Town Board approved a resolution to retain Arconics Architecture of Rye Brook to conduct a feasibility study that will help the town determine a projected cost to retrofit the structure into a suitable Town Hall There will also be separate appraisals conducted by both the current owners of 333 Main St and the town to come up with a potential purchase price for the property There were no guesses by Rende or other officials about how much the building could cost or the expenses associated with preparing it for use by the town Rende said the impetus to consider relocation of Town Hall was the municipality’s 2007 study called the Town Hall Complex Strategic Concept Plan that outlined most of the same shortcomings in the current facilities at 15 Bedford Rd according to a Spring 1974 edition of North Castle History published by the town’s Historical Society “There was a feeling then that the town was outgrowing Town Hall and the Town Hall did not meet all of the needs for the town,” Rende said of the 2007 report made mention that we had staff members at the annex building in the back and that building also didn’t meet the requirements that Town Hall should have.” Rende also pointed to the lack of space for the town’s police department which has been housed in the current Town Hall since it opened Rende said the Town Hall’s shortcomings have women police officers using a converted storage closet as their locker room and sewage occasionally backing up into the men’s officers’ locker room is not conducive by today’s standards to properly operate as defendants court staff and the public do not have adequate separation Schiller Flexner to find out why it might be looking to vacate the building at 333 Main St The Armonk location was opened by attorney David Boies in the late 1990s Boies and the law firm are most remembered for representing Al Gore in the disputed 2000 presidential election but has had a series of other high-profile clients over the years It also operates nine other offices throughout the United States and three in Europe The Town Board last week voted 4-1 to approve retaining Arconics Architecture and moving ahead with the feasibility study Councilman Matt Milim said there is good reason for the town to pursue the option “It’s a very exciting possibility that we should be looking into,” Milim said “We’ve very much outgrown our existing facilities and given how difficult it is for municipalities to build something on our own if we move to add or build it could be a multitude of what we would have to pay for this.” Councilman Saleem Hussain said exploring the law firm’s facilities is at least a good way for officials to think about its long-term facilities planning Voting against retaining the architect was Councilwoman Barbara DiGiacinto She said that while the Boies Schiller building may turn out to be a good option for the town it should be conducting an appraisal of the property first to have a better understanding of how much it could cost “I just see us as this point in a very early stage of looking into how to address the problems that you mentioned and I think there’s a lot more information that I need,” DiGiacinto said and I also think the cost to retrofit that building It’s not as if we can move in and it just be business as usual.” “Then I think the big question that people are asking out here is what becomes of this building,” said DiGiacinto said of the current Town Hall complex The future of the town facilities and the land was a concern voiced by Co-town Historian Sharon Tomback Tomback pointed out that the current Town Hall property which includes the Birdsall Cornell House annex the Little League field and the Highway Department is part of the town’s Preservation District #1 She said the town should also develop a plan for what it might do with the current Town Hall while it pursues the other site Rende said there isn’t a plan but that would be assessed after the town learns whether the Boies Schiller building and the cost are in line with its needs “That’s the answer that concerns me because it makes me feel like we’re just looking at it right now and we can sell this property and we can pay some of that debt and that’s the answer that concerns me,” Tomback said Tomback also said that “it bothers me a lot” that the contract with Arconics Architecture is open-ended with no scope or time frame The firm is charging $225 an hour for the principal’s time $190 an hour for the senior associate’s time $165 an hour for a designer and $70 an hour for office staff time Rende said the agreement is typical of other professional arrangements “I think the board understands that we never give anybody a blank check and say go at it,” Rende said “So we’re very concerned with how much money we are going to spend.” North Castle’s escalating political feud flared up again last week with Councilwoman Barbara DiGiacinto accusing Supervisor Joseph Rende of potentially committing an ethics violation while Rende slammed DiGiacinto for continuing to play politics which started during the Town Board’s July 10 meeting where the board voted to retain the White Plains law firm of Abrams Fensterman for the last four months of 2024 because longtime Town Attorney Roland Baroni’s firm is merging with it DiGiacinto had questioned Rende’s relationship with Abrams Fensterman where one of its partners each made $1,000 contributions to Rende’s campaign last year DiGiacinto and Rende engaged in a bitter post-election tussle for supervisor that landed in court as Rende questioned a handful of unopened absentee ballots from family members of DiGiacinto supporters that he deemed suspicious The ballots were eventually withdrawn and he won the supervisor’s seat by four votes Rende started the work session that immediately preceded last Wednesday’s regular meeting by reading a statement he sent to the four council members and Board of Ethics Chair Brett Summers on July 12 He explained that when he was asked about whether anyone connected with Abrams Fensterman had made campaign contributions Rende contacted his campaign treasurer the day after the meeting who informed him of the $3,000 in contributions He criticized DiGiacinto for failing to raise her concerns beforehand where the issue could have been resolved without drama rather than having it play out in public this agenda item was also discussed in length during the executive session of the board meeting prior to the public portion of that same meeting that night and at no time did Councilwoman DiGiacinto raise any of these concerns of transparency or asked any of those questions of me,” Rende said the Abrams Fensterman vote could have been postponed “I would also like to (say) that during the executive session I stated very clearly that if any board member had any questions or additional information regarding this matter that it could be tabled at this time and placed on a future meeting agenda,” Rende said When DiGiacinto sought to respond to his statement Rende (who as supervisor runs the Town Board meetings) did not recognize her and blocked her from speaking but what you are doing is out of order,” DiGiacinto protested Toward the end of the regular board meeting more than three hours later DiGiancto read a portion of the town’s Code of Ethics that stated that no municipal officer shall vote on a matter without prior disclosure that involves someone who may directly benefit and who provided at least $500 in donations or services She said that Rende didn’t disclose his connection until two days after the vote this is probably an ethics violation on your part,” DiGiacinto told Rende Rende said DiGiacinto omitted that under the town’s Code of Ethics if a board member learns of a contribution after a vote where the party could stand to benefit that member is obligated to disclose the connection as soon as possible He said the July 10 meeting was on a Wednesday evening and he learned of the contributions on Thursday and sent the e-mail on Friday “It’s almost like she was trying to intimate that I waited till the last minute or there was some time factor,” Rende said “I have so many important things that I’m working on on behalf of the town or the board as a whole to hopefully focus in on I can’t waste time thinking about what Barbara DiGiacinto has in her mind in terms of me.” During the contentious back-and-forth discussion The argument then veered to another vote that took place earlier this year on a special permit for the 34-unit residential project The Gateway at 45 Bedford Rd. DiGiacinto accused Rende of lying for suggesting that he had first raised the issue of the owners of the land owing