Dobbs Ferry names Kearney Group preferred partner for three-site mixed‑income housing; 90‑day due diligence approved

The Dobbs Ferry Board of Trustees on April 22 authorized a 90‑day due diligence agreement with Kearney (Carney) Realty and Development Group to study redevelopment of three village‑owned properties into mixed‑income housing.

Mayor (name not specified) said the village is facing an affordable housing shortage and that the proposal aims to create homes for teachers, nurses, municipal workers, seniors and young professionals while preserving public parking. "Affordable housing where rents, taxes and utilities stay under 30% of income is simply out of reach for too many," the mayor said.

Sean Carney, representing Kearney Group, described the firm as a family‑owned developer based in Somers with about 30 years of experience in the Hudson Valley and said the company emphasizes long‑term ownership, management and community engagement. Carney said the firm's initial concept envisions about 38 apartments on the Palisades parking lot and roughly six apartments on each of the two other lots for an initial conceptual total of about 50 units across the three sites. He emphasized the concept includes a range of affordability bands and sustainability features.

The trustees voted unanimously to identify Kearney Group as the village's preferred partner and to authorize the 90‑day due diligence period that will allow the developer to review title, site surveys, geotechnical and environmental reports and other records, and to refine unit counts, energy standards, parking solutions and the proposed mix and term of affordable units. Trustee Patino moved the resolution; Trustee Nell seconded it.

The mayor and staff said no village property will be sold until a development plan is approved and all required environmental reviews and public hearings are complete. The mayor noted prior village actions to support housing — creation of an affordable housing task force, zoning updates that allow accessory dwelling units and higher affordable‑unit requirements in new developments, and the village's receipt of a $4,500,000 New York Forward grant for downtown revitalization — and thanked the task force and Pace University's Land Use Law Center for site‑evaluation work.

Kearney told the board it will pursue a public outreach program during and after due diligence and that the development team intends to study renewables, parking strategies (including a deck at the Palisades lot under which the building could sit), and a mix of one‑, two‑ and three‑bedroom units serving a range of area‑median‑income (AMI) bands.

No approvals of zoning or project plans were requested at the April 22 meeting; trustees said those matters will return for public hearings before the planning board and the Board of Trustees as required, and will undergo any necessary State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) and other legal steps.

The board recorded no specific contract terms at this stage; the resolution authorizes only the limited 90‑day due diligence period.