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CROTON-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. Plans for a single-family luxury home on the Hudson River waterfront, at 50 Half Moon Bay Drive, will be forwarded to the Croton Waterfront Advisory Committee for a final review of consistency after a lengthy public hearing process and contentious 3-1 vote. The planning board will need to review the application again before a final site plan approval can be issued.
At Tuesday nights meeting, before agreeing to issue a negative declaration for a State Environmental Quality Review, confirming there is no environmental impact for the one-family home, planning board members argued about the necessity to pass the neg dec.
If this motion does not get approved, we have to say exactly why, said Bruce Kauderer, a board member, asserting that if the motion did not pass there will be a lawsuit.
We would not only be wrong, he added, but we would be sued.
Board member Mark Aarons asked him if he wanted to say that as a member of the board.
I just did, Kauderer said. Its my responsibility.
The motion passed with a roll call vote, with three "yes" votes, one opposition vote by Fran Allen, and one abstention from Steve Krisky.
"I think we've been ignoring the environment and that's the issue and the environment includes the river and all the life in it," said Allen. There are no proposals for construction in the Hudson River.
The riverfront home would be located just north of the Half Moon Bay clubhouse and just west of Elliot Way. The proposed plan has two stories and a finished height of 21.5 feet, according to letters sent from engineer Ralph Mastromonaco of Steel Style Properties to the planning board.
Throughout the lengthy public hearing process, some residents have contended the building will block public views of the riverfront and be out of character with the neighborhood, among other concerns. Some members of the Half Moon Bay Home Owners Association have been vocal opponents of the project.
To appease the board, Mastromonaco shaved 6.3 feet off the total height of the building by reducing the pitch of the roof and another 2.3 by reducing height of interior ceilings from 10 feet to 9 feet.
Engineers and attorneys hired by the Plotkin family have found fault with some processes of the planning board. The applicant's team contends the application has long since passed the deadline for the board to make a decision.
In a Feb. 22 letter to the board, Mastromonaco wrote, Given that there is probably no amount of lowering that would satisfy the few neighbors that have spoken against our project, he said, and given that even this latest lowering of the house may create the need for retaining walls, we respectfully inform you that the house cannot be lowered beyond the exhibits and last pass presented by me at the last planning board meeting."
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