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Developer presents updated concept plan for 248 Tyrande; council closes hearing and schedules follow-up
Summary
The applicant for 248 Tyrande presented new renderings and answers to planning-board comments for two additional apartment buildings (136 units, 27 below-market-rate). Residents raised concerns about bulk, views from the Greenway Trail, environmental history and the adequacy of below-market-rate (BMR) affordability levels; the council closed the public hearing and expects the planning board SEQR determination ahead of a May resolution.
The council heard the concept-plan presentation for 248 Tyrande from Jay Blumenfeld (speaker 32), whose team showed updated renderings and an environmental assessment form (EAF) addendum. The proposal would add two new residential buildings totaling 136 units; the applicant said 27 of those units would be below-market-rate. Blumenfeld described design changes intended to reduce the perceived bulk—stepped-back floors adjacent to the Greenway Trail—and new renderings requested by the planning board that show views from Nevills Avenue, the bridge and Christie Drive.
Planning-board comments the council summarized included concerns about increased height and volume, rooftop mechanical screening, view-shed renderings, adequate screening of rooftop equipment, the human experience at the Greenway Trail, and whether the proposed dog park and pollinator garden are sized appropriately. The applicant said the planning-board requested renderings have been prepared and would be provided; staff confirmed the planning board is lead agency for SEQR and will issue a SEQR determination and a Local Waterfront Revitalization Program consistency statement before council final action.
Public comment was mixed. Some residents who live near the site praised the landscaping and the addition of BMR units and said the development relieves parking pressure on Main Street; other neighbors objected to building bulk, possible environmental concerns tied to historic brownfield parcels, and the building’s visual impact from adjacent streets and trails. The council urged the applicant to address planning-board comments—particularly Greenway Trail experience and rooftop screening—and directed staff to prepare a draft resolution for workshop after the planning board completes its SEQR findings. The council closed the hearing.
