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Westchester Weekly Desk Op-Ed |
September 26, 2004 |
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ON THE WATERFRONT
By NED SULLIVAN, Poughkeepsie
TOMORROW, people who live in Tarrytown, Sleepy Hollow and nearby communities will have the chance to weigh in on the details of a proposed development on Tarrytown's waterfront known as the Ferry Landings project. Developers plan 128 units of housing on 30 acres and 250,000 square feet of new office and commercial space.
While the project would revitalize a contaminated portion of the Tarrytown waterfront, it proposes a relatively low number of housing units per acre and opens up access to the Hudson with a walking trail, several details warrant closer review and public comment.
First, to construct the project, the developer, which is also called Ferry Landings, proposes moving the asphalt plant inland from the Hudson River to allow for public access along the water. That's good, but it would be even better to move the plant out of the waterfront area altogether. While the asphalt plant is not the subject of the draft environmental impact statement that is being considered at this time, the pollution and traffic from the plant are incompatible with the residential, commercial and recreational activities envisioned for the waterfront. The developers indicate that they are negotiating with Peckham Materials, which has a 97-year lease on the site, to completely eliminate the plant -- so far without success.
The Village of Tarrytown should use all of its power to force out the asphalt plant. And the Village of Sleepy Hollow should look for constructive ways to help its neighbor achieve this mutually beneficial goal.
Second, both Ferry Landings and a much larger development project proposed for the Sleepy Hollow waterfront would increase traffic on local roads.
The asphalt plant is reported to operate at much less than full capacity, and the developer and Tarrytown officials say that it is highly unlikely that it would ever increase production to its limit. Nonetheless, the village should analyze the effects of full-scale operations and, if appropriate, pursue a permit limit on the plant to ensure it does not overburden roads.
Third, some fine tuning would enhance the public benefits of the project. A pedestrian bridge over the railroad tracks would help people get to the river. In addition, the northwest part of the site, which is scheduled for future development, should instead be made into a park that would connect the open space along the Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow waterfront and realize the larger goal of a greenway along the entire Westchester waterfront.
And finally, Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow should integrate their waterfront planning. In addition to Ferry Landings, construction is under way on a new municipal public works building in Tarrytown and will soon begin on a new village hall and a community aquatic center. Meanwhile, just across the border, the Village of Sleepy Hollow has already approved the Icabod's Landing housing development and will soon be reviewing the draft environmental impact statement for a neighboring project in which, 500 units of housing and commercial development are proposed on the site of the old General Motors factory. All of these projects create opportunities to restore public access to the river and build thoughtfully planned recreational areas that will serve both communities. Unfortunately, Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown are battling each other in court over land use, squandering an opportunity for collaboration.
At tomorrow's public hearing, residents of both communities should weigh in on the details of the project and urge their representatives to work together to plan a waterfront that will realize the world-class potential of the Hudson for future generations.
Ned Sullivan is president of Scenic Hudson, an environmental group and land trust working to protect and restore the Hudson. |
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