The public will soon weigh in on plans for retail development, including a supermarket, at Chappaqua Crossing.
At an April 2 work session, the New Castle Town Board set public hearings for April 23 at 7 p.m. and April 29 at 1:30 p.m., both at town hall, to discuss possible legislation that would allow for the creation of the retail overlay district at the site.
The hearings also cover the public comment for Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), which was accepted by the town at the April 2 meeting.
Connecticut-based Summit/Greenfield would develop 120,000 square feet of retail space at the site, including a full-service supermarket. The retail aspect would replace existing office space. The supermarket would be 36,000 to 60,000 square feet. The development would take up 23.9 acres of the 114-acre former Reader”™s Digest property.
The Chappaqua Fire Department recently posted an informal Facebook poll on its website that claimed 82 respondents. They voted on the appropriateness of a grocery store: 52 were in favor, 20 opposed and 10 favored a gourmet grocery store.
Chappaqua has been without a grocery store since D”™Agostino on King Street closed shortly after Tropical Storm Irene in 2011. It has been replaced by a Walgreens, forcing Chappaqua residents to travel to Mount Kisco or Millwood to do their grocery shopping.
Summit/Greenfield said it has strong interest from several supermarket chains. The developer, a partnership of Summit Development L.L.C. and Greenfield Partners L.L.C., both real estate services and investment companies based in South Norwalk, Conn., said a market and retail component could generate $650,000 in property tax revenue, bringing the total real estate taxes from the site in excess of $3 million.
BartonPartners Architects Planners Inc. of Norristown, Pa., has designed the proposed changes to the buildings to blend with the Neo-Georgian brick of the original Reader”™s Digest campus. Retail space at the southern end of the property will have a complementary architectural style.
The retail center would have 600 parking spaces. Parking for the existing office space would be relocated to maintain the required 1,680 spaces for the offices.
The remainder of the space not used for retail would continue for office use. Currently Northern Westchester Hospital, Mount Kisco Medical Group, Fiber Media and WeeZee Sensory Gym are tenants.
Summit/Greenfield bought the property for $59 million from Reader”™s Digest Association in December 2004. It had initially proposed building 348 units of age-restricted condominiums and townhouses. The town eventually approved 111 units of housing, 20 of which are affordable.
Many residents have opposed the new zoning district fearing it will negatively impact downtown Chappaqua. The planning board has also expressed skepticism about the new zoning district.
Last December, Summit/Greenfield dropped its federal and state lawsuits against the town in exchange for the zoning district being approved. Summit/Greenfield had sued the town in state and federal court over its handling of the Chappaqua Crossing site, claiming that its conduct deprived Summit/Greenfield of making the property economically viable.
The lawsuits won”™t officially be dropped until the town formally approves the retail zoning district. Summit/Greenfield”™s state lawsuit was dismissed, though the developer had planned to appeal. The federal lawsuit was in the discovery phase.
