New Rochelle Residents Say 'No' to Echo Bay Project

New Rochelle residents turned out last week to voice their thoughts about the Echo Bay development project.

Those who spoke in opposition to the Forest City Residential project overwhelming outnumbered those who spoke in favor of it.

The four hearings—all related to aspects of the Echo Bay project—lasted over four hours.

Forest City Residential wants to build 285 residential rental apartments, 25,000 square feet of retail space and two levels of structured parking with 430 spaces.

The developer completed the final environmental impact statement, required under the state's Environmental Quality Review Act, which addresses concerns about the project.

Andrew Tung of Divney Tung Schwalbe LLP, the planner and site engineer, said there were some modifications to the proposal in the final statement that differ from the draft statement.

He said they resulted from some of the concerns, subsequent discussions and the anticipation of market conditions and rental opportunities.

The changes include an increase in the number of two-bedroom units, a decrease in the overall size of the building and an increase in open space.

"The core program remains the same," Tung said: a mixed-use building on the current site of the Department of Public Works City Yard.

He said there was also a change to the proposed way the 20-year payment in lieu of taxes will be calculated.

"These changes include an annual increase in the per-student cost to reflect the actual changes in the school budget from year to year," Tung said. Whatever percentage the school budget goes up, the cost per student will go up comparably, he said.

Also, halfway through the 20-year PILOT the developer will look back over the preceding five years at the actual number of children and adjust the PILOT payment accordingly.

New Rochelle resident Steve Misner was one of the Echo Bay supporters who spoke during the hearings.

"I think that this project will be a great addition to the city," he said. "It will spark more interest in the downtown area."

James O'Toole of New Rochelle took issue with the developer's assertion that only 25 children will be added to the school district because of the project.

He was dubious about the number of two-bedroom units increasing to 100.

"Who's living in the second bedroom?" O'Toole said. "The facts are there're going to be more kids."

The New Rochelle School District has said it was satisfied with the way the estimated number of children was calculated.

Melinda Maxwell of New Rochelle said she questioned the number of parking spaces—at 430—for 285 housing units plus retail.

"Please look at your desires as our representatives duly elected to serve the city's best interest to improve our quality of life," she said to the City Council, "and bring us a project that will unify us and give us something proud to stand behind, rather than one such as this that at best is a replication of projects from the past that leave a negative feeling with the voters and who are becoming more aware and better educated at observing the old bait and switch and are wanting something better from you as our representatives."

County Legislator Jim Maisano, R-New Rochelle, said he thought the council would do its due diligence and would be left with only one choice—to oppose the Echo Bay project.

"I don't think it's a close call," he said. "This proposal is intellectually indefensible."

Maisano said the original proposal, back in 2007, which included two hotels and 150,000 square feet of retail, was more interesting.

"That proposal has now been gutted," he said.

"So this is what we are left with at Echo Bay," Maisano said, "rental apartment that bring no value to New Rochelle longtime residents, very limited retail for a city crying out for retail stores and a park that no one will use."

He urged the council to stop the review and reopen the process, inviting developers from around the nation to present new proposals that would be better for the site.

New Rochelle resident Steve Silverman said he thought the project provide an economic burst to the downtown.

"I do think if we were able to do this 10 acres, then we show progress in the downtown and other developers will want to come in as well," he said.

Silverman offered a note of caution, though, that giving up on Forest City will do irreparable harm to the city's relationship with the development community.

"I can't see why a reputable developer would want to come back and engage with us after we blow off one of the esteemed firms in the U.S.," he said.

East East Civic Association President Beth Acocella said none of the proposal makes sense.

"We hope for a fantastic plan, but all we have now is a sub-par mediocre housing project which may be lucky enough to become a new Monroe or Iona dorm," she said.

"There is a lack of retail, a lack of housing, a lack of parking, no office space, no reason for anyone to come and enjoy this area," Acocella said.