Harrison Mayor Richard Dionisio was trounced in a GOP primary after being highly criticized for his role in steering a 2023 zoning change that paved the way for a controversial development proposal in a flood plain near Rye.
Following his stinging defeat — Dionisio, a Republican, was also badly beaten in Democratic and Conservative primary runs — the mayor was a no-show at Tuesday’s Harrison Town Board meeting where lawmakers unanimously set the wheels in motion for reversing that zoning change — from residential back to its previous designation of limited commercial development.
A day earlier, the developer, The Stagg Group, listed the 67 Grant Ave. property for sale for $10 million.
The Stagg Group had previously proposed a massive 140-unit residential complex at the site, which sits along the Beaver Swamp Brook, before withdrawing the application in May in the face of mounting backlash from both the board and the Harrison and Rye communities.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Harrison Deputy Mayor Liz Brown said she was moved to propose the change because “many residents have voiced a preference for immediately restoring the previous zone.”
Brown said she expected a public hearing on the proposed law would be held in September prior to the board’s vote.
“It’s exciting to see how people from our communities can come together and how local interest can turn the tide,” said Rye resident Emily Baldwin, who lives in the Glen Oaks neighborhood that has been plagued by flooding over the years.
Strong public opposition from Harrison and Rye residents led the board to pass a six-month moratorium on large residential development in the area around 67 Grant Ave. back in May. Board members said that would give them the necessary time to consider the area’s zoning.
After the 2023 zoning change that allowed for residential development, Dionisio sold a lot he co-owned through a limited liability company for $2.9 million to The Stagg Group, records obtained by The Record show.
That parcel was later included in the developer’s large-scale Grant Avenue proposal.
Dionisio’s LLC made $2.4 million on the sale price, records show.
