Indian Brook Croton Gorge project summary
document
2 pages
Meeting: portal event 958 (no meeting page on file)
Agenda item: Discussion on adopting legislation to establish an Indian Brook-Croton Gorge Inter-Municipal Watershed Protection Overlay District.
Document, 2 pages. Attached to agenda item: “Discussion on adopting legislation to establish an Indian Brook-Croton Gorge Inter-Municipal Watershed Protection Overlay District.”
Retrieved 2026-04-15 from the village's meeting portal.
View the original PDF ↗
Also attached to this agenda item:
3.15.24 Croton Referral
CAF - LL Intro 7 of 2024
Croton Bay Indian Brook Watershed Map 5.14.2024
Croton Bay Indian Brook Watershed Map 5.3.2024
DRAFT Cortlandt Indian Brook Croton Gorge Watershed...
DRAFT Map of Indian-Brook Croton Gorge WPOD
EAF - LL Intro 7 of 2024
HUDSON RIVER ESTUARY PROGRAM GRANT AWARDS 2016
Local Law Intro 7 of 2024
Map of Croton Parcels in the IB-CG WPOD
May 15th Resolution 98-2024 LL Intro 7 of 2024 Referrals
Memo on Indian Brook Overlay
Extracted text
Organization
Grant Opportunity
Application #
Project Title
Date/Time Submitted
Town of
Cortlandt
DEC01-HRER28-2019
DEC01-HRER28-201
9-00007
ATTACHMENT C - WORK PLAN
SUMMARY
PROJECT NAME:
CONTRACTOR SFS PAYEE NAME:
CONTRACT PERIOD:
From:
To:
Indian Brook/Croton Gorge Overlay Zone
CORTLANDT TOWN OF
12/01/2019
11/30/2021
Provide a high-level overview of the project, including the overall goal and desired outcomes. Include information such as location, target population, overall
number of persons to be served, service delivery method and hours of operation.
The Towns of Cortlandt, New Castle Ossining and the Villages of Ossining and Croton-on-Hudson are seeking a $50,000 NYSDEC Hudson River Estuary Grant
to retain a consultant to develop a inter-municipal zoning overlay district to protect the Indian Brook-Croton Gorge watershed. The idea of the zoning overlay
zone was first developed in the 2009 Indian Brook-Croton Gorge Watershed Conservation Action Plan. The plan was completed with the assistance of the
Westchester County Department of Planning and funded by a NYSDEC Hudson River Estuary Grant.
The Indian Brook-Croton Gorge watershed is located across the five municipalities in northern Westchester County. The watershed is approximately 3,400
acres/5.3 sq. miles. Located within the watershed is the Indian Brook Reservoir, the drinking water source for the Town and Village of Ossining as well as the
Croton-on-Hudson drinking water aquifer. The area is an important tributary to the Hudson River and is characterized by large areas of wetland, several
waterbodies, a diversity of plant and animal species and several areas of steep slope. The Croton River is a central feature of the watershed and is a popular
location for water-related activities. The land use characteristics of the watershed are varied with approximately 46% of the land area being residential,
approximately 38% undeveloped.16% classified as non-residential.
It is exactly the varied land use nature of the watershed, and the fact that it spans five municipalities that, make funding for the proposed inter-municipal zoning
overlay zone so critical. The five communities adopted the 2009 Watershed Action Plan. The communities have met semi-regularly in the past ten years to
discuss various issues associated with the area. One area of the focus is the popularity of the area for recreation such as swimming, camping, boating and hiking
which puts stress on the resource. the communities have met regularly with State, County and local parks and recreation officials, residents, conservation board
members and law enforcement to develop strategies to guide the use of the area. Separately planning staffs, elected officials and conservation board members
have met to discuss the goals and recommendations of the 2009 action plan.
The 2009 action plan for the watershed included a detailed land use analysis of each of the five communities, mapping and detailed discussion of environmental
features, investigations of areas of environmental concern and opportunities to enhance the watershed. The plan contained a series of goals and
recommendations. Some Improvements recommended in the 2009 have already been completed including improvements to stormwater outfalls, the adoption of
Comprehensive Plans in Cortlandt, New Castle and the Town of Ossining and the monitoring of the Croton River. In the past year it was determined by the
sub-committee of planning staffs and conservation board members that pursuing a zoning overlay zone, a specific recommendation of the plan, provided the
opportunity for the most direct benefit to the watershed.
The proposed overly zone will specifically target the Indian Brook-Croton Gorge watershed. The intended target of the overlay zone is the residents and visitors
to the watershed. The overlay zone will provide a uniform set of environmental regulations across jurisdictions which is the best way to protect the important
resource. Conformity in wetland and wetland buffer regulations, agreed upon limits to new impervious surfaces, potential land use/zoning modifications across
jurisdictions provide the best opportunity to protect the resource.
The five municipalities envision using the Estuary Grant funds to retain a consultant to conduct a public participation process with planning staffs, residents,
conservation board members, state, county and local officials to undertake an approximately 1 year effort o develop the overlay zone, present the proposed zone
to the five municipal boards and obtain approval of the zone.
Machine-extracted for search and reference — the original PDF is the authoritative version.