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Chappaqua-Millwood Chamber of Commerce Launches ReStart Grant Program for Small Businesses in New Castle

October 5, 2020 by Inside Press

First Round Application Deadline Saturday, October 10th at Midnight

Chappaqua, NY, October 5, 2020 — New Castle ReStart, (www.newcastlrestart.com) a grant initiative facilitated by the Chappaqua-Millwood Chamber of Commerce, has been launched to provide need-based relief for New Castle’s small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The primary objective is to help small businesses whose primary owners reside or work in the community with their rebuilding and reopening efforts, as well as to subsidize additional costs incurred to purchase new equipment and integrate the processes required to implement state-mandated safety protocols.

Eligibility for the grant includes:

  • Businesses with a physical storefront located within the physical boundaries of the Town of New Castle
  • Businesses that have not been deemed essential per Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order 202.6 will also be eligible to apply.

The application deadline for the first round will be Saturday, October 10 at midnight.  Donations and applications will continue to be accepted for the next rounds of funding. The amount to be disbursed and the number of grants provided will depend on generous donations from community members, along with any funds raised through activities that support this endeavor. Donations are tax-deductible and will provide direct assistance to those most in need.

The ReStart initiative was created and is directed by Chamber president, Dawn Dankner-Rosen and Chamber Vice President, Rand Manasse. Key to the launch are ReStart Committee members: Randi Childs, local photographer, who donated the  $11,000 she raised through her successful #TheFrontPorch photo project; Kristen Browde, who donated her legal expertise and all of the legal services needed to create this grant program; Chamber Treasurer Ted Holmes, who enacted all of the filings needed to create the grant program; Cynthia Schames, who created the ReStart website and Stephanie Steinberg, who designed the logo. 

This community-wide committee was formed with the support of the New Castle Town Board. ReStart Committee members to date include Town Supervisor Ivy Pool, Town Board member Lauren Levin, Dawn Dankner-Rosen, Rand Manasse, Ted Holmes, Kristen Browde, Randi Childs, Cynthia Schames, Dawn Greenberg, Debbie Grisham, Shauna Levy and  Wendy Nolan. We are still seeking additional members, community support and participation. Please contact ddr@ddrpr.com with your intent.

ReStart applications for small businesses in need are now available online at https://www.newcastlerestart.com/apply. All applicants will need to show proof of financial need, report whether assistance has been received from other sources, including loans, grants and unemployment insurance and state their anticipated uses for any grant money received.  Please go to newcastlerestart@chappaquamillwood.org.

News is Courtesy of the Chappaqua Millwood Chamber of Commerce.

Filed Under: Surviving COVID-19 Tagged With: Chappaqua-Millwood Chamber of Commerce, Covid 19 Relief, donations, merchants, New Castle ReStart, ReStart, Town of New Castle

Update On Redistricting Downtown Chappaqua

March 22, 2020 by Amy Kelley

Several merchants are in favor of a change in zoning but note that many customers still travel by car so ample parking is a necessity

People like to live in places that have walkable downtowns. But the reality is that online shopping has impacted many local merchants significantly, and if the hamlet of Chappaqua is going to thrive, town planning must ensure the area is kept vibrant as it faces modern pressures.

The Town of New Castle has had a new comprehensive plan since 2017, and many of the action items provided for in the plan are now underway. One of these is the adoption of a new type of zoning code, which may happen this fall. The code, Sabrina D. Charney Hull, director of planning for the Town of New Castle, said, aims to provide a framework for making many positive changes to the hamlet of Chappaqua that residents have requested.

“I’ve been working for the town for seven years and part of my job is to update the town’s comprehensive plan,” Charney Hull said. The last comprehensive plan New Castle had was completed in 1989 but was never formally adopted. It’s a tremendous undertaking, and the time had come to move forward with creating a new one.”