more than $1 million in property taxes She again questioned Rende’s lack of transparency for voting on the permit even though its ownership made contributions to his campaign “I think it’s really important that you go through all of your donations and make sure that you don’t have to maybe backtrack and make some disclosures,” DiGiacinto said Rende said that at the time of the vote he had disclosed that the owners of 45 Bedford Rd He then chided DiGiacinto for expending time and energy studying his filings I’ve never examined your campaign filings,” Rende said Two of the other board members took DiGiacinto to task for bringing up the matter for the second consecutive meeting accused DiGiacinto of “playing politics” and trying to embarrass Rende “You are still in election mode and we’re in governing mode,” Milim said “Governing mode means we are doing the right thing for the town not going on camera and trying to make each other look bad.” Councilman Jose Berra questioned whether DiGiacinto previously skirted the requirements for disclosure herself Berra said in the prior election family members and limited liability companies contributed $400 each to her campaign so she would not have to disclose any connections “It’s hard to not see this as being disingenuous,” Berra said DiGiacinto said every time one of her family’s properties has appeared on an agenda “To expect a member of the Town Board to adhere to our Code of Ethics and in this instance disclose receiving campaign donations from an applicant before voting on an application is nothing more than disclosure and transparency,” DiGiacinto said when contacted last weekend a cheap shot and is an attempt to deflect the facts.” It is unclear whether the Board of Ethics will review the matter at one of their upcoming meetings pleaded not guilty Tuesday in Westchester County Court on an indictment charging him with attempted aggravated murder attempted aggravated assault on a police officer and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon police arrived at 14 Hallock Place on a medical call to assist Spennato's 78-year-old mother When they learned that Spennato was there and was wanted on a pair of warrants from North Castle Town Court they moved to arrest him William McClure in the back with a 5-inch folding knife but struck him in his ballistics vest Officer Chris Costa fired two shots at Spennato Spennato was hospitalized but has since recovered “We are seeking to hold this defendant accountable for his alleged attempt to kill a police sergeant who was simply trying to do his job," District Attorney Mimi Rocah said in a statement "We are grateful that the officer was not seriously injured or killed during this unprovoked attack.”  Spennato was heard on body-worn cameras telling the officers he didn't want to go to court that he feared being sent to jail for life and that he wanted to die I don't cooperate with police; why did you come to arrest me?" Spennato has been held without bail at the Westchester County jail since his release from the hospital Get important news about your town as it happens Get the top stories from across our network Are you sure you want to unsubscribe from daily updates A Northern Westchester police department mourning the loss of retired Patrolman Edward Patane a former officer who served the public for more than two decades a former officer with the North Castle Police Department The North Castle Police Department announced the loss in a post on social media on Monday saying that the former officer was a longtime Armonk resident According to the department and his obituary Patane served North Castle for 21 years beginning in April 1971 before his retirement in May 1992 Patane spent many years as a K-9 officer alongside his loyal canine partners Patane earned degrees in criminal justice and business management from Westchester Community College he remained a dedicated advocate for law enforcement serving as president of the Police Columbia Association and contributing to the board of the New York Police & Fire Retirees Patrick’s Church in Bedford for many years He was known for his vast knowledge of history and Catholic theology and was always eager to share his insights Patane also had a lifelong passion for cars and was an active member of car clubs He particularly enjoyed his time with the ROMEOs ("Retired Old Men Eating Out") a group that met weekly for breakfast and camaraderie they celebrated 39 years of marriage and hosted numerous gatherings with family and friends including an annual Labor Day pig roast that became a cherished tradition Visitation services for Patane will be held on Wednesday at the Oelker-Cox & Sinatra Funeral Home in Mount Kisco at 262 East Main St Click here to read Patane's full obituary.  An attempted vehicle theft disrupted a holiday delivery effort in Northern Westchester The incident happened on Bedford-Banksville Road in North Castle near the Greenwich border in North Castle near the Greenwich border when a resident at a home on Bedford Banksville Road reported damage to her vehicle the North Castle Police Department announced on Thursday The woman told officers she was loading her car with holiday deliveries when someone apparently entered the vehicle and damaged its ignition which police said was consistent with an attempt to steal the car Authorities have not announced any arrests related to the case Westchester County District Attorney Miriam Rocah has announced that a Mohegan Lake woman was sentenced to a term of two to six years in prison for stealing more than $340,000 from a North Castle-based paint supplier where she was employed as the controller ToniAnn Rosado had entered guilty pleas back in April and her sentencing just took place The 54-year-old woman was sentenced by Westchester County Court Judge Maurice D Rosado will serve her time in state prison The felony convictions brought sentences of two to six years for Grand Larceny in the Second Degree and one and one-third to four years for Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree The defendant is also ordered to pay $170,000 in restitution to her former employer the North Castle-based CR Wallauer & Company where she was employed from 2017 to 2019 to oversee their accounting and finances the defendant stole $341,707.54 of company funds between July 7 and falsified business records to conceal the stolen funds between Jan After CR Wallauer owners discovered the fraud the defendant was terminated in August 2019 Following an investigation by the DA’s Office Economic Crimes Bureau the defendant was arrested in June 2022 in Orlando “This defendant exploited her role overseeing finances for a business that entrusted her with this important responsibility This case outcome underscores our commitment to prosecuting financial crimes across the county as well as our continued work to secure restitution on behalf of individuals and businesses.” North Castle and Westchester County police departments for their assistance in the case This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access. and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" CNN (CNN) — Former Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday while receiving the John F CNN (CNN) — Former Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday while receiving the John.. Trending Westchester who defended Al Gore in the contested 2000 presidential election count in Florida since the early 2000s has headquartered his international law firm in the hamlet of Armonk in downtown North Castle who moved his family to North Castle in 1987 if the town of North Castle moves forward with Supervisor Joseph Rende’s unorthodox plan to have the town take the office building by eminent domain It would be transformed into a new town hall Eminent domain proceedings are rare in Westchester County. They typically involve parcels of land for a public road or park project, or in case of the village of Pelham’s flood project the underground rights to the land owned by the Pelham school district in a village park But this is an office building owned by prominent tenants “It’s very uncertain what’s going to happen with the town,” said Boies which has partnered with noted Armonk builder Michael Fareri in ownership of the office building Developer Michael Fareri suggested eminent domain proceedings Rende saysThe supervisor said he was surprised to hear that Boies wanted his law firm to stay in Armonk I reached out to Boies Schiller Flexner several times in late March in Armonk and Manhattan to determine if the lawyers running the firm with agreed with their chairman emeritus about