Status Report on Chappaqua Crossing, Conifer: New Castle Supervisor

From the New Castle Town Supervisor

Chappaqua Crossing
We continued our Chappaqua Crossing public hearings. The three public hearings addressed the Town Development Plan amendments, Retail Local Law and the Preliminary Development Concept Plan. This is our tenth (10) public hearing since the revised Preliminary Development Concept Plan was introduced in April, 2014.

I would like to point out some of the highlights of Draft Local Law.
• 162,000 SF will be either decommissioned (i.e. taken out of use) or demolished.
• No lower level/basement space can be counted towards this 162,000 SF
• Fitness-related use(s) is now mandated and must occupy at least 25,000 SF
• Maximum office space will be capped at 500,000 SF
• Fast food is not permitted

Please keep in mind that prohibiting a restaurant that is part of a national chain would be unprecedented in Westchester County. We’re unaware of any municipality in Westchester that has banned or restricted full-service chain restaurants. The legality of a ban on full-service chain restaurants would likely be subject to challenge. On the other hand, many municipalities, including New Castle, restrict “fast food” restaurants to certain zoning districts. In the proposed local zoning law, fast-food restaurants would be prohibited at Chappaqua Crossing.

At the conclusion of Tuesday’s meeting, the public hearings were closed. Written comments will be accepted until December 12, 2014 at 4:00pm. The Chappaqua Crossing vote is currently scheduled for Monday, December 15th.

Conifer
A few weeks back, Conifer’s project began showing new signs of activity. As you probably heard, Westchester County Board Chairman Michael Kaplowitz announced that the County legislature intended to conditionally approve funding for Conifer’s project, subject to issuance of the necessary building and fire code variances. Conifer was on the New York State Board of Review’s agenda on December 9, 2014 with a revised application.

Conifer’s revised plans do not shrink or materially change the footprint of Conifer’s proposed building. In other words, Conifer still proposes to build from property line to property line. Conifer is now proposing the use of nonflammable building materials in upper portions of the building and adding additional sprinklers. The matter was heard and then adjourned without a decision. The hearing will resume in February, 2015.