Redevelopment process for Arrowwood site starts with Charles Cohen fully involved
May 8, 2024 at 10:56 p.m.
Charles Cohen, the entrepreneur and owner of Cohen Brothers Realty Corporation and Cohen Purchase Building Company LLC, looked relaxed, smiling and shaking hands before taking his seat and waiting to speak.
His attorney, David Steinmetz, of the firm Zarin & Steinmetz LLP in White Plains, seemed anxious to please and get on with the job.
Once he got before the microphone, Steinmetz said: “We are ready to go. We’re looking forward to this process. This is going to be a great project for all involved.”
Together, their appearance before the Rye Brook Board of Trustees on Wednesday, Apr. 24 to get going on a plethora of permits and applications and hearings was the latest in the ongoing drama to transform the now-abandoned Doral Arrowwood Resort Hotel and Conference Center at 975 Anderson Hill Rd. into what Cohen promises will be an 84.3-acre world class destination. The plan calls for a 220-room hotel with 40 multi-family units, resort and conference center, restaurants, ballrooms and tennis courts along with a separate 75-unit multi-family residential building including 12 affordable housing units, a medical wellness center with six workforce housing units, off-street parking and landscaping.
Before them on the podium were the entire Rye Brook Board of Trustees led by Mayor Jason Klein, who is also Westchester County’s Director of Conservation.
Alongside the trustees and mayor were Village Administrator Chris Bradbury and Jennifer Gray of Keane & Beane, one of the village’s attorneys.
Bradbury read a lengthy resolution for the Board to vote on including naming themselves the lead agency in the environmental review process for the Planned Unit Development.
Gray called this meeting “the kickoff event” for the application to redevelop 975 Anderson Hill Rd.
Charles Cohen speaks to the Rye Brook Board of Trustees and public at Village Hall on Apr. 24 about his proposed plans for 975 Anderson Hill Rd. It was the kickoff meeting for the redevelopment application.By Dick Hubert
Bradbury pointed out that one of the steps along the way will be for the applicant to respond to the comments in a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS).
Klein welcomed his guests, warning that this was the beginning of a lengthy process wherein everyone would have a chance to comment on the project at public meetings (but not at this one) and opining on leaf blowing regulations and every other conceivable environmental concern that would impact Cohen and his team.
“I do foresee some changes coming out of the public hearing, certainly,” Klein said. “We’ve already started to receive staff comment; and we expect more comment from ... other boards and from this board as well. And the consultants. And there will be a lot of involvement from many consultants on this one…Now we’re starting to get into first steps where there will be resolutions. Everything will be very transparent for the public to see and comment on.”
“This will not be a short process,” Klein added. “This will take some time. But that’s to make sure that we’re getting it right. We will be looking at every aspect that needs to be looked at from the Village’s standpoint. Because at the end of the day, the EIS is the Village’s document, and we want to make sure that we’ve taken into consideration everything that we need to.”
The next board meeting where the 975 development will be discussed will be on May 28.
Unmentioned out loud by anyone in the room, but undoubtedly on everyone’s mind, was the status of Cohen’s office real estate holdings in New York City, which have been financially battered since the COVID-19 pandemic turned so many busy office buildings into near non-vacancy as a result of “work from home, not the office” employees.
The real estate trade publication Real Deal reported Apr. 12 that Cohen’s prized ownership of 750 Lexington Avenue had been slashed in value by 83% and that “foreclosure looms.” On Mar. 26, the publication, which terms Cohen an “embattled billionaire,” estimated his “troubled debt” at $1 billion and said his debt was “starting to rival his net worth.”
Cohen’s public attitude seemed to be that regardless of all his financial difficulties with existing real estate assets, the Rye Brook project would go ahead unencumbered by those issues.
Cohen and the village – next steps
The legal and permit process for the still unnamed Cohen project is available on the village website (www.ryebrook.org) that will allow anyone to follow along in detail the progress of 975 Anderson Hill Rd. as the Village does its due diligence. All public hearings on the project will be listed on the website well in advance. Those meetings will also be available to stream on the village site.
The current list of permit applications and reviews includes:
*Application for Site Plan Approval
*Floodplain Development Permit Application
*Full Environmental Assessment Form and Mapper
*Steep Slopes Permit Application
*Stormwater Management Control Permit Application
*Tree Removal Permit Application
*Wetland Permit Application
*Exterior Building Permit Application
Klein and Village Administrator Bradbury emphasized that every letter, document, email, and comment from anyone in the public as well as the Cohen and village teams would be posted on the website.
The Planning Board will be the first body to scrutinize the application, starting their review on Thursday, May 9.
Present at the Apr. 24 meeting but not speaking were two representatives from Doral Greens (DG), attorney Russ F. Jellinek (of Heist Schwartz & Jellinek, PLC) and Robin Markell, an auxiliary DG Board member.
The 138-unit DG condominium complex borders 975 Anderson, and their residents will be primarily impacted by the construction as well as the eventual traffic when the Cohen complex is finished.
A detailed traffic study will be part of the village’s review.
Cohen promised once again, as he did in his first appearance before the board on Dec. 12, 2023, that the now-defunct Arrowwood Golf Course, whose holes 1 through 5 run through and around Doral Greens, would be transformed into a “beautiful natural park-like environment.”
He also stated that the 6.89 acres of land that made up the former Arrowwood complex which is in Greenwich, Conn. and was part of the defunct golf course would remain undeveloped.
Comments:
You must login to comment.