staying in Armonk But I did not receive a return call from either office including the office of BSF Managing Partner Eric Brenner in Manhattan Rende said the town opted to pursue the condemnation of the Boies-Fareri office building under eminent domain after speaking with Fareri He said Fareri mentioned that the Boies lease was nearing its end and he was considering seeking permission to convert the offices into housing units Rende thought a new town hall there was a better idea Rende said Fareri indicated that he and his partners actually preferred eminent domain proceedings “The only reason we went down the path of eminent domain is because it was a suggestion to the town through Michael Fareri that they preferred that path,” said Rende Rende is optimistic about transforming 333 Main St He said the “quaint small town” of North Castle deserves better than its aging building on Bedford Road built in 1949 and last updated in the mid-1980s A colorful rendering of the newly opened town hall features nine well-dressed men in fedoras lack of adequate accommodations for the disabled as well as a ventilation system that needs work has enough space — about 44,000 square feet — to accommodate town departments that are currently located on its municipal campus in the hamlet of Armonk’s historic district That 10-acre expanse features the town hall and an historic colonial farmhouse donated to the town by IBM decades ago when the tech company built its international headquarters in Armonk Rende says the town is looking to relocate the Highway Department to a yet-to-be-disclosed location in town though its offices that host its assessor and finance departments would be transferred to the new building He said the annex could be restored to its 19th century splendor and kept as a meeting place for small groups and meetings of the North Castle Historical Society Rende estimates the cost to renovate 333 Main St into town offices and a police station would range from $13 million to $15 million Obtaining the office building at 333 Main St. Concerns about the project have galvanized North Castle homeowners and local history buffs who thronged public hearings in February and March fears that moving Town Hall to 333 Main St She’s worried that the town may later decide to invite builders to develop the desirable 10-acre “Two previous master plans recommended remodeling Town Hall and putting on an addition They never considered this option of moving Town Hall to another location.” at the gated 150-unit Whipporwill Hills development said homeowners want more information about the town’s plans and the costs of each option,” said Brickell president of the Whipporwill Hills Homeowners Association “What’s the cost of putting up a new building What’s the cost of the retrofit of 333 Main?” Rende said he’d like the town to hold a referendum on the issue later this year which would ask voters whether North Castle should move forward with condemnation proceedings on 333 Main St He said the town is also developing estimates on the cost of building a new town hall on town property near the current municipal offices The town won’t know the price-tag for purchasing 333 Main St until the eminent proceeding commences in state Supreme Court That wouldn't take place until after the referendum is approved It would be a real estate referendum much different that those faced by voters with school district bond referenda when voters are asked to approve borrowing a specific about of money Both Fareri and Boies say 333 Main Street is worth substantially more than $7 million at $8.6 million on the town’s 2024 assessment roll — 23% higher than Beckman’s value “The town’s appraisal is not realistic,” said Fareri is of two minds when it comes to Rende’s plan to take the office building by eminent domain he’s uncertain voters would approve such a referendum without solid estimates on what it would cost taxpayers “I think that’s a major hurdle,” Fareri said “I’m not sure anyone wants to give a blank check I don’t think the taxpayers want to be put in a position to vote on something when they don’t know what it’s going to cost.” Fareri said that condemning the building by eminent domain would extinguish concerns that he would be benefitting from an insider deal if the town simply bought the building in a negotiated sale then nobody can criticize the town for making a deal that might be questionable,” he said “My reputation is too important for making a deal that wasn’t above board as it would be left to a judge in eminent domain proceedings Rende wants Fareri to conduct an appraisal and make it public before the referendum vote they should follow through and do their appraisal,” he said “At least then we would have a basis to know what the potential costs would be.” But Fareri appears to be in no hurry to conduct such a study “I don’t know if I will have an appraisal by the time they have a referendum.” property owners have up to nine months to provide their appraisal to the court after the eminent domain petition is filed a Manhattan-based attorney who works on eminent domain cases Sign up for Wilson's weekly newsletter for insights into his Tax Watch columns David McKay Wilson writes about tax issues and government accountability. Follow him on Twitter @davidmckay415 or email him at dwilson3@lohud.com North Castle Councilwoman Barbara DiGiacinto questioned Supervisor Joseph Rende’s commitment to transparency last week for failing to disclose his relationship to a law firm that will soon absorb longtime Town Attorney Roland Baroni’s practice The two combatants in last year’s bruising election that saw Rende win by four votes following more than a month of litigation engaged in an eye-opening public spat during the board’s discussion to consider assignment of the retainer agreement from Stephens Last week’s resolution will ensure that the town’s retainer agreement for 2024 with Baroni’s firm will be honored for the last four months of the year who has been North Castle’s town attorney for more than 40 years is planning a process that will lead to his retirement and announced that there will be a transition period through 2027 including the towns of North Salem and Somers also have similar arrangements with Abrams Fensterman who acknowledged that she wrestled with raising the issue in public said that Abrams Fensterman provided legal counsel for Rende during his post-election litigation which she said should have prompted Rende to disclose his involvement with the firm to the public “The Town Board is being asked to hire a new law firm,” DiGiacinto said “It has provided extensive legal services to Joseph Rende I need to know and our taxpayers and residents need to know the complete monetary and legal relationship Joseph Rende had with Abrams Fensterman.” who abstained from the vote (while Rende and councilmen Jose Berra and Matt Milim voted in favor) stressed that she was not suggesting any wrongdoing Rende should be forthright with the public must disclose all relevant information regarding Abrams Fensterman It also came to light last week that Rende’s campaign accepted $1,000 donations from the firm the managing partner of Abrams Fensterman’s White Plains office who is listed as another partner in the firm Rende said during the post-election dispute (which included him leading by one vote after Election Day and questioning several absentee ballots) he reached out to the Westchester Democratic Committee to have an election lawyer recommended to him who also serves as the law chair for the county Democratic Committee who is a former state Supreme Court judge and has worked at other law firms before joining Abrams Fensterman with the firm other than knowing that they are “a very worthy and reputable law firm.” that there would be an accusation made about my potential conflict and I’m excited for you Roland that you’ve been able to create an exit strategy for yourself and I look forward to hopefully continuing having you represent us as our town attorney together with your new partners.” who supported Rende in last year’s election said he also took issue with DiGiacinto’s tactic because she failed to raise it in executive session before the meeting He charged that DiGiacinto did it for political reasons “Just making a statement like that to make something seem shady and I just think we’d all be better served if we just approached this with the town’s best interest at heart and not try to kick somebody under the table,” Milim said DiGiacinto rejected Milim’s position that her comments were shady and maintained there is the likelihood of a relationship between Rende and the firm