Votes expected by Cortlandt to allow housing at Colonial Terrace site
The Cortlandt Town Board is expected to vote on Aug. 10 to approve two items that would allow the NRP Group of Cleveland to continue pursuing its plan to demolish the Colonial Terrace catering facility in Cortlandt and build a three-story, 135-unit multifamily residence for active adults to be called Overlook Terrace.
The board is expected to approve a narrowly-drawn zoning measure that would allow the site to be used for the requested purpose. It is expected to take a second vote that would issue a negative declaration of environmental impacts in order to satisfy requirements of the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA).
The developer still needs to pursue site plan approval and obtain various permits for the project.
Overlook Terrace would be age-restricted, requiring at least one adult in a unit to be age 55 or over. No full-time medical care would be provided on the property.
The property was opened as a resort hotel in 1945 by Lillian and Oscar Levitz, then became a prime location for banquets and other events, especially weddings. It had been operated in recent years by the Levitzs’ daughter Sheila and her husband, Alan Drogy.
The main building has two ballrooms, one seating 160 and the other seating 400.
The project would have approximately 96 one-bedroom and 39 two-bedroom units, according to documents filed by the developer. There would be approximately 146 parking spaces. Amenities would include community room and fitness room spaces, communal patios, benches, landscaped gardens and walking paths.
More than half of the property would be preserved to ensure sustainable development and create space for passive recreation.
The NRP Group was founded in 1994 and has developed and built more than 40,000 residential units in 16 states. It now manages more than 140 properties having more than 25,000 units in 11 states.
Matt Acocella of the White Plains-based law firm Zarin & Steinmetz said, “The Planning Board is continuing to review and look at the materials that we have submitted and we anticipate going back before them a few more times.”
Acocella said the developer held a Zoom meeting with neighbors and has spoken to the town”™s historical society. He said the developer is asking that the Town Board add the “active adult residential community”as a defined term and permitted use in the code in the “CC” zone in which the property is located.