A long-running dispute over a proposed cannabis dispensary at 370 South Riverside Avenue came to a head this week, as the Village of Croton-on-Hudson revealed it had spent months trying to block the business—only to be overruled by the state. At a work session on April 15, Village Manager Bryan Healy provided a detailed timeline of the village’s interactions with the applicant, Vincent Silvestri, showing that local officials actively protested the location due to its proximity to a day care center. Despite those efforts, the state Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) reaffirmed its approval in November 2025, and the Planning Board formally approved the change of use on April 14. "We provided evidence that the day care center serves a wide variety of students, including those who are school aged," {{quote:2033}} Healy said. "Now the nevertheless, OCM reaffirmed their decision that the location met the appropriate distance requirements in November 2025." {{quote:2085}} The disclosure sheds light on the complex dynamic between municipal zoning and state cannabis law, highlighting the limits of local control. It also exposed a procedural failure: Healy admitted that a municipal notification form, dated May 8, 2025, was never transmitted to his office, meaning the public was never officially notified via a Village Board agenda as is standard procedure. "Despite a diligent search, I have not located the physical copy of this form in our offices," {{quote:2033}} Healy told the board. "If it had been, it would have been put on a village board agenda for community notification as has been done with previous applications." {{quote:2065}} The timeline begins in May 2025, when Silvestri met with the former village engineer. At that time, village officials informed the applicant that they believed the location violated state distance requirements. By October 2025, a formal building permit application was received, at which point the applicant produced the stamped notification form. After the state rejected the village’s protest, the administration attempted to broker a move to a different location, but no agreement was reached. With the Planning Board’s approval now secured, the Village Engineer will review the building permit application for code compliance. However, the meeting also revealed a miscommunication regarding parking. Trustee Nora Nicholson flagged a statement made by the applicant’s attorney, Mickey Weiss, at the Planning Board meeting that suggested the Village had already issued two parking permits to the business. "And that obviously seemed odd to me because they haven't gotten the change of use that wasn't approved yet," {{quote:2240}} Nicholson said. {{quote:2247}} Healy clarified that no permits had been sold. The attorney had only inquired about the *possibility* of purchasing permits in the South Harmon lot, a practice allowed for some businesses with specific approval conditions.
Stacey Nachtaler speaks during the meeting.
Stacey Nachtaler speaks during the meeting.
The news of the approval, delivered during a budget work session, prompted concerns about transparency from Trustee Stacey Nachtaler. She worried that the manager’s statement—while informative—would not reach the residents most interested in the outcome. "I don't know how... is there some way we can get that information out to the public in some way beyond the handful of people who are watching on TV... Because I do think it's relevant and people people are watching this and they would like to have that information." {{quote:2166}} Board members discussed creating a specific project page on the village website to host all relevant documents and drawings, ensuring the information is accessible without digging through Planning Board agendas. **Parking Rates to Rise After 16 Years** Shifting to the village’s finances, the board is proposing a significant increase to parking fees at the Croton-Harmon train station—the first hike in sixteen years. Under the proposal, the hourly rate would rise from $1.00 to $1.50, a 50% increase intended to cover rising infrastructure and enforcement costs. The proposal comes as the village grapples with inflationary pressures across its capital budget, including recent investments in seawall engineering and road paving [Board Of Trustees 2026-03-25](/article/2). The village has historically hesitated to raise the rate, in part to avoid burdening residents who need to carry exact change for meters. However, an analysis of payment methods found that cash transactions have plummeted. With roughly 15,000 monthly transactions generating less than $2,000 in cash revenue, the vast majority of commuters now pay via credit card or mobile app.
Bryan Healy speaks during the meeting.
Bryan Healy speaks during the meeting.
"And then the resident, nonresident permits are are slated to go up by $3," {{quote:2865}} Healy noted. "That's what we have done in most years. We we paused for a little bit during the pandemic, but most years, they go up." {{quote:2865}} While the rate hike was generally accepted as necessary, it sparked a renewed debate about offering discounts to village resident seniors. Frank Balbi raised the issue of weekday fee waivers for seniors, a request previously voiced by volunteer groups. Bryan Healy cautioned that opening the door to discounts for one group—seniors—could lead to difficult conversations with other volunteer groups, such as the fire department and EMS, who have historically been denied similar perks. "I like I said, I just think that it would be very difficult for this board to implement that," {{quote:2816}} Healy said. "And then, you know, I mean, if the fire department comes here and says you know, which I mean, to to be frank, they have. They've asked for this and we've told them no." {{quote:2816}} Trustee Len Simon directed the manager to research how other communities handle such discounts to see if a feasible model exists. **Housing Policy Implemented: ADU Fees Slashed** In a move to encourage the development of accessory housing, village officials confirmed a new 50% discount on building permit fees for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). This reduction is not optional; it is mandated by the local ADU law passed last year [Planning Board 2026-03-24](/article/3)[Planning Board 2026-02-24](/article/8).