She then asked Rende if his campaign had received any donations from the firm or any of its partners “These are the things that are important to the public trust,” DiGiacinto said She also stressed that her questions had nothing to do with Baroni or his service to the town but a lack of transparency on the supervisor’s part A check of the state Board of Elections website showed that Abrams Fensterman made its $1,000 contribution on Oct while Spolzino and Pirro each made their $1,000 donation to the campaign on Oct Rende said last weekend that the day after last week’s board meeting he checked with his campaign treasurer regarding the contributions Their donations accounted for three of the 68 contributions received in 2023 He said he then e-mailed the board on Friday The town’s Code of Ethics only requires public disclosure of the contributions if they exceed $500 Had he known about the contributions at the time of the vote Rende said he would have tabled the matter Another option that was presented to DiGiacinto was to table the resolution until the board’s next meeting on July 24 “If Barbara had raised those concerns in executive session where they should have been raised not having the time to research whether or not they had made financial campaign donations to my campaign I would have tabled it and I would have waited until I found the information,” Rende said With the first heat wave of the year having descended on the area North Castle residents who like to cool off at the Town Pool received some good news on Tuesday The town’s Parks and Recreation Department announced that the swimming facility on Greenway Road would open at 10 a.m Wednesday after the facility passed a Westchester County Department of Health water test The test was conducted on Monday during a scheduled visit to the site Rende said last Friday that the pool had been filled and the chlorine and other chemicals needed several days to reach the correct levels before it could be tested the county informed town officials that the pool’s water supply system needed to be overhauled Plans for the system were designed by the town’s engineers and submitted to the Department of Health in early February Later that month contractors were retained and work started on May 15 “It’s not that we didn’t start the process soon enough it’s just sometimes things don’t go as planned,” Rende said slowing down the process was a change needed to filter the well water that serves the complex for showers The delays pushed down the pool’s opening several weeks past Memorial Day weekend the time when pools and beaches traditionally open town residents will be admitted for free with proof of residency Rende said the town will have a prorated reduction in the town’s pool membership fee for this year’s season As a show of appreciation for residents’ patience the reduced early bird rate will be extended throughout the 2024 swim season To ensure the town has enough lifeguards this summer Rende said the decision was made to pay them for the first four weekends of the season even though the pool remained closed Some municipalities have had difficulties finding enough lifeguards “We didn’t want to lose any of our lifeguards and have an issue with that,” Rende said “We recognized that a lot of the young people that are lifeguards depend on that income we didn’t want to see them abandon the job here and go somewhere else even though they’re only summer part-time jobs once the summer begins.” The supervisor said in the near future a summer season will likely be lost because the town will have to decide to either make needed repairs or opt to build a new facility “I think that within the next few months we’re going to make a decision or we’re going to look into recommendations and figure out whether or not we’re going to either make the repairs for the pool and have the pool as it is or start from scratch and build a brand-new pool completely,” Rende said There will be live music starting at 11 a.m A development proposal for the 4.14-acre site at 45 Bedford Road in Armonk where Mariani Gardens used to operate has received site plan approval and a special use permit extension from the Town of North Castle Mark Mariani formed Mariani’s Garden Market Inc and operated a nursery and garden center on the property The proposal for the site is to create a housing complex known as The Gateway Residential Development The North Castle Planning Board approved the site plan and the Town Board approved a one-year extension for the project’s special use permit that previously had been granted Owners NCD Acquisitions LLC and 45 Bedford Road LLC plan to build 34 residential units in 11 buildings The units would be for sale as condominiums told the Planning Board that all of the units would be approximately 2,100 square feet in size The project would have a total of 68 bedrooms He said that four of the units would be priced as affordable housing the project had been proposed to have 43 units in four buildings with a total of 132 parking spaces and then 50 units with 120 parking spaces Veneziano pointed out that the developer has designed the buildings so that they emulate the look of single-family houses and are in keeping with the type of architecture found elsewhere in the area In the past town officials had expressed concern that the design of the project was not in keeping with the Bedford Road Historic District The locations of the buildings on the site were adjusted and Veneziano said that the developer had changed the plans so that the ground level where cars would be parked underneath the residential levels would be enclosed rather than have the sides open as in a carport arrangement Veneziano indicated that the developer is anxious to begin construction Armonk will be home to the area’s newest pickleball and storage facilities Basis Industrial held a ceremonial groundbreaking for a new 117,000-square-foot building at 100 Business Park Drive in Armonk featuring Sportime’s 11-court pickleball facility and a more than 82,000-square-foot home for Extra Space Storage president and managing partner of Basis Industrial said the upcoming construction of the building fills two growing needs for the home community as well as the surrounding area With pickleball now the fastest-growing participatory sport and storage facilities in other areas of Westchester but not close to this site the project promises to fill two high-in-demand needs in the area and there really isn’t anything within a five-mile radius and that’s unique for self-storage,” said Scavo who scouted the property at Business Park Drive for a possible venture need storage and that’s going to be a benefit.” which owns and operates tennis and sports clubs throughout the state The company is aiming to be the largest operator of pickleball courts in New York State to match its current status of being the number one creator of tennis facilities in New York The Armonk site will be one of its first locations with an 11-court facility along with various amenities that it will offer the public in its 26,550-square foot portion of the building Okin called pickleball “the fastest-growing participation sport in history and in America and it doesn’t look like it’s going to stop soon.” “We’re really excited about doing it here and we look forward to having a positive impact in the community and a healthy one,” he said The Salt Lake City-headquartered Extra Space Storage operates more than 3,500 locations across the U.S senior manager of third-party relationships Extra Space Storage said the local facility will offer a variety of storage sizes in a climate-controlled environment that is safe with the state-of-the-art security features “This new facility in Armonk is a testament to that commitment (to customers),” Dorff said “We understand the evolving needs of our customers and strive to offer not just space but peace of mind.” The remaining 8,000 square feet of new construction will be occupied by Jan-Tile one of the largest tile installers in the U.S The space will add to the existing 60,000 square feet the company has in the existing building at the site which it sold to Basis Industrial in early 2023 Basis Industrial secured a $39.6 million loan to help finance the mixed-use project North Castle Supervisor Joseph Rende welcomed the operation to town and expressed appreciation for the commitment by Basis Industrial and the tenants it has secured prior to construction “I think this is an exciting time but it speaks volumes for the Town of North Castle when you have citizens like Anthony and (his wife) Courtney who are willing to make an investment back into this community,” Rende said Scavo said he’s looking forward to seeing the building open after a projected construction period of roughly one year “I think it’s exciting that we have a chance to really building something with this kind of mixed-use Defendant allegedly attempted to stab the sergeant multiple times as police were taking him into custody; Second officer fired duty pistol twice to stop defendant Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E Rocah announced today that an Armonk man was indicted for the attempted murder of a North Castle police sergeant in May DA Rocah said: “We are seeking to hold this defendant accountable for his alleged attempt to kill a police sergeant who was simply trying to do his job We are grateful that the officer was not seriously injured or killed during this unprovoked attack.”  