Zoning changes sought for 280-unit apartment building in Croton-on-Hudson

An entity named 1 HMB Property Owner LLC is seeking a zoning change from the Village of Croton-on-Hudson that would allow it to construct a 280-unit transit-oriented apartment building at 1 Half Moon Bay Drive in the village. According to the White Plains-based law firm Zarin & Steinmetz, the 5.66-acre property currently has on it a 120,000 square foot building used as a tire storage and logistics warehouse.

The proposed multifamily building would have a small section that is six stories tall but most of it would be lower. There would be a mix of studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom units. Amenities would include an outdoor swimming pool.

A zoning petition has been filed that asks for a change to eliminate the restriction that transit-oriented developments are permitted “only on lots located fronting on Croton Point Avenue on the west side of Route 9 and within 1,500 feet of the Metro-North Croton-Harmon Train Station.”

According to the zoning petition that was prepared by attorneys Kory Salomone and Jaclyn V. Cohen, the developer wants Croton’s Board of Trustees to remove the requirement that transit-oriented development must have frontage on Croton Point Avenue and to modify the distance requirement from within 1,500 feet to within one mile of the train station. The petition also seeks to amend zoning to allow three-bedroom units and to modify the maximum permitted height from five stories to six stories, where the sixth story does not exceed 5% of the total habitable floor area.

“The proposed amendments will not have an adverse impact on the surrounding districts and community, including because the surrounding area is full of uses that are similar or complementary to the petitioner’s proposed multi-family residential use,” the zoning petition says. The argument is made that the requested changes would be consistent with the village’s Comprehensive Plan and the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program.

The petition points out that the property is located within 3/4-mile of the train station and has extensive pedestrian and bicycle connections to the nearby commercial area and to the train station, Half Moon Bay Marina, Senasqua Park, Croton Point Park, and the Riverwalk.

Ten percent of the proposed residential units would be priced to fit affordability requirements of Croton’s Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing concept.

“These units will be integrated into the design of the development and will not be distinguishable from the market rate units from the outside or building exteriors,” the developer says. “The project will not only add to the village’s housing stock, but will also introduce a diverse housing option distinct from the predominance of single-family homes in the village.”