Merchants hope these apartments on Bedford Road will bring in more foot traffic to downtown

“My responsibility was to update the Comprehensive Plan in an efficient and timely manner,” Charney Hull said. In 2014, New Castle contracted with the Pace Land Use Law Center to canvass the community with a survey, to find out what residents wanted for their town. There were also public meetings and other means of outreach. “You name it, we did it,” Charney Hull said.

Diverse Housing Stock Needed

Overall the feedback indicated, besides other things, that New Castle residents wanted a revitalization of the town’s hamlets, including a walkable, livable, eco-sustainable downtown Chappaqua. Residents indicated that while they highly valued open spaces and their single-family neighborhoods, they also wanted a greater diversity of housing stock to provide more options for residents to downsize once they had raised their families, and to enable more young people to live in Chappaqua. This is particularly important for town services dependent on volunteers, like the fire department and ambulance corps. “There’s a record low in volunteering because there’s no population to volunteer,” Charney Hull explained.

These responses and more were incorporated into the town’s 2017 comprehensive plan, which aims to recognize and respond to the many changes that have taken place that impact the town since the last plan. Among these are the internet, which has changed shopping habits drastically. Merchants need more foot traffic to overcome online competition.

Additionally, “as millenials’ (the younger generation’s) economic self-sufficiency increased and the baby boomers (older generation’s) age, these populations are becoming more interested in amenities, housing, services and entertainment options that are accessible without a personal vehicle or through public transit. Also, there is a trend to introduce “healthy living” and “active lifestyles” into everyday actions” (plannewcastle.us/abouttheplan). New Castle residents want to create a “diversity of housing,” Charney Hull said.

The plan also recognizes modern post-9/11 security and disaster/emergency preparedness concerns, as well as modern concerns for environmental stewardship. When the town board adopted the comprehensive plan, the town hall held a full house of supportive residents, Charney Hull said.

Foot Traffic Needed Downtown

When looking to create opportunities for more diverse housing stock, it made sense to look at downtown Chappaqua–it has a train station, it’s connected to town sewer and water. The infrastructure is there, and that’s where merchants need foot traffic.

In neighboring Mount Kisco, efforts are also underway to revitalize the downtown, but there, the village has decided to work with a master developer, while Chappaqua has decided to approach change by considering moving to form-based zoning.

One of “active actions” provided for in the plan is a revision of the zoning code. “Right now we have zoning that’s called Euclidean zoning,” Charney Hull explained. “You zone by use–houses in one area, businesses in another, industrial uses in another area.” That’s how it has been since the 1920s, when that type of zoning was needed for health and safety reasons. However, the kind of zoning now proposed is called form-based zoning.

“We know the existing zoning isn’t conducive to today’s commercial market and we also know we don’t have enough feet on the street,” Charney Hull said. “When creating a walkable, livable environment, the first step is to look at your zoning.”

Defining a Form-Based Code

A form-based code is “a land-development regulation that fosters predictable built results and a high-quality public realm by using physical form (rather than separation of uses) as the organizing principle for the code,” according to the Form-Based Codes Institute. That means that residential and commercial uses may coexist in the same area, while attention is paid to the architectural harmony of the buildings, and how they relate to public spaces such as sidewalks, no matter what they contain. (Of course, Charney Hull pointed out that in downtown Chappaqua, there will be allowable uses–not all uses will be allowed.) Charney Hull said that anyone developing a property in the Chappaqua downtown area will have seven or eight architectural templates they can draw from, which will describe how the detailing on windows, trim boards and so on, should be.

Charney Hull said response from business and property owners in the hamlet has been “very positive.” That’s because “right now it’s not economically viable to re-develop,” Charney Hull explained. “Our existing code at 2-3 stories is not developable.” An expert hired by the town determined that the numbers don’t work–developers won’t be motivated under the existing code. If the proposed new zoning code is adopted in the fall, buildings on Greeley Avenue and lower King Street can be built to four stories.