was arraigned today before New York State Supreme Court Justice Anne E Minihan in Westchester County Court on an indictment by a Westchester County Grand Jury for Attempted Aggravated Murder and Attempted Aggravated Assault Upon a Police Officer and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth Degree The defendant remains remanded to Westchester County Jail two North Castle police officers responded to a 911 emergency call on Hallock Place in Armonk to assist a 78-year-old woman who needed medical care who had two outstanding bench warrants in North Castle Town Court When officers attempted to arrest the defendant he allegedly used a knife attempting to stab Sgt William McClure multiple times in the back before Police Officer Chris Costa used his duty pistol to fire two shots The incident was captured on police-worn body cameras.  The defendant and both officers were transported to local hospitals for treatment and evaluation; the officers were uninjured.  The defendant was arrested in the hospital on May 28 following an investigation conducted by the Westchester County Department of Public Safety and the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office The case is being prosecuted by Bureau Chief Jonathan Strongin and Assistant District Attorney Alexander B both of the Trials & Investigations Division with assistance from the Rye Bureau.  The charges against the defendant are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.     2025 at 4:21 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Each of the business owners discovered the burglaries on Tuesday morning Police say that cash and other items were stolen from each location NY — The North Castle Police Department says that it is investigating commerical burglaries that took place overnight between Monday and Tuesday Each of the business owners discovered the burglaries on Tuesday morning The thefts are currently under investigation by North Castle detectives Anyone who notices suspicious activity in the area should contact the North Castle Police Department at 914-273-9500 Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Featured on Franchise Corner Fitness franchising brings to mind images of independent owner-operators and small-business success the space might be better summed in a few words: “go big or go home.” ATN breaks down key moments from their conversation including why the trend of franchise consolidation might be here to stay and which fitness modalities are poised for growth in the years ahead.  Investors expect to see this trend continue in the years ahead especially since large franchise groups tend to see quick success in terms of expansion.  “Consolidation is among us,” said L Catterton’s Magliacano franchisee groups perform very well.”  “The data is just telling franchisors to help facilitate ongoing consolidation of their franchise groups,” he added The rise of so-called “HVLP 2.0” gyms could accelerate the consolidation trend in the years ahead.  HVLP 2.0 gyms represent the next evolution of high-value, low-price gyms, offering premium amenity sets like group fitness classes, recovery services and top-shelf strength training equipment at monthly price points that are at or near traditional “HVLP 1.0” gym concepts like Planet Fitness Crunch Fitness, Chuze Fitness, EōS Fitness and Vasa Fitness generally fall into the HVLP 2.0 category HVLP 2.0  gyms are more expensive to build and maintain than HVLP 1.0 concepts which can make it cost-prohibitive for individual franchisees to get in on the action.  many HVLP 2.0 brands opt to stay corporate-owned rather than sell franchises North Castle Partners’ Canarick noted an interesting phenomenon  – virtually every major HVLP 2.0 brand is corporate-owned consolidating its gyms into the hands of a few large franchise groups offers a way to compete with the likes of Chuze EōS and Vasa on the operational side while still tapping into the economic and expansionary benefits of a franchise model.  “Where Crunch is evolving is to sort of lean into the fact that you do really need sophisticated management teams (and) more concentration of ownership the corporate-owned model,” Canarick said.  High-performing fitness brands are still able to obtain growth capital when the conditions are right investors say the market is less receptive to franchising than it was before the pandemic.  “The post-COVID world is very different for a whole host of reasons,” said York Capital Management’s Shapiro but also inflation and higher interest rates So it’s a much more difficult operating environment today than it was five years ago.” Magliacano noted that entrepreneurs are generally less interested in becoming fitness and wellness franchisees than they were before the pandemic with COVID’s deleterious effects on the fitness industry still fresh in people’s minds willing and able to lean in with their wallets is a very different proposition than it was pre-COVID,” he said Canarick also pointed to the rise of at-home fitness during the pandemic as a factor that makes it more difficult for brick-and-mortar franchise brands to compete for investment dollars. While connected fitness brands like Peloton might be struggling financially there’s no denying that at-home fitness is a bigger part of consumers’ exercise routines than it was pre-pandemic.  “For all of the negatives around Peloton and all their struggles they still have an enormous market share of daily workouts much higher than it was before COVID,” Canarick said.  It’s not all doom and gloom, though. The fitness and wellness industry is still generally growing even if current macroeconomic conditions and lingering memories from the pandemic have created challenges for operators and investors Asked which fitness modalities and concepts are poised for growth in the years ahead investors pointed to some familiar trends.  “I think, without question, the highest growth segment in boutique fitness is Pilates in its various forms, mostly machine-based Pilates,” Canarick said adding that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) also “continues to be very successful.”  Magliacano pointed to the rise of strength training in gyms ‘Follow the science,’ the science is saying strength is where you need to be,” he said “cardio-based concepts are going to struggle,” he said.  Magliacano also expects to see tech and AI become a bigger part of the gym experience moving forward This could be bad news for human personal trainers you’re going to see transformative changes within gyms where technology and AI – and personalization of training programs – is going to take place,” he said I believe that personal training from a human perspective will be under review Shapiro pointed to the rise of wellness and recovery franchises which offer services ranging from stretching and IV therapy to beauty services like Botox.  ”There are huge demographic tailwinds with the aging population in the United States so we’re very bullish on recovery services.” Sign Up for Our Newsletter Trusted by 100k+ Fitness Athletech News provides comprehensive media coverage of the most impactful news and trends shaping the fitness and wellness sector Our newsletter and website cover emerging fitness technology new fitness formats and the industry’s economic outlook Keep pulse with the latest in fitness news MYNORTHWEST NEWS 1:10 PM | Updated: Feb 14 BY JULIA DALLAS Update: Washington State Department of Transportation reports that all lanes on southbound and northbound I-5 near Castle Rock are open once again “This was a 22 vehicle collision, involving multiple commercial vehicles & passenger cars. 6 people were transported to 3 area hospitals before troopers arrived on scene,” Washington State Trooper Will Finn reported on X there still was a reported 10-12 mile traffic delay That is expected to slowly clear Thursday evening All lanes of Interstate 5 (I-5) north are back open while only the right lane on I-5 south is open near Castle Rock and Toledo as reported by The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) on X Thursday UPDATE: SB I-5 at MP 60 has the right lane OPEN Thank you for your patience as we work to clear this collision. Our crews are doing their best in these conditions, and our Incident Response Team (IRT) is helping drivers in the backups, including those needing fuel. https://t.co/v8huJ8gOUR — WSDOT Southwest (@wsdot_southwest) February 13, 2025 A disabled semi-truck was blocking all lanes of I-5 north at milepost 56 A collision was blocking all lanes of I-5 south at milepost 60 near Exit 59 by the Cowlitz River UPDATE: The disabled semi blocking all lanes of NB I-5 at MP 56 is cleared. All lanes are open. https://t.co/Oi4AxVFIaM — WSDOT Southwest (@wsdot_southwest) February 13, 2025 expect significant delays,” the agency stated and anything else you’ll need for sitting in backups.” I-5 in Clark County is backed up w/ multiple collisions & disabled vehicles If possible, delay travel. If you do need to head out, expect significant delays. Be prepared w/ a full gas tank, water, food, warm clothes, and anything else you’ll need for sitting in backups. pic.twitter.com/wdoyHSZ4rC — WSDOT Southwest (@wsdot_southwest) February 13, 2025 Westchester County police spokesperson Kieran O'Leary said Sgt William McClure and officer Chris Costa responded to the scene on Hallock Place in Armonk around 12:26 p.m where a 78-year-old woman needed medical care O'Leary said the officers identified Joseph Spennato also present at the scene and had two bench warrants out for his arrest requiring him to undergo treatment for non-life threatening injuries at Westchester Medical Center A joint investigation between the Westchester County Police Department and the Westchester County District Attorney's Office led to Spennato's arraignment for attempted murder of a police officer Tuesday evening while at Westchester Medical Center Spennato was ordered to be held without bail and will be remanded to Westchester County Jail upon his release from the hospital A man was killed in a three-vehicle crash that caused an hours-long closure on a busy Northern Westchester road The crash happened on a stretch of Route 22 in North Castle between Route 120 and Old Orchard Street.  15 in North Castle that happened at around 3:30 p.m on northbound Route 22 between Route 120 and Old Orchard Street including a motorcycle operated by Plunkett who succumbed to injuries sustained in the incident Other drivers and passengers involved in the crash also suffered non-life-threatening injuries The incident caused the stretch of Route 22 between Route 120 and Old Orchard Street to close for several hours on Thursday as authorities conducted an investigation The crash is still under investigation by the North Castle and Westchester County Police Departments 2024 at 1:07 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Eastern black bears NY — Bears can be a little restless this time of the year but our wildlife neighbors aren't looking to interact with people so a respectful distance and a little bear-proofing is still the best policy The Town of North Castle Police Department sent an advisory out Tuesday morning warning residents of bear sightings in the Armonk area of North Castle The most recent sightings were on the Route 128 corridor near the New Castle border North Castle police reminded residents that they should be cautious and can brush up on bear information from the NYS DEC and Bearwise.org They added that bears should not be fed either deliberately or inadvertently Any food sources that bears might have access to should be removed If you are uncertain or uncomfortable when a bear is seen call the North Castle Police at (914) 273-9500 or use 911 According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) black bears are "transient occupants of Westchester County," and their movement tends to increase in June as breeding season begins and young bears look to find their own spaces While black bears are usually not dangerous to humans they may become so if they become conditioned to human presence Children and pets should be closely monitored If a bear is damaging property or does not leave the area you can call the DEC regional wildlife office during business hours at 845-256-3098 If a bear presents an immediate danger to public safety "A bear is nothing more than a large raccoon," Tom Koepf of the Department of Environmental Conservation told WABC-TV in 2015 "If there's food out they're going to eat it The best way to keep bears from entering a yard is to remove any sort of food Even bird feeders should be removed by April 1 according to NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) recommendations Garbage cans should be emptied frequently and kept clean Compost piles should be moved as far away from houses as possible Grills with leftover grease can also attract bears The NYS DEC advises that bears will only be encouraged to leave an area unless the bear creates a public disturbance attempts to enter homes or is injured and cannot move freely to escape Howell Construction has broken ground on Grace Chapel Castle Rock marking a significant milestone for the community The facility will be located a short distance west of the current place of worship adjacent to I-25 in North Castle Rock Sized at just under 15,000 square feet, this Lee Architects design will provide an expansive modern worship space One of its key features is its proximity to the existing church allowing members to witness the construction progress from start to finish The project will include a large worship center A generous lobby will welcome visitors with a coffee bar creating an inviting atmosphere for fellowship the facility will house seven classrooms for youth teaching The entrance to the building features a welcoming courtyard “This congregation has been waiting for years for this project to start Howell considers it a privilege to be on the team to see their dream become a reality,” said Andy Stewart full-service general contracting firm in business since 1935 and collaborative construction services along Colorado’s Front Range Howell specializes in building in technically intensive high-risk environments where the consequences of failure are high Opus has broken ground on Catalyst Industrial a new 188,054-square-foot Class A speculative industrial development on 14.26 acres located at 15030 E Each year during National Preservation Month Historic Denver opens the doors for the public to nominate the people and projects 2024 at 9:16 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The Westchester-based company was founded nearly a century ago when Clarence Wallauer left his job as a paint salesman to start his own paint store NY — A Westchester woman's more than two-year embezzlement scheme will end behind bars Rocah announced today that the Mohegan Lake woman was sentenced to a term of two to six years in prison for stealing more than $340,000 from the North Castle-based paint supplier "This defendant exploited her role overseeing finances for a business that entrusted her with this important responsibility," Rocah said "This case outcome underscores our commitment to prosecuting financial crimes across the county as well as our continued work to secure restitution on behalf of individuals and businesses." in Westchester County Court to two to six years in state prison for grand larceny and one and one-third to four years for falsifying business records The 54-year-old is also ordered to pay $170,000 in restitution to the company Rosado stole $341,707.54 of company funds between July 7 Rosado was arrested in June 2022 in Orlando Marshalls with assistance from the Fugitive Unit of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the Westchester County Department of Public Safety’s Warrant Fugitive Unit The case was prosecuted by Senior Tax Fraud Counsel Nicole Gamble of the Economic Crimes Bureau with assistance from Forensic Accountant Michael Frenza both of the Trials and Investigations Division and Criminal Investigators Steven Sassone and Joseph McGann The District Attorney thanked the Ossining North Castle and the Westchester County police departments for their assistance in the case SEE ALSO: Grand Jury Indictment For Exec Accused Of Embezzling $340K Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Get important news about your town as it happens. Something went wrong. Please subscribe again. Get the top stories from across our network. Are you sure you want to unsubscribe from daily updates? A stretch of Route 22 in North Castle between Route 120 and Old Orchard Street was closed to traffic after a crash. A stretch of a busy route in Northern Westchester is once again open following a serious crash. Route 22 in the town of North Castle between Route 120 and Old Orchard Street reopened by around 7:45 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 15 following a crash investigation, North Castle Police announced. No further information about the crash has yet been released.  