November Work Sessions Planned for Rivertowns Square Development

The Dobbs Ferry Board of Trustees will hold three special work sessions on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the proposed Rivertowns Square development which would be constructed in the vacant lots and buildings near the New York Sports Club. The planning sessions are slated for Nov. 10, 14 and 15.

Mayor Hartley Connett sent out an email blast on Wednesday outlining progress on all upcoming development projects. Read it below.

Have follow-up questions or concerns? Post them in the comments section and we'll ask the appropriate people and get back to you. (You can also email questions to elizabeth@patch.com).

Proposed Development Projects:

Stop & Shop Renovation

The applicant has received all required variances from the Zoning Board of Appeals (‘ZBA’) and will continue its review before the Planning Board on Thursday November 3rd. Depending on the outcome at the Planning Board review, this project will ultimately need to return to the Board of Trustees (‘BOT’) for final sight plan approval. As part of the new proposed plan, Stop & Shop has been working with the Village to create new parking assets within the Gateway area, which is a good thing.

Wallgreens (11-17 Ashford Avenue)

At the October 25th regular BOT meeting – acting as Lead Agency - the board voted (unanimously) to declare the proposed project a Negative Declaration under the State Environmental Quality Review Act (‘SEQRA’). This action does not approve the proposal, but instead simply determines there are no ‘significant’ environmental impacts requiring a full SEQRA review. In making this determination under the SEQRA process, the BOT considered the following:

• The Planning Board has previously approved the application with a recommendation as such to the village board, including a negative declaration under SEQRA.
• An extensive traffic study has been conducted and presented by the applicant - which has been reviewed by the village’s expert traffic consultant and planners; the results of this study – which did show some increase in traffic patterns during certain peak hours - will be considered before any final decisions are made (this traffic study is available for review at Village Hall).
• The Village’s Engineering Consultants have provided details of the new stormwater management system – which must be approved as part of the project and before any approvals can be granted. By law the stormwater management system must be an improvement to what is now on the existing property. In short, there will be less runoff, and it will be cleaner water.
• The proposed 2-story building is essentially designed within the same ‘foot-print’ of the existing structure on the property.
• The Village’s Planner and Engineers recommended a negative declaration.

 The review process for this project will be moving forward. It is anticipated the applicant will next go before the ZBA on November 9th. The proposal is also before the A&HRB, which next meets on November 14th. We encourage residents with concerns or input to attend these Public Hearings. Ultimately, final sight plan approval will be up to the BOT.

Rivertowns Square (the old Akzo-Nobel property along the Saw Mill River Parkway)

Special work sessions of the BOT will be held in the Board Room in Village Hall on Thursday, November 10th, Monday, November 14th and Tuesday, November 15th, 2011.  The purpose of the meetings is for the Board to review, for completeness, sections of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement prepared by the applicant for the Rivertowns Square project (the Applicant’s “DEIS”).  No decision as to the project or the draft document will be made at these meetings.  The sole purpose of these meetings is for the BOT, as Lead Agency, to review the scope and content of the document and determine whether it is sufficient for the purposes of commencing public review.  The meetings are scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. and are open to the public. The meetings will also be taped for airing on the Public Access TV Channels 46 (Verizon) and 77 (Cablevision).  The opportunity for public comment on the document will occur at a later date, once the draft document has been deemed sufficiently “complete” to make it available for public review per the SEQRA process.

Projects completed or moving forward

Waterfront Stabilization andRevitalization Project … moving forward

Official groundbreaking has taken place! If you have not seen, there is a lot of progress taking place along Dobbs Ferry’s waterfront. A significant amount of new and sustainable shoreline has been created from the northern end (just below the great lawn), extending south to the point just north of the beach. The new rip rap structure will protect and stabilize Dobbs Ferry’s park shoreline for many (many) generations to come. You will also notice new vistas and sightlines which have opened up along the shore, enhancing the great natural beauty and views along our portion of the majestic Hudson River Valley. This will only improve as the project moves forward, particularly into the second phase (to follow) of the upland improvements. The first phase of the stabilization work is expected to continue for approximately 2 more months, down to the southern portion of Willow Point. The 2nd phase / upland improvement portion of the project is expected to be bid in late winter for a projected early spring 2012 start date. We will keep everyone posted on the progress of this important project.

Beacon Hill Drainage Project … completed

This was an important Capital and Infrastructure Improvement project as a necessary step to resolve the water runoff from the Beacon Hill area, to protect the village’s assets in Gould Park, and the safety and integrity of Ashford Avenue and the retaining wall along the eastern edge of the park. There is some additional work still to be done which is not part of the original engineering scope for the village’s project (related to old sewer lines which were discovered and will be dealt with by the water utility). Notwithstanding this extra work, the village’s project was completed on time, and under budget. The new drainage system withstood a 100 year storm in the form of Hurricane Irene; this was a major test passed with flying colors. We recognize and congratulate the village engineers on the successful design and completion (on time / under budget!) of this big infrastructure project.

Intersection at Livingston & Broadway… moving forward, somewhat slowly

This project will be the new ‘Southern Gateway’ entrance into Dobbs Ferry coming up Broadway from Hastings-on-Hudson. New paving as been laid on the Broadway portion (an area of Livingston Avenue will also be re-paved for approximately 150 feet from the center of the intersection). The next phase will be the light fixtures; the village (and the village historian) is working with the contractor for a modified crossing pole (on the northwest corner) designed to be more appropriate in proximity to the historical vest-pocket park commemorating Dobbs Ferry’s history in the American Revolution. Due to the time of year the plantings inside the new island and along the edges of Broadway will be started in the spring. In the meantime the village will lay new mulch.

New Road Paving Projects … to be completed in the fall

As part of the village’s long-term Capital and Infrastructure Budget, the following roads are scheduled to be re-paved this season:

Storm St
Devoe St
Park Rd
Belden Ave
South Washington Ave
Sherman, from Washington to Cricket Lane
Atilda Ave
Constance Ave
Fairlawn Ave

According to the paving contractor (who is currently finishing jobs in Tarrytown), the work in Dobbs Ferry is to begin sometime around November 18th. We will keep everyone updated especially the residents that live on or near the roads and streets that will be re-paved.

In addition, as part of the Legacy Grant with the County, the entre length of Ashford Avenue will be repaved from the Dobbs Ferry line at Ardsley, to the Gateway intersection at Broadway.

Through the shared services paving contract negotiated by the VOC (Ardsley, Dobbs Ferry, Elmsford Hastings, Irvington and Tarrytown), Dobbs Ferry will be paving more linear roadway this year using the same amount of dollars as last year.