In the middle of a two-plus-hour discussion on the proposed six-month moratorium on Rye developments, the City Council adjourned Wednesday’s public hearing, with plans to resume at 7 p.m. June 8.
After several impassioned speeches by members of the public, a motion to close the discussion didn’t pass, followed by a unanimous vote to adjourn until next month. After the vote, councilmembers left for a half-hour executive session, then returned to listen to another hour of public comments.
“Not every public hearing needs a definitive conclusion,” said Mayor Josh Nathan. “We have a lot of work to do on our end, and you’re very much a part of that. We had a sense of concern beforehand, but we still needed to hear from you, and we will continue to listen going forward, whatever those next steps need to be.”
To open Wednesday’s meeting, Nathan informed the 100-plus people in the standing-room-only crowd that there would be an amendment to the proposed law: Based on public comments the council heard in recent weeks, the decision was made to remove one- and two-bedroom houses from the moratorium, at least for the time being.
That decision did not apply to one- and two-bedroom houses located in the B-1 and B-2 districts adjoining downtown. Those areas are still up for discussion, along with developments in the central business district, multi-family homes with six or more units, and proposed construction on the campus of Rye Country Day School.
Nearly all of the public comments came from people speaking out against the moratorium, particularly relating to housing. Although Nathan had already said single-family homes were no longer part of the moratorium at this time, he and the council still wanted to hear the public’s many prepared remarks on the matter.
“I’m speaking on behalf of all senior citizens, the concept of a moratorium on single-family homes shouldn’t even enter your mind in the future,” said Michael Blumenthal, a Rye resident who’s lived 30-plus years in a small, wood-frame home that was built in the 1930s. “Our house is outdated and unsafe for senior citizens. It’s unequivocally a teardown. The high maintenance demands of a 90-year-old house are too much for us to continue to stay there, and that would be the case for any senior citizen … I haven’t slept in five days. This moratorium would have crushed me from a financial and health standpoint.”
A large contingent of developers was also on hand to discuss how a pause on home construction and teardowns would affect their livelihood and the future of city housing.
“Not all of us come in just to make a profit. More than 50% of us here tonight are Rye residents,” said Paul Varsames, referring to his fellow developers in attendance. “We want Rye to remain a safe city. One of the greatest liberties we have as Americans is the right to own property and to reasonably improve that property … this proposed mortarium completely ignores that principle.”
In one of the few comments not tied to housing, Stacey Sotirhos spoke about how the moratorium would negatively impact construction plans at Rye Country Day. Sotirhos will serve as interim Head of School starting July 1.
“The school is deeply committed to the development of this property in a way that reflects the character and the values of Rye and serves as a gateway to this fine community,” she said, referring to a pending application to develop a new athletic complex on vacant land across the street. “For more than a year, RCDS has worked through the planning commission’s established review process thoughtfully, transparently, and in good faith.
“We’ve listened to concerns relating to traffic, environmental impact, aesthetics, lighting, buffering, and neighborhood character, and we responded proactively, investing substantial resources in environmental studies, traffic analyses, engineering planning, and neighbor engagement to refine the entire proposal. We are respectfully requesting that the City Council not adopt this moratorium.”
Sotirhos, one of the last members of the public in attendance at the hearing, also had a hand in setting the date for when the public hearing will resume. The council initially said it would reconvene on June 4, which would have interfered with Rye Country Day’s graduation ceremony on the same day, before accommodating and moving it to June 8.
