Sept. 17, 2011 In
exchange for an additional building permit and two certificates of
occupancies (C of O) still outstanding at the Cider Mill site, the Town
of North Castle received a $200,000 irrevocable letter of credit from
the Cider Mill development ownership ensuring that their middle income
housing requirements will be met within the next two years.
According to North Castle Director of Planning Adam Kaufman, in order to build the 27 housing units on the Cider Mill site developers are required by law to build eight middle-income housing units. Cider Mill building plans require that no more than 20 homes are built until the middle income housing requirements are met. At this time, plans for the middle income housing units are still in the planning stages, and realistically will not be completed for at least two years. This delay will impede the sale of two completed properties and one additional property to be built in the Cider Mill Development. The four remaining Cider Mill units cannot be built until the middle income housing requirements are met or additional irrevocable letters of credit are issued.
To prevent further delay of the Cider Mill project and to ensure that the middle income housing (MIH) units are built according to plan, the previous Cider Mill property owners, Crabapple Properties, LLC, agreed to give the Town of North Castle a $200,000 irrevocable letter of credit ensuring that the MIH units will be built. The Cider Mill properties still in development were recently sold to Cider Mill Main St LLC. Crabapple Properties, LLC will remain obligated to build the MIH units.
According to Town Attorney Roland Baroni, Crabapple Properties will forfeit the $200,000 if the middle income housing requirements are not met by December 31, 2012 at which time they will still be required to build the units. The $200,000 forfeiture will serve as a penalty for failing to build the MIH on time. Baroni held that Crabapple Properties “will never get free of their obligation to build the units”. According to Baroni, they will not be permitted to break ground on the four remaining building sites in the Cider Mill development until their MIH obligations are met or they provide additional surety bonds. They would have to provide an additional $150,000 irrevocable letter of credit for each additional C of O they wished to obtain. North Castle Building Inspector Richard Fon confirmed that since the $200,000 letter of credit has been received by the Town, two C o Os have been issued for the completed properties on the Cider Mill site.
Mark Miller of Veneziano and Associates, the law firm representing Crabapple Properties, stated that the purpose of the bond was to provide security to the town regarding Crabapple Properties obligations concerning the middle income housing on the Cockren property. The bond insures that Crabapple Properties will maintain responsibility to fulfill it’s MIH obligations. Miller confirmed that Crabapple Properties could obtain additional C of Os on the the four remaining building sites in the Cider Mill development if they provide the Town of North Castle an additional $150,000 irrevocable letter of credit for each unit to be built.
The Cockren property, located on Old Route 22 and also owned by Crabapple Properties, LLC, was designated for the construction of 10 MIUs to satisfy the Cider Mill complex's requirements. Since the Town Board’s approval of this site in 2002, the Town has proposed converting the middle income units to affordable income units in accordance with Westchester County requirements. Westchester County has stated that it supports the development of these 10 units as part of its county-wide plan which will include 750 such units, and, according to Crabapple Properties' attorney Anthony Veneziano, they too have discussed participation in the County's affordable housing program.
Town Attorney Baroni said a public hearing is not required because changing the classification of housing from North Castle middle income units to Westchester County affordable housing units does not change the maximum level of what counts as "middle-income," which is what North Castle's housing board controls.
The Town Board must determine whether to adopt the County’s new model ordinance to comply with new county requirements regarding affordable income housing. According to Supervisor Weaver, representatives from North Castle and several other towns met with representatives from the County in early September at Pace University to get further information on the County’s new model ordinance and how adopting it will affect our town. At this point, according to Supervisor Weaver, the Town Board is split as to whether or not to adopt the new ordinance. If the Town Board decides to adopt the ordinance then a draft will be written and brought before the Town at a public hearing.
A federal lawsuit brought against Westchester County two years ago resulted in a county housing settlement which required that the County build 750 affordable income housing (AIH) units. The County budgeted over $50 million dollars to achieve the goal. Failure to comply would result in lawsuits against the county. Town Attorney Baroni said that if individual towns refuse to participate in this county wide ordinance, it could result in their forfeiture of county funded programs.
