Replacing landmark with ugliness

To the editor:

Timber Equities recently released a rendering for its proposed building at 2395 Palisade Ave., on the site of the Villa Rosa Bonheur. It is an out-of-scale, charmless, gray concrete structure wedged between the Henry Hudson Bride and, almost overhanging, the Bradley Terrace Stairs, a “stair street” used by hundreds of people every day, connecting Palisade Avenue to the natural park area of the Spuyten Duyvil Metro-North station.

What Timber proposes to replace the landmark-worthy Villa Rosa Bonheur with looks, basically, like a concrete prison. It’s an insult both to this gorgeous setting next to the Hudson River, and the beauty of the building it will destroy to replace.

This new building also will test the limited resources of Spuyten Duyvil from its first day of construction — obstructing narrow Palisade Avenue with trucks, massive equipment, and loads of materials for such an oversized building — as well as diminishing the area’s unique physical character.

Timber Equities has a history of violations and underhanded, unapproved activities without the necessary permits.

As a resident, it is difficult for me to consider Palisade Avenue — barely two lanes wide and presently constricted by ongoing repair work on the Henry Hudson Bridge — further clogged with more heavy construction.

It’s also painful to anticipate increased traffic from the proposed building’s 34 parking spaces, as well as even more drivers seeking to park in an area with painfully inadequate parking.

Does Spuyten Duyvil really need 55 apartments shoehorned into this cramped lot?

The Spuyten Duyvil Neighborhood Coalition is working to fight this inappropriate intrusion before it’s too late. We want to believe that ordinary people who live in this area have a say, as well as wealthy developers. You can learn more about us on Facebook by searching for Villa Rosa Bonheur.

Perry Brass

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