Mamaroneck country club has two plans for development
The owners of Hampshire Country Club in Mamaroneck are asking for a rezoning that would pave the way for the construction of 121 luxury condominiums at the 120-acre site.
But if the village decides not to allow a zoning variance, the club has a Plan B that is compliant with existing codes that would allow 106 single-family homes. The condo plan would spare Hampshire”™s 18-hole golf course, but Plan B would mean subdividing the fairway into front yards.
Hampshire Recreation L.L.C. submitted its rezoning proposal to the village of Mamaroneck”™s Board of Trustees in late January, but the club has already faced vocal opposition from residents who feel any development would adversely affect the quality of life of the surrounding coastal neighborhoods.
Village Mayor Norman Rosenblum said Hampshire”™s proposal was being reviewed by Mamaroneck elected officials, planners and the village”™s legal team. He said he couldn”™t comment on the content of the proposal until it had been reviewed.
“The initial comments will be made at the (Board of Trustees) meeting of the 10th,” he said. “We have not investigated it fully.”
The club has said it prefers the 290,000-square-foot condominium plan, which would cluster the units and include a 200-space underground parking garage. The condo proposal would preserve the majority of open space at the property and limit the low-rise, high-end building to within 12 feet of the existing 35,000-square-foot clubhouse”™s height.
Thomas Nappi, senior project manager for Hampshire, said the plan would generate tax revenue totaling $2.1 million per year, $1.2 million of which would go to the Mamaroneck Union Free School District. That would account for a $1.8 million increase in Hampshire”™s annual tax bills. The plan would maintain 125 jobs, Nappi said, and the club ”“ not the village ”“ would pay for maintenance of roadways, sewers and snow removal at the development, which is to be called The Residences at Hampshire.
“It”™s a country club atmosphere,” Nappi told the Business Journal. “It”™s the type of development that is attractive to the empty nester demographic.” Nappi said the club didn”™t expect condo buyers would add many students to the public school system.
He also said the traffic impact would be minimal, with an additional 60 car trips per day during peak hours. Nappi said that he expected residents to mirror the makeup of the club”™s 250 members, many of whom are snowbirds or older residents who might want to downsize while staying in Mamaroneck.
The single-family construction option would have homes sized between 6,000 square feet and 7,000 square feet. Although the golf course would not be a part of the single-family option, Nappi said the club would maintain the clubhouse, tennis court and swimming pool.
“We prefer the first option because we think it”™s best for our members, neighborhood and community at large,” Nappi said in a written statement. “At the same time, working with a highly respected and responsible homebuilding company remains a necessary alternative in our view, but we are willing to work with either plan, depending upon how the village board votes.”
Hampshire had been shedding members and running in the red for several years until December 2009 when its former owner closed the club. The new owners paid $12.1 million for the property in June 2010 and though it has resurrected its function as a club, the ownership team said it found that even with the economy rebounding, Hampshire”™s current operation wasn”™t profitable.
The potential for residential development at the club had been a talking point ”“ and to some residents a concern ”“ predating the purchase in 2010. The village and town of Mamaroneck had considered buying the property when it was distressed and combined to put in a $10.1 million bid for Hampshire, which they said they would have maintained as a municipally owned country club similar in operation to Rye City-owned Rye Golf Club and Eastchester-owned Lake Isle Country Club.
The Mamaroneck Coastal Environment Coalition, a civic group, was formed mainly to oppose development at Hampshire and elsewhere on Mamaroneck”™s harbor. The group”™s members have cited environmental concerns for any proposal there, in an area of the village that has been hit hard in recent floods.
Residents opposing development have also accused the club of illegally hosting nonmember events on its premises. Some groups also have taken up that issue with nearby Mamaroneck Beach and Yacht Club. Hampshire filed for a special permit with the village”™s zoning board of appeals, which was expected to discuss issuing permission for nonmember events at its Feb. 6 meeting.
An email seeking comment from the coalition on the development proposal was not immediately returned, but a message on the group”™s Facebook page called the Plan B a “threatened subdivision.”
“Mamaroneck Coastal welcomes the operation of Hampshire as a golf club,” the statement said. “We also believe it may be appropriate to consider adjustments to current operating requirements if they are needed to allow a golf club to operate successfully at Hampshire.”
Nappi, the Hampshire project manager, said what is appealing about the condo plan is the units would be smaller than a large home, but offer amenities such as not having to worry about lawn upkeep or snow shoveling.
“I think the timing is right and moreover I think the demand is there, but the supply is not,” he said.