On May 16, at special public meeting about the affordable housing development on the Cockren Property, Supervisor Weaver introduced a panel of representatives from the Westchester County Housing Board to discuss the County's model ordinance and the particulars of building AIH. Lou Larizzi of Lazz Development discussed the requirements associated with building the AIH units. Lazz Development specializes in affordable housing development as part of the County's program. If the Town adopts the County's ordinance, the County will decide whether to purchase the Cockren property from Crabapple Properties for its fair market value of over $400,000. The County will then turn the property over to an approved AIH developer, such as Lazz Development, who will build the AIH units.
Architectural renderings of the pre-fabricated AIH units are available for review in the North Castle Building Department. The current proposed project includes two prefabricated buildings of eight two-bedroom units plus two three-bedroom units.
What is the difference between the Town of North Castle’s middle income housing (MIH) and Westchester County’s affordable income housing (AIH)?
The main difference is that MIH follows a town model and is marketed to town employees and the price of the units is based on average town employee earnings. On the other hand, AIH adheres to a county model and are marketed to county employees and the price of the units is based on the average county employee’s earnings. The average county employee earnings is approximately $7,000 to $8,000 lower than the average North Castle town employee earnings. The AIH will not give any priority to North Castle employees.
AIH are marketed to all county employees thereby providing a larger pool of potential purchasers. The County also provides potential AIH buyers more access to financing. According to Town Attorney Baroni, 10 of the 34 MIH units in North Castle are owned by people that do not work in the town. We need a larger pool of buyers to fill the units. Baroni said, “Local programs cannot produce enough qualified buyers.”
In 2009, Westchester County was the defendant in federal law suit which resulted in a county housing settlement which required that 750 affordable income housing units be built within the next seven (now five) years in less racially diverse communities in the County. North Castle is considered such a community. The settlement also required that there be no local priorities given in the sale of those units. County Legislator John Nonna said that North Castle signed an agreement, as did other Westchester communities, to receive community development bond grant (CDBG) money over a 20 year period. In return, the Town must assist the County in meeting its obligation to provide affordable and fair housing. At the Town Board meeting held March 9, 2011, North Castle's Town Supervisor Weaver signed a letter, with the authorization of the Town Board, demonstrating support of the development of these 10 units to be built and marketed towards the goals established by the County.” (Town Board minutes March 9, 2011).
Rye Cottage Townhomes were built by developer Lou Larizzi of Lazz Development
Legal Challenge to the Affordable Housing Decision Proposed
Updated June 1, 2011
On March 9, 2011, North Castle's Town Board authorized a letter asking
the Westchester Housing Board to review plans for the Cockren Property,
located at 22 Old Route 22, in Armonk. Councilman Becky Kittredge and
Councilman Michael Schiliro gave Supervisor Bill Weaver the majority he
needed to sign a letter supporting the development of units on the
Cockren Property to comply with Westchester County's Affordable Housing
Settlement Agreement. The letter says the town supports the construction
of ten affordable housing units to be built on the Smith-Cockren
property. The Town acknowledged that the units will be built according
to Westchester County's requirement to develop 750 affordable housing
units.
Attorney Anthony Veneziano was at the Town Board meeting on behalf of Crabapple Properties, LLC, owner of the Cockren Property. Veneziano said that the property was designated for the construction of 10 middle income units (MIUs) to satisfy the Cider Mill complex's requirements, and his client has discussed participation in the County's Affordable Housing Program. Westchester County has stated that it supports the development of these 10 units as part of its county-wide plan for 750 units.
Resident Kerry Lutz, who was recently nominated by the North Castle Republican Committee as a candidate for North Castle's Town Board, says the biggest objection to the affordable housing is the location of the Cockren property. He believes the town needs to bring order to that part of Old Route 22, which is adjacent to the Beehive and Gavi Restaurants. During lunch and dinner hours, patrons of the restaurants are parked along both sides of the street. Lutz believes that putting a housing project there will lead to 10 to 15 fewer parking spots.