Bryan Healy speaks during the meeting.
Bryan Healy speaks during the meeting.
For accessory dwelling units to be precise, The policy aims to lower the cost of creating additional housing units, a priority for the village as it seeks to diversify its housing stock. However, the board also wrestled with the recreation fee The board reached a consensus to lower this recreation fee to a flat $1,000 for ADUs, a move expected to provide relief to homeowners looking to build accessory cottages or apartments [Zoning Board of Appeals 2025-12-16](/article/29)[Zoning Board of Appeals 2026-01-20](/article/19). **Commercial vs. Residential Fee Structures** The discussion on building fees also touched on equity between residential and commercial developers. Trustee Nora Nicholson proposed increasing the permit fees on multi-family and commercial developers to generate revenue that could be used to offset program costs for residents, such as day camp fees. "I think, you know, I the the board has made significant investments in the engineering department, right, in terms of personnel," {{quote:3175}} Healy said. "And, yeah, you would like to get a return on on that. Yeah. So I think it's I think that's reasonable." {{quote:3175}} The manager was directed to check if raising the commercial fee to $25 per $1,000 of valuation (up from $22) would be consistent with neighboring communities.
Bryan Healy speaks during the meeting.
Bryan Healy speaks during the meeting.
**Recreation and Youth Programming** In the Recreation Department budget, the board proposed minor fee adjustments, including increasing the winter kayak storage rate for seniors from $80 to $120 to match the percentage discount offered during the summer months [Board Of Trustees 2026-03-26](/article/1). "The first the first one is on page three. It's the village resident senior rate for the winter storage of the kayaks. It's currently $80, and recreation is proposing that that be increased to a $120," {{quote:2435}} Healy said. {{quote:2435}} More significantly, the board debated how to better serve the village's teenage population. Frank Balbi proposed adding $5,000 to the budget for youth programming, citing a lack of activities for middle schoolers. He suggested partnering with the Croton-Harmon School District or the Cortlandt Youth Center to provide trips or transportation. "Okay. Well, I mean, I would be in favor of saying, like, let's put $5,000 more into that and then, you know, pending some recommendations from recreation advisory," {{quote:5164}} said Trustee Stacey Nachtaler. {{quote:5165}} The board agreed to keep the allocation in the budget for further discussion. **Police and Administration** The fee schedule also included minor adjustments to police extra duty fees to account for recent salary increases [Board Of Trustees 2026-01-28](/article/16). Healy noted that the "extra duty fees, for the police officers now on page four. That rate is increasing just to, account for their increase in their salaries as of June 1." {{quote:2467}} On the administrative side, Healy highlighted the restoration of a Deputy Village Clerk position, which had been vacant since 2021 due to fiscal constraints. The budget also reflects the full-time staffing of a Fire Inspector and continued investment in the Engineering Department to improve service turnaround times. As the budget process moves toward a final adoption, the village must balance the rising costs of services and infrastructure with its goal of maintaining affordability for residents. The next public hearing on the budget is scheduled for the upcoming Board of Trustees meeting. --- **References used in this article:** - [Board Of Trustees — 2026-03-25](/article/2) · Croton Adopts Budget, Hears Pushback on Backyard Chicken Rules - [Board Of Trustees — 2026-01-28](/article/16) · Croton Auditor Praises Village’s Financial Health, Flags $39M Retiree Liability - [Planning Board — 2026-03-24](/article/3) · Planning Board Approves Temple Israel Security Upgrades - [Planning Board — 2026-02-24](/article/8) · Planning Board Weighs Zoning Code 'Cleanup' and Chicken Limits - [Zoning Board of Appeals — 2025-12-16](/article/29) · Zoning Board Approves ADU Variance for Collapsing Cottage - [Zoning Board of Appeals — 2026-01-20](/article/19) · Zoning Board Grants Door Variance Amid Mount Airy Tree Removal Outcry - [Board Of Trustees — 2026-03-26](/article/1) · Infrastructure Fails and Budget Plans Collide: Croton Village Weighs Costs of Aging Water Mains and Winter Overtime