Merchants Weigh In

Of course, one major part of this plan of action is that there be no net loss of existing parking. “It would be good for the businesses,” Angelo Tradito, owner of the Old Stone Trattoria on King Street, said of the proposed zoning code. “I think it’s better for the town to have more mixed-use… it’ll bring new people to Chappaqua.” While Tradito’s business is on the west side of King Street, farther from the train station and Greeley Avenue, he said he does get some foot traffic currently.

“Not a lot, but some,” Tradito said. There are apartments behind the building housing his restaurant, and a new building going up across the street that Tradito said may bring more pedestrians to his place in the future. However, currently most of his patrons come by car.

Trish Kallman, owner of hip-kid in the heart of downtown Chappaqua, notes that she is in favor of changing the zoning. “I’m for it as long as it’s respectful of the look and feel of the town. I get that people want the beautiful bucolic downtown feel. But it’s not very vibrant right now.”

Kallman said that a change in zoning would benefit people who live in Chappaqua as well as the merchants. “As long as certain things are protected,” she said. “You don’t want it to look like a city.” Patrons of hip-kid generally come by car at this point, although Kallman said it would be nice if new zoning resulted in more downtown residents who could shop there.

Christine Meyer, owner of Wags & Whiskers, is less optimistic about potential future foot traffic if the zoning changes. Meyer’s business is located on the west end of King St, across from Walgreens. Most of her customers come by car. But Meyer did say more foot traffic would “absolutely” be a good thing for the hamlet.

“It’s up to the individual property owners,” Charney Hull said, to determine when existing properties are re-developed under a new code, should it be adopted. It will likely be up for a vote by the town board as soon as the fall. “The community is spearheading this,” Charney Hull pointed out. “It’s what they have asked for, and the town board has been supportive of this process throughout.”

Filed Under: Cover Stories Tagged With: Chappaqua, Comprehensive Plan, diversity, Downtown Chappaqua, hamlet, lifestyles, merchants, public transert, Redistricting, Town Planning, walkable downtowns

Celebrating Beauty and Community Through Art

June 3, 2019 by Julia Bialek

Art Around Town Creates a Strolling Art Gallery in Our Backyard

After what seemed like a week of never-ending rain, the sun came out on Friday and shone brightly on the town. On this beautiful evening, Chappaqua was packed with members of the community as they enjoyed the opening reception for the fifth installation of Art Around Town, an event hosted by the Northern Westchester Artists Guild (NWAG). Pairing artists with merchants and transforming Chappaqua into a strolling art gallery, Art Around Town gives artists the opportunity to install their work in local shops for the month of June. A vibrant celebration of art, music, and community, the opening night kick-off included receptions at the participating merchants with wine, food, and the artists to discuss their work, which is all for sale via NWAG. All over town, community-members excitedly observed the artwork and engaged with the artists, entering stores and mingling with merchants in the process.

The Art Map, featuring the artists’ locations around town.
The “Art Around Town” balloon arch, blown partially upside-down in the wind.

Between the beautiful weather, the breathtaking work of the 29 participating artists, and the live music from Jimmy Tate, it was a truly lovely evening. “Art Around Town is a great event that provides artists with an opportunity to showcase their work while bringing our community together to support our local businesses. Our merchants need and deserve our support and it was great to see so many residents doing just that,” stated Robert Greenstein, Town Supervisor.

When asked about the inspiration behind the idea for Art Around town, Peg Kafka Sackler, Co-Found of NWAG, adds: “There was a group of us trying to find something that could put Chappaqua on the map, and re-engage our community as a hub for visual arts. We are a typical small town, surrounding NYC and looking to capture some of the vibrancy that the arts can infuse into a community. This collaborative event connects the artist, the merchants, the town governance and the community members with a sense of pride and town spirit.” And for everyone in attendance, the electric spirit of the event was palpable. From Randi Childs’s beautiful photographs, to Jessie Rubin’s striking pop art which many described in awe as “happy art,” to Rhonda Hurwitz’s paintings inspired by her daughter’s jewelry line, town was saturated with art of every kind. The talent possessed by these artists is nothing short of spectacular. If you find yourself in town during the month of June, you won’t regret taking the time to walk through the stores and appreciate the artwork hanging proudly on the walls.