Another problem with the project's location, according to Lutz, is the placement of a residential structure between Route 22 and the commercial district. The units will be built into a hill that is below the southbound lanes of Route 22. North Castle's Planning Director, Adam Kaufman, says the windows in the back of the buildings will be below Route 22.
Lutz would like the Town Board to hold a public hearing to let the community have input. According to Town Attorney Roland Baroni, a public hearing was held for the project in 2002, when the Town Board approved the property as a site for MIUs. Baroni says that the change in use from MIUs to affordable housing doesn't require a public hearing.
Lutz regrets that the Town has discouraged public involvement in this matter, and says that the lack of a public hearing since 2002 makes legal action against the Town unavoidable. He calls this Westwood II and wishes the Town Board would stop putting the town in the situations that incur legal fees.
We spoke to an active member of the Whippoorwill Hills Board of Directors who asked to remain anonymous. The person says the Cockren location on a blind curve is a poor fit for residents, and that no one should live looking out to a restaurant and Route 22.
Whippoorwill Hills resident Art Adelman says, "I'll be in favor of whatever most easily promotes the improvement of Old Route 22 because things have been a mish-mash forever. We've got the nice restaurants, we've got two harmonious neighborhoods tallying over 200 homes, not counting the Cider Mill. Something needs to be done."
Lutz recently sent an email asking the Whippoorwill Hills Board of Directors to forward information to Whippoorwill Hills residents for review. The email was dated May 25, 2011 and says: "The Whippoorwill Hills Board of Directors has no part or persuasion on the topic below."
The following message by Lutz was forwarded:
"Push has come to shove. The only way we are going to stop the housing project from being constructed on Old Route 22 is by a lawsuit.
We have retained an attorney. We need to raise $10k for the Article 78. I have about 10 -15 people so far. We are seeking to raise about $250 per person which would mean that we need 40 participants.
We need to act quickly. Can you email the residents of The Hills and try to raise some money.
They should make out all checks to John (Kirkpatrick), Attorney and forward them to me.
Please let me know if you want to participate in this as soon as possible.
Thanks so much for your help and support."
Kerry H. Lutz
Attorney at Law
Attorney John Kirkpatrick of Oxman, Tulis, Kirkpatrick, Whyatt & Geiger worked with Frederick P. Clark and Associates as a consultant to North Castle's town planning from 1974-1980. He helped write the town's master plan, which included the first provision for middle income housing as an amendment to the zoning law.
Under New York State law, an Article 78 challenge applies only to the decisions of government officials and agencies. According to Jeff Hogue in www.lawny.org, "An Article 78 proceeding must be brought within a short period of time after a challenged decision is implemented, sometimes in as little as 30 days, but no more than four months." In most instances, Article 78 proceedings begin without a court appearance, merely with the filing of written documents.
March 9 was the date the Town Board asked the county to review the plans for the Cockren Property, and that may be the date that begins the deadline under Article 78 for filing a challenge within no more than four months.
According to robertcohenlawoffice.com, New York courts often decide in favor of an agency if the agency has documented reasons for its decision, even if many people think the decision is wrong.
The Town's decision to support the County's involvement in the development was supported by the North Castle Housing Board because the selling market for middle income units became difficult once the recession began in 2008. The county's program is available to a greater pool of applicants with lower incomes than is a similar program for North Castle town employees. Some people, however, object to the loss of the North Castle's Housing Board's input if the county reviews the applications.
Supervisor Bill Weaver held an informational meeting to introduce county employees and the builder involved with developing the Cockren property on May 16. Click to view the video of the meeting : http://northcastleny.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=401.
Veneziano says that the Town Board's letter is a preliminary step in a process that will take three to six months and Lou Larizzi of Lazz Development, who was introduced by the Westchester Housing Board, says it will take 14 months to build the units at the Cockren Property. So we won't see affordable housing in Armonk for at least two years.
