Land Owner Proposes to Build 16 Luxury Homes in Mohegan Lake

A builder is proposing to construct 16 luxury homes on the site behind the former Franciscan High School, off Strawberry Road in Mohegan Lake. 

William Catucci, who had graduated from the high school, purchased it in 2002, according to a LoHud report. He later subsidized it and sold it to a family, who created what is currently the Hudson Valley Islamic Community Center. 

The school was run by the nuns who once lived on the 23-acre property he has proposed to build the 16 homes on. According to drawings on file with the town, each home would be roughly 1,800 square feet with garages, Yorktown planning director John Tegeder said.

No official action on the proposal has been taken yet, and Tegeder said the exact size of the homes would change, "as they often do" with projects still in the preliminary stages.

Catucci is working in partnership with Lake Mohegan Mansion LLC and according to Tegeder, the homes would be clustered to accommodate the environmental constraints on the site.

"So far, it seems to be seriously designed around [the wetlands]," Tegeder said of the proposed plan.

Yorktown councilman Nick Bianco said he was worried about the proposal of clustered homes. He also expressed concerns about the implications on the tax base if more children were to attend the . 

Although Bianco said he was not worried about the project driving more traffic to the area, . 

There is a watchtower and stone mansion on the property, which would remain there and the homes would be built around them, Tegeder said. Two homes, which Catucci currently rents out, as well as a farm are likely to come down. 

The Lakeland school district once used the high school temporarily for their administrative offices before moving to Shrub Oak, Bianco said. 

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