Rye Brook planning board sets April public hearing on amended Sunrise PUD, refers design to ARB

The Rye Brook Planning Board on Monday set a public hearing for 6:30 p.m. April 10 on an amended planned unit development (PUD) site plan for 900 King Street submitted by Sunrise Senior Living and formally referred the application to the village Architectural Review Board (ARB).

The board’s action follows a detailed presentation by Sunrise’s project team and questions from planning members and staff about engineering memos, water and sewer capacity, and stormwater test data. The planning board also directed the applicant to comply with the village code public-notification requirements (section 250-40) as part of the hearing notice.

Sunrise’s attorney, David Steinmetz of Zarin & Steinmetz, told the board the firm is not seeking to increase the previously‑approved building height or expand the project’s approved unit count. “We are not here to make this project bigger. We are here to make this project a little bit better,” Steinmetz said, summarizing the amendments as footprint efficiencies and additional on‑site amenities rather than a change in use. Project architects and engineers described a reduced footprint for the independent‑living and assisted‑living buildings, an increase in programmed open space and landscape courtyards, and local changes to entry/turnaround geometry to improve vehicular and emergency access.

Key changes described by the applicant team included: - A modest reduction in building footprint and overall building area compared with the previously approved plan; the team said the footprint reductions increase on‑site open and programmed space (applicants stated an increase of about 13,713 square feet of programmed/open space and roughly a 5,000 square‑foot increase in green space). - Reconfiguration of the townhouse/cottage units so that some cottages include two‑car garages; Sunrise said the change responds to local market preferences and will make some units more usable. - Minor circulation refinements at the independent‑living and assisted‑living drop‑off areas to provide wider (24‑foot) access and an ambulance parking area while preserving the previously approved porte‑cocheres and a 14‑foot clearance for emergency vehicles.

Board members and staff flagged outstanding technical comments in memos from the village engineering consultant (Dolph’s office) and other reviewers. Planning board member Donald Crum (spoke as Don Crump in portions of the record) described the memo as raising “very, very fundamental issues” about sanitary sewer adequacy, water supply and assumptions underlying the stormwater design. The applicant team said they would provide written responses and meet with village staff and consultants.

Sunrise representatives said the company is currently in due diligence and does not yet own the property. Clyde McGraw of Sunrise said the company’s near‑term permitting schedule aims for a building‑permit submission that could yield a permit by the end of this year and that, if construction starts after permitting, the company anticipates “approximately a 22 to 23 month construction period.”

On utility issues, Sunrise and its engineers reported ongoing coordination with Viola Water and with county and state agencies. The project team said they have submitted an environmental assessment form as part of the SEQRA (State Environmental Quality Review Act) process; the Rye Brook board of trustees has circulated a notice of intent to act as lead agency on environmental review.

The planning board’s actions were procedural approvals to advance public review rather than final project approvals. The board voted to schedule the public hearing for April 10, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. in Village Hall and directed the applicant to provide the public‑notice materials required by village code. The board also voted to refer the amended site plan and related architectural materials to the village ARB so that architectural and facade details may be reviewed concurrently.

Sunrise’s project team told the board they have met with the adjacent Arbors neighborhood and that screening and landscaping were revised to increase buffers near the existing residential community. The team also acknowledged an earlier 2021 approval by the village board of trustees and said the amended application builds on that record.

Next steps: the planning board will hold the public hearing on April 10; the applicant will respond in writing to engineering memos and continue ARB coordination. The planning board and staff said they will schedule staff‑level technical meetings with the applicant, the village engineering consultant and utility providers to resolve outstanding sewer, water and stormwater questions before the board takes a final determination.

Votes at a glance: the planning board approved a resolution scheduling the public hearing and directing applicant notification as required by village code; the board also approved referral of the amended PUD to the ARB. (See the structured actions list for recorded vote tallies and motions.)