This is a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.  Correction: This article was updated to correct information about where Brandon Brois was before returning to his Armonk home in 2021. An Armonk man arrested with his parents when investigators seized a cache of guns and ammunition in their home was convicted Wednesday after the jury rejected the claim that all the weapons were exclusively his father's. Brandon Brois, who turned 27 during the trial, was found guilty of second- , third- and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon and faces between 7 and 15 years in prison when he is sentenced in December. Jurors found Brois guilty in connection to a pair of handguns in two of the bedrooms, a rifle in the family room and assault rifles, shotguns and other weapons in a basement safe. They acquitted him on charges related to guns found in other locked cabinets around the house. Brois, his father Theodore and mother Helene were arrested in January 2022 after their sprawling Tallwoods Road home was raided by North Castle and Westchester County police, the FBI and the Westchester District Attorney's Office as part of 'Operation Casper,' a multi-jurisdictional effort to track down ghost guns in the Lower Hudson Valley. Dozens of assault rifles, shotguns and handguns were seized, along with thousands of rounds of ammunition and other gun paraphernalia. The raid resulted from records obtained by federal authorities from the gun-parts supplier Brownells, which showed Theodore Brois had purchased numerous parts from the company between May 2019 and August 2021, according to court documents. Brandon Brois had been on parole and living in the Armonk home for nine months before the raid after serving nearly two years in prison for a weapon conviction in Manhattan. He said he himself had put the gun on the shelf in his son’s room when he found the room flooded one day. The elder Brois, who said he always walked around the home armed, claimed he had the handgun in the pocket of his robe and when the robe got wet from the flooding he took the gun out and put it on the shelf. Brois and his wife had separated and while she mostly stayed in New Jersey and Florida, he had moved into an upstairs room in the Armonk home. He testified that he sometimes missed her and would lie in her bed. In one such instance he brought a handgun with him and put it in the nightstand. As with the gun he left on his son’s shelf, he said he simply forgot it when he left the room. Defense lawyer Stanley Cohen insisted in closing arguments Monday that there was simply no evidence showing Brandon Brois had purchased, used or had control of any of the weapons. He argued there was no proof of when the son’s DNA got on the handgun, that it could have been when he was a child and his father was demonstrating to him how to shoot it, or even could have gotten there based on secondary or tertiary transfer. Assistant District Attorney James Bavero called the DNA the “nail in the coffin” proving Brandon Brois’ possession of the weapons and attacked the father’s explanation for how the handguns got into the nightstand and his son’s shelf. He said the presence of ammunition in Brandon Brois’ room that exactly matched rifles and shotguns locked in other areas of the house showed the son had access to multiple guns there. Brandon Brois had been free on bail since last year. But state Supreme Court Justice Larry Schwartz granted Bavero's request that Brois be held at the county jail to await sentencing because he was a flight risk now that he faces mandatory prison time. Cohen expressed disappointment with the verdict and said it would be appealed. "I took the position from the outset that the guns were all Theodore Brois' and under his exclusive dominion and control," Cohen said. "This is a young kid who's living in a house where his father is a gun nut and he gets hit with all these gun charges." Helene Brois pleaded guilty earlier this year to fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon and was sentenced to three years of probation. Theodore Brois is expected to be sentenced next week to 7 ½ years in prison. He pleaded guilty in May to first- and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Support local news by joining as a member! Receive unfettered access to our digital content, including our Examiner+ bonus content newsletter, and get other perks like free tickets to local performing arts, complimentary advertising for your favorite local charity, restaurant deals, and much more! News Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. To the tune of “Yankee Doodle” played by the Westchester-based Dixie Dandies, Ed Woodyard, president of the North Castle Historical Society, commenced a ceremony Sunday for the rededication of North Castle’s Eagle Sign. “Welcome to the rededication of the Eagle,” he said. The Eagle Sign has stood at the intersection of Route 22 and Main Street (Route 128) in Armonk since 1976, originally intending to only be a temporary display to celebrate the country’s bicentennial. Though it has been replaced since its original wooden rendition, the design of the North Castle Eagle Sign has remained consistent throughout its 48 years. Last December, after the 40 ft. aluminum Eagle symbol had been found on the ground, investigators determined that the sign had been a victim of vandalism. Since then, a team of motivated contractors–Michael Ferrari (Fareri Companies), John T. and Michael Oronzio (J.T. Oronzio), and Giulio Monaco (The Verde Group), all of whom were awarded with Certificates of Appreciation from the Town of North Castle at the ceremony–have worked to reinstate the sign to its former glory. Former North Castle Judge Susan Shimer also delivered a heartfelt speech on the significance of the Eagle Sign to the town. The ceremony for the sign’s reinstatement was a celebration of both the past and future, a future of people coming together in remembrance of the past, she said. “The symbol chosen by our country’s founders was the eagle, a soaring eagle,” Shimer said. “An eagle represents honesty, truth, wisdom, majesty, strength, power, and freedom. It also represents searching: searching for a future, a better tomorrow for all.” Shimer shared an original carving of the Eagle design done by Arthur Soka, a significant contributor to the first wooden sign. Gratitude was also extended to his son, Troy Soka, for donating his father’s initial illustrations to the North Castle Historical Society. County Legislator Margaret Cunzio spoke on behalf of herself and County Executive George Latimer, who could not attend the ceremony due to scheduling conflicts. Cunzio revealed her love for the Eagle, as she considered it a guiding light for the area. “This is home for me. The Eagle represents so much. It was the way I gave everyone directions here; it was, turn left at the Eagle, you’re on Main Street,” she said. “And that was the epitome of this town–everyone knew the Eagle.” In his closing remarks, Joe Rende, North Castle’s Town Supervisor, shared future plans to establish the Eagle Sign and its surrounding landscape, which will be redone by Michael Fareri, as an official landmark of Armonk and the Town of North Castle. The North Castle Town Board voted to landmark a 100-year-old barber pole that stands outside a hair salon in downtown Armonk Following a recommendation from the Landmarks Preservation Committee the Town Board approved the designation for the pole in front of Manny’s Unisex Haircutting at 416 Main St The request for landmark status came from the owners of the building a Landmarks Preservation Committee member who addressed the board at its last meeting a Koch #909 model that was made in Chicago It had been moved from more of the middle of the sidewalk to next to the building during one of the times that the sidewalks on Main Street were redone “We heard from people they wanted it to be landmarked so we took it on and we think it’s a great idea,” Fernberg said The barber pole is a symbol of the trade of a barber