Ridge Hill Project Awaits Vote

YONKERS-The "D" day of sorts for the Ridge Hill Village project will likely be on June 27 when the Yonkers City Council is expected to have a revote on a key zone change for the $600-million project. Earlier this week reports circulated that Ridge Hill Village developer Forest City Ratner Cos. had given city officials a deadline of this June 15 to settle issues that have stalled the development.

Yonkers City Council president Chuck Lesnick told members of the Business Council of Westchester's Area Development Committee that he believes the June 15 deadline is a "target date" to show some progress is being made and not a drop dead date when the Ratner firm might walk away from the project. A spokesman for Forest City Ratner refused comment on reports that the firm has grown impatient with the approval process and the litigation that is dogging the venture.

However, sources close to city government confirm that a meeting was held in late May between Bruce Ratner, president and chief executive officer of Forest City Ratner, Yonkers Mayor Philip Amicone and Lesnick where Ratner gave city officials the June 15 deadline. Lesnick says he is planning to hold meetings with Westchester County government officials to try and work on a possible "parkland swap" where Westchester County would contribute a key five-acre parcel necessary to create a direct link from the project to the Sprain Brook Parkway in exchange for five acres of land at the project site. The direct link to the Sprain would help alleviate some traffic concerns some council members and area residents have had with the project.

He adds that he will also be meeting with officials with the neighboring town of Greenburgh, which has filed suit against the city concerning the environmental review of the project. The development, to be built on an 81.4-acre tract between the New York State Thruway and the Sprain Brook Parkway, if approved, will feature 1.3 million sf of retail, restaurant and retail use, 800 rental apartments, 150,000 sf of office and research space, a 350-room hotel, a 40,000-sf conference center and approximately 7,000 parking spaces.

The rezoning matter is a key matter that needs to be ironed out if the project is to proceed. On May 2, New York State Supreme Court Justice Nicholas Colabella issued a ruling that voided the city council's 4-to-3 vote last December in favor of the zone change of the Ridge Hill Property. The judge ruled that the council violated city and state regulations that required a five-vote supermajority to approve the zone change.

Lesnick was one of the plaintiffs in that case which is being appealed by the city. At the meeting, Lesnick says that he is hopeful that his meetings geared to addressing the problematic issues could lead to the necessary five or more council votes for the zone change. Lesnick says he will vote in favor of the zone change later this month.