Issues Surface Over Apartment Plan Near Tarrytown Train Station

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July 31, 2023

By Rick Pezzullo—

A multi-family rental project proposed at 29 South Depot Plaza in Tarrytown has some obstacles to overcome.

Hudson Harbor Station LLC (aka National Resources) is looking to construct a four-story building with 88 units on the approximately two-acre site adjacent to the train station that once housed an indoor recreational facility.

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Of the 88 units proposed, nine would be priced as so-called affordable housing and eight would be marketed as artist live/work duplex studios. There will also be 295 square feet of commercial or artist space and 98 parking spaces.

However, during a July 24 Tarrytown Planning Board public hearing, village officials pointed out a few potential problems the developer could face in trying to obtain approval.

First, a variance will be required because the 50 feet height of the proposed building is two feet higher than the village code allows. Secondly, the code requires at least 50% of the first floor to be dedicated for residential use. Currently, plans fall far short of that number.

“We’re looking at sticking with the plans we submitted,” said George Distefano, a representative for Hudson Harbor Station.

“This is something we have to analyze and discuss at our next work session,” said Planning Board Chairperson Joan Raiselis.

Raiselis also expressed some reservations about the landscaping plans for the project, which include the planting of 160 trees, 131 shrubs and 713 native grass and perennial plantings. She suggested the developer meet with representatives of Franklin Court and Franklin Terrace to try to create more of a community feel.

“It’s an opportunity to build something that is not a wall and something that is not a divide,” she said. “It is a neighborhood.”

The site is in the area studied for a Station Area Overlay (SAO) District that was rejected in 2021 by the Board of Trustees following public outcry. Another developer had submitted an application for a 60-feet high apartment complex built on top of self-storage units on the property, while another builder had proposed a similar project to what Hudson Harbor Station is envisioning.

Paul Stone of Orchard Drive objected to the project, contending National Resources has “broken promises” to the village in the past.

“It looks like a prison. That’s a charitable description of the project,” Stone remarked.

The public hearing will continue at the Planning Board’s August 28 meeting. The project will also be discussed at an August 17 work session.

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