Politics & Government

Dobbs Ferry Grants Rivertowns Square Site Plan Approval

In a split vote, the Board of Trustees adopted a plan the mayor said "will increase the quality of life in Dobbs Ferry."

"I want to thank you for your investment in Dobbs Ferry. This is a big, big deal. And I know we don’t all agree, but I am really looking forward to this project. I think it’s going to be great for this village."

Dobbs Ferry Mayor Hartley Connett was enthusiastic about his support for the controversial Rivertowns Square project that received site plan approval by a narrow board vote margin on June 25.

Four board members voted on that date to approve a site plan proposed by developers Saber Dobbs Ferry LLC and Lincoln Dobbs Ferry LLC to bring a mixed-use development to the 17-plus acre site located near the village's portion of the Saw Mill River Parkway.

Three voted against the plan that will bring apartments, a hotel, movie theater and shopping center to the currently unused site.

"We have been reviewing this project for well over two years now," Connett reflected.

And for as long as the village has been reviewing the project, there have been vocal skeptics of it.

Lorraine Kuhn of Ardsley told the board there are "lots of problems, but there are solutions."

She suggested the board consider other uses for the site or scale down Rivertowns Square's proposed footprint.

"Restrict them to the existing impervious footprint," she said. "Remove one large element—preferably the hotel."

Some residents also brought up potential traffic concerns.

"Does our quality of life improve because we can go and shop at Whole Foods or eat Applebees?" asked Ogden Avenue resident David Laino. "Think about that while you’re sitting in traffic in the morning or going home at night. And then see if the benefits outweigh the costs."

The board also approved two additional resolutions related to the project—one discussing a land swap agreement and resulting village map revisions, the other outlining a number of agreements ranging from easements, drainage and the developers' promise to invest in its own private collection and disposal of trash.

Those resolutions each passed with a 5-2 margin.

Trustee William Flynn, who voted in favor of the three resolutions, said he was pleased with the ways in which the proposal has evolved during the approval process.

"I do like the project. I like the millions of dollars of infrastructure improvements we are getting. I like the fees and I like the benefits—$8 to $10 million of improvements," he said, adding the residential units included in the plan will help satisfy the village's affordable housing obligations as part of the federal lawsuit involving Westchester County communities.

David Koenigsberg was among the trustees who voiced dissent before the votes.

"I do not believe this complies with the vision plan," he stated.

Connett noted "the square footage hasn't actually increased," despite some locals' comments that the project has grown.

Dobbs Ferry Fire Department Chief Neil Sweeting he was concerned about the number of calls the development would create for the all-volunteer group.

"We feel and fear that we are going to struggle to provide the service that this complex is going to demand," he said. "Please consider that when you make a vote."

Connett, however, said, "I think our department can handle it."

He added, "In my opinion, the permit fees that we generate, the increased taxes that we generate, the overall economic benefits that this projects generates will actually allow us to be able to fund our public safety departments going forward in a much better way. Without this project, we are going to have an extremely difficult time doing that."

But some on the board, including Donna Cassell, maintained, "I did not believe the size, footprint and impact of this development was appropriate for our village, nor was it in its best interest."

Cassell cited the proposal's plans to cut "into steep slopes, increase impervious surfaces and reduce open green space."

"The increase in size," she said, "is minimal, but it is in an increase. The increase in traffic is minimal, but it is an increase."

The final vote, however, will allow Rivertowns Square to bring significant benefits to the village, the Mayor maintained.

Said Connett, "I truly believe that this project will increase the quality of life in Dobbs Ferry—not just for the people in Dobbs Ferry—for the people in the surrounding communities, the entire area. It is going to make Dobbs Ferry a more exciting place and it's going to make the village a better and more sustainable place to live for the longterm for all the residents of Dobbs Ferry."

Click here to read the villages' three passed resolutions and other Rivertowns Square documentation.

For further reading:
Planning Board to Hold Hearing for Rivertowns Square
Reactions to Rivertowns Square Findings Approval
Planning Board Session on Rivertowns Square FEIS
Rivertowns Square Says Review Was Stopped to Resolve 'Internal Issues'
Once More, Rivertowns Square Takes the Spotlight in Dobbs Ferry


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