A proposed $105 million redevelopment project at the Brynwood Golf & Country Club near Armonk that has sparked opposition from a neighborhood group faces an added hurdle raised by the developer”™s campaign contributions this fall in support of two incumbents on the North Castle Town Board. The town board this fall is reviewing the developer”™s project proposal.
Committee For A Better North Castle, a political action committee formed by country club owners Brynwood Partners L.L.C., contributed $78,000 in late August and early September to support the Republican primary campaigns of council members Diane DiDonato-Roth and John Cronin, according to financial disclosure filings at the state Board of Elections.
Cronin won the Republican nomination for one of the two seats open on the board. Barbara DiGiacinto, an outspoken opponent of the Brynwood development, was the party”™s top vote-getter on the September ballot.
The Brynwood action committee used the campaign funds for “flyers, mailing lists and a robocall,” said Megan Maciejowski, director of Corigin Real Estate Group in Manhattan, speaking on behalf of Brynwood Partners. She said the donations were not made directly to the Republican Party or any candidates.
North Castle Town Supervisor Howard Arden said Brynwood”™s financing role in the campaign is being reviewed by the town”™s ethics board and a special counsel. The supervisor described Brynwood”™s effort to influence the election outcome as “throwing away money” and “muddying the process” of the town”™s environmental review of the golf course project.
Arden said town attorney Roland A. Baroni found there were no violations of the law and the developers kept the financial contributions transparent.
Cronin said the town board will not further review the Brynwood project until it receives an advisory opinion about the campaign contribution. Brynwood Partners this month expects to submit its final environmental impact statement for the project to the town.
Cronin said he and DiDonato-Roth were not aware of the Brynwood campaign expenditures.
Addressing the town board Oct. 9, Brynwood principal Edward Baquero said he and Jeffrey B. Mendell, another Brynwood owner, decided to support the re-election of DiDonato-Roth and “oppose Barbara DiGiacinto” because she opposed the redevelopment “without ever meeting with us to better understand our position” or the “merits of our application.”
Cronin, who approved Brynwood”™s draft environmental report at a previous town board meeting, said he was always neutral on the project and voted to move the process forward to avoid a tax assessment challenge in court from Brynwood”™s owners if they abandoned the project and closed the golf course.“The plan was to allow the project to go forward and let them come up with something that was acceptable to the residents,” he said.
Mark Weingarten, attorney for Brynwood Partners, said his client is confident the campaign financing issue won”™t slow down the project.
“The clock starts once we submit our FEIS,” Weingarten said. “My client is confident that everything they did was legal. They proceeded with advice from a legal counsel who are experts in the field and think this will be resolved very quickly.”
The town has retained Keane & Beane P.C., a White Plains law firm, as special counsel to review Brynwood”™s campaign contribution.
“At this juncture I have not seen anything that leads me to believe anything that was done was illegal,” said attorney Richard L. O”™Rourke, a principal at Keane & Beane.
“As with any review of this, I”™m awaiting the receipt of all the information I can get. Then we will render a determination.”
Meanwhile, Brynwood Partners recently announced revisions to their proposed project, which includes 88 luxury condominiums on the 156-acre property. Key changes include:
– Limiting construction to 49 condo units until planned renovations to the golf course and clubhouse are completed. The property is currently zoned to accommodate 49 residences.
– A guaranteed $500,000 annual property tax payment to the town for 10 years on the renovated golf course.
– A $1 million contribution to the local water district.
– Withdrawing a pending tax certiorari proceeding that could save the town $1 million.
– A 100-foot setback along Route 22 for the new buildings.
North Castle opponents of the Brynwood proposal in August collected more than 400 signatures of community residents on a petition opposing the project.
