Port Chester recognized as Pro-Housing Community

Certification strengthens village’s application for $10M DRI grant

October 2, 2024 at 11:36 p.m.

Looking north on Port Chester’s North Main Street in the heart of downtown before buildings on the righthand side of the street were demolished to make way for a mixed-use residential development with retail on the first floor at 27-45 North Main. Port Chester is applying for a $10 state grant to transform downtown into a vibrant center offering a high quality of life. (File Photo/Westmore News)

Port Chester has been trying for years to get a Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) grant, a $10 million award from New York’s Empire State Development program aimed at transforming downtown neighborhoods into vibrant centers offering a high quality of life that are magnets for redevelopment, business, job creation and economic and housing diversity. And each year another municipality in the Mid-Hudson region has been chosen to receive the money, the most recent being White Plains.

With Round 8 of the DRI having been announced by Governor Kathy Hochul, which will invest $100 million in 10 new communities to be selected by the state’s 10 Regional Economic Development Councils, Port Chester has taken a proactive step by becoming recognized as a certified Pro-Housing Community by New York State Homes and Community Renewal. This recognition strengthens the village’s application for the DRI, according to a Sept. 12 press release from the Village of Port Chester.

“Certification ensures equitable consideration with other certified competitors in the process as Port Chester continues its efforts toward revitalizing its downtown and local business district,” states the press release.

This recognition required “months of compiling data reflecting growth and commitment to furthering housing opportunities,” according to the release.

It also required the Board of Trustees to adopt a Pro-Housing Communities resolution stating their commitment to housing growth, housing access and choices and endeavoring to take the following steps:

1. Streamlining permitting for multifamily housing, affordable housing, accessible housing, accessory dwelling units and supportive housing.

2. Adopting policies that affirmatively further fair housing.

3. Incorporating regional housing needs into planning decisions.

4. Increasing development capacity for residential uses.

5. Enacting policies that encourage a broad range of housing development, including multifamily housing, affordable housing, accessible housing, accessory dwelling units and supportive housing.

The board passed this resolution on Aug. 5.

The board also set a public hearing for Monday, Oct. 7 to consider imposing a temporary moratorium on the creation of new accessory dwelling units (ADUs) to give the village time to study the issue and put in place proper zoning regulations. Currently they are allowed in all zoning districts.

Port Chester’s form-based zoning code, adopted in 2020, has led the way for applications and approval of multiple large residential or mixed-use developments in the downtown area, all of which are required to set aside 10% of their units as affordable.

In addition, the approved site plan for the former United Hospital site calls for 775 multifamily rental apartments, 10% of which will be affordable, 90 independent living apartments and 110 assisted and memory care units.

Another feather in Port Chester’s cap is the creation of a Housing Task Force which has been meeting for about a year and studying the problem of insufficient affordable housing in the village.

On Aug. 28, the Board of Trustees discussed a letter from the group requesting that the village hire a consultant to assist them with “focusing on the most feasible and practical affordable housing options for our village” because “the local, state and federal regulatory schemes are intricate and multi-layered.” That discussion continued at their Oct. 1 work session where they agreed to set a budget and to send out Requests for Qualifications to get a group of interested consultants to consider.

As of Wednesday, Oct. 2, the New York State Pro-Housing Community Program website showed 21 certified Pro-Housing Communities in the Mid-Hudson region and 44 having submitted letters of intent. Some of these, like White Plains, Peekskill and Kingston, have already received the $10 million award.

There will be a public comment period related to the Downtown Revitalization Initiative application at the Oct. 7 Board of Trustees meeting in the courtroom at 350 N. Main St. starting at 7 p.m. where input is welcomed in support of the village’s intent to apply for the grant. You can review a draft of the village’s 2024 submission on the homepage at portchesterny.gov under News & Announcements.

According to Village Manager Stuart Rabin, applications for the eighth round of the DRI are due Oct. 18. Winners may be announced before the spring of 2025, said Rabin.