North Ave. Hearing Brings Out New Rochelle Residents, Students

Community members, including several Iona College students, spoke Tuesday at the New Rochelle City Council public hearing about the proposed changes to zoning on North Avenue.

Opinions were mixed on the subject, which if adopted as proposed, would allow buildings up to seven stories on any parcel that has frontage on North Avenue and five stories if the parcel doesn't have North Avenue frontage.

The zoning legislation was drafted by city staff based on recommendations of the final report of the Community College Planning Committee.

The zoning also allows private developers to build and operate a college residence hall, something that Iona College doesn't like.

The reasons cited by the college's attorney included Iona's opinion that it would create competition for its residence students and negatively impact the college's finances. It also "requires the college to manage a building it has indicated it does not want, and cannot manage the building the college needs" by permitting a private developer to build on North Avenue but requiring the college to manage a privately built residence hall that is not on North Avenue.

Conversely, attorneys for Robert Young, whose The Young Companies LLC is interested in building private college residences along North Avenue near the intersection of Fifth Avenue, wrote to say the city should adopt the zoning changes as drafted.

William S. Null wrote that precluding private ownership or management of housing for students is inappropriate and would put a monopoly in place in favor of the college.

"Instead, the zoning amendment should be adopted to encourage the development of student housing because it addresses a comprehensive planning need and, in doing so, will generate beneficial economic revitalization along North Avenue," he said.

Many residents, including Naomi Towers, who co-chairs the Mount Joy Place Neighborhood Association, objected to the proposed changes.

"As per the final report of the planning committee, we recommend and support (the building of a dormitory) only if the dorm is owned and operated by Iona College," she said.

Robert McCaffrey of New Rochelle reminded the council that the zoning was changed in 2010.

"Iona College keeps getting their own personal language in zoning," he said. "If Iona College is working on their master plan, we would like to see the plans and see what they need."

Constantinos Michalides, who lives in New Rochelle, said his family has had an interest in the property at 580 North Ave. since 1963 and described them as long-term investors in the city.

He said he supports the zoning changes as proposed, but urged the council to consider private local taxpayers' needs first.

"We encourage the city to remember that a healthy local economy requires an economy among the local population," Michalides said.

Fred Carter Jr. was one of several students who spoke at the public hearing against certain provisions of the zoning changes.

The sophomore psychology major is also a residence assistant.

"We want Iona to do great things in its residence halls," Carter said." We realize we can do this best with an Iona-managed and -run residence hall."

New Rochelle resident Stanley Kaufman said he wanted nothing more than to see the devleopment and revitalization of North Avenue.

He didn't understand what the big deal was about having a privately owned and managed student residence hall.

"With respect to Iona, I don't see why a private management compnay with the appropriate qualifications in student housing wouldn't do as good a job, if not a better job, than an educational institution," Kaufman said.

He said he thought the proposed zoning gave the city enough oversight to ensure any management company would have the expertise and competence to manage the housing.

Gregory Varian of New Rochelle said the community and the college have come a long way to reach the point where the zoning proposal—which needs work—could be considered.

"But having come this far, failure is not an option," he said. "We are not here about approving a dorm on North Avenue.

"The zoning permits 'college use,' not just dorms, which means that above retail you could have offices and classrooms, which clears up space on Iona's campus for dorms," Varian said.

"To turn back now benefits nobody," he said.