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Historic board to press town after work session on Bethel Knowles redevelopment
Summary
Greenburgh's Historic and Landmarks Preservation Board (HNLPB) said it will draft a letter to the town board and circulate documents after members said the town's recent work session left questions about how SHPO and consultant reports were interpreted in the Bethel Knowles redevelopment review.
The Historic and Landmarks Preservation Board (HNLPB) in Greenburgh said Tuesday evening it will draft a response to the town board after members described confusion and what they called a skimmed treatment of state preservation letters and consultant reports during a town work session on the Bethel Knowles redevelopment.
The board's chair said members were "not overwhelmed positively" by the town board presentation and added, "I don't believe that they have been truthful," a comment aimed at how the applicant and its counsel framed the SHPO and Easton correspondence. The HNLPB intends to rewatch the archived work session and prepare a formal letter for the town board.
Why it matters: The Bethel Knowles proposal includes demolition or heavy alteration of structures the HNLPB has flagged as historically significant. The board said it wants the town board to more carefully consider alternatives such as deconstruction, repurposing or relocation of elements, and to weigh local preservation recommendations in advance of any public hearing.
Board members and neighbors told the HNLPB that material submitted by the applicant and its legal team to the town board appeared to downplay reuse options and presented demolition as the likely outcome. "They contended that SHPO is in agreement that they don't have to use the building," the chair said, and board members said that was not their reading of the SHPO correspondence. A resident who attended the town session said the HNLPB's comments were glossed over.
The applicant told the HNLPB staff it had undertaken chain-of-title research and historical documentation and that salvage and reuse of available materials would be possible in some cases. Aaron Schmidt, the board's staff member, said he would circulate the applicant's full package along with the SHPO and Easton letters and the link to the town board work session so members could review the record. "I'll send you the complete package," the applicant said on the call.
Next steps: The HNLPB asked members to review the archived work session and the materials staff will circulate. The board agreed to designate a point person to draft a letter summarizing its concerns and to share a proposed text with members for approval. Staff said the town board is likely to schedule the next public hearing no earlier than March 11 and will notify the HNLPB when a date is set.
The board also reiterated procedural requirements for deconstruction: if materials are to be salvaged rather than disposed, the HNLPB expects written confirmation of what will be preserved, an expert evaluation where requested, and on-site supervision during any dismantling.