Rachel White, whose impressive equestrian paintings are up for display in town, shared with me the most important thing she learned from her transition from a corporate career to her art career, stating: “What I have learned from all of my experiences is that it is important to surround yourself with things that you find beautiful.” In saying this, she perfectly captured how the event transformed our town: it surrounded us with beauty. But beauty wasn’t just found in the incredible artwork. With the juxtaposition of lively conversation and silent thought, beauty could also be found in the way our town came together to appreciate art, celebrating local artists and the beautiful things they create in the process.

Photographs of some of the artwork are featured below:

Rachel White’s painting.
Jessie Rubin’s pop-art.
Sonika Gupta’s painting.
Frances Flink’s painting.
Paintings from The Art Closet.

Filed Under: New Castle News Tagged With: Art, Art Around Town, Art Gallary, Artists, Chappaqua, community, Julia Bialek, merchants, town

‘Local Faces’ Campaign Unites Community and Merchants

December 1, 2017 by Kelly Leonard

Trish Kallman (Left) and Carolyn Simpson   PHOTO BY LORI LAZARUS

Last summer, studio portraits of local Chappaqua business owners and merchants started popping up on Facebook and Instagram with the caption: CONNECT THE FACE TO THE PLACE! Post your guess as to who it is and where they work. Write what you love about the place, share your favorite story! Help us spread positivity, loyalty and shopping local in our community!

The only clues in the photos were the merchants posed with items from their trade like flowers, bottles of wine, or cups of coffee. The one common factor in every portrait was a ball cap each merchant wore that read “Local Faces.”

The mysterious campaign was the brainchild of two local business owners, Trish Kallman of hip-kid and Carolyn Simpson of Doublevision Photographers. Their idea for Local Faces was to connect Chappaqua and Millwood residents with the faces and personalities behind local stores and businesses. The idea was born during a photo shoot with local kids who wore a cap that said “Local” on it to be featured in the hip-kid shop window instead of using vendor supplied photos of child models.

Kallman also recounts a customer who asked: ‘I’m looking for a gift and so-and-so told me that you had it. We were at the Mall, and they had the gift, but they said, no don’t get the gift here, Trish has it.’ “Oh, that’s so sweet,” Kallman says she thought. “The customer didn’t even call to see if I had the gift or that it was at hip-kid but that Trish had it. I thought that’s so cool they think of me by name instead of the shop name; it’s like a personal relationship with the customers.

“So then I started thinking of all the stores in town and how many of the owners and managers that I knew by name. I wondered if others had a similar experience. So Carolyn and I sat down to talk. I suggested, ‘How about doing something that doesn’t have anything to do with hip-kid, what about something that just features the different business owners in town, connecting the name to the face?’”

Originally Kallman and Simpson were just thinking about doing a gallery showing event, but then as they got started, the idea evolved and as Kallman notes, “We thought, wait, this could be a really fun kind of interactive Facebook campaign. So each day we posted a picture.”

“When we first started,” Kallman recalls, “we were concerned about how do we get everybody in this? We basically went door to door to the merchants with flyers. We did a sample shoot so merchants could visualize and see what it was going to look like. So we created a prototype to put on the flyer and said this is our idea. Some people got it and some people were like, ‘No, I’m camera-shy’ and some people needed a little more prodding. Then we worried about other businesses that weren’t right on the street so we tried to get as many mailing lists as we could pull to find them. This was a Chamber of Commerce sponsored event, and they sent out an email to their list.”

Simpson adds, “Trish and I came up with the name Local Faces because we wanted the name to brand what we were doing so people would connect the faces to the places. As we went door-to-door to businesses in Chappaqua and Millwood, merchants initially thought we were trying to sell something. We donated our time to do this because, especially with the construction in town, we wanted people to feel a connection and to help draw customers in. The photo sessions got really fun as we got to know so many of the merchants in town. The photos allowed people to see a whole other side of local business owners.”

