Rye Brook board refers Erickson Living 975 Anderson Hill Road proposal to planning board, declares intent to be lead agency

The Rye Brook Board of Trustees voted on June 23 to refer a zoning petition from Erickson Living Properties, for property at 975 Anderson Hill Road, to the village planning board and to circulate notice that the village intends to be the lead agency for the state environmental review (SEQRA).

The petition, as presented by applicant representative Anthony Veneziano, asks to create a planned unit development (PUD) on approximately 82–84 acres to accommodate a continuum-of-care retirement community. Veneziano said the petition provides for a maximum of 834 units: about 750 independent-living units and 84 assisted-living/memory-care units, organized around clubhouse-style buildings and related amenities. He told the board Erickson has committed to targeting 5% of the independent-living units as attainable housing for residents up to about 80% of area median income, with subsidized service fees and a refundable entrance fee that the company said guarantees a home-for-life for occupants of those units.

“Everyone's 62,” Veneziano said while describing the age-restricted model and the project’s service orientation. Peter Ferreault of AKRF, the project consultant, added that buildings would range from two to five stories, that the build-out would be phased and that much parking would be below-grade. Ferreault said Erickson projects roughly 300 full-time-equivalent jobs onsite; during the presentation another speaker said the project could result in about 400 staff when part-time positions are included.

Staff summarized the SEQRA process for the public: the village intends to assert lead-agency status for the Type I action, staff said a positive declaration is likely based on preliminary materials and that a scoping document and a full environmental impact statement (EIS) would follow if another agency does not seek lead status. The village will publish the applicant’s full environmental-assessment form and other submittals on the village website and hold public hearings and comment opportunities as the EIS proceeds, staff said.

Trustees and staff cautioned against relying on studies tied to a prior, separate ‘Cohen’ hotel proposal for the site. Trustee Kromm (as recorded) urged residents to review materials and to participate in the scoping process, calling the petition among the most significant development proposals the village has seen in decades and raising concerns about density, height and flood mitigation. Staff and the applicant said earlier Cohen-era studies were not reviewed or verified by the village and that any references to prior work should be treated as unverified unless the village receives and confirms them.

After discussion, the board voted to refer the zoning petition, PUD site plan and PUD subdivision to the Rye Brook planning board and to Westchester County for comment, and approved circulating notice of intent to be lead agency for SEQRA. Staff estimated the planning-board review and scheduling would begin in late summer (staff discussed likely planning-board consideration in August or September), with scoping and EIS steps to follow.

Next steps: the planning board will review the petition and report back to the village board; if a positive declaration is issued, the EIS scoping period will invite public comment and define studies the applicant must complete. The village has posted application materials under the developments section of its website for public review.