Affordable building for seniors approved in Yonkers
A proposal to build a six-story apartment building with 94 units of affordable housing for seniors has been approved by the Yonkers Planning Board. The project, known as the James Linbaugh Senior Apartments, is to be built by the entity Warburton Avenue Apartments LLC. The entity consists of Conifer Realty LLC, which is based in Rochester, and CURE Development LLC, related to C.U.R.E. Development Inc., which is a Yonkers nonprofit.
The project is to be located on properties at 309 Warburton Ave. and 254 Woodworth Ave. The planning board determined the project would not have significant environmental impacts and then approved the site plans at its Sept. 7 meeting.
Attorney Steven Accinelli of the Yonkers-based firm Veneruso, Curto, Schwartz & Curto LLP told the planning board that the project “will transform the corner of Warburton and Point from vacant land and buildings into a vibrant senior community.” Accinelli pointed out that the neighborhood has a high concentration of older residents that have grown up in the community and are looking to stay for the foreseeable future.
The building would contain 36 studio apartments, 57 one-bedroom units and one two-bedroom apartment for the building”™s superintendent. A total of 49 off-street parking spaces would be provided, with 20 on the building site and 29 on a lot across the street that is part of the project.
The building”™s amenities include exercise, community, laundry and package rooms. The building has been designed to be energy efficient and will be all-electric. Residents will be responsible for paying for their own electricity, including heating and cooling costs. The owner will provide domestic hot water as part of the rent.
The James Linbaugh project will be the second for Conifer in Yonkers. Construction is underway on its Point and Ravine Apartments, consisting 146 units across four buildings; one mid-rise building with 120 units and three townhome-style buildings. Conifer also has an affordable housing project in Peekskill ”” River Pointe at Drum Hill that offers 43 affordable apartments for seniors age 62 and up.
Conifer was founded in 1975 and has developed and managed more than 15,300 affordable housing units in 210 communities in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland. It has its own construction company, Conifer-LeChase Construction.
C.U.R.E. Development Inc., was founded in 1999 with a mission of providing clean and safe affordable housing for the community. C.U.R.E. also offers a home improvement grant program to moderate income homeowners in Westchester County. The program is designed to assist homeowners with home repairs and improvements that they cannot afford to make on their own. C.U.R.E. acts as project manager for the renovations
Kimley-Horn Engineering and Landscape Architecture of New York PC, told the planning board that Mount Vernon-based Wartburg, which provides a variety of housing and support services for seniors, will provide services for residents of the building. Among the services would be health screenings, education and enrollment in special programs, health forums, telehealth services, and transportation to Wartburg”™s main campus for in-person medical appointments. The supportive services will be provided both on-site at a designated office and off-site at Wartburg”™s main campus
“Building and apartment access will be controlled through the use of key fobs issued to each resident,” Kimley-Horn and Landscape said. “Each fob is unique to the individual. Only authorized persons will have entry to the building. These small devices are programmable and can quickly be deactivated if lost or stolen. Additionally, security cameras will be deployed throughout the interior common areas and exterior of the building, including parking areas, building ingress and egress locations and stairwells.”