Fareri Requests Two More Years to Build Condos at Former Lumberyard
News Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
The developer of a yet-to-be-built 20-unit condominium project in Armonk has sought a two-year extension to the deadline for completion after Westchester County Department of Health approval has been delayed for months.
A public hearing for Michael Fareri’s project at the old lumberyard at 162 Bedford Rd. has been scheduled for Jan. 11. He is seeking Town Board approval to amend the zoning subsection to move the deadline in order for him to maintain the 10 percent affordable housing unit requirement.
In the previous 36-unit iteration of the plan, the town agreed to the density at the site if 20 percent of the units were affordable. However, after he received final approval for the larger project, Fareri balked at building the extra affordable units.
He then returned with a 20-unit plan asking for the 10 percent requirement, which the Town Board agreed to in 2020, but imposed a June 30, 2022, deadline where he had to have at least 75 percent of the construction completed to ensure the project was built. That time limit was later extended to Dec. 31, 2022.
Under the latest request, Fareri would have until Dec. 31, 2024, to receive a permanent Certificate of Occupancy.
Last week, Fareri said he’s in “a very frustrating place” because of the apparent inertia of the health department. He said he is still waiting for the health department’s engineer handling the project, Wayne Schneider, to sign the final subdivision plat. The preliminary plat was signed about eight months ago.
Without the agency’s green light, the Town of North Castle cannot issue a building permit.
“We delivered to him the mylar about five months ago after we went around and had everyone else sign it,” Fareri said. “About a week later we didn’t hear anything and all it requires is him to sign for that plat, the one that he already approved.”
The Examiner reached out to the Department of Health last week to find out the reason for the delay, but was told by a spokesperson that the information was unlikely to be gathered before the holiday weekend.
In an e-mail exchange last August, Schneider responded to Fareri’s daughter, Nicole, who had inquired about the status of the plat. Schneider responded that while “it is always the goal to review all submissions as quickly as possible, please allow several weeks for review.”
At the last Town Board meeting, Nicole Fareri said it’s difficult to project a completion date without knowing when construction would be allowed to begin, but she felt confident that an 18-month time frame is realistic to get the project at least 75 percent finished.
“Our hope was to get in the ground prior to this winter, but without the health department approval that’s impossible,” she said.
Last March, Michael Fareri remarked that there was no way he would be able to achieve the 75 percent completion by the end of December. At the time, the state Department of Environmental Conservation was slow to issue a Notice of Intent, which requests coverage under the general permit for stormwater discharges during construction.
He called the system of how projects are approved “broken.”
“The way of doing things and getting things approved and working with the Westchester County health department and other agencies, it’s almost impossible,” Fareri said.
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/
