Editor’s note: This press release was provided by the Pelhamwood Association and the Friends of Residential Pelham. The Pelham Examiner publishes press releases in the form received as a service to the community.

The long-standing “Pelhamwood Association” and the newly-created “Friends of Residential Pelham” together announced that over the course of five days, they collected nearly 700 signatures from throughout the Town of Pelham on a petition calling on Village of Pelham Mayor Chance Mullen and the Village Board of Trustees to reject a rezoning proposal that would allow five-story apartment buildings in areas of Pelham currently zoned for single-family housing. The petition has been mailed to Mayor Mullen and each of the Trustees.

Daniel Bollin, President of the Pelhamwood Association, stated that “once we took a close look at the proposal, we realized it had far larger implications than just for Pelhamwood. While the proposed changes to the village code are clearly targeting the properties of the Community Church and St. Catharine’s, reimagining a single-family zoned neighborhood is a drastic step that affects the whole town.”

Dustin Lawlor is leading the new “Friends of Residential Pelham,” and explained that the organization is intended to be an inclusive advocacy group that extends beyond Pelhamwood on an issue he calls “an unprecedented proposal with far-ranging and severe consequences.” “If it can happen in Pelhamwood, it can happen anywhere in Pelham,” he said.

While the proposal to change the zoning is unprecedented, so too is the immediate and overwhelming response against it. “We knew the community would oppose this misguided idea,” Bollin said, “but we were amazed at how quickly the signatures accumulated. We hear from long-time residents that such a forceful response is quite unique.” Lawlor, who recently purchased his grandparents’ home, added “my children will be the fourth generation to live in Pelham and, when I see this kind of outpouring of support to protect the historic character of our town, it reminds me why we remain committed to Pelham. There is no place like Pelham, which is why we need to stay vigilant against overdevelopment.”

J.P. Tripp, a Pelhamwood resident who has been a leader in collecting the signatures, commented: “I was raised in Pelham, and I have never seen the community this galvanized on an issue.” “It’s really great that in a time when there is so much division, the community is so united.” He revealed that many of the signatures have been accompanied by written comments from residents that “make clear that this proposal has no place in Pelham.” As examples, he pointed to a resident who wrote “Keep current zoning and protect the residential neighborhoods as our comprehensive plan for the Village asks,” another who said “Let’s concentrate on completing the multi-unit and commercial projects already in motion and see how they impact our small town before we permit more multi-unit projects – especially ones that are outside the scope of current zoning regulations,” and a third who believed “There are other means to save the church that should be explored.”

While the petition is in the hands of the mayor and village board, the collection of signatures is on-going, and residents who have not already signed are encouraged to do so. The two organizations have also asked that residents alert their friends and neighbors who may not be aware of the issue, and to attend the next Planning Board meeting on December 20^th at 7:30 pm, either live at village hall 195 Sparks Avenue or by Zoom. (Link can be found on the village website at pelhamgov.com (drop down under government/planning board.) Anyone interested in volunteering for this effort is encouraged to send an email to: friends.of.residential.p[email protected] and [email protected]

The Pelhamwood neighborhood was developed beginning in 1910 by Clifford B. Harmon, and consists primarily of single-family homes of unusual and well-preserved architectural character. The Pelhamwood Association was founded November 7, 1917 and is the oldest neighborhood association in the United States. Its original incorporation document states that “The purposes of the Pelhamwood Association are: to achieve constructive solutions to community problems by providing a vehicle for the expression of residents’ opinions; to promote friendly relations among the residents of Pelhamwood; to provide a viable instrument for voicing community concerns to local public officials and appropriate authorities.”