The Village of Ossining is seeking an original digital design that would be printed on a 1,740-square-foot tensile mural scrim wrapping the northeast corner of the new Multimodal Aqueduct Hub. The selected artist will receive a $5,000 fee for the final digital design and print-ready file, according to the village’s request for proposals announcement.

Eligibility is narrower than a general statewide call. Applicants must be at least 18 years old and must either live in Westchester County or maintain a studio in Westchester County.

The art call is tied to a larger downtown project

The mural is not a stand-alone streetscape item. It is being planned for the Aqueduct Hub, which is under construction at the former Brandreth Municipal Lot near Main and Spring streets in downtown Ossining.

Village materials describe the hub as part of Ossining’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative work. The village received a $10 million state DRI award, and the Aqueduct Hub project received $2.243 million through that program plus a later $1 million award from Empire State Development, according to the village’s project page.

The same village page says the hub is intended to provide more than 200 vehicle parking spaces, e-bike rental and charging, EV charging, a rooftop solar array and a design meant to fit the Main Street corridor. The project also is intended to improve pedestrian access to the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail.

River Journal reported in March that the broader transit hub project is estimated at about $21 million and projected to add about 242 parking spaces, along with EV charging stations and e-bike rentals and repairs. The publication reported that construction was underway at the former Brandreth Street parking lot near Main and Spring streets.

Why residents and businesses are watching

For downtown residents, drivers and business owners, the practical question is not only what the art will look like. It is whether the new garage eventually eases parking pressure around Main Street and helps make other downtown redevelopment plans more workable.

Village materials say the hub is meant to support redevelopment of centrally located downtown properties now used as surface parking. In plain terms, the garage is being used as a parking replacement strategy: add structured parking first, then make it easier for the village to move forward with other Main Street projects without losing needed parking capacity.

That longer-term goal comes with short-term construction impacts. News 12 Westchester reported in May that large trucks were expected to deliver project pieces over a 10- to 12-week period, with possible brief road closures on and around Main Street. The report said those deliveries were expected Monday through Friday between 6:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., and that Ossining police would help keep traffic moving.

Drivers, downtown workers and customers should treat the Main Street and Spring Street area as an active construction zone and allow extra time when notices or visible work suggest delays. The traffic impacts described in the May report were construction-period disruptions, not permanent road closures.

What to watch next

The next immediate milestone is the June 26 art submission deadline. The village has not announced a selected artist, and the hub itself remains under construction.

After the RFP closes, residents can watch for the village’s artist selection, additional construction updates, parking information, traffic advisories and any new details about how the hub connects with other DRI-funded downtown work. For Main Street businesses and regular downtown visitors, the key issues will be when the garage opens, how parking access is managed, and whether construction-related disruptions change as the project moves into later stages.

Sources

• Village of Ossining public art RFP announcement
• News 12 Westchester report on Aqueduct Hub construction and traffic
• River Journal report on Ossining transit hub groundbreaking

The Village of Ossining Board of Trustees’ June 3, 2026 legislative agenda called a public hearing for 7:30 p.m. on June 17, 2026 at the Birdsall-Fagan Police Court Facility, with remote participation available through Zoom, on a proposed local law amending Chapter 270 of the village code. The agenda says the proposed local law would extend the moratorium in the T Two-family zoning district by four months.

That June 3 action was not the final adoption of the extension. Village attendance and voting records show the public-hearing call carried 5-0. The village meeting portal also listed a June 17 legislative meeting, but the records reviewed for this article establish the hearing call and proposed extension; they do not, by themselves, establish a final adoption vote after the hearing.

What the moratorium covers

The existing moratorium is Article XXI of Chapter 270, added Nov. 5, 2025 by Local Law No. 7-2025. Its stated purpose is to temporarily suspend processing or approval of conditional-use permit applications in the village’s T Two-family zoning district while Ossining considers possible zoning and land-use changes and preserves the status quo.