North Castle's Moderate Income Housing
Posted May 19, 2011 To build a multifamily development, says North Castle Director of Planning Adam Kaufman, the law requires developers to build a percentage of their units as affordable housing, as was true when Michael Fareri owned the Cider Mill on Old Route 22. In order to build the 27 housing units there, Fareri was required to build eight middle-income housing units. Fareri proposed the Cockren Property, also on Old Route 22, as an alternative site to build the required middle-income units for Cider Mill.
Antares bought both the Cider Mill and the Cockren properties from Fareri. Antares sold them to a partnership owned by developers (and Armonk residents) Alan Zaretsky and the Dioguardi Brothers. Once the affordable housing unit requirements are met, the town will issue the remaining building permits and certificates of occupancies to complete seven of the 27 remaining units at Cider Mill.
Zaretsky presented plans for Crab Apple Properties to build middle-income housing units at Cockren several years ago. North Castle Town Attorney Roland Baroni said the Planning Board and the Town Board both agreed to approve the site plans for the Cockren property and for the Cider Mill in 2002, when they were the subject of a public hearing. Baroni said he doesn't believe a public hearing is required now because changing the classification of housing from North Castle middle-income units to Westchester County affordable housing units doesn't change the maximum level of what counts as "middle-income," which is what our housing board controls.
In 2008, the economy crashed and banking credit tightened. Councilman Michael Schiliro said that after several months of analysis of the middle-income unit housing market, the North Castle Housing Board recommended that the Town Board send a letter to the County to consider the Cockren property for county affordable housing rather than for North Castle middle-income housing. Since the middle-income housing market was struggling due to the economy and to reduced mortgage financing, making it difficult for middle-income earners to buy homes, Zaretsky did not want to build additional middle-income housing units North Castle that couldn't be sold.
By a majority vote, the North Castle Town Board approved and sent a letter to the county government suggesting the Cockren property as a site for affordable housing. Weaver says the Town Board is looking to promote development in the town, and says that if the Cockren property is not developed, it will hold up two other properties: Cider Mill and Armonk Square, because they are both owned by the same people.
At a special meeting on May 16, Supervisor Weaver introduced a panel of representatives from the county who were interested in purchasing the Cockren property for $400,000.
Lou Larizzi of Lazz Development specializes in affordable housing development and has built low-cost housing in Rye Brook. He is a private developer building affordable housing as part of the county's program. Some subsides are provided for the construction of affordable housing developments. It will be up to the county whether they buy the property from Crab Apple Properties.
The ten affordable housing units proposed by Crab Apple Properties and Lazz Development are similar in design, construction and price to the units in Crab Apple Properties' plans. The plans include ten two-bedroom units of 1,100 square feet, each with private patios. The second story windows will be below Route 22, which is at a higher elevation up a hill from the backyard of the Cockren complex. Larizzi says it will take about 14 months to build the complex from start to finish.
Both affordable housing plans only offer the units as privately owned, with no subleasing or renting permitted. Under the County's regulations, the units will be sold subject to income, eligibility and market requirements.
There is no requirement that North Castle have a certain number of affordable units. County Legislator John Noona said that North Castle signed an agreement, as did other Westchester communities, to receive community bond development grants over 20 years, but in return the Town must assist the County in meeting its obligation to provide affordable and fair housing. Noona said that Bedford and Larchmont are already building affordable housing, and more units will be built across the county.
Mary Jennings Mahon, Special Assistant for Real Estate to Westchester's County Executive, said the county has to build 750 affordable housing units throughout Westchester's 31 municipalities, with no quotas set for any one municipality. Mahon added that 154 units have already been financed and built, with more units being built in 13 Westchester municipalities.
About 50 people attended the May 16 special meeting, and several residents questioned whether the town can change the already approved middle-income housing units, regulated by North Castle's Housing Board, to affordable housing units regulated by the Westchester County Housing Board without a public hearing. Baroni said a public hearing was held in the past and approval was given by the Planning Board and Town Board.
Weaver said the biggest difference in North Castle middle-income housing and Westchester County's plan, is that the pool of applicants in the county's program will be from all over the county, and North Castle residents will have no advantage in the lottery when potential qualified buyers are chosen. Under the county's housing regulations, the income requirements are based upon the county's median income, which is about $8,000/year less than the median income of the Town of North Castle's employees.
