The developer who successfully transformed a former WESTHELP site on the grounds of Westchester Community College in Greenburgh into a 74-unit affordable housing complex for seniors age 62 and older wants to add another 62 units.
Developer Mark Soja of the Marathon Development Group in Peekskill has gone to the Greenburgh Town Board seeking to work with it on the environmental review for the proposed expansion, with the Town Board acting as lead agency for the review. The land is owned by Westchester County and is located within the Town of Greenburgh. Greenburgh”™s approval of the site plan is not necessary because of the county”™s jurisdiction. Greenburgh supported Soja”™s first senior housing plan at the site.
When the Mayfair Apartments development first opened in September 2021, Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner said, “The lucky seniors who live here will be able to take advantage of Greenburgh programs and services and be within walking distance to the Westchester Community College where they can take courses and participate in inter-generational learning.”
Soja said his plan would involve converting the existing administrative building at the site into 14 units of housing and constructing new housing units on land within the grounds.
Soja said that he hoped to be able to submit site plans in two to three months. He anticipated conversion of the administrative building and new construction would take approximately 18 months.
The six-acre site originally featured nine buildings, which were in need of substantial renovation and upgrades. State financing of $17 million went into the development.
The development was designed with a number of “green” features, including: Energy Star Certification under Low-Rise New Construction Program; solar panels; rigid insulation for the exterior walls and foundation, and additional insulation in the attics, which brings the total insulation level to approximately R-49; LED lighting throughout the complex; high-efficiency heating and cooling units for each apartment; water-conserving fixtures; and native and noninvasive landscaping.
Soja said that over the past 20 years Marathon has developed more than 1,800 units of affordable rental housing with about 1,000 of the units in Westchester. He said that with Mayfair Apartments more than 575 seniors applied for a unit and the development was fully rented very quickly.
“Today we still have more than 275 lower-income seniors looking for an affordable apartment,” Soja said. “Based on this tremendous demand and the space we have at the property we”™d like your support for adding 62 additional units. We reached the 62 units based upon the layout of the site and the Town of Greenburgh zoning code. Under Greenburgh zoning, senior housing can have less than one parking space per unit for affordable housing.”
Soja said that about 60% of the residents in the existing 74 units applied for parking permits. He explained that they feel able to convert the administration building into apartments since plans to have an outside organization come into the administration building and provide services to the seniors did not work out. He also said that Westchester Community College did not need the space in the administration building.
He said that a new building would be constructed along the perimeter of a parking area. Soja said it would be a 2-1/2-story elevator building containing 48 apartments.
“Based upon the wait list we have we could rent it up in no time at all,” Soja said. “The county executive supports the project and we”™d like the town to support it as well.”
Soja said that current amenities in the development include a community room, a computer room, laundry rooms in the existing buildings, a walking path and outdoor seating spaces. He also said he could add an exercise room as part of the expanded development.
Soja said his company has worked with Greenburgh”™s water department and fire department to resolve water pressure issues for the site.
Greenburgh anticipates soliciting feedback from its Planning Board even though the board is not required to vote approvals for the project. The Town Board plans to have a public hearing on the plan, either itself or through the Planning Board.
When Feiner asked whether he had reached out to community organizations, Soja said, “I have not reached out to civic associations yet, no.”
Feiner said that in the two years the existing development has been in place he had not received any complaints.
Soja explained that there had been some complaints from a neighbor that the developer removed some trees but he said they planted new ones that were 12 to 16 feet tall to restore screening.
