Chappaqua Station Moves One Step Ahead

CHAPPAQUA, NY — The New Castle Building Inspector has issued a building permit for Chappaqua Station, Conifer's affordable housing project on Hunt's Place.

The permit was issued Dec. 29, according to town Supervisor Rob Greenstein, who said the building inspector’s issuance of this building permit was based upon his determination that Conifer had satisfied all of the conditions set forth in the Special Permit issued by a prior Town Board in 2013.

"That said, I want to remind residents that the current Town Board worked hard to persuade Conifer to relocate its project to a different location, or alternatively, make it smaller, so it could provide better emergency access for first responders," he said in a Supervisor's Report Wednesday night. "In the end, we were not successful. We could not rewrite history. We could not change what a prior Town Board had done, and we were not able to persuade Conifer to change its plans."

Greenstein said the federal government has been critical of efforts by the project's foes, accusing the town in December in court papers of “delaying, impeding, deterring, and obstructing the progress of Chappaqua Station.”

All of the units in Conifer's project will count toward Westchester County's 2009 affordable housing settlement, which requires that 750 units be built within seven years in communities that are predominantly wealthy white enclaves, such as New Castle.

The Town Board has done none of these things, he said. "What members of the Town Board have done, including myself, is express opinions about the project site. We have expressed concerns about safety, which were shared by our Building Inspector and others. And we have said that the building’s location is terrible, and may tend to stigmatize and isolate its future residents.

"At all times, however, we have followed the law. I also want to say that when this building is finally built on Hunts Place, as now appears inevitable, I will be the first person in line, right along with my fellow Town Board members, to welcome its new residents to the community."

RELATED:

• Residents, Business Officials, Blast Conifer's Affordable Housing Plan
• Lawsuit Filed to Nix Conifer Special Permit
• Conifer Does Charm Offensive; Opponents Still Vocal
• Conifer Presents Smaller Plan; Town Board Receptive
• Chappaqua Affordable Housing Site Opponents Spar with the MTA

Patch file photo