Developer Formally Submits Site Plan Application for 50 N. Greeley Project
News Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Town of New Castle staff is conducting a completeness review for an application for the proposed low-carbon-footprint mixed-use development at 50 N. Greeley Ave. after the developer formally submitted plans early this summer.
FFLP Holding 50 North Greeley LLC and Bear Development are seeking plan approval and a special permit for a 50-unit apartment building with about 6,400 square feet of ground-floor commercial space.
The development team submitted plans on June 12, but it wasn’t until Sept. 16 when it was stamped as received because it wasn’t eligible to be considered a submission when initially proffered to the town, said Director of Planning Sabrina Charney Hull.
Hull said once staff has completed its review, including a state Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) analysis, the Town Board has 62 days to set a public hearing. That is when the Town Board will have an opportunity to engage the Planning Board in discussion and when the public hearing will be scheduled, she said.
However, the matter will not be placed on one of the Town Board’s meeting agendas until her office is satisfied.
“It should be very easy for you once this application is deemed complete because that means it reflects the exact same project [if] you reviewed and were considering the legislation for adoption,” Hull said. “So, it is at a very critical stage right now for determining its completeness.”
Town Attorney Lino Sciarretta said it is unclear how long town staff may take to determine that the application is complete. It could be as soon as two months or as long as eight months or more before it appears before the Town Board, particularly if it is missing key information or documentation, he said.
The transit-oriented development project proposed for the .8-acre site of the shuttered Rite Aid store calls for 50 apartments, including nine studios, 17 one-bedroom apartments and 24 two-bedroom units. It is zoned in the Retail Business and Parking District, but the applicant can also be granted a Net Zero Carbon special permit.
The June 12 letter from Jeffrey Davis, part of the team from Bear Development, stated that the project seeks to redevelop a key property in the heart of the downtown Chappaqua hamlet “to promote a vibrant and walkable downtown.”
“This kind of mixed-use transit-oriented development is consistent with the goals of the Town’s Comprehensive Plan,” Davis stated.
There would be 10 affordable housing units, six of which would be for those making up to 60 percent of Westchester County Average Median Income and four units open to “workforce housing.”
The four-story building would be constructed with a mass timber material, helping to make it a low-carbon building that is 100 percent electric.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
