Town hears detailed Odell House restoration plan; staff seeks governmental immunity to fast-track site work

The Greenburgh Town Board opened a public hearing June 24 on planned site work at the town-owned Odell House, a historic Rochambeau headquarters at 425 Ridge Road, and on whether the board should exercise governmental immunity to advance the project through administrative approvals.

Michael Bucaine, commissioner of the Department of Community Development and Conservation, told the board the restoration has already included structural stabilization, a rebuilt roof, new windows and exterior repairs and that the remaining work includes interior finishes, HVAC and fire suppression, installation of a septic system, accessible pathways, landscaping and ADA ingress and egress improvements. He said consultants are finalizing site plans and that the town will prepare a draft environmental record (a draft negative declaration) to document alternatives and the board’s balancing analysis before any administrative approvals proceed.

Bucaine said the site’s limited size and historic constraints make on‑site parking impractical. To limit neighborhood impacts he described a managed, RSVP-based visitation program (roughly 12 hours per week, with small hourly averages of five to 15 visitors) and plans for shuttle service and a county satellite lot for special events. He said the town is coordinating with Westchester County on a possible small gated satellite parking area at Ridge Road Park that would be used only when Odell House is open.

Neighbors at the hearing pressed for more detail on safety and operations. Mark Miller, who lives on Old Farm Lane, thanked staff for recent line-of-sight clearing but said residents want to be involved in operations planning — including shuttle logistics, bus sizes and whether school buses might block a single-entry street. Other residents urged earlier consideration of sidewalks or a marked park pathway as alternatives to curbside parking. Several speakers asked for assurances about septic location, stormwater mitigation and how construction-related parking and staging would be handled.

Bucaine said the proposed septic field meets county siting rules (he cited a 100-foot setback from the on-site watercourse) and that many construction vehicles will park on the Odell House side of Old Farm Lane during work. He reiterated the town’s intent to preserve trees identified by neighbors, replace a visual stone wall with a lower wood-faced guide rail to improve sight lines, and to study mid-block pedestrian crossing or other mitigations if necessary. He also noted the project timeline stretches into 2027 for completion of site work and interior systems.

After public comment, the board voted to close the hearing and leave the written record open for 14 days to accept additional input. Next procedural steps identified by staff include publishing the draft environmental record and circulating it for public review before taking any final board action on exercising governmental immunity or authorizing administrative approvals.

The hearing drew sustained neighborhood attention to parking, pedestrian access and traffic-safety measures; town staff said those topics will inform the environmental review and operational plans. The town will post the draft documents and a public comment schedule once the draft environmental materials are available.