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North Salem Affordable Housing Developer Agrees To Extras

NORTH SALEM, N.Y. – If the plans for the development of a 65-unit affordable housing project complex in North Salem come to fruition, there is a bonanza in it for the town.

The developers of the complex, Wilder Balter Partners, have agreed to meet several conditions, including:

• Paying the town $300,000 in recreation fees because the development will include on-site recreational facilities. This sum will be used to improve recreational facilities elsewhere in North Salem's town parks.

• Wilder Balter will build a 9,600-square-foot garage behind the salt shed off June Road to accommodate the North Salem Highway Department.

• The 4,000-square-foot building that houses the Highway Department offices at June and Titicus roads will be rebuilt and renovated to house the North Salem Police Department and provide a meeting room for about 70 people. The room will become the meeting hall of the Town Board, Zoning Board and Planning Board and will contain the Town Court.

• The Town Annex, which serves as a meeting room, will house the Building Department, which has been camping out in a trailer for six years.

• Although the Highway Department will be responsible for site work on these town properties, the developer has agreed to engage the Building Committee’s choice of architect, L&M Design of Radnor, Pa. 

“The developers still need to get a few more approvals, but I think they’ll have them in less than a month,” said Cynthia Curtis, chairman of the Planning Board. “If that’s the case, Balter thinks he’ll have a shovel in the ground by the fall.”

Wilder Balter has agreed to several development restrictions as well, including:

• The 40-acre parcel will include 24.8 acres of open space and the rental units will use 12 acres. The units will consist of 20 one-bedroom apartments of about 750 square feet each; 40 two-bedroom apartments of about 950 square feet each; and four three-bedroom apartments of about 1150 square feet each.

• Anyone who meets the income requirements of the federal Housing and Urban Development mandate can apply.

• Units will be filled through a lottery, and applicants need to meet income qualifications and restrictions on the number of occupants.

The town is pleased Balter has agreed to these terms, although it is not final, Supervisor Warren Lucas said. “This is going to allow the town to get much needed space without spending taxpayer money,” he said.

Lucas added his thanks to Cynthia Curtis, Deputy Supervisor Peter Kamenstein, members of the Planning Board, and resident Jack Gress, who was involved in planning and estimating.

The Wilder Balter development, to be known as Bridleside, will be located behind Volunteer Park on June Road. It will meet the requirements of HUD's Fair and Affordable Housing mandate for Westchester County.

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