There Are Numerous Benefits Associated With Proposed Underhill Farm in Yorktown
Opinion Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the author/producer’s interpretation of facts and data.
When I saw a February 2020 news story that Soundview Preparatory School was closing, I envisioned reimagining the property into a walkable community that included crucially needed homes for seniors.
Now, the project is being considered by Yorktown’s government. This letter is to share the project’s facts – and refute wild misinformation and innuendo.
On July 28, 2020, the Town Board announced plans to create overlay zones for business hamlets for “creation of live/work retail-residential spaces and…construction of diversified housing options and new economic development.”
On Aug. 19, 2020, Soundview Preparatory School filed for bankruptcy. It was advertised for sale and a federal bankruptcy judge, in open court with no secrecy, authorized Soundview’s sale to my company. The overlays were approved by the Town Board in November 2020; we filed our initial project application the next month, and we have just started the approval process with the town nearly a year-and-a-half after the purchase of the property.
Underhill Farm will have 148 townhouse units, condominiums and apartments, including 118 senior-friendly units and retail space. The location, an easy walk to downtown, is next to Yorktown’s future senior center and the Beaveridge Senior Apartments. Underhill Farm’s walking trails, open space and pond will be open to all, and we will partner with the Yorktown Historic Society to preserve the Underhill House.
In addition, we are upgrading traffic signals to mitigate congestion at Underhill Avenue and Route 118, and have offered to contribute to the traffic mitigation work at the intersection of the two roads that will likely not be improved without assistance from new developments in the area.
No aspect of this project has been unduly influenced or fast-tracked. Every government review has been methodical. The Town Board, for instance, unanimously reviewed our initial plans. Next, the Planning Board will conduct a state Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) evaluation that again gives the public an opportunity to comment.
Unicorn Contracting has already contributed to Yorktown: We built the CareMount buildings on Hill Boulevard and Kear Street. We’re fiercely proud of our company’s track record of integrity and respect.
We are optimistic about the potential of this project for both the town and for the new residents of the property, and are disappointed about the continual spread of misinformation about this project. Don’t be misled. See “Facts vs. Fiction” at underhillfarmsyorktown.com.
Thank you for supporting our efforts to propel Yorktown’s future.
Paul F. Guillaro
President, Unicorn Contracting Corp.
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