A vacant commercial office campus in Pleasantville could be reborn as a residential community if the village approves a plan by developer Toll Brothers to build 73 townhouses.
The luxury homebuilder is in agreement with Benenson Capital Partners L.L.C. to buy the Baker property, an abandoned office park at 485 Washington Ave., that has been vacant for two years. Toll Brothers, based in Horsham, Pa., with offices in New York City and Fishkill, is currently conducting due diligence.
Representatives for the company and its attorney, David Steinmetz of White Plains-based law firm Zarin & Steinmetz, presented plans to the village board at a recent work session.
The 18-acre property is currently zoned for campus use, with seven acres developed and 3.9 acres of impervious surface area. The property would have to be rezoned to residential use. The village has not determined whether the village board or planning commission will be the lead agency on the project.
Benenson and the board do not believe the property could be sold in its current state due to the downward trend of office parks. Office park use has declined in recent years and using the site as an office park in Pleasantville does not appear to be viable.
The townhouses proposed for the site would be owned by the residents. Toll Brothers would build an internal public road with two cul-de-sacs and connect the site to public sewer and water.
While the properties will not have an age restriction, half of the properties will be targeted to older adults, with the master bedroom being on the first floor and the second floor being a loft-type space. The other half of the properties will be three-bedroom townhouses geared toward younger families.
The homes would be 32 feet wide and range from 1,900 to 2,800 square feet, with two-car garages on the lower level.
The company estimates the houses selling for between $600,000 and $800,000, comparable to the Pleasantville Country Club development. Those buying the units before they are built would be able to customize the interior.
Toll Brothers Assistant Vice President James Fitzpatrick said that while Pleasantville is a desirable location, he did not anticipate many school-age children living there, but could not provide an estimate.
“It”™s tough to say,” Fitzpatrick said.
As part of Pleasantville”™s affordable housing ordinance in the wake of Westchester settling an anti-discrimination lawsuit with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2009, 10 percent of all developments must be set aside for affordable housing. Fitzpatrick said they plan to comply with that ordinance.
“It is what it is,” Fitzpatrick said. “It will not be segregated to one end of the community. We will integrate them.”
As part of the process, Toll Brothers will undergo New York”™s State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) before it is approved.
Toll Brothers has homes in 20 states and focuses on affluent markets such as Westchester.
Fitzpatrick said that the due diligence process expires in a week, though it might be extended. Once the process ends, Toll Brothers said it plans to submit a formal application within 60 days.
“We don”™t want to waste your time or their money,” Steinmetz said. “If your board is not interested, we”™d love to hear that.”
Mayor Peter Scherer said that the village board was very interested in proceeding with the project.
“We will not always agree,” Scherer said. “But I am anxious to see this moribund site turned into something productive. I view this as an opportunity.”
Since 1995, Toll Brothers has built 1,000 homes in 10 municipalities in Westchester. Since 2002, the company has built 1,500 homes in 15 communities in Dutchess County.
“We see this as an opportunity to get back into Westchester,” New York City Division President Dan Zalinsky said.
The company has projects in Tarrytown and Ardsley. Toll Brothers will not begin building homes until contracts are in place.
“We don”™t build on speculation,” Fitzpatrick said. “We don”™t start homes until we have a contract.”
Village board members expressed concern about aesthetics and traffic, which Steinmetz said would be addressed in the SEQRA process. The property would have a boulevard entrance and the street would feature two 15-foot travel lanes with a median in the middle. Steinmetz said that a second road would not work.
Toll Brothers said it would ask for a variance to have a 1,000-foot cul-de-sac versus the 600-foot cul-de-sac currently allowed under village law. The property will not be as dense as nearby Foxwoods condominiums. Foxwoods has about 6.25 units per acre, while Toll Brothers will have four units per acre.
Scherer called Toll Brothers presentation impressive and that the company has a long history of success.
“This is very good news for the village of Pleasantville to have Toll Brothers interested,” Scherer said. “It is also good news that a vacant property is being filled. Our goal is not to waste people”™s time or money. We are delighted to have Toll Brothers in our midst.”
