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Town Board Puts Off Votes On Some Chappaqua Crossing Items

CHAPPAQUA, N.Y. -- The New Castle Town Board will vote Thursday on some, but not all, of the legislative items for the Chappaqua Crossing retail proposal.

The New Castle Town Board at its Dec. 15 meeting.

The New Castle Town Board at its Dec. 15 meeting.

Photo Credit: Tom Auchterlonie

The special meeting is scheduled 8:15 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 18 at the Chappaqua Library, 195 S. Greeley Ave., across from the Town Hall. The Town Hall's assembly room, which the board uses for regular meetings, is reserved for the town's justice court on that night.

Scheduled for the Dec. 18 special meeting are votes on the zoning text for the proposed retail zone, along with amending the town's master plan. Also the board will vote on amending the project's previously adopted findings statement.

However, the board will not vote on two items this year. The project's preliminary development concept plan and the mapping portion of the rezoning will be taken up next year, possibly in January, according to Town Attorney Edward Philips.

The delays are due to project developer Summit/Greenfield altering the preliminary development concept plan, Philips said. The plan dictates the site's early layout, although the Planning Board would have to approve a final version, which would be called a site plan.

Summit/Greenfield is seeking rezoning to allow for 120,000 square feet of retail space, including 40,000 for a Whole Foods grocery store.

In October, Summit/Greenfield's litigation counsel, Howard Stahl, warned that his client would resume its litigation against the town if the board did not take action on the project by the end of the year.

The litigation, which involves a pair of state and federal lawsuits, was over the town's review process for the developer's residential rezoning proposal. It was approved but in a smaller version that only allows for 111 units. The two sides reached a settlement in 2012 that led to the lawsuits being suspended in exchange for the town conducting a review process of a retail proposal.

Asked about Summit/Greenfield's consent to more time, spokesman Geoff Thompson replied, "The process has been moving forward and real progress is being made. Summit/Greenfield is committed to working cooperatively to bring about an approved plan."

Philips, who took questions from local reporters at the board's meeting, also disclosed the town and Summit/Greenfield have had discussions in recent weeks on multiple issues. He said the board "will be in a position to make some announcements” on Thursday.

Philips said the items have to do with mitigation.

 

 

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