The City Council voted November 19 to adopt a law amending the zoning at 150 North Street near Theodore Fremd Avenue from B-1 to RA-5, which will allow construction of affordable senior housing.

By Tom McDermott

 

The City Council voted November 19 to adopt a law amending the zoning at 150 North Street near Theodore Fremd Avenue from B-1 to RA-5, which will allow construction of affordable senior housing.

 

Before adopting the actual zoning change, the Council approved a conditional negative declaration of environmental significance, which calls for a number of requirements to be met during the planning process for the project. The declaration requires that there be no school-age children living in the new building and includes a number of size and environmental restrictions.

 

The application for the zoning change began nearly a year ago, when Lazz Development proposed building a total of 58 units for the County. The project will now have a total of 40 units, 12 two-bedroom apartments and 28 one-bedroom apartments.

 

Mayor Joe Sack said, “the environmental concerns were always there, but the negative declaration goes above and beyond.” He also stated that senior housing “is an appropriate use of the site, and the project is an appropriate size and scale.”

 

Councilman Terry McCartney called the project, “a good fit for Rye, the property was unlikely to be used for anything else.” He also mentioned that the County would be replacing a sewer line at its own cost and that sidewalks would be improved.

 

Addressing the Council at the meeting’s end, Lou Larizza of Lazz Development thanked the Council members saying, “I’m going to build a beautiful building.”