“The campaign was more of a community event than a sales endeavor. We asked the participating merchants to invite their customers and clients to the Gallery Opening where we all could relax. It was all about building relationships…”

Kallman shared that they used the lounge space at hip-kid as a studio for the shoots. “It was really fun for us to work together and collaborate on this and bring our different interests to it. This really made it evolve and grow,” she says. “The Facebook and Instagram campaigns helped it take off and merchants started calling us asking, ‘Can we be a part of this?’ We realized this was really going to be something when people started reaching out to us. When we started posting the photos on Facebook and Instagram, we’d ask, ‘If you know of anybody that you want to be Local Faces please let us know.’”

Simpson adds, “For the Facebook campaign, we started posting every day and then we did a countdown leading up to the September gallery event. We also did some outtakes to post during the countdown. Part of the social media campaign was that people would comment about what they liked about the featured merchants and other people would see those comments, this helped build momentum throughout the campaign.”

After the Gallery Opening & Exhibition event at hip-kid lounge in September, Kallman and Simpson gave the merchants their framed photos. “Hopefully,” Simpson notes, “they’ll have it in their stores and it’s something they can look at with good memories. The campaign was more of a community event than a sales endeavor. We asked the participating merchants to invite their customers and clients to the Gallery Opening where we all could relax. It was all about building relationships and not about the transactions per se.”

As for what’s next for Local Faces, Kallman says, “We’re talking with the Town about it and the Chamber of Commerce to see if they want to do it again. Or if it’s something we want to bring to other towns…”

Simpson adds that it’s “just something to bring everyone together.”

To view and follow the Local Faces virtual galleries, visit: facebook.com/localfaceschappaquamillwood instagram.com/

 

Filed Under: Cover Stories Tagged With: Businesses, Digital Marketing Campaign, Local Faces, merchants, photography, Shop Local

2nd Annual Art Around Town Chappaqua: Thursday, June 2

May 27, 2016 by The Inside Press

Artists to show their recent works at over 30 merchants in Chappaqua

This Side of the Tracks. An 18 x22 ink, watercolor and acrylic monotype with painting on paper. By Leslie Weissman.
This Side of the Tracks. An 18 x22 ink, watercolor and acrylic monotype with painting on paper. By Leslie Weissman.

CHAPPAQUA, NY – Every art lover will find a work to enjoy in the Northern Westchester Artists Guild show this June as Art Around Town comes to Chappaqua. Art Around Town features some of the best local art in Northern Westchester hosted by the generosity of 30 plus merchants in Chappaqua. and highlights the diversity of local talent.

The event kicks off on Thursday June 2nd at 5pm and the opening night festivities will go till 8:30pm. One of HGHS’s talented acapella groups “The Enchords” will be preforming and all the participating merchants will have mini receptions in their stores.

Visitors can pick up an event map of participating merchants and artists at the main tent in front of Desires By Mikolay.

The art will be available for viewing and purchase during June and in conjunction with each establishment’s business hours, or by appointment. The event will conclude at the end June.

 
Nightfall. By Peg Kafka Sackler.
Nightfall. By Peg Kafka Sackler.

The Northern Westchester Artists Guild is a group of local artists bringing their creative arts to venues around Westchester’s neighborhoods. Both emerging and established local artists present their work allowing both art lovers and buyers the opportunity to appreciate and purchase quality art one can truly love to live with.

NWAG is a non profit organization, and a proud member of the Chappaqua/Millwood Chamber of Commerce. The Northern Westchester Artists Guild supports and encourages artists in their endeavors. We see all forms of art as a vital expression of our voice in the community.

 

55447_MapFlyerFront-HQ

Participating Merchants

Filed Under: New Castle Releases Tagged With: Art, Art Around Town, Chappaqua, Inside Press, merchants, talent, theinsidepress.com, Westchester

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