Age-Restricted Housing Projects in Yorktown Under Scrutiny

Two age-restricted housing projects proposed in Yorktown were the subject of public hearings last week that extended the Town Board meeting until 2 a.m.

First up at-bat Sept. 3 at the Yorktown Community and Cultural Center was a proposal at 2300 Catherine Street where Toll Brothers is seeking a rezoning to RSP-2 Senior Citizens District to construct 118 age-restricted, three-bedroom townhomes in a clustered subdivision on 50 acres near the former Field Home.

Toll Brothers has said the 2,400 to 3,000-square-foot townhouses, estimated to be marketed at more than $1 million each, would generate more than $1 million annually in property taxes. The project would include amenities such as a pool, fitness center and pickleball courts. Approximately 1,500 trees would be removed and 14 acres would be protected to prohibit further development.

While mentioning Toll Brothers’ strong reputation in the region as a quality builder, Councilwoman Susan Siegel expressed concerns that the Planning Board had not done a thorough environmental review of the site and cautioned if the Town Board issued a negative declaration, the Planning Board would be limited in its deliberations of the site plan.

Toll Brothers attorney David Cooper of Zarin & Steinmetz refuted Siegel’s analysis, saying, “There hasn’t been a stone or a slope unturned since we submitted this application.”

Yorktown Planning Director John Tegeder and Councilman Sergio Esposito agreed with Cooper’s assessment.

“It’s paralysis through analysis,” Esposito remarked. “I think it’s been thoroughly reviewed.”

Karen Bobay, president of the Board of Managers of the neighboring Glassbury Court community, once again expressed concerns about the project, including increased traffic and the lack of infrastructure improvements on Catherine Street.

“We still maintain 118 units is excessive for that area,” Bobay said.

Also at issue is the future use of the Field Home and its two-and-a-half acres, with an estimated value of $1.35 million, which would be donated to the town.

Bobay maintained some uses for the Field Home that have been talked about, such as a hotel, banquet hall and office space, would not be appropriate for the area.

Supervisor Ed Lachterman said town officials were exploring many options for the Field Home and stressed “the town should not be in the real estate business.”

The Town Board closed the public hearing on the Toll Brothers application before moving on to another age-restricted housing project at 800 East Main Street in Jefferson Valley.

Proposed on the 35-acre site that once was the home of Contractors Register are 250 luxury, multi-family rental apartments and for sale townhomes that will be restricted to individuals 55 and over. The “market rate” units will be sorted out as 200 rental and 50 for sale.

However, Yorktown Dev AMS has also put together an alternative plan that would be better suited for stormwater engineering design on the site that would only have 165 multi-family units and 20 cottages.

The number of trees that would be removed would also be reduced from 1,320 for the 250-unit project to 651 for the 185-unit alternative.

The property is currently zoned OB-1 Research Laboratory and Office District and needs to be rezoned to RSP-2 Senior Citizens District for the project to move forward.

“This is hitting a sweet spot for people selling their homes and wanting to stay in the community,” said Mark Weingarten, attorney for AMS. “We think this is housing that is extremely needed.”

The “moderately priced” one and two-bedroom units are anticipated to be marketed with monthly rents of between $3,000 and $4,000.

If developed, property taxes on the property would jump from $270,670 annually to $1.82 million, with the Lakeland School District getting the bulk of that money ($1.3 million).

The key bugaboo with the project is the already congested traffic conditions in the area. Two traffic signals are being proposed, with one slated for Route 6 and Old Route 6. A left turning lane on Route 6 would also be expanded.

“This is a heavy lift for me because of that intersection,” Esposito said. “I don’t know how the two lights are going to fix that. I think the project is fantastic. I just can’t get past the traffic.”

Brian Dee, 57, a 50-year Shrub Oak resident, reiterated Esposito’s fears and also emphasized the increased water runoff that homeowners would experience.

“This development can’t go there and have the quality of life we’re used to having,” Dee said. “You can’t fix that intersection. You can put 11 traffic lights. It’s not going to matter. It’s horrifying.”

Weingarten maintained his client was confident the water runoff and intersection problems would be improved.

“My client would not be investing in this property if it is the disaster that some people think it is,” he said.

Bleary eyed, the Town Board adjourned the public hearing on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement until Oct. 1.