Developer Returns With A Second Proposal For A Zoning Overlay To Facilitate Apartments In Proximity To Pearl River Transit Station
The developer of Jefferson Arms, a proposed 88-unit residential project in Pearl River’s CO (Commercial) zone, returned to the Orangetown Town Board last week asking the town board to advance a proposal that would create a Development Enhancement (DE) Overlay Zone in Pearl River’s downtown. The DE Overlay would allow rental apartments on parcels of land of at least one acre in size and within 1,000 feet of the Pearl River commuter train station.
The developer first appeared in May, with a proposal that would allow a 4-story building with 109 apartment units and 132 parking spaces at 10 Jefferson Avenue. In a new iteration, the developer scaled back its project to 88 units (65 units per acre) in a three-story building with below ground parking.
Jefferson Arms would have 12 studios, 63 1-bedroom units, 12 2-bedroom units, and one three-bedroom unit for a superintendent.
The overlay would apply only to CO (Commercial/Office) zoned land, but would not change the zoning. It would act as an overlay to the existing zoning. Any development would still be subject to review by Orangetown’s land use boards.
A proposal to create a zoning overlay in proximity to the Metro North/New Jersey Transit line on Main Street would permit the redevelopment of fallow commercial property in Pearl River.
While there are only a few CO parcels large enough (over one acre) to avail itself of the development overlay, the developer’s representative told the board that smaller parcels in the CO zone could be assembled to reach the one-acre threshold.
In a presentation to the Town Board last week, the developer, Jefferson Arms LLC, touted the benefits in creating housing opportunities for young professionals, commuters, downsizing seniors, and local workforce residents. Benefits also included additional foot traffic for downtown businesses, as well as enhancing the appearance of the area which is dotted with fallow and underutilized commercial lots.
Also discussed was the increase in the taxes the CO lots would pay after conversion to residential use. The owner of the site pays about $69,000 annually in taxes. During the presentation, the owner’s representative alluded to tax revenues from the site many times larger than what is currently levied.
The board responded that the 1,000 foot proximity did not make sense, as it could effectively divide individual parcels. A suggestion was made to define the boundaries by streets, not distance from the train station.
Changes to the zoning code and the creation of overlays are discretionary with the town board. It has no obligation to act on an application. The Board did not make any decision on the overlay, but referred it to the Town Planner, the Town Planning Board, and the County Planning Department for recommendations and input.
BESS Developer Seeks Hardship Exemption From Orangetown Moratorium On Data Centers And Battery Energy Storage Systems
A developer of a Batter Energy Storage System (BESS) appeared before the Orangetown Town Board asking for a hardship exemption from the Town’s six-month moratorium on data centers and battery energy storage systems.
A BESS is an engineered installation of rechargeable batteries tied to a utility substation that stores electrical energy and releases it on demand. Batteries are charged in the evening when power demand is low and released during the day or when power demand peaks.
The Town of Orangetown passed a six-month town-wide moratorium on new data centers and battery energy storage systems in August. The moratorium allowed for discretionary hardship exemptions.
The Orangetown Battery Project, hosted behind a warehouse at 524 Route 303 in Orangeburg, would install about fifteen 30-foot containers of rechargeable batteries adjacent to the railroad tracks in Orangetown’s LO district.
The applicant negotiated a contract with the owner of the property in May 2025 and was approved for interconnection with Orange & Rockland in December. It has met with the Orangetown Planning Board several times prior to the imposition of the moratorium.
The project does not require any variances, waivers, or zone changes. The batteries would connect to the O&R substation on Mountainview Road.
According to NYSERDA, energy storage strengthens and modernizes the electric grid by making it more flexible, efficient, and resilient—benefiting communities, businesses, and households across New York.
Battery storage systems pose a unique fire risk, and advances in containment and suppression help local governments manage the risk. The applicant advised the town board that it intended to create a “host community agreement” that would require the operator to finance any equipment the local fire district needed to address a potential fire risk.
The town board was inclined to grant the waiver, but a representative of AKRF, a planning firm retained by the town to evaluate the application sought additional information from the developer. The developer agreed to provide the information and the matter was rolled forward to the next town board meeting on October 20th.
There was no public comment either in favor or opposed to the application.
Zoning Change Approved For Relocation Of Subaru Dealer To 631 Route 303 In Blauvelt
The owner of a 7.1 acre parcel at 631 Route 303 in Blauvelt secured a zone change from LO (Laboratory/Office) to LI (Light Industrial) by the Orangetown Town Board last week over objections by local residents and adjacent property owners.
The LI zone allows automobile dealerships and repair shops as-of-right.
A local Subaru dealership plans to relocate both its sales office and repair facility to the Blauvelt location.
The property lies adjacent to a residential neighborhood and about 10 acres of R-40 (residential one-acre single family homes). Neighbors objected to the density and added traffic, but town board members recognized that Route 303 already has automotive uses, and access would be directly from Route 303, not the residential area.
Rockland County’s Planning Department objected to the zone change, referring to it as spot zoning.
According to the County Planning Board, “the proposed rezoning of a single parcel that is not contiguous with the existing LI zoning district essentially amounts to spot zoning, which is the rezoning of a single parcel or a small area, to benefit one or more property owners rather than carry out the objectives of the comprehensive plan or the zoning ordinance.”
The County Planning Board also recognized the conflict with Orangetown’s Route 303 Overlay Zone, which was designed to improve Route 303’s operation, aesthetics, and safety aspects, with a particular emphasis on safety. Several uses allowed within the LI zoning district are explicitly prohibited in the Route 303 Overlay Zone, including the automotive use intended by the applicant.
The town board, discounting the safety issues, unanimously overrode those objections after declaring that the zone change would not have the potential for a significant environmental impact under SEQRA.
The Subaru facility would be accessed from a signalized intersection on Route 303. The 7.1 acre parcel will have a sales showroom and repair facility in about a 45,000 square foot building, along with 274 parking spaces. The developer is planning a green buffer along Route 303 to mitigate the view from Route 303.
Slattery Moving & Storage Opens Nanuet Community Office at 147 Main Street In Nanuet
Haverstraw-based Slattery Moving & Storage celebrates its 35th year with the opening of its Nanuet Community Office at 147 Main Street in Nanuet.
Founded in Nanuet in 1991 by Lawrence Slattery with a single truck, the company has grown from a one-man operation into a full-scale fleet and dedicated crew serving Rockland County, the Hudson Valley, Northern Bergen County, and expanding to offer East Coast-wide moving.
During the celebration, Slattery Moving & Storage was honored to receive several prestigious recognitions, including an Award of Excellence, a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition, and a New York State Senate citation.
“Ask Lawrence the secret to 35 years and he’ll point right past himself to the people standing beside him,” the company shared. “It was never meant to remain that one man show. It’s the team that built this, carried it, and keeps it moving every single day.”
Today, the family-owned and operated company provides residential, senior, and commercial moving services, local and long-distance relocation, expert packing, secure storage solutions, and dedicated weekly moving service from New York to Florida.
