Incumbent Elena Villafane is running unopposed in the Village of Sea Cliff’s mayoral election, which will take place on Tuesday, March 18.
Villafane, who has lived in Sea Cliff with her husband for over three decades, said she plans to examine village zoning codes in her next term, a project she has already started in her current term.
Before taking on her role as mayor in 2021, Villafane served as a village trustee from 2003 to 2009, 2014 to 2016 and 2019 to 2021, she said.
Villafane said she plans to review the village’s residential and commercial zoning codes. She said the codes have not been considered “holistically” since their adoption in 1979.
She said the project is “important” and “vital” to the village, especially as modern technology advances so quickly.
“As a board that leads this village and manages it, I think it’s our obligation as elected officials to plan for the future,” she said.
She said updates to the zoning code would give homeowners more flexibility. She said the current codes are confusing, and irregularities in the code’s language make it difficult for people to understand what is allowed within the village.
The village has both commercial and residential districts. Villafane said that due to the reach of the commercial district’s zoning, select residential properties fall within those zones, which makes it difficult for both homeowners and business owners.
“These are things that need to be balanced,” she said.
Villafane said she first moved to Sea Cliff as a teenager in 1978 when her parents took legal guardianship over her young cousins who lived in the area and moved to the village. She said she left for law school in 1980 and then moved back to Long Island with her husband afterward.
Villafane said she lived in Glen Cove and Locust Valley before returning to Sea Cliff in 1993. Since moving to the area, she said her two children, who have now graduated from college, attended the North Shore School District, as well as a private high school in the area.
Villafane said serving as mayor is an “incredibly rewarding job.”
She said one of her “core values” is giving back to her community, a lesson that her parents taught her growing up. Before she was involved in the village, Villafane said, she helped start the Glen Cove daycare center and volunteered at St. Boniface.
Outside of her village work, Villafane works as a lawyer, which she said has taught her to “problem-solve” and “mediate.” She said she is able to bring these skills to her role as mayor to help solve issues throughout the village.
If re-elected, Villafane’s term would expire in 2027.
The Sea Cliff election will be held on March 18 from noon to 9 p.m. at the Department of Public Works, located at 66 Altamont Ave. For more information, visit www.seacliff-ny.gov.
