Keeping account of all things Yonkers

Zoning Change Proposed for Senior Affordable Housing on Buena Vista Avenue

Community Contributor

The Yonkers Planning Board recently heard the case for a section along the waterfront to have it’s zoning changed to accommodate a new senior affordable housing tower.

About the development

The proposed project occupies the presently vacant lots at 221-223 Buena Vista Avenue. The land lays adjacent to the train tracks between the Ludlow and Yonkers station on the Metro North’s Hudson line. The building plans feature a mix of 104 apartments in studio and one-bedroom floor plans. The project caters specifically to seniors.

Documents on this project may be found on the Planning Department’s webpage here: https://www.yonkersny.gov/work/department-of-planning-development/boards-agencies/planning-board/current-applications/-folder-4121

223 Buena Vista Ave rendering
223 Buena Vista Ave rendering – credit: BADALY Engineering

The lots, totaling 0.47-acre, initially belonged to the A Zoning District before being rezoned to the UR-MD District in 2010. The developer’s petition seeks to revert the lots back to the A Zoning District to accommodate an eight-story building. The proposed building’s 75 feet height falls within the A Zoning District limitation.

Attorney Albert Pirro of Abrams Fensterman LLP represented the developer advocating for the zoning change before the board. Pirro highlighted the historical context of the area. He noted that a nine-story building already exists across the street that once conformed to A Zoning District regulations.

The Planning Board raised concerns; necessitating a comprehensive traffic study and clarification on the parking spaces. Pirro assured the Planning Board that all necessary on-site parking would be provided.

The zoning petition for this senior affordable housing development will undergo further examination at the next month’s meeting.

Have some news to share? Click here to submit your story!

Latest News

, , ,

Follow the discussion

  1. Hettie Jordan-Vilanova

    Yonkers needs an architectural review process !! Study after study has shown the health benefits to elderly residents of out-door garden/natural ares. This is a site over looking the Hudson River…a magnificent view ! Yet this building is a massive block of cells offering nothing in the way of a courtyard, plaza or garden. This building offers nothing to the community. Can we please begin to think of the responsibility buildings have to provide for the quality of life of residents as well as contribute to the community where they are placed ?

    Reply
  2. Philip Armstrong

    Yonkers West Side of Yonkers is rich in Senior housing.
    We have 19 of the 20 Senior adult affordable housing in the City of Yonkers and the 3 new facilities planned are on the west Side. The Buena Vista, Romaine Ave, and Mulberry Street projects will make the West side the primary location for Senior housing in the City of Yonkers.
    Yonkers West side at this time has 40% of Westchester low-income housing. 43% of Westchester’s homeless population and will now have the honor of hosting a large part of the county’s Senior population because these projects will be open to Seniors from all over the county.
    In their wisdom, the City Of Yonkers says that Seniors do not drive so they gleefully make sure that these projects have little or no parking. They choose to ignore the fact that seniors do drive and that if they do not they often have an aid to come in and help them.
    These projects allow for State, County, and city politicians to have photo ops demonstrating their commitments to providing for our Sr. They do this knowing that they are packing them into one side of Yonkers. Developers stand in front of the Zoning Board and Planning Board and explain how many Seniors like to work and volunteer in their neighborhoods. They state that these seniors will go out and work in local businesses and provide a much-needed workforce in the area. Of course, this would put them in competition with the 40% of the low-income population already in the area.
    The West Side of Yonkers is 10% of Westchester County’s population. This would indicate that as in the 1980s, we have stuffed all the poor and disadvantaged into the West Side of Yonkers. Today is a majority-minority area. Our political leadership seems to lack the vision to see the effects of their decisions on our neighborhood. There are developers who have desires for the beautiful waterfront views of the Hudson River on the West Side and we in the community have come to believe that the interest in making the West side less desirable in the short run so existing residents move making the purchase of their properties.
    People on the West Side are not against development and improvements to the City. We want to see the city grow but feel that their is a lack of vision by our leaders in the West side districts who allow and promote this development.
    As Hettie stated above if they are going to build these projects for Sr they need to be designed for the Senior population and not just the profit of the Developers.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

subscribe button