An Irvington resident who opposes redevelopment of the historic Woodcliff Manor estate is asking a court to intervene.
Jeremy Klausner accused village officials of violating a new zoning ordinance that is meant to protect historic properties, in a petition filed on Dec. 10 in Westchester Supreme Court.
The proposed project “is not in keeping with the scenic character of the area,” the petition states, “and it will have a significant visual impact, i.e., the existing 1850 red-brick mansion is being torn down and replaced with a boxy 50-unit apartment building and unpermitted child day care center.”
Woodcliff Manor, a 4-acre property on North Broadway, was the home of J.P. Morgan, the Gilded Age financier who founded what ultimately become the JPMorgan Chase banking empire, and it was the birthplace of his son, banker J.P. Morgan Jr.
In May 2024, Varma RE Development, of Morristown, New Jersey, submitted plans for building 57 apartments and a pre-school center for 176 children.
Klausner, a litigator and real estate attorney in Morristown, bought a house directly across the street from Woodcliff Manor this past August.
Klausner claims that the proposed project does not comport with a 2021 zoning law. Mixed-use residential, commercial and institutional uses are allowed but must maintain the scenic character of North Broadway and encourage preservation of historic sites. Stone walls along Broadway should not be removed or modified, for instance, unless absolutely necessary. Historic buildings should be maintained or adapted for reuse. The development should not create noise or traffic that clash with the harmony and character of neighboring properties.
This project, Klausner alleges, “violates every aspect of the purpose of the [new zoning] district.” A large section of the stone walls would be removed, more traffic would generate more noise, and the 1850 mansion would be torn down and replaced with an apartment building.
Varma also plans to operate a Primrose Schools franchise. But while the new zoning allows schools, Klausner says, day care centers are not allowed. (Primrose describes the franchises as private preschools that offer programs for infants through kindergarten.)
Klausner contends that if any part of the project is not permitted under village laws, the entire proposal fails. And despite repeated requests for 18 months, the village has not formally decided if the Primrose franchise qualifies as a school.
But village officials are allegedly interpreting the franchise as a school, according to the petition, though “no official meeting was held and no official vote was taken.”
Klausner is asking the court to direct the village to formally determine whether the Primrose franchise is permitted.
Village Administer Charles Hessler stated in an email that a determination is premature, but the village’s building inspector “will render a decision at the appropriate time.”
Varma RE Development did not reply to a message asking for its side of the story.