The tone of the opposition to the affordable housing units was very civil at the May 16 meeting, with further questions raised about why the residents of the town were not informed about the change in the housing classification and permitted to discuss it at a public hearing. Councilman Diane Roth and other residents requested that the Town Board further review the county's affordable housing plan to see if the required units can be built in a better location.
Developer Michael Fareri said he has proposed the old lumberyard as a possible location for affordable housing. Howard Arden suggested transferring the required units to Armonk Square's residential component. Residents also expressed concerns about home buyers at the County's median-income level versus the town's median-income level.
Questions were expressed about the way the county system is set up, with only 5% down payment required, increasing the potential for defaults on mortgage payments as well as taxes. Rose Noonan, from the Housing Action Council, said that the County requires that the housing debt incurred not be greater then a debt/income ratio of 33% of a buyer's yearly income. She says that figure makes sense for the group of buyers with incomes between $67,000 to $83,800 eligible to buy a two-bedroom unit for two to four people. The county says "No" to potential buyers when their income is not high enough.
Several residents also raised the question of property taxes. The market value of the units will determine the tax level. Baroni pointed out that the 27 units built at Cider Mill will be sold and taxed at market rate, while the 10 units to be built at the Cockren property are the affordable units which will sell for $210,000 and will be taxed at a lower rate.
The income restriction determines the pool of buyers. Noonan says many buyers are first-time home purchasers and typically their income will rise in the future. Questions about who our potential neighbors will be are valid, she says, but county officials assume that the buyers will quickly become part of the fabric of our community, because they are middle-income people and not lower-income earners. In Rye Brook, where Lazz Development built nine affordable units for the county, there is a policeman, a teacher and a young doctor. Noonan said thousands of people are looking to buy homes, many with lower income levels, but she believes they will be able to keep up with the cost of living and be active in our community.
Several residents expressed support for the project. Linda Trummer-Napoliatano said she didn't see why if the units were approved as middle-income units, they wouldn't also be appropriate as affordable housing. Residing in nearby Whippoorwill Hills, she didn't feel the new units would have any negative impact on her home or its property value.
Supervisor Weaver says that selling the Cockren property to the county will free up funds to complete the Cider Mill units, which would accelerate the construction of the first phase of the infrastructure at Armonk Square. Zaretsky and the Dioguardi brothers own Armonk Square. They are purported to have $13 million tied up in the property, and as expected, they are anxious to start building. Weaver says the approvals are complete for Armonk Square and have been for two years.
Updated: May 6, 2011 The Smith-Cockren property located on Old Route 22 in Armonk has been proposed to house ten middle income units (MIU) of which eight of the units are to fulfill the MIU requirements for the Cider Mill complex, also on Old Route 22. Anthony Veneziano Jr., attorney for Crab Tree Properties, owners of the Smith-Cockren property, says the Town is responsible to sell MIUs under its housing guidelines. But, the middle income program is not producing buyers. He says, given the economy and the tightening of bank credit, that buyers in this income bracket are having trouble getting loan approvals.
Developer Michael Fareri bought the Schultz's Cider Mill property from the Schultz family. Fareri sold the Cider Mill in accordance with preliminary plans worked on with the Planning Board to develop it, as well as a partnership in the deed of the Smith-Cockren property, to Antares. Antares did not finish building the Cider Mill units. The Smith-Cockren property, Cider Mill and Armonk Square was purchased by several companies owned by residents and real estate developers Alan Zaretsky and the Dioguardi brothers for an undisclosed amount.
In order to complete the last seven of 27 units at Cider Mill, the requirement of building eight MIUs must be met.
The discussion of the Smith-Cockren units has been in place since 2002, when Jack Lombardi was Supervisor and Michael Fareri owned the Smith-Cockren property. Discussions about the county buying the Smith-Cockren property as Federal Housing Administration (FHA) affordable housing units have been going on since Reese Berman was supervisor. Last year Supervisor Bill Weaver said the new board opposed the county taking over the project.
