Greenburgh Affordable Housing Proposals Outlined for WestHELP Site
Four developers are competing to provide affordable housing on a town-owned parcel in Greenburgh.
Proposals for the WestHELP property were discussed during the April 9 town board work session. The town-owned property is located at One WestHELP Drive.
New York State recently rejected a proposal by Ferncliff Manor, an organization that provides services to the developmentally disabled, to lease property from the town that had previously been developed by WestHELP as affordable rental housing agency. Those affordable units had been vacated when the town took the property back after the term of the contract by WestHELP expired.
SIMILAR: Income vs. Rental Gap Increasing in Westchester
Dale Kaufteil, HarborView Property’s principal and managing member, said his plan was a “middle of the road, reasonable approach which affords the shortest timeline possible for restoring the property to full service.”
The plan for 108 units uses only private funding to refurbish and preserve the land for affordable housing, Kaufteil said. The housing would only be provided to low and moderate income persons 55 and older, he said. Priority would be given to such applicants as teachers, town employees, police officers and firefighters, he said. The units would be limited to two residents and the town would receive nearly $8 million in rent over the life of the lease, he said. Kaufteil said a deposit of $375,000, which would represent a one-year lease payment, would be paid after town board approval of his proposal.
“It yields the greatest income for the town” and keeps the main purpose of the land, which is affordable housing Kaufteil said
The rent would be about $900 a month and Section 8 vouchers would be accepted, Kaufteil said.
Town Supervisor Paul Feiner asked Kaufteil, “Are their any conditions or loopholes that could set back this effort?”
Kaufteil, responded, “None whatsoever.”
Marathon Development is proposing 80 units that would be restricted to those 55 and older, with a preference for military veterans. Marathon would provide a $2.2 million up-front lease payment to the town and spend an additional $4.5 million to renovate the site.
Marathon Development project engineer Mark Beida told the town board, “The best use of this site is affordable senior rentals.”
Feiner said the federal government mandates that housing can have a preference for seniors, but legally, properties cannot only for seniors. Beida said his company owns and operates housing only for senior tenants, but non-senior family members can visit for short periods of time.
Many of the current studio apartments on the site would be combined to create one-bedroom units, Beida said. “We’re going to make the place look like brand new,” he said, noting some of the renovations would include new roofs and siding and energy efficient lighting.
Feiner said “$2.2 million is much less than the other proposals,” Feiner said. Beida said the lease payment would be guaranteed to the town, unlike other proposals for the site and his company was seeking to spend more to renovate and operate the units as compared to the other proposals.
Community Housing Innovations is seeking to pay the town annual lease payments of up to $375,000 and spend about $3 million for renovations and would pay a $100,000 deposit to the town.
Alex Roberts, executive director of the non-profit Community Housing Innovations, told the town board. “We will take the 108 units and fully renovate them,” he said. “We see this primarily for single seniors.” There would room for only two persons in each apartment, he said.
The cost of redeveloping the project would be about $3 million of private funds, Roberts said. The monthly rent would be $895.
For the proposal to go forward, the town would need to approve a plan to increase the number of parking spaces on the property from the current 54 spaces to 135 spaces which would be less than approved under town zoning requirements. Roberts said he wants to have one parking space per unit. “The desire of the county and the town are to put the units to good use” as soon as possible, Feiner said, adding he did not want to delay a renovation project.
“We have a very good reputation working with communities,” Roberts told the town board.
Group MRH LLC, which did not send any representatives to the meeting, is proposing 108 units, including the construction of six new apartments. MRH is seeking to pay annual lease payments of $350,000 per year for 19 years.
Whatever the town board decides, Feiner said he wanted the WestHELP property would be occupied without delay. “We’re committed to having affordable housing quickly,” Feiner said.
A vote to choose one of the plans was on the April 10 regular town board agenda, but the item was tabled.
