900 King Associates partners with Sunrise to develop long-awaited senior housing
October 10, 2024 at 12:25 a.m.
It wasn’t a surprise to members of the Rye Brook Board of Trustees, who had been kept in the loop, but it was news to the public on Sept. 24 that 900 King Associates LLC has contracted with Sunrise Development Inc. to build and operate the senior housing development previously approved for the site at 900 King St. where a vacant 200,000-square-foot office building and expansive surface parking lot now stand adjacent to Blind Brook Middle/High School and The Arbors townhouse development.
On that date, Anthony Veneziano Jr. of Veneziano & Associates in Armonk, attorney for both entities, appeared before the Board of Trustees seeking a fourth extension of site plan approval to allow the redevelopment of 900 King St. for age-restricted (62 and over) senior housing.
Getting to this point has taken years. Approval of the Planned Unit Development Concept Plan for the senior residential community was finally approved on Sept. 14, 2021. It was valid for 18 months with extensions authorized to be granted for periods not to exceed six months.
The original approval expired on Mar. 15, 2023 and was extended for six months until Sept. 15, 2023 and then again on Aug. 15, 2023 for another six months until Mar. 15, 2024.
On Feb. 27, 2024, the village board approved a PUD extension for three months which could be extended another three months upon the filing of a properly completed application by 900 King Associates to the Westchester County Industrial Development Agency. That application was filed, and the site plan extension continued until Sept. 15, 2024.
Negotiations to determine how much the senior housing development will pay the Village of Rye Brook instead of taxes had been ongoing in closed session, at least off and on, since the concept plan was originally approved in 2021.
On Sept. 24, Veneziano said 900 King Associates was in negotiations regarding a settlement with the IDA for tax relief and in the middle of that process was also negotiating with Sunrise Development, which he said has developed 40 new communities in the last five to 10 years.
“They are very experienced,” he said. “They have looked at all the resolutions. Everything seems to be checking out quite nicely.”
He added that Sunrise was reviewing the plans to see if there are any modifications they need to make.
“I doubt we will need an amended site plan,” Veneziano said. “It should take 1-2 meetings to get through the ARB (Architectural Review Board). We have to satisfy the conditions and then pull the building permit.”
The project currently calls for 231 residential rental units consisting of 126 independent living units, 85 assisted living units, 20 townhomes and other related infrastructure such as driveways, walkways, garage and surface parking, site lighting and signage on approximately 18 acres.
“As far as the extension, they would like a year,” the attorney said. “The Planning Board granted a year extension.”
Veneziano explained that plans are going to take a little time to develop and to do the code compliance checkout.
“It’s in a better place than it was, and I think we are full speed ahead,” he said confidently.
“Six months is the maximum we are able to do,” Mayor Jason Klein replied. “I am pleased to see progress. I am pleased an IDA application was submitted. It’s good to see that plans with a partner are submitted.”
“This has been a long haul,” the mayor added. “I am hopeful we are now starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
Klein explained that application to the ARB was the last one due to the village as the original plan made it through the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals but never made it through the ARB.
“There are not many outstanding issues,” said Veneziano. “There are minor details to the site plan.”
“The other questions have to do with the demolition,” said Klein. “As you know, this project is located right next to Blind Brook Middle/High School. If we could see demolition during the summer, that would be great.”
“Even before they signed the retainer, I told Sunrise they need to demo the building in the summer,” Veneziano replied. “They know that already. They need to abide by that.”
He said demolition of the office building and parking lot should take 6-8 weeks.
“There are things that can be done to get the process moving toward the demolition,” said Klein.
“I would like to have you come back in January,” said Trustee Sal Morlino after Veneziano said he would be back in March.
“We have the IDA, ARB, the demolition and the construction—four topics,” Veneziano delineated. “In March you can make that extension uncomfortable. I will not have a building permit in March.”
“We really would like this to go through,” Trustee Susan Epstein chimed in.
“Come to us long before March and get your clients to come with you,” said Trustee David Heiser. “Get your clients to understand they have to stand the heat. I want your clients to understand how important it is to us that the demo take place over the summer. If there is testing that needs to be done, let that be done now.”
“This has been going on forever,” Trustee Morlino lamented.
Epstein asked the pointed question: “Is this inked already?” She meant the contract with Sunrise Development, which, according to Bloomberg, offers assisted living, skilled nursing, respite, hospice and dementia care services throughout the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom.
“July 20th ish they signed the contract,” Vitagliano answered. “They have a 12-week due diligence period.”
“Perhaps they should come here and we can have this conversation again,” said Epstein.
“Thus far they have only been dealing with the mayor and myself,” said Heiser. “We are only two votes. They should meet with the rest of the board.”
“I think six months makes sense,” said Veneziano, adding that “when the Planning Board gave me 12 months, Sunrise wasn’t happy. I was holding for 18 months.”
“I don’t think they realize how much time has gone by already,” said Epstein.
“I’m going to propose a 6-month extension with monthly progress reports to the village administrator and a progress meeting right after the new year with some Sunrise representatives of where they stand and what is potentially going to need to be done before we grant another extension,” said Mayor Klein.
Village Attorney Ralph DeMarco read the final resolution before the board voted on it.
The six-month extension comes with the following conditions:
*Submission of monthly progress reports to the village administrator.
*A progress meeting with 900 King Associates and Sunrise representatives including principals on or before Jan. 14, 2025.
*Submission of an updated application to the Architectural Review Board by Dec. 31, 2024.
Stating his understanding of what comes next, Vitagliano said: “You want me to chart out what we have to do pre demo. Some of these things could take a while. We’ll tell you and then you’ll understand it. It’s been dormant.”
As a final request before a unanimous vote in favor of the property’s fourth site plan approval extension, Mayor Klein asked that in the interest of being good neighbors the owners also be good neighbors and allow Blind Brook High School students to park at 900 King St. as they have done in the past.
After asking jokingly if they could charge and getting a flat “no” all around, Veneziano seemed to indicate that the answer was yes.
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