and has been used since medieval times according to the websites of multiple barbers and the red and white of the pole was associated with bloodletting Councilwoman Barbara DiGiacinto said it was a great idea to landmark the pole are very involved in tending to their property “They must be very pleased that this is going to be a treasure for many “It looks brand new and it’s just amazing the way it looks.” At the July 10 public hearing on landmarking the pole Most poles operate with a motor that would need to be turned on There was also discussion on whether the town would be able to have a plaque to inform passersby that it is now a local landmark Supervisor Joseph Rende said that it would most likely make sense for a plaque to be placed on the building because it didn’t appear there would be anyplace else where it could go “It would have to go on the building and we would need to get permission of the owner of the building Fernberg said the Landmarks Preservation Committee would discuss the possibility of a plaque to explain its significance and other relevant information to the public 2024 at 9:36 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Officials say that as part of the event they will be recognizing the generous donors who contributed to the restoration efforts of the town's iconic symbol NY — The New Castle Eagle is flying high again and we're invited to help celebrate The Town of North Castle will be holding a rededication ceremony this Sunday they will be recognizing the generous donors who contributed to the restoration efforts of the town's iconic symbol There will also be a presentation by former North Castle Judge Susan Shimer diving into the rich historical background of the eagle "Don't miss this memorable occasion as we come together to celebrate our town's heritage and the spirit of generosity that made this restoration possible," the town said SEE ALSO: Intentional Damage Caused Iconic Armonk Eagle Sign To Fall sabotage was suspected in the toppling of the familiar Hudson Valley landmark at the intersection of Route 22 and Route 128 Police found evidence of intentional damage to the sign's support structure although it was unclear when the damage took place due to the wood being partially rotted The rain date for the rededication event will be Monday – Peyton Butler stood on the 18th tee box at Country Oaks with a troubling feeling The North High School senior didn’t know where the Huskies stood until a teammate relayed what little info was available Butler thought this could even be the final hole of his prep career What North did on the back nine on Thursday was a case study in team golf More: What we learned from the IHSAA boys golf sectional at Helfrich 7 Huskies shot a 291 to win their eighth straight regional championship 3 Bloomington South by 11 shots over the final nine holes to win by six “This is in the top three of 18-hole round scores in my seven years,” said North coach Keith Bagby “I challenged them to dig deep and show me what you’ve got To win a regional championship is a big deal.” A victory isn’t surprising with this title extending the Huskies’ own state record But a top three finish – all that is required to advance to the state championship – didn’t feel guaranteed Scoring was difficult with 25-mile per hour wind gusts North was in third place at the turn with only four shots separating it from fifth Peyton Butler and Luke Johnston each posted 2-under 70 to finish in the top five individually Brody Sorrell traversed a bumpy start to shoot 75 Luke Price carded a 76 with a triple bogey at seven finishing with a par at 18 despite standing in the water to hit his second shot which bested the fifth score from South by two “That’s what gets you coming back every single day It’s pretty special to do it with this group of guys They’re not just my teammates but my friends.” The senior had the most pleasing scorecard Butler drained a 40-foot birdie at the first and found the bottom of the cup for another at four He finished with zero bogeys in tough conditions to make a difficult game look easy Butler has shot 74 or better in five of his past six postseason tournaments dating to last year “Nobody works harder at golf than Peyton Butler,” said Bagby I saw him miss four or five really good birdie putts One round can make or break your postseason chances After advancing from the sectional by only one shot the Knights earned a spot in the state championship with a third-place finish Castle shot a 306 to hold off other contenders Gibson Southern (309) and Jasper (311) with little margin for error Brayden Lamborne flirted with medalist honors until a pair of late bogeys but still led Castle at 70 Carson Cook (80) and Jack Fiester (81) also played important roles in this turnaround For a young team – four of the top five return next year – a state championship spot could act as a springboard "A tale of two different days," said Castle coach Josh Kain "We played really well on our first nine and had that cushion (Brayden) is hitting his driver really well He's been working his tail off to get his wedge yardages down." Caleb Schnarr can still picture the five-foot putt on the 18th green a year ago The Jasper standout missed a spot in the state championship last year by one shot despite shooting even par The junior didn't leave his fate to chance this time Schnarr posted a 4-under 68 to win the individual regional championship and earn one of three individual spots at Prairie View His round was two shots better than the field Schnarr shot 2-under on the front nine and finished strong with a closing birdie at 18 "I worked really hard this past year to get it done," said Schnarr I probably rolled in a couple of putts you don't see go in every day More: Tecumseh softball advances to IHSAA state championship again: 'It never gets old' Peyton Blackard can also attest to the difference a year can make Blackard carded a 2-under 70 to earn an individual ticket to the state championship The Gibson Southern junior finished second overall with two key birdies at 18 Blackard credits a practice week at Cambridge under tournament conditions to get into the right mindset "I was very frustrated last year after the round," said Blackard I didn't have as many tournaments leading up to this A lot of shots that could have been bad but turned out good I was more committed to my lines than I normally am." Gibson Southern senior Daymian Rij earned the final individual spot with a 72 The rest of the team scores were: Brownstown Central 319 Bloomington North 348 and Heritage Hills 348 2024 at 7:56 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The pursuit included police departments from Harrison NY — Police say that a suspected car thief drew the attention of a neighbor while casing high-end vehicles in a Westchester neighborhood The Harrison Police Department announced the arrest of 19-year-old Devlin J in connection with the grand larceny of a vehicle in West Harrison a West Harrison resident reported suspicious activity to the Harrison Police Department a white Mercedes-Benz and a dark-colored Audi A5 The occupants of the vehicles were attempting to pull on door handles of parked cars The Audi A5 was pursued by police departments from Harrison The vehicle ultimately crashed on Buena Vista Avenue in Yonkers Lavallee was apprehended by Westchester County police The Audi 5 was stolen from West Harrison that morning including felony third degree grand larceny felony third degree criminal possession of stolen property unlawful fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle reckless driving and an assortment of traffic violations "The Harrison Police Department would like to commend the officers involved for their quick and coordinated response to this incident and would also like to thank Westchester County’s Real Time Crime Center for their assistance," police officials said in a statement released on Monday Lavallee was arraigned and released on his own recognizance He is scheduled to appear in Harrison Town Court on December 10 Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Traffic on a stretch of a busy Northern Westchester highway in multiple municipalities will soon be slowed by lane closures I-684 in Bedford and North Castle will be affected between Exit 3 and Exit 4.  Both directions of Interstate 684 will be reduced to one lane between Exit 3 (Route 22) in North Castle and Exit 4 (Route 172) in Bedford on Wednesday the New York State Department of Transportation announced The lane closures are scheduled to be put in place between 10 a.m The closures will allow crews to perform bridge work