Newcomers

Welcome new neighbors!

We’re thrilled that you’ve chosen Bedford as your home.[1] We have a special Newcomer Gathering planned for you on Friday, September 8, 2023, from 5:30-7 pm at Bedford Hills Memorial Park. Please RSVP to attend. In the meantime, here is some information that will help you settle in.

I hope you are taking advantage of the many community events, preserves, parks and pools, hamlet centers, local world class arts institutions and history museums Bedford offers to its residents!

There’s so much going on here, I know it’s hard to get to know how things flow. Here are a few pointers:

If you’re on Facebook, please join one of the three active hamlet pages, Katonah People, Bedford Village Community, and Bedford Hills People. You can join all three, regardless of where you actually live, to really know what’s happening, ask questions and find the things you need. Also be sure to follow the Town of Bedford on social media.

The Record Review is the Town’s official paper, where legal notices are posted. I urge you to subscribe, both to support local journalism and to stay in touch. The Katonah-Lewisboro Times, Bedford-Mount Kisco Times, the Patch, and the Daily Voice, among others, also offer area news and events.

Our Recreation and Parks Department publishes a bi-annual booklet about Town programs and events, and the 3 libraries in Bedford Village, Bedford Hills, and Katonah offer great resources and activities.

Please sign up for my weekly e-newsletters, in which I update the community on news and events. The Town Board meets 2x/month, on Tuesdays, and our meetings are open to all in person and on Zoom.

There are many ways to get involved in Town activities and we have numerous volunteers serving on town boards and committees, working to ensure that this is a town where the residents are really represented. There are also incredible opportunities to get involved with community organizations. I encourage you to join something you care about or want to see more of!

I’m sure there were many reasons you chose Bedford as your new home and no doubt our reputation as environmental leaders, connection to the arts, and extensive open space, woodlands and bucolic farms were among them. Yes, we are very proud of our sylvan setting as well as our historic buildings and, as a community, we work hard to preserve them. To that end, we have put in place some restrictions that you should know about.

• Tree Ordinance limits the number, size and location of trees that may be removed. Please read the law before doing tree work or contact the Building Department, 914-666-8040, with questions.
• Our Wetlands Control Commission monitors activity in wetlands, which are so crucial to our ecosystems and flood management. Email Wetlands Control Commission to find out if you have wetlands on your property before landscaping.
• Our Historic Building Preservation Commission works to preserve the town’s unique character with guidelines on any changes to homes of historic interest.
• Our Noise Ordinance bans the use of gas-powered leaf blowers with exemptions for a few weeks in fall and spring when leaves and debris are on the ground.
• Questions about work you plan to do on your home or landscape can be directed to the Building Department for permits or Planning Department for special approvals.

Our Town departments are here to serve you. Located at the corner of Route 117 and Cherry St, Town offices are open 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. At 321 Bedford Road, visit the Town Clerk, the Tax Receiver or Assessor, Supervisor, and Court. Next door is our Police Department and across the street at 425 Cherry Street you will find Recreation and Parks, Planning, Building, and Finance and Parking. Department of Public Works maintains our 128 miles of roads and manages the sewer and water districts.

We also have a Recycling Center on Railroad Avenue where you can bring food scraps, e-waste, scrap metal, books and fabrics, and a program for seniors to dispose of trash and recycling. The yard waste facility on Beaver Dam Road takes yard debris and offers free mulch, and the Take it or Leave it Shed is open Saturdays May-October 10 am to 12 pm. Recyclopedia can guide you as to how to recycle or dispose of just about anything in Bedford.

We have a wonderful partnership with the environmental organization Bedford 2030, which is helping us reduce our carbon footprint with the goal of cutting our emissions by 80% by 2030. Their website is a great resource.

And before you begin work in your yard, feel free to reach out to Healthy Yards, a Bedford-based organization with a national following, which helps homeowners adopt earth-friendly landscaping practices in their own backyards.

Please know that I and the Town Board members love to hear from Bedford residents. You can reach the board at board@bedfordny.gov.

Please email Ellen Z. Calves with questions or concerns. I look forward to connecting with you.

With kind regards,

Ellen Z. Calves
Town Supervisor

¹   Our mailing list is based on ’21-22 property transfers and may have included folks who are not new to town. If you are not a newcomer, sorry we didn’t catch that. We are happy you are still here.