diverse collection of housing stock with a heavy emphasis on single family development. What most gives Croton-on-Hudson its character though are the walkable, closely built areas in Harmon, Morningside and the Upper Village. These neighborhoods have long served Croton-on-Hudson by providing walkable neighborhoods, allowing for a diversity of incomes and a vibrant community. The 2003 Master Plan and the 2017 Update, while rightly celebrating the distinct nature of Crotonon-Hudson, did not proactively work to create new and expanded neighborhoods based on Croton’s strength. Therefore, planning for future development should always seek to build walkable neighborhoods, housing that is available and affordable for all income levels and which provides easy access to the Croton-Harmon train station and to Rt. 9A, our vital links to the larger New York metropolitan area. The Village Board should consider updating the Comprehensive Plan to better address the potential for smart growth in Croton-on-Hudson and better recognize the strengths of our community and the needs to act to better prepare our Village for the future. The advantage of an update close to the decennial census is that such an update will not be using stale data as it contemplates the planning needs of our community. Working under the recommendations of the existing Comprehensive Plan, the Village should work towards the articulated goals of maintaining economic diversity and preserving the historical character of the Village. The 2003 Master Plan recognized the dissonance between the zoning restrictions in place versus the large number of existing non-conforming uses. Given that the non-conforming uses, such as the mixed-use buildings in the Upper Village and on Riverside and the small lots of Harmon and Morningside give Croton-on-Hudson its historical character, the recommendation of this committee is that the Board work to make the zoning requirements better match the historical character of Croton-on-Hudson. This would complement the action items described above which help preserve the historical character of our Village by ensuring that our existing buildings are maintained to appropriate standards. The Village should therefor consider rezoning more of the Upper Village as Multi/Family Mixed Use. This would conform to the general character of the Upper Village, particularly along Maple. The Village should also consider a Strategic Zoning Study for the Upper Village, including considering new and innovative ideas to increase parking in the Upper Village, rightly described in the 2003 Master Plan as “the historic and administrative center of the Village.” Report of the Croton Housing Taskforce Page 14 The Village should consider the use of a floating zone to create a zoning district which matches the Village’s need for additional multi-family, traditionally affordable and statutory affordable housing. The Village should also consider creating increased flexibility in existing zoning districts, especially in the RA-40 and RA-60 zoning districts, to encourage right-sized multiunit housing in the Village. The Village should consider revising its current target of affordable units to better address the housing crisis in our area. Possibilities include revising the target to better match housing needs, such as creating a housing target that all tenants in the Village spend no more than 50% of their income in rent. Creating firm deadlines for the realization of affordable units might increase the number of available units. Given that most of the existing land in Croton-on-Hudson is in use, future construction will by necessity often involve the repurposing and replacing of existing structures including potentially re-zoning to allow for repurposed use. The Village Board should take a more proactive stance in encouraging development that better suits the needs of the Village. The Village Board should also consider the creation of a Community Land Trust, not just to preserve open space but as a means of collecting lots to guide planning and create strategic development, including the development of affordable housing. As part of the development of the Community Land Trust, the village should make sure that it is notified by the Town of Cortlandt of all in rem properties being put up for auction by the Town of Cortlandt and should consider purchasing those properties for use in the Land Trust. Further the Village Board should work with the Village Engineer to identify existing large lots and existing construction that may be suitable for future affordable housing/mixed use development. Finally, the Village Board should work with the Village Manager, the Village Engineer, the Village Treasurer and local building owners to develop a yellow flag list of properties that may be ripe for redevelopment or are in financial distress and could be repurposed under guidance from the Village. The Village of Croton-on-Hudson was an early innovator in adopting an Accessory Dwelling Unit ordinance to facilitate the legal construction of additional dwelling units in zoned single family housing districts. The Village should consider modifying its existing Report of the Croton Housing Taskforce Page 15 ordinance to