A Scarsdale assisted living facility claims that the village historical preservation committee illegally approved demolition of a historic structure 200 feet away where a competitor wants to build an assisted living facility.
The Ambassador of  Scarsdale petitioned Westchester Supreme Court on Feb. 24 to annul a certificate of appropriateness to demolish the meeting house of the Westchester Ethical Culture Society.
“Destruction of this beautiful and historic building, if allowed to stand, will have immediate direct adverse impacts on petitioner’s property value,” the petition states, and “negatively affect the quality of life of The Ambassador’s residents.”
The Ambassador, at 9 Saxon Woods Road, bills itself as a luxury senior living and memory care facility in an idyllic setting. It is owned and operated by Amba Sharma, of Manhasset, Nassau County.
The Ethical Culture Society was founded in New York in 1877 and advocated for “deed over creed,” by focusing on morality, social reform and education. The Scarsdale location is on a seven-acre site at 7 Saxon Woods Road. The meeting house was built around 1962 and includes an two-story A-frame auditorium and one-story wing with 12 classrooms.
It is surrounded by Saxon Woods Park, a 700-acre expanse with playgrounds, picnic areas, a golf course, swimming pool and trails.
In 2012, the village’s cultural resource survey listed the property as a proposed landmark. In 2025, a state historic preservation agency concluded that it is eligible for the National Register.
This past Aug. 12, Sunrise Senior Living, of McLean, Virginia, asked the Scarsdale historic preservation committee to approve demolition of the meeting house so that it can build a 4-story, 110-room assisted living facility.
The committee discussed the proposal at two meetings this past fall, according to the petition, and on Oct. 21 approved a certificate of appropriateness to demolish the meeting house.
The Ambassador says the village was required to notify nearby property holders of the public meetings, determine the historic importance of the property, obtain an environmental assessment, support its conclusions with written findings, record the meetings and publish written minutes of the meetings.
Instead, the village allegedly sent meeting notices to The Ambassador’s mortgage holder in Houston, Texas, to the wrong Westchester County official and to no news media.
The village announced on is website that the application had been approved but provided no details, according to the petition. No environmental assessment was conducted, no findings were provided, no minutes were published and the recording of the final meeting is mostly inaudible.
“The lack of a proper record makes it impossible to determine whether a quorum was present, who was speaking … or who voted to approve” demolition, the petition states.
The Ambassador says it become aware of the action after the certificate of appropriateness was approved. It appealed the decision, and an attorney representing the village concluded that the assisted living facility had no legal standing to appeal.
The Ambassador is asking the court to annul the demolition approval and stop any steps that could lead to demolition “until all lawful procedures are followed.”
Village Manager Alexandra H. Marshall declined to respond to the allegations, stating that the village has not yet been served with the lawsuit. Sunrise Senior Living executive Philip Kroskin did not reply to a message asking for comment.
The Ambassador is represented by White Plains attorneys Mary E. Desmond and Joseph Eriole, of Abrams Fensterman LLP.
