The New Castle Town Board has delayed any action on a plan to redevelop the 97-acre Legionaries of Christ property until it determines whether it should be the lead agency for the project.
In order to allow for the construction of 54 two-bedroom condominium units, a 30-room hotel, spa, restaurant, fitness center and small theater, the town would have to create a floating zone since the property is zoned for 2-acre residential.
The town board said it wants to meet with Town Attorney Clinton Smith before declaring itself lead agency because it is reviewing its master plan. The current master plan does not include a floating zone.
The developer of the property at 773 Armonk Road is Montclair, N.J.-based Soder Real Estate Equities L.L.C.
The condominiums would be geared toward empty nesters, though there would be no age restrictions. The property is in the Bedford Central School District.
The development would preserve the existing building on the property that was built in the 1920s.
Unlike previous proposals, there will be no additional housing constructed. Soder”™s contract to buy the property from the Legionaries is contingent on site plan approval.
In September, Soder proposed four new structures with 66 units featuring duplexes and penthouses, as well as 30 hotel rooms. In October, Soder proposed 80 residential units, with 37 three-story fee simple villas and 43 townhouses.
The town has also expressed concern about septic runoff and stormwater runoff on the site, but Woodard & Curran, a West Harrison-based engineering firm, signed off on the viability of a septic system at the site.
Legionaries of Christ, based in Thornwood, bought the property from the Unification Church in 1994 for $3.12 million. The organization is also looking to sell its 264-acre Thornwood property it bought from IBM for $33.5 million in 1996.
