Public Updates Planned on Cortlandt MOD Projects
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Cortlandt residents who live near New York Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital will have an opportunity next week to get an update on two pending projects in the proposed Medical Oriented District (MOD).
The Cortlandt Town Board has invited the developers of the projects to appear at a work session on Monday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. at Linda Puglisi Town Hall.
Within the MOD zoning area, which has been reduced from approximately 105 acres and 34 parcels to 69 acres and 13 parcels in recently filed FGEIS/FEIS documents, two developments, Evergreen Manor and Gyrodine, LLC, have nearby residents concerned.
Evergreen Manor, headed by local developer Val Santucci, is comprised of three parcels totaling approximately 28 acres. The latest plans for Evergreen Manor site include: 166 multi-family residential rental units with 244 parking spaces, 114 assisted living units with 77 parking spaces, 70 two-bedroom townhouses, and 7,000 square feet of retail space with 73 parking spaces. No longer in the plans is a hotel.
Gyrodyne’s project features 184,600 square feet of medical office with 4,000 square feet of café/commercial space to service the employees and visitors of the medical office buildings and 593 structured parking spaces The proposed development would occur within two phases and would replace the existing 30,000 square feet of existing medical offices.
However, Cortlandt Supervisor Dr. Richard Becker recently stated the board has told Gyrodyne representatives it would only entertain a medical building as large as 100,000 square feet.
In addition, Becker revealed Santucci and his team were informed that the board felt only the assisted living component of the project seemed appropriate as designed.
“The second proposal for the site which consisted of apartments for rent was out of character with the neighborhood. It was too boxlike, made of glass and steel, and not consistent with the neighborhood. It was also too big and tall for the neighborhood,” Becker stated. “We also informed them that the volume of the 166 apartments was simply too large. We recommended that they return with a redesign, favoring smaller structures consistent with the neighborhood.”
Becker noted Santucci has requested to present alternative proposals to the board.
In May, a standing room only crowd implored Cortlandt officials to maintain the character of the neighborhood by forcing the developers to scale back their plans.
The Town Board would need to officially create the MOD zoning for the projects to move forward to the Planning Board.
Rick 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. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/
