Brewster Village OKs Zone Change For Garden Street

By Holly Crocco

The Brewster Village Board has approved a local law that changes the zoning code in the district where the former Garden Street School resides, allowing for the development of affordable housing.

A concept for the property has been proposed by Covington Development LLC and WBP Development LLC, which owns the property. It was brought forward around February, and the zone change was necessary to entertain the concept further.

The motion passed 3-0 during the village board’s July 13 meeting, with Deputy Mayor Christine Piccini abstaining from the vote, saying she objected to the proposal the way it was written. (Trustee Mary Bryde was not present.)

The zoning change increases the height limit allowed from two and a half stories to five stories, and increases the number of bedrooms allowed per acre from 32 to 40. At about 9.9 acres, the property would be able to accommodate no more than 396 bedrooms (about 198 apartments).

Piccini said the proposed zoning change first appeared on the agenda for the board’s May 5 meeting with no prior material provided. “It does not follow standard processes, planning board to zoning board, if necessary,” she said. “It skips the ‘seeking of variance’ option, jumping straight to changing existing zoning code.”

Piccini, who lives within immediate proximity to the school, said the project is too large – not just for the site itself, but the village as a whole.

“Our property is currently surrounded by mature trees,” she said. “The plan, seemingly, needs every inch of the grassy playground to park the 270-plus cars necessitated by 200 apartments. It is a step too far… Actually, too near for those of us who own homes along the adjoining property line.”

Trustee George Gaspar explained that, per current zoning code, there are 313 bedrooms permitted at the property, or about 156 apartments. What’s being requested is an increase of 80 bedrooms – or 40 units.

“There’s an awful lot of noise with regard to this (multiple use) zone and the alternates that are being asked for,” he said.

Gaspar noted that a previous developer wanted to move in the same direction, which he considered a poor plan, and there was no outcry.

“I think we need to move in a direction that’s more appropriate to the land, and also respects the adjacent property owners,” he said. “What was previously prepared is unacceptable. This, that is before us, while it may need some work, is a definite improvement on that notion.”

Piccini, who voted in support of making the village board the lead agency for the project back in May – a vote she said was made to move the process along – claimed the proposal lacks information.

“When that plan arrived there was no supporting information to explain why we wanted to go to 40 (more units) and why we wanted to go to five stories,” she said. “It was out of the blue, two days before the meeting that we had May 5, and I was completely taken aback.”

Mayor James Schoenig said the community has since been properly informed about the proposal.

“Everything that was done at that public hearing, we answered those questions,” he said. “We answered the sewer, we answered the water, the traffic study… We answered how this was going to work with the affordable housing.”

Schoenig also pointed out that the plans come from a reputable developer.

“They are a proven developer in this community with the projects they’ve done,” he said. “So, it’s not that somebody came in off the street.”

Piccini asked why the current 313 bedrooms that are currently allowed isn’t sufficient, to which Schoenig said developers aren’t interested in a project of that small a scale.

“It doesn’t make any sense,” he said. “No developer is going to do it… This is what’s needed, according to them, to make this development work.”

Piccini further accused her colleagues of not being forthcoming about information regarding the current proposal before the board, and the reason behind the zone change, until the public hearing was underway.

“It was only at the behest and the noise of some people in the audience that we were able to explain to them the entirely of what that zone encompassed and what the changes were,” she said. “Everybody was fine not telling the public. And how do I know that? Because you don’t want to tell the public.”

Regardless, Piccini said she and others who have properties that buffer the site will be impacted by the activity that will be generated there by a large housing development.

“I don’t think you understand the level of distaste for what you’re proposing, and there’s nothing for people to see that says, ‘Oh, you know what, that won’t be bad,’” she said. “We haven’t seen that.”