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The proposed development is a three-story assisted living facility for seniors. The building would be comprised of 87 units on 3.5 acres of land next to the United Methodist Church. The 24,000 square-foot building would have 61 parking spaces, and the entrance to the property would be on Bedford Road.
At its meeting Monday night, the Village Board approved a declaration under the State Environmental Quality Review Act, determining that the proposed development will not have a significant effect on the environment. The project has not been fully approved, though. While the declaration means the developers do not have to submit a full environmental impact study, the village still needs to approve the re-zoning of the property to accommodate the facility. The project will also have to undergo a full site plan review by the Planning Commission.
The project has undergone scrutiny over the past year for its impact on the surrounding neighborhood. The building was scaled back from four stories to three after residents complained that it would be too big, but some neighbors feel that the three-story building is still too large.
"This is not on a scale with the patterns of development in this village, certainly not in this neighborhood," said Eileen West, a resident who lives in the nearby Foxwoods Condominiums. She said that none of the other buildings in the neighborhood are larger than two-and-a-half stories. "This thing is just very, very large."
Rent for the units will be about $7,300 per month, and the facility will have about 30 employees. The developers have said that the project addresses a need for senior housing in Westchester, and would not have a negative impact on surrounding property values. They have also produced studies saying that the facility will bring positive economic effects in the form of patronage for local businesses and about $415,000 per year in tax revenue for the village.
Maple Hill Road resident Monica Stobel said that the developers should have to go through an environmental impact study to understand what effects the construction could have on stormwater and flooding. She also said that the development will have an impact on the views of surrounding neighbors.
"My quality of life and what I see when I look out the window will be forever changed," she said. "I'm still going to see a 33,000 square foot footprint."
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