Rye plans to engage a sustainability consulting firm to monitor a proposal to build a large apartment complex in the flood-prone Beaver Swamp Brook watershed of Harrison next to the city’s Glen Oaks neighborhood.
Storm waters from that area have caused major damage to Rye, Harrison, and Mamaroneck neighborhoods over the years.
Rye expects to sign a $16,000 agreement to hire SLR Engineering, Landscape Architecture and Land Survey, P.C., according to Interim City Manager Brian Shea.
Rye has worked with SLR on this type of review in the past and the firm “has a deep understanding of the area,” because it partnered in 2024 with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to publish the Beaver Swamp Brook Flood Mitigation & Resilience Report, Shea said.
The City Council voted on March 26 to hire a consultant to make sure it would have the technical expertise needed to be sure that Harrison thoroughly scrutinizes the potential environmental impact of the proposed development. The Stagg Group’s proposal is to build a six-story, 164-unit apartment complex on 2.4 acres at 67 Grant Ave.
“The city government plays a key role in protecting the lifestyle, community, and financial investment we all make in living in Rye,” said Democratic Councilman Josh Nathan, who is running for mayor. “Monitoring this project and taking action, if appropriate, is how we are and should be looking out for our residents.”
Rye residents in the Glen Oaks neighborhood — bordered by Boston Post Road, Harrison, Rye Neck, and the Osborn School — have been particularly affected by flooding of the Beaver Swamp Brook.
“Combatting flooding and flood mitigation have been a major part of my political career and I have major concerns,” said Westchester County Legislator Catherine Parker, whose district encompasses areas in Rye and Mamaroneck that have been affected by Beaver Swamp Brook flooding.
One indication that residents are opposed to the proposed development: As of May 5, an Instagram account entitled “halt67grant” had attracted more than 350 followers and nearly three dozen posts.
Nathan, along with other city representatives and residents, attended a March 25 Harrison Planning Board meeting where the developer presented its plans and tried to assure those in attendance that a State Environmental Quality Review Act would thoroughly address environmental concerns.
As for concerns over flooding in an area known for it, Al Pirro, the developer’s attorney, claimed the project would mitigate the problem, not make it worse.
Nathan argued that it was the job of experts to analyze the proposed remedies for flooding problems.
“Having spent a lot of time with hydrologists, I know that flood mitigation and storm resilience measures are complicated,” he said. “It’s incumbent on Harrison and Rye and Mamaroneck to scrutinize any plans for mitigation and see whether they are adequate to protect neighborhoods being put at potential risk.”
