For the first time in 45 years, says the City of Peekskill, it is updating and replacing its comprehensive plan, which guides the city’s future land use decisions and capital investments.

On Monday, May 4, Interboro, an urban planning and design firm based in Brooklyn, presented to the Peekskill Common Council, as Councilman Brian Fassett put it, the “plan of the plan” and how the public can get involved.

Interboro principal and co-founder Dan D’Oca described it as a community-driven effort to create a new comprehensive plan to guide the city’s future growth, investment, and development. It’s estimated to be finished in July or August 2027, and, once completed and adopted, it will replace the city’s prior comprehensive plan, which was updated in 1981.

“Together with residents, businesses, and local leaders, the plan will shape key priorities, including land use, transportation, housing, resiliency, sustainability, economic development,” D’Oca said. “So they’ll answer questions like, where should growth happen? And where should it be more limited? How do we align housing, transportation, and economic development? How do we protect what makes Peekskill great, while planning for the future?”

The Comprehensive Planning Committee will have a Steering Committee (SC) and Resident Advisory Committee (RAC). The SC is composed of five to six city appointed staff and officials to provide technical guidance, policy alignment, and institutional coordination. The RAC is composed of 12 volunteer residents who are selected by a lottery and must commit to the process from start to finish.

The plan will also have thematic working groups made of community members, staff, and external experts focused on transportation and mobility, housing, economic development, and sustainability and resilience. In addition, there will be community ambassadors, described as an informal group who will act as trusted liaisons between Interboro’s process and the community.

Justin Paul Ware, Interboro partner, said the RAC has already received 50 applications and that as of May 4, the city had six community members sign up to be ambassadors. Updates will be made throughout the process on the newly launched Peekskill Plan website.

Mayor Vivian McKenzie questioned how the firm was disseminating information on the RAC outside of social media to reach those in churches, ethnic communities, and older communities. 

“We continue to put things in the same place without really doing the outreach that we really have to do,” McKenzie said. “And we want people to see this, but we kind of have to go and find the people where they are. It’s not about them coming to us.”

Director of Planning Carol Samol agreed it was important to be intentional about going to churches and under-represented communities. She added she will be reaching out to the council to get contacts of different groups to share information with.

“Sometimes the best way for a group to hear about something is through one of their own,” Samol said. “So it might not be the director of planning showing up at a meeting. That may not be the best thing. But it might be we need to work with one of their parishioners or the reverend, or whoever it might be, to make sure that leadership can encourage participation.”

Say Cheese! for the Red Light Camera

Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law a bill in October 2025 authorizing the City of Peekskill to use automated traffic enforcement cameras to issue violations for running red lights. Now the city’s next step is to adopt a local law setting the procedures and what intersections those cameras would be placed at.

City Attorney Eric Gordon said the city has prepared a local law, reviewed locations of intersections, and started discussions with one company that would install the camera, monitor them, and work with the police department on issuing tickets for those who go through red lights.

The state bill allows a three-year, targeted demonstration program at up to nine intersections so the city can deter dangerous driving behavior, prevent accidents, and enhance pedestrian and cyclist safety. Under a local law the city has the discretion to choose which intersections to place the cameras at and has looked into intersections based on the number of accidents there.

“There is a cost to this above and beyond, because I think the cameras generally pay for themselves through the program,” Gordon said. “But the police do have to have somebody acting as a technician who is reviewing every one of these tickets. So that is, I think, the more significant cost to the city that’s not reimbursed through the program.”

The city is planning on scheduling a public hearing on the local law at an upcoming council meeting.

Councilman Darren Rigger also questioned if the city could add to the local law the ability for the Peekskill City School District to put cameras on school buses when they extend a stop-arm and issue tickets to drivers who may pass through. Gordon said he believed the city would need separate special legislation for that request and that he could look into it.

In addition, Deputy Mayor Patricia Riley asked the city attorney if he could investigate if the city could make no turn on reds all throughout the city.

Closure Dates for Restaurant Row

The temporary closure of North Division Street between Main Street and Park Street — aka Restaurant Row — for a concert series is up again for a resolution vote on Monday, May 11, this time managed by a different business.

Ruben’s Café requested the closure of North Division Street on Fridays from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., on Saturdays from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., and Sundays from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. beginning May 15 through Nov. 1. In order to accommodate the request, the street would close one hour before and one hour after each time slot. (The requested hours have since been amended to start on 5 p.m. on Fridays and at 4 p.m. on Saturdays following concerns about traffic.)

The proposed outdoor dining music schedule is:

May 2026

• May 17 — Westchester Swing Band
• May 22 — Andy Polay Trio
• May 23 — Albert (Live)
• May 24 — Tropical Band
• May 29 — The Caribeña Band
• May 30 — Mariachi Band
• May 31 — Willy & The Rock Band

June 2026

• June 5 — Andy Polay Trio
• June 6 — Matt Huntington Trio
• June 7 — Swing Band
• June 12 — Willy Rock Band
• June 13 — Caribbean Band
• June 14 — Albert (Live)

Councilman Brian Fassett pointed out that the timing of the schedule was different from last year’s schedule, which had closures on Thursdays and later start times on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. He shared concerns about closing the street at 2 p.m. on a Friday afternoon, noting last year the street was closed at 5 p.m.

Fassett, a liaison to the Peekskill Business Improvement District (BID), shared the schedule with the BID who suggested Fridays from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturdays from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Sundays from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Bill Powers, executive director of the BID, told the Peekskill Herald the BID suggested 10 p.m. because it is in line with the city’s noise ordinance. The BID suggested starting the street closure at 5 p.m. because it was concerned about traffic flow during the Friday afternoon commute along Main Street. The suggested changes will be forwarded to the city manager for consideration.

The City of Peekskill is continuing work on the Brown Plaza revitalization, located at North Division Street and Park Street. The city says the project will bring new life and improvements to the heart of the downtown.

Asked if the construction would have any anticipated impact from the street closure, Planner Peter Erwin told the Herald in a phone call that the city worked with all of the restaurants and business owners to design the construction schedule so that one would not impact the other.

“They can have the road closed and have performances and outside dining,” Erwin said. “We can control the construction site and stay on schedule. The perimeter fence of the construction site is going to have decorative banners that sort of advertise our project and make sure that there’s an attractive visual there as opposed to having construction debris and equipment in the line of sight for diners.”

Phase One of the project is scheduled to run through July 31, focusing on revitalizing Brown Plaza. The project is part of a four phase plan to re-establish the plaza as a vibrant, refreshed, and accessible gathering space.

Phase Two will begin in August, focusing on improvements to the flag pole area, home of Peekskill’s annual New Year’s Eve ball drop celebration.

Phase Three will take place in September and will introduce new pedestrian seating areas in downtown Peekskill, including the removal of one traffic lane on South Division Street between South and Park Street, to create an additional public gathering space and improve pedestrian safety.

Phase Four will run through October and will focus on overall street revitalization efforts. The project is expected to conclude in December, in time for Peekskill’s holiday celebrations, the city said.