The code does not describe the moratorium as a blanket ban on all two-family housing or all building in the district. It is tied to conditional-use permits and related approvals for specific uses in the T district.

The conditional uses listed in the code include cemeteries, nonaccessory parking uses, elementary or secondary educational uses, higher-learning educational uses, places of worship, senior living facilities and major home occupation.

Which boards and permits are affected

During the moratorium, the Planning Board may not accept, approve or continue reviewing conditional-use permit applications for properties in the T district. The Planning Board also may not authorize the Building Inspector to issue permits for new or expanded conditional uses that require permits.

The Zoning Board of Appeals is restricted from accepting, continuing review of, or approving variances or interpretations that would result in permitting, construction, development or expansion of conditional uses in the district.

The Building Department also may not accept or continue certain building permit applications, issue approvals, or grant certificates of occupancy when the result would be the permitting of new construction, development or expansion of conditional uses allowed in the T district.

For residents, the practical effect is most likely to be felt around institutional or larger conditional-use projects, not ordinary household questions that are outside those listed conditional uses. Nearby homeowners, renters and neighborhood groups may still care because the pause affects the timing of applications that could change traffic, parking, building activity, neighborhood character or demand for local services.

What is exempt, and what happens next

The code says projects already under construction and projects that already received conditional-use permit approval are not subject to the moratorium.

The moratorium was written to last eight months from its effective date. The code also allows the Board of Trustees, after more than six months have passed, to extend the moratorium if it determines more time is needed to fulfill the purpose of the article. Any extension may run up to four additional months from the original intended expiration.

There is also a hardship process, but it is not automatic. An affected applicant may ask the Board of Trustees in writing for relief based on extraordinary hardship, with a $500 fee for each tax map parcel. The code says ordinary delay or concern that regulations may change is not enough by itself.

Once a hardship application is complete, the Board of Trustees must hold a public hearing within 45 days and issue a written decision within 30 days after the hearing closes. The board may grant, deny, partly grant or partly deny relief.

The next thing to watch is the official record from the June 17 public hearing: whether the board adopted the extension, revised it, continued the hearing or took no final action that night. Until that record is clear, the safest reading is that the four-month extension was proposed and publicly noticed, while the underlying moratorium remains the controlling local law.

Sources

• Village of Ossining Board of Trustees June 3, 2026 legislative meeting agenda
• Village of Ossining Code Chapter 270 Article XXI

Ossining kicks off the weekend with the Escape from Sing Sing Plunge at Louis Engel Park, where residents and teams are braving the Hudson at 10 a.m. to raise money for neighbors facing hardship across Westchester. The chilly charity jump supports ongoing efforts by organizers to provide emergency help and housing for local families.

Participants pay a registration fee and are encouraged to seek sponsors, with extra recognition and swag for top fundraisers. Prizes this year include costume awards and a recreation scholarship tied to the community that raises the most support, adding some friendly rivalry to a very local tradition.

Improv night at Hudson Valley Books for Humanity

Later tonight, Blind Tiger Improv brings its house teams to Hudson Valley Books for Humanity on Central Avenue for an 8 p.m. show. The performance is billed as fast-paced, PG-13 comedy from some of the troupe’s strongest ensembles, offering an easy night out within walking distance of downtown.

Tickets are modestly priced, and organizers emphasize keeping the space welcoming and inclusive for both seasoned improv fans and first-timers. With seats limited in the bookstore venue, early arrival is a good idea if you want to settle in with a chair and a cup of something warm.

Valentine’s concert nearby in Briarcliff

Just up the hill in Briarcliff Manor, the Westchester Harmony Chorus presents its “Heart & Hand” Valentine’s Day concert at 4 p.m. The free program features a cappella love songs spanning several eras, making it an easy add-on before or after time in the village.

The chorus, which recently adopted a new all-gender identity, has been a fixture in the county for decades. Today’s concert offers local residents a chance to hear tight harmonies without leaving the Rivertowns, and families may appreciate that the one-hour program wraps up before evening plans.

