The Long Island-based construction company that last November bought the 130-acre former Ridgeway Country Club in White Plains from the French American School continues seeking approval for a project in the City of Beacon in Dutchess County. The company is Farrell Building, which is located in Brookhaven.
While company owner Joe Farrell told the Business Journal that the development in White Plains would be for luxury single-family houses, his company”™s project in Beacon calls for a 62-unit, four-story multifamily building with 10% of the units priced below market rate. The project is known as Beacon Commons and is situated at 16 W. Main St. An auto repair shop and warehouse would be demolished to make way for the new structure.
The plans indicate there would be 34 one-bedroom units, 20 two-bedroom units, one studio apartment and seven that are described as offering space to live and work.
The Beacon Planning Board recently set a public hearing on the environmental review for Beacon Commons to take place at its May 10 meeting, thus moving along the review process that began about three years ago.
Diego Villareale, associate principal with Armonk-based site development consultants JMC, said that the site is about 1.5 acres and the building would have access points on West Main Street as well as Bank Street. The main driveway with both in and out access would be on West Main Street while the Bank Street driveway would be limited to a one-way entrance. The project would include 62 parking spaces.
Villareale said that the developer has been working to address various comments coming from city planners, including several technical issues regarding items such as retaining walls, stormwater management and the use of pilings for the portion of the building that would need support pilings. He said that rather than using pilings that would need to be hammered into the ground, ”” pile ”” driving, they”™re looking at a technique known as pile drilling.
“There”™s a big difference between the two,” Villareale said, explaining that the drilling process is similar to excavating and pouring in concrete rather than the constant banging that is needed with pile driving.
Planning Board Chairman John Gunn said that there still are a number of details that need to be worked out about the plan, including the merger of three lots into one lot on which the building would be situated. He also noted that the developer”™s traffic study had yet to be reviewed by the city”™s traffic consultant.
Also due for additional scrutiny is the developer”™s request to have 13 parking spaces along West Main Street removed and how the developer will be handling the storage of snow that has been plowed from paved areas on the property.
John Clarke, the city”™s planning consultant, said, “We have to come up with a solution such that you don”™t have to take parking away from in front of a hardware store where its, needed.”
Jill Reynolds, a planning board member, recommended that the city”™s Architectural Review Board take another look at the plans, especially the design of the balconies that are proposed for some of the apartments.
