Chappaqua Crossing Gets Go-Ahead from Town, Planning Boards

New Castle’s Planning Board this week unanimously approved the site plan for Chappaqua Crossing, the development on the Readers Digest site.

The vote is a big step forward after a decade of fighting over the development, through numerous meetings, hearings, documents, elections and lawsuits.

The site plan approval came a day after the Town Board approved developer Summit Greenfield’s plan to put affordable and other targeted housing in the Cupola Building.

The Town Board also approved construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Roaring Brook Road and Route 117. However, the state’s Department of Transportation must approve a work permit, Town Attorney Nicholas Ward-Willis told Tom Auchterlonie of the Daily Voice.

Town Supervisor Rob Greenstein said this in an email report:

On December 15, 2015, the Town Board took a number of important actions with respect to the Chappaqua Crossing project.

First, the Town Board adopted a Local Law that will allow Summit Greenfield to relocate its affordable housing units to the Cupola Building, and to build additional workforce and market rate units in the Cupola Building as well. The Town has already received a building permit application for putting residential housing units in the Cupola Building, and that work is expected to begin next year.

In addition, the Town Board approved a Lease Agreement for the Wallace Auditorium. The lease allows the Town to use the Wallace Auditorium as an arts and cultural center, and for other public purposes. The Town will also have the right to accept ownership of the Wallace Auditorium as a donation. The Town will not pay rent or other charges for its use of the Wallace Auditorium.

Last December, the Town Board also required Summit Greenfield to improve not just where the driveway intersects with Roaring Brook Road, but the driveway itself. I am happy to report that earlier this week Summit Greenfield and Chappaqua Central School District entered into a letter agreement for these driveway improvements. We hope work will begin on that project next summer.

Lastly, when we approved retail at Chappaqua Crossing, Summit Greenfield agreed to pay $15,000 to study closing Annandale Drive. Although a prior Town Board had already studied traffic impacts, we were, and remain, committed to doing whatever we can to mitigate traffic on our roads. Our traffic consultant also studied the best location for a pedestrian crosswalk across Route 117. We received that report last Friday. Our traffic expert’s recommendation is NOT to close Annandale. That report has been posted on the Town’s website

On December 16, 2015, the Planning Board approved - via a unanimous vote - Summit Greenfield’s site plan application for retail development at Chappaqua Crossing.

Next year, we expect that Summit Greenfield will apply for building permits and other approvals that will allow the project to move forward towards the construction phase. Summit Greenfield also needs additional permits from New York State and other agencies for its retail development, but they hope to begin site work sometime next year.