Village highlights warming center at Caputo

With winter hanging on, the village is again pointing residents toward the warming center at the Joseph G. Caputo Community Center this weekend. The reminder appears prominently on village webpages, underscoring that anyone who needs a safe, warm indoor space has a place to go.

Details on exact hours and services are posted by the village, so residents are encouraged to check official channels or call ahead before heading out. It is a small but important resource for people whose homes run cold or who simply need a break from the wind along the river.

Sources

• https://gullottahouse.org/2026-escape-from-sing-sing-plunge/
• https://riverjournalonline.com/event/escape-from-sing-sing-plunge/
• https://www.hvbooksforhumanity.com/events
• https://blindtigerimprov.com/
• https://riverjournalonline.com/event/heart-hand-a-valentines-day-concert/
• https://www.villageofossiningny.gov/village-clerk

Insurance agency Eloy Barreiros – State Farm Insurance Agent
97 Main St #3, Ossining, NY 10562
(914) 236-3144
http://www.agenteloy.com/

Rating 4.4 of 28 reviews
Directions
Others Nearby
Insurance Agent in 10562

Travel agency Skyway Travel Services Inc
232 N Highland Ave Suite 4, Ossining, NY 10562
(914) 762-7566

Rating 3.9 of 11 reviews
Directions
Others Nearby
Insurance Agent in 10562

Insurance agency Farmers Insurance – Silvia Villa
26 S Highland Ave, Ossining, NY 10562
(914) 502-0953
https://agents.farmers.com/ny/ossining/silvia-villa/

Rating 4.8 of 26 reviews
Directions
Others Nearby
Insurance Agent in 10562

Insurance agency Infiniti Agency Inc
95 Croton Ave, Ossining, NY 10562
(914) 762-4400
http://iaginc.net/

Rating 3.2 of 12 reviews
Directions
Others Nearby
Insurance Agent in 10562

Rating 5.0 of 9 reviews
Directions
Others Nearby
Law in 10562

Insurance agency K.J.J.D.D. Associates LLC: Allstate Insurance
2 Todd Pl, Ossining, NY 10562
(914) 923-3333
https://agents.allstate.com/kjjdd-associates-llc-ossining-ny.html

Rating 4.5 of 11 reviews
Directions
Others Nearby
Insurance Agent in 10562

Legal services Law Offices of Natalie S. Felsenfeld PLLC
15 Pleasantville Rd, Ossining, NY 10562
(914) 323-8052
https://www.nsflegal.com/

Rating 5.0 of 9 reviews
Directions
Others Nearby
Law in 10510

Insurance agency Dawan’s Insurance Agency, Inc.
46 N Highland Ave, Ossining, NY 10562
(914) 945-0063
https://www.dawansinsuranceagency.com/about-us/our-staff/

Rating 5.0 of 12 reviews
Directions
Others Nearby
Insurance Agent in 10562

Rating 5.0 of 4 reviews
Directions
Others Nearby
Law in 10562

Insurance broker The Midas Building
217 Main St #2Floor, Ossining, NY 10562
(914) 941-2500

Rating 3.0 of 1 reviews
Directions
Others Nearby
Insurance Agent in 10562

Rating of reviews
Directions
Others Nearby
Law in 10562

Rating 5.0 of 8 reviews
Directions
Others Nearby
Law in 10562

Rating of reviews
Directions
Others Nearby
Law in 10562

Rating of reviews
Directions
Others Nearby
Law in 10562

Rating 5.0 of 82 reviews
Directions
Others Nearby
Law in 10562

Rating of reviews
Directions
Others Nearby
Law in 10562

Insurance agency Tompkins Glen A Inc
4 Croton Ave Box 590, Ossining, NY 10562
(914) 941-5000
http://glentompkins.com/

Rating of reviews
Directions
Others Nearby
Insurance Agent in 10562

Rating 5.0 of 45 reviews
Directions
Others Nearby
Law in 10562

Rating 4.0 of 1 reviews
Directions
Others Nearby
Law in 10562