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A NOTE FROM OUR PUBLISHER: As a former Peekskill beat reporter, almost any item about the city grabs my attention. In the more suburban portions of northern Westchester, it can be too easy to forget there’s a nearby community in our county grappling with urban issues. This morning, Rick Pezzullo reports on the proposed relocation of a homeless shelter. Be in touch with any thoughts or feedback in the comments section and/or send us an email. Thanks, Adam
The proposed relocation of the only homeless shelter in northern Westchester was not fully embraced earlier this week during a lengthy Peekskill Common Council public hearing.
Caring for the Hungry and Homeless of Peekskill (CCHOP), the non-profit organization that has run the Jan Peek House on North Water St. since 1988, has high hopes about being part of a three-building proposed development at 1070 Lower South St. that would enable it to expand its current footprint from 7,500 square feet to 20,000 square feet.
According to CCHOP Chief Executive Officer Cynthia Knox, CCHOP served almost 61,000 individuals in 2021 — a 300 percent increase from the pre-COVID-19 pandemic. Fred’s Pantry, which started in 2010, serves more than 400 people each week, 95 percent of which reside in Peekskill or Cortlandt.
“Anyone of us can be homeless to no fault of our own,” interfaith minister and eight-year CCHOP volunteer George Coniglio said during the more than two-year hearing. “It (shelter) really puts Peekskill in a positive light with its empathy and compassion. It’s long overdue to move this to a much-improved facility.”
The first step for CCHOP to be able to relocate is that the Common Council would have to agree to a zoning text amendment to allow transitional housing, such as the homeless shelter, in the M2B Zoning District.
“We have a lot of housing insecure people in Peekskill. Being homeless is not a moral imperfection,” said Tanya Dwyer, a resident of Union Ave. “We need transitional housing for our residents. I think it’s the right thing to do to allow this type of housing to exist.”
“Residents of the shelter are part of our community,” said Conor Greene, co-founder of Peekskill Walks and a former city mayoral candidate. “CCHOP is an asset, not a burden.”
However, Joanne Landau, one of the owners of the nearby Blue Mountain Shopping Center, maintained while none of her tenants were opposed to Peekskill having a homeless shelter; having it as a neighbor has raised many eyebrows and heightened concerns.
“This project endangers the shopping center,” remarked Landau, who noted the center was not approached by the developer or city officials about the project. “It endangers the gateway.”
Adam McCauley, who has operated Go No Sen Karate in the shopping center for more than 25 years, said his clients range in age from two to 62, and safety is his top priority.
“Perception is people’s reality. It’s really hard to fight that perception,” he said. “The perspective of a business owner is it’s important that I keep my customers safe.”
Other speakers referenced the number of calls for assistance from the shelter to the Peekskill Police Department last year and how those calls would likely increase with the number of beds proposed to increase from 19 to 76.
A few residents also raised issues about the environment on Lower South St., and the land developer Abe Rosenberg has chosen to construct not only a two-story building to house the Jan Peek House on a vacant parcel opposite the BASF factory but also a three-story self-storage facility and a 10,000-square-foot building for a potential job training center or commercial venture. For years the property was the home of the Karta Recycling and Container facility.
“Everyone loves the homeless, but nobody cares where you put them,” said Deborah Walker. “How are you going to put a homeless facility on contaminated land?”
Four years ago, CCHOP did an extensive search and settled on 851 Washington St. since it could be renovated to serve its needs and is close to a bus stop. The building on Washington Street was purchased by CHHOP for about $900,000 and was in dire need of expensive repairs. Public opposition was intense.
On January 18, 2019, CHHOP officially filed for a zoning text amendment with Peekskill to relocate the Jan Peek House Shelter. If the Common Council approved a special use permit, the zoning law change would have applied to all districts in the city, thus allowing shelters in any C-3 zones. Separate approvals were also needed from the city’s planning and zoning boards.
In March 2019, CCHOP stated it had not received the funding needed “to move the Washington St. project forward” and thus would be turning its attention to another property in an industrial area.
Two former Peekskill elected officials urged their council successors to support CCHOP and the zoning amendment.
“There are a lot of stigmas and stereotypes with the homeless. These people are still people,” said former Mayor Andre Rainey. “They are the most vulnerable in our community. It’s about humanity.”
“People who think it can’t happen to you, it can happen to you,” said former Councilwoman Drew Claxton. “It’s always about location. Four years ago, it was about location. There is really not that much to be afraid of.”
The Common Council adjourned the public hearing. Responding to a question about the council having already made up its mind, Mayor Vivian McKenzie said, “We’re in the middle of a hearing. I don’t think it’s a done deal.”
An editor at Examiner Media since 2012, Rick Pezzullo has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. Prior to Examiner, he was managing editor for 10 years at the former North County News in Yorktown Heights, where he first got his start in journalism as a freshman in high school. He also worked for The Peekskill Herald, The Daily Voice, and The Hudson Independent. He’s a big fan of the Yankees, Steelers, and Knicks, WWE pro wrestling, and the Rocky movies (yes, even Rocky V).
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