Board Members Favorable of State Land Corporation Project on Rt. 202

Town officials, Chamber of Commerce members and interested residents, flocked the board room table Tuesday night to hear the State Land Corporation's three proposals. 

The meeting was an effort to gain support for the 100-acre development on Route 202 opposite Parkside Corner and Grandma's Restaurant, and that's what happened. Board members expressed their approval of the project. 

Out of the three proposals, the one calling for the Bear Mountain extension to be placed across the back of the project, rather than the front was most favorable. Doing so would create 65 acres of parkland to be donated to the town as open/park space. The 65 acres would ajoin the Sylvan Glen Park, which is already town-owned parkland. 

Placing the Bear Mountain extension in the back would also create what Chamber of Commerce Joseph Visconti calls an "expressway" because people who want to avoid Route 202 can directly travel to the Taconic State Parkway. The idea behind the extension is to limit or reduce parking on Route 202, he said.

The project would generate taxes, with no impact on the school system, and create construction jobs as well as permanent jobs, . 

The 100 acres of land is currently undeveloped. For the past three decades, Charles Monaco has been the owner of the Yorktown real estate. He will use part of his land for commercial development, while donating a large portion of the land to the town of Yorktown.

, 35 acres of Monaco’s property will be developed for commercial use. The concept has called for a large plaza and a landscaped area for patrons to walk, sit and enjoy their shopping experience. There will be big box retailer and two other smaller buildings. 

The development would need to be coordinated with the Department of Transportation (DOT). Joseph Riina of Site Design Consultants, and Al Capellini, attorney, have submitted the plan to the DOT, and assuming the plan is endorsed, the applicant will apply for a zoning change by September. The area is currently zoned as residential.

"It's gonna be a major project," Visconti said.