Other MIUs in town are ten units located in Whippoorwill Commons and 24 units in Whippoorwill Hills. The sales price of these units are based on the average income of town employees.
Federal Housing Administration (FHA) qualifications are different from the MIU qualifications. MIUs are regulated by the town's housing board. The housing board qualifies residents on a point system, and the income cap is not to exceed a certain multiple of the town's median employee income. The selling price of the FHA units are calculated according to FHA code. The prices set are multiples of an average countywide employee's income. The average income of a county employee is about $8,000 less than the annual median income of a town employee says Veneziano. "The qualifying county range is an income of about $58,000 - $78,000."
Veneziano said that the county and town have different rental rates as well. The rental fees of the FHA are about 40% less in than the MIU program. But North Castle does not rent any MIU units at this time.
The difference of who controls the project is that if the county owns it, the county controls the application process instead of the North Castle Housing Board. The application process includes checking financial documents of an applicant to see if he or she is eligible for a unit. The County has built FHA units in Rye, where fire fighters, police and teachers reside.
If an agreement between the County, the Town and the Smith-Cockren property owners doesn't permit the County to build the ten affordable housing units on the Cockren property, the County could build elsewhere in North Castle and the Town might not have a say in the alternative location or in the number of units.
The County is mandated to spend $50 million to build 750 affordable units throughout Westchester. North Castle has offered a letter that states the town supports the construction of ten affordable for-sale units to be constructed on the Smith-Cockren property. The Town acknowledged that the units will be built and marketed pursuant to the requirement of Westchester County's requirement to develop 750 affordable housing units.
Several neighboring property owners oppose the Old Route 22 location for the County's affordable housing. They expressed concern, and said that building a "slum" in Armonk is a mistake in development. A public hearing has been requested to determine the support or lack of support by residents.
Zaretsky says the MIU or FHA units are similar in concept. He says he would be surprised if FHA housing brought "under-desirables" into our town. "Not in my town," he says, is a wrong attitude.
At this time, there is no application pending to actually build the Cockren housing units.
Barbara DiGiacinto, Chairman of North Castle's Housing Board, said the board unanimously supports a letter from the town that the Smith-Cockren site should be considered by the County for FHA units.
A letter of support from the Town Board to the County in favor of proceeding forward with the inquiry was approved by the Town Board with three "ayes" from Weaver, Kittredge and Schiliro and two "no's" from Cronin and Roth. Read more coverage of this proposal
Discussions continue between the town and real estate developer and property owner Alan Zaretsky and partners, Diogardi Brothers. Still in the conceptual stages, the Cockren property (also referred to as The Crab Apple) was presented to the Planning Board by Billy McClure and engineer Dan Holt. The development is proposed on a small lot on Old Route 22. These middle income housing units will meet the requirements for the resolutions for the Cider Mill Complex, also on Old Route 22. When the Crab Apple development is complete, eight units on the Cockren property will fulfill the requirements for the Cider Mill resolution.
Cider Mill's owner, also Alan Zarestky and the Diogardi Brothers, will be permitted to proceed with the remaining certificates of occupancy and building permits to finish the seven of 27 total fair market value units at Cider Mill.
After several presentations and back and forth options of studios, one bedroom or more units, the current proposed project includes two prefabricated buildings of either six to eight two-bedroom units plus two three-bedroom units, which will bookend both of the buildings. The size of the individual units will determine if there will be either six or eight two-bedroom apartments. All possibilities are being considered, including six middle income bedrooms, two fair market bedroom units and two three-bedroom units. But even if two two-bedroom fair market value units were on the inside ends, with more square footage, upgraded amenities, finishes and appliances, the value of the fair market apartments would be decreased by the surrounding middle income units.
Originally underground parking garages were presented, but according to Dan Holt, "The garages under the building laid out terrible and looked like a mess and didn't make sense." The site plan is being held back while the applicant is looking for approval on a variance for the outdoor parking.
