Yorktown’s Town Board has approved a rezoning request from 800 East Main Street Dev AMS LLC to build a 180-unit senior citizen housing project that has been under consideration since October 2022 when AMS filed a zoning petition asking for changes that would allow the project to be built.
The 35.26-acre site formerly was headquarters of the Blue Book Network. The address is 800 East Main St. The developer is located in Fort Lee, New Jersey, and is contract vendee for the property.
“This rezoning marks a significant step forward in adding value to a currently underutilized property,” said Yorktown Supervisor Ed Lachterman. “This redevelopment will not only increase the Town’s property tax revenues but also provide a much-needed housing option for our empty nesters who wish to remain in Yorktown as they downsize from their single-family homes.”
The rezoning changed the site designation from a research laboratory and office district to a senior citizen’s district. The units would be rented to people age 55 and up.
In March 2023, the Town Board directed the developer to prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the project.
According to Attorney Janet Giris of the White Plains-based law firm DelBello Donnellan Weingarten Wise & Wiederkehr LLP as now proposed the two existing office buildings on the site will be demolished and two four-story residential buildings would be constructed. There would be 270 parking spaces provided.
“The unit mix consists of 60 one-bedroom units and 120 two-bedroom units,” Giris said. “The project has been thoughtfully redesigned throughout the environmental review process and includes open spaces, walking trails and other recreational amenities, as well as extensive landscaping. The project incorporates balconies into all dwelling units and includes indoor amenity space consisting of a clubhouse with club room, a catering kitchen, a fitness center, a spa, a screening room, a sports lounge, a reading room and an art studio.”
Giris pointed out that a pool and BBQ area would be created in the courtyard between the two buildings and sports courts are also proposed. Twenty-six aces of the property would be preserved as open space.
There are several public recreational facilities close to the site, including Donald J. Trump State Park, Shrub Oak Memorial Pavilion and Park, the Brian J. Slavin Aquatic Center, and the Links at Valley Fields , which is a town-owned par 3 golf course.
To the east and southeast of the site is a mix of single-family homes, set on larger lots. Many of the properties are dense with tree cover and the structures are set back from the road. To the east of the site are several townhouse communities, featuring buildings that are two- to three-stories in height and that are landscaped with flowers, bushes, and trees throughout. Southeast of the site is a mix of commercial developments, including a grocery store, gas station, strip malls, small office buildings, a self-storage facility, and the Jefferson Valley Mall.
A findings document prepared for the Town Board found that if the site is not redeveloped, it would continue to generate limited taxes as the existing buildings are not occupied and are not anticipated to be in the near future given market conditions and office campus trends in the county and region.
The Town of Yorktown Tax Assessor estimated the developed site could have a full market value of $51,990,000 and could generate approximately $1,344,634 in property tax revenue per year. The development was expected to have no more than a few school-age children living there.
