White Plains CitizeNetReporter - Scarsdale Planners Raise Key Questions On Senior Housing

DRIVE TIME EDITION filed 1-30-02, 2:45 PM: The Scarsdale Planning Board raised tough questions Monday evening about the nature of the Realm LLC proposed seniors project planned for a 7-acre “wooded and wetlanded” site adjacent to the Ethical Culture Society of Westchester property off Saxon Woods Road.

Realm LLC is now responding to the Scarsdale Planning Board queries.

According to reports from WPCNR correspondents observing the meeting, the Scarsdale Planning Board members followed a line of questioning following issues raised by the City of White Plains officials when the matter was before the same board last year.

PROPOSED SENIORS HOUSING OR NURSING HOME SITE OFF SAXON WOODS ROAD: Realm, LLC is proposing a 300-unit senior citizen complex, the nature of which is yet unclear, for this 7-acre section in Saxon Woods. The Mamaroneck River and bridge in the right foreground of the picture are in the City of White Plains. An entrance road and water and electrical connections would go through this area to access and power up the site. The property beyond the Mamaroneck River, is in Scarsdale, subject to Scarsdale zoning.
Photo by WPCNR

Observers at the meeting in Scarsdale Town Hall Monday described the meeting as a “work session.” The public was not allowed to comment. The procedure followed was Elizabeth Marrinan, Village Planner, “went around the room,” asking the planning board members if they had questions for the developer, Realm, LLC.

Nature of Who Would Own Facility Raises Tax Questions.

One member raised the issue of who would actually own the site, Realm or the Jewish Nursing Home & Hospital, whether it is a franchise or an outright ownership. Another question raised was the tax status, whether it is nonprofit, or is simply private senior multi-unit housing, which is not permitted, according to our source by Scarsdale zoning code.

The WPCNR observer commented on the significance of the planning board member’s question: If it is a nursing home and a nonprofit, he said then it requires permits from the state. He said, Realm representatives are on record as stating that the facility needs no permits from the state to operate. Our reporter says this raises the issue of whether the Scarsdale Zoning Code considers a senior housing complex (for profit), or assisted living complex, as a nursing home (non-profit). Our knowledgeable reporter familiar with Scarsdale zoning observed to us that if the complex is a nursing home, this means the “Senior Mystery-Housing” does need permits from the State Department of Health to operate.

ROUGH SKETCH OF SITE SHOWING LOCATION OF SENIOR MYSTERY HOUSING: This sketch was presented to the Ethical Culture Society of Westchester (7 Saxon Wood Road) last year, by Realm, LLC, when Realm approached the Society to build a pedestrian walk to the bus stop on Mamaroneck Avenue. Mamaroneck Avenue is at the bottom of the sketch. The Ethical Culture Society reports to WPCNR that Realm owns the home on the proposed site.
Photo by WPCNR

Planning Board Notes Utilities Come From White Plains, Wants Update on Realm’s Progress with City.

Our source said that another planning board member asked about Realm contacting the City of White Plains for the permits needed to supply water and electricity to the complex, and that this needs to be addressed by Realm. Another matter is the need to widen Saxon Woods Road to accommodate the traffic to the complex, which was recommended by White Plains Traffic Commissioner Ted Gammon.

No Site Plan has Been Presented to White Plains

As of Tuesday, according to WPCNR information, Realm has not started the formal application process, which includes a site plan, for the 14 building and construction permits required from the City of White Plains.

Realm has been in contact twice on related matters involving the flood plain in the area connected with The Living Word church site, and engineering protocols involving application procedures.

ETHICAL SOCIETY HOPEFUL OF PRESERVING TREE LINE: Here is the view from the Ethical Society of Westchester property line looking into the proposed construction site. An Ethical Society spokesperson said the Society was hopeful Realm could preserve the pine tree grove that serves as a natural buffer to the Realm “Senior Mystery Housing” proposal. The Society source said the 7-acre site is filled with rocky crags, some wetlands and is heavily wooded. The spokesperson said, the Society has no problem with Realm building the project.
Photo by WPCNR

The Process Continues

According to our CNR correspondent, the next step in the process will find Realm responding to the questions of the Scarsdale Planning Board, the lead agency on the project. The Scarsdale Planning Board, supposing their questions are answered will most likely move to approve the Final Environmental Impact Statement, and then, they have a choice of granting approval conditionally on working things out with White Plains or rejecting the project.

Village Planner of Scarsdale, Elizabeth Marrinan, told WPCNR Monday evening she would forward an official listing of the Planning Board’s concerns Realm is being asked to address before the Final Environmental Impact Statement is approved.

Planning Department of White Plains On Highest Level of Alert.

The Planning Department of the City of White Plains has issues concerning the sliver of the site that is within White Plains. This is the area from the Mamaroneck River to Saxon Woods Road. The Planning Department of White Plains considers it as environmentally sensitive, involving wetlands and the ecology of the Mamaroneck River. The proposed use for which the road gaining entry to the proposed complex, whatever its nature, violates White Plains Zoning, which does not permit either nursing homes or multi-unit housing on the site.

Westchester County Does Not Have Site In Mind for Open Space Acquisition.

WPCNR asked the Westchester County Communications Office if the Saxon Woods site was being considered for open space acquisition as part of the County on-going initiative to preserve natural areas. We were informed the site was "not on the radar scope at this time," but that the county is standing by whenever a community requests its aid in preserving open space.

Suggested for Acquisition by County According to Website Open Space Acquisition List

In checking the Westchester County website, today, WPCNR discovered that Westchester County has listed a 2 to 7 acre site in Scarsdale in Saxon Woods as a likely target for acquisition for preservation. The site is on the list as "suggested" sites for county consideration, sent in by residents, according to the Communications Office.

On the county website, a resident of the Saxon Woods area gives a vivid description of the only 2 to 7 acre site he knows existing in this area and he describes the Realm-targeted property. The comment may be viewed at www.westchestergov.com, by clicking on the Open Space Acquisition button.

A spokesperson for the Communications Office, Donna Green, said the site had been suggested originally by the Ethical Culture Society a number of years previously, however, there has been no communication from either White Plains or the Village of Scarsdale to the county suggesting the County seriously consider acquiring it for open space inventory since then. Photographs taken for this report were executed from the Ethical Society Property with permission.


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