Public Weighs-In on Luxury Apartments Project in Yorktown
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The Yorktown Town Board held a public scoping session last week for a proposed large-scale housing project in Jefferson Valley.
Yorktown Development AMS LLC is planning to construct 250 luxury, multi-family apartments and for sale townhouses on a 35.5-acre property at 800 East Main St. in Jefferson Valley. The site currently contains a 63,000-square-foot building that was formerly home to Contractor’s Register.
The project is being labeled as an “active adult community” for people 55 years and older, but attorney Mark Weingarten said the developer would be “open” to considering not placing an age restriction if town officials feel that would be more beneficial.
“We clearly would be better off without a restriction,” Weingarten said. “This is a conceptual plan. This is a maximum of what we can build. It’s an excellent location for sorely needed housing, especially in the rapidly growing 55 and over population.”
The development, which would need a rezoning from the Town Board to proceed, would include many amenities, including tennis and pickle ball courts, a clubhouse and a swimming pool.
Residents who spoke at the scoping session April 4 at Town Hall were generally in favor of the concept.
“I think this project is very good. I think from the standpoint of the amount of units and the location, everything flows for me,” said Dan Strauss, who did question the affordability of the units, the price tag of which were not revealed.
“How many people in Yorktown could buy a $1 million condo?” he asked. “Yorktown is affordable for some people. It’s not affordable for some people. People could come from Timbuktu. The developer wouldn’t mind. It’s market rate. It’s not affordable housing.”
Former Supervisor Susan Siegel said Yorktown needs more residents in the 30 to 45 age brackets to help keep the town economically vibrant.
“We need young people in this community. We need different levels of income,” she said. “Not all seniors want to live only with other seniors.”
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