Cohen must stand up for single-family homes

The following is a letter the author penned to Councilman Andrew Cohen.

Councilman Cohen:

I am a resident of Riverdale. I oppose the potential for apartment buildings being built in R1-1 zones.

We want to preserve the low-density single-family residential areas here in Riverdale and throughout New York City. Our objection has never been the housing or the case of the elderly, but rather that the types of buildings proposed are incompatible with the low-density neighborhood of single-family homes, and contrary to the hard-fought preservation goals of Community Board 8’s 197-A Plan.

Another large site in Spuyten Duyvil may follow in the same footsteps. Eventually, potential site assemblages to allow continuing care retirement communities housed in high-rise apartment buildings could significantly and permanently alter the character and land use pattern throughout the westerly portion of Riverdale, and throughout NYC.

Before you make any decision, consider that this is Riverdale’s last opportunity to preserve the character and scale of our low-density R1 neighborhood.

The Hebrew Home should consider a solution whereby their design for a CCRC, especially on their R1 campus, should be compatible in scale to the surrounding R1-1 areas. Multistory apartment buildings are not acceptable in an R1-1 low-density area.

We are concerned that CCRC developers will seize this precedent-setting decision. It has considerations beyond just this one property.

Many years ago, the Riverdale community, CB8, its councilwoman June Eisland, its Assemblyman Oliver Koppel, and its CB8 land use chair Charles Moerdler, set the gold standard of the 197-A Plan and Special Nature Area District zoning. Now the Hebrew Home wants to undermine that prior accomplishment.

We hope that you will support your community and consider our wishes for a design that is compatible with the existing zoning laws. Please be the councilman that Riverdale needs to fight for its residents, and do not side with organizations like the Hebrew Home who do not care about making the neighborhood more livable, only more profitable for themselves.

Thank you in advance for voting in the interests of your constituents, and against the Hebrew Home’s corporate greed and desire to destroy everything that makes Riverdale special, just for the sake of a few more dollars in their corporate coffers. 

At the recent March 23 CB8 meeting, it was disappointing not to hear your representative weigh in on the proceedings. Can we count on you to fight for your constituents’ best interests?

DAVID EPSTEIN