Design features presented a bedroom in the attic, big windows in the back facing Route 22, no skylights, and 1,000 square feet interior with an additional 500 sf in the basement. Each unit would have a partially finished basement with laundry, hydro-air and central air conditioning. Each unit would be staggered rather than have a flat facade. The three-bedroom apartments would have their third bedroom in the basement. Bedroom dimensions were presented as 10.11' X 12' and 10.4' X 14.10', plus closets.
Exterior design details were briefly presented as fencing between the patios, outdoor parking, a small common recreation area in the southern section of the property, landscaping with paths and a sidewalk running along the property on Old Route 22.
The infrastructure options are to either make multiple connections tapping into the existing lines or, as the Water and Sewer department recommends, lay new lines requiring the application to go to the county for approval, which will prolong the process.
The applicant doesn't want the units to sit unoccupied in this unpredictable real estate market and is therefore attempting to work out the details with North Castle's Housing Board to market the units once a building permit is issued.
Taking baby steps and working through bureaucracy remains to be a tedious process. An environmental impact study, the Zoning Board variance review and approval, the Architectural Review Board and a public hearing are still required. The applicant's goal is to break ground before September and to have the pre-fab buildings in place by September.
Armonk's MIU Housing
Updated May 11, 2010 Armonk resident and developer Alan Zaretsky is a partner of several prime real estate properties in Armonk. These properties include Armonk Square in the center of town, Cider Mill, and Crab Apple Properties on Old Route 22. Management at the Cider Mill and the Cockren property, also known as the Crab Apple Property, are aligned in resolving the off-site designation of the middle-income units (MIUs) for Cider Mill.
The Cider Mill property, under the original plans, was slated to include eight MIUs. Developer Michael Fareri bought Schultz' Cider Mill in 2002, and subsequently sold it to Antares. Antares in turn, built and sold a majority of the Cider Mill units, but could not complete the development without fulfilling the middle-income housing requirements. Zaretsky purchased the unfinished seven units of Cider Mill, but the Town will not issue building permits and certificate of occupancies, until the MIU requirements have been met.
Old Route 22, across from Gavi and down the road from Cider Mill, is slated to be developed as the Crab Apple Property. The latest proposed ten Crab Apple MIUs will be five apartments of 1,045 square feet in two buildings on just less than an acre of land. The buildings will be pre-fabricated set in a foundation. This will fulfill the Cider Mill resolution for approval. Since only eight apartments are required to fulfill the resolution, two apartments will be land-banked against future obligations.
Although Armonk Square is in the central business district, they must meet the requirement of 20% of their apartments to be MIUs on premise.
The Crab Apple's conceptual plans have been presented to the North Castle Planning Board. The general consensus was that the two proposed buildings are attractive, and provide a significant improvement to the vacant lot. Crab Apple's conceptual plan received positive feedback from both the Planning Director and Planning Board. A lawn mower shop and the large house owned by George Smith and his family were located on the original site; the home, however, was demolished last year.
There are many details of Crab Apple that need to be ironed out. The specification plans include 22 outdoor parking spaces, with plans to add a few additional spaces. The calculations for open space need to be reviewed. The initial plans called for studios and one-bedroom apartments, but there doesn't appear to be a need for smaller apartments. The plans now include all two-bedrooms apartments, with a request pending from the Housing Board to consider all four end-units as three-bedroom apartments. Currently, there are only three other three-bedroom MIUs in town, and over the years, people have requested three-bedroom apartments.
The Crab Apple property is in the early stages of development, which opens the door for the town's regulating boards and inspectors to review the plans. The Architectural Review Board must review the project, along with the Housing Board, Fire Inspector, and Sewer & Water department. Accordingly, we expect a public hearing to take place in the near future.
The Planning Board's requests included moving the washer and dryers to the basement, erecting a fence in the back of the property, and moving the utilities underground. Finally, the question remains how to effectively meet the parking needs with on-street parking, and possibly construct a side-walk connecting all of Old Route 22. This is only the beginning of a long process, with more details to follow. A major obstacle is that the developer wants the units to be marketed and sold before they start building them.
