Cold Spring Trustees Discuss Butterfield Plan’s Fiscal Impact
By Tom Auchterlonie – The financial impact of the proposed redevelopment of the Butterfield Hospital site was a significant topic of interest for members Cold Spring’s Board of Trustees at a workshop last Tuesday.
Village trustees met with Ann Cutignola, a planner for Tim Miller Associates, Inc., which is a consulting firm that is assisting developer Paul Guillaro with the project. Cutignola discussed the net financial impact to the village, along with the way in which the project’s proposed condominiums would be assessed.
For increased village expenses, Cutignola explained there may be increased police hours due to a population rise, more park services and insurance for the site. Cutignola also felt that the new expenses to the village “should be low.”
According to the project’s Environmental Assessment Form (EAF), the village would get a net tax revenue increase of around $60,000 after costs are covered. Total revenue for all tax-receiving governments, including the Haldane school district, is projected to be nearly $600,000 per year.
The proposal for the site, which is about 5.7 acres and located at the intersection of Route 9D and Paulding Avenue, involves demolishing the Butterfield Hospital building and preserving the existing Lahey Pavilion. Fifty-five senior-housing condominium units would be constructed, along with two buildings for office space and retail, which total 32,500 square feet. A portion of the office space would be for governmental usage; at the meeting, Putnam County was mentioned as a possible tenant. Additionally, three single-family homes facing Paulding Avenue are proposed, while the Gateway open space would be preserved for village use.
The redevelopment requires approval of a zoning change from the board of trustees. The site currently falls under the B-4 zone, which allows for up to 92 senior housing units, according to the EAF. The proposal involves rezoning most of the site to B-4A, which would allow mixed usage. The property would also be subdivided, with three lots created for the single-family homes. Those lots would be rezoned to R-1, which allows for residential usage.
Trustees and Cutignola also discussed the tax situation for the condos. During the meeting it was noted that the assessed value for single-family housing is based on market price. In contrast, the assessed value for a condo is based on its potential rental income. Trustees Stephanie Hawkins and Matt Francisco focused on this aspect.
Another significant part of the meeting came when the conversation shifted to vacancy rates for the condos. Hawkins, raising the possibility of a tax challenge after the project is complete, inquired about whether the developer would agree to a freeze. Guillaro, in his response, was open to agreeing to one.
A possible freeze was not the only item that Guillaro is open to. When conversation focused on the village having insurance in connection with controlling the Gateway park space – it would still be privately owned, however – he left it up to the local government to decide who would maintain it.
Community character and the planning board’s role in the process were also discussed. The planning board served as lead agency for the proposal’s environmental review and recently approved a negative declaration, which, according to state law, means that an environmental impact statement will not be required for it. If the trustees approve rezoning, the planning board’s role would continue, as its approval would be needed for the proposal’s site plan and subdivision.
An attorney speaking on behalf of Guillaro expressed concern at the meeting about there being multiple debates about community character and felt that the trustees’ board should be making the decision on it. He did note, however, there is still discretion to tweak the proposal, including the movement of buildings.
The workshop was the last for Francisco and fellow Trustee Charles Hustis, whose terms are ending this month. The board, which will include two new trustees, will meet for workshop discussion pertaining to the project’s rezoning. It is scheduled for Thursday, April 10 at 7:30 p.m. at the Cold Spring firehouse, which is located at 154 Main St. Additionally, a public hearing is currently slated for April 29.
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.
