New proposal calls for 50 senior condos in village
By: John M. Benson Pawling News Chronicle Wednesday, March 2, 2005

The proposal involves the construction of 50 townhouses in nine structures, to house "active adults"
ages 55 years and older.

Toll Brothers, Inc., of Armonk, is under contract to purchase the property from the Umscheid family. Terms of the contract have not been released, but it is common in such transactions for the sale to be contingent upon the success of the buyers in their application for approval for the development of the property.
Toll Brothers has not made a formal application to the Village Planning Board.
When the board heard the first presentation regarding the project at its meeting on Feb. 23, the purpose was to review the concept of the proposal, and to advise Toll Brothers as to the next step in the approval process.
The presentation was made by Toll Brothers Land Acquisitions and Approvals Manager Richard M. Rang, P.E., and Senior Project Manager Franco Pagano, P.E. They informed the board that Toll Brothers is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, with development underway at this time in 22 states, including senior communities, golf communities, and other projects.
They said the firm prefers to use local contractors during construction, to benefit from their knowledge of local customs and regulations.

Rang and Pagano said Toll Brothers understands that the plan for the property exceeds the density of the simple R1 zoning the property currently holds. They will be requesting a special use permit based on the fact that their plan is for senior housing, for residents 55 years of age and above.
They said the village code does permit this density for senior housing, but only when owned and operated by a non-profit corporation.
The planning board told the presenters that the next step will be for them to appear before the village board. They will need to request that some accommodation be made for this project either by amending the village code, or by making a specific exemption from the code for this property.
At issue would be the provision in the code that senior housing allowances apply only to property owned and operated by a non-profit agency.
The environmental review of the proposal would take place under the SEQRA process (State Environmental Quality Review Act), administered by the Village Planning Board. There was little discussion of the environmental aspects at this hearing, beyond the speakers' statement that the design allows for the 100-foot buffers required around the DEC wetlands on the property.
Proposal
The firm proposes to construct an "active adult" community on the site, with 50 condominium residences contained in nine structures, and a homeowners' association to maintain the roads and common areas. The development would connect with the municipal water and sewer districts.
The existing Umscheid residence would be subdivided out to remain as an independent plot, and as many as three other single-family lots could be separated off from the main property.
The main entrance would be on Lakeside Drive, a village road, with a possible second entrance off of Grand View Avenue. This second entrance might be for emergency vehicles only.
Some of the structures would be near the residences on Grand View Avenue, and the speakers said the developer would provide screening for separation of the properties.

The presentation included the following basic information on the site and the proposal (acreages are approximate):
Zoning: R1
Use: Active Adults
Total Site Acreage: 53 acres
Existing Residence: 1 acre
Floodplain area: 2.1 acres
Wetland Area plus 100 Foot Buffer: 33.4 acres
Net Developable Area: 17.5 acres
Total Carriage Homes: 50 Homes
Total Single Family Homes: 3 Homes
Total Open Space: 30 Acres
Gross Density: 1 Home/Acre
Net Density: 4.1 Homes/Acre

The adult community would have its own homeowners' association (HOA). The internal roads would belong to the HOA, not the village, and the association would be responsible for trash removal and street maintenance.
As to water, Rang said Toll Brothers would like to join the village water district, after they have developed the production of enough water to accommodate these new homes.

As to sewer, Rang said the developer will apply to the municipal sewer district, offering to pay for all sewer infrastructure within the development, and for any lines necessary to connect with the district lines or sewer plant. They are also willing to comply with district requests to contribute to the district capital fund for current or future expansions of the capacity at the plant.

According to Section 98-65.F of the village code, an applicant for a site plan approval must supply drawings that include, among other elements:
"11. Description of the method of sewage disposal and the location, design and construction materials of such facilities."
"12. Description of the method of securing water supply and the location, design and construction materials of such facilities."

Fiscal impact

As the proposed development is designed for adults 55 and older, Toll Brothers expects that there will be no additions to the student population of the Pawling Central School District.
The developer submitted its Fiscal Impact Assessment to the village at the meeting.
The village planning board and the village board will need to assess the accuracy of the estimates in the report.
In the assessment, Toll Brothers states, "... the
applicant proposes a planned residential community that would provide townhomes for 50 households of adults aged 55 and older... It is useful to note that the proposed Active Adult Community will not only 'pay its
way', but that it will provide more tax money that it consumes in services, which could have a beneficial effect on the community of Pawling as a whole.
"The proposed Active Adult Community would have a net fiscal benefit to the Town, Village, and School District, providing more than $358,000 per year in taxes and other revenues, and consuming only about $50,000 per year in services."

Toll Brothers used 2004 budgets to make the following estimates:
In the village, the annual public revenue would be $75,037, with annual public cost of $24,207, for a net fiscal impact of $50,829.
In the town, the annual public revenue would be $58,363, with annual public cost of $26,937, for a net fiscal impact of $31,426.
In the school district, the annual public revenue would be $224,980, with a cost of zero, for a net fiscal impact of $224,980.

©Pawling News Chronicle 2005

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