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PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. Pleasantville is the latest municipality to consider allowing a new use for vacant office space. Developers presented the Village Board of Trustees earlier this week with a plan to convert vacant office properties on Washington Avenue into luxury townhouses.
These properties have been empty for the last couple years, said Pleasantville Mayor Peter Scherer. Its good news that property thats been vacant for the past few years is a place of interest.
The presentation in front of the board at a public work session at Village Hall earlier this week was made by Toll Brothers. The realty company has a tentative agreement to purchase the property on Washington Ave. that is currently occupied by the vacant Saw Mill Office Campus. Scherer said that the tentative plan for Toll Brothers is to convert the property into a residential area with about 70 luxury townhouses. In order to the townhouses to be built, the village must go through the process of rezoning the area, which is currently only zoned for office development.
Scherer said the process is still in the early stages but that the presentation by Toll Brothers was impressive.
There will certainly be an opportunity for the public to voice any concern or ask any questions they may have on the project, Scherer said. Its no doubt though that its very good news for the village that a firm like Toll Brothers are interested in a significant residential development in our community.
In nearby North Castle, the Town Board is currently considering a similar zoning change to allow retail and/or recreational businesses to occupy empty stores in Armonks Westchester Business Park. North Castle Town Board member John Cronin said at a meeting in late August that office space in the area is decreasing in demand and that the property should be utilized in various ways.
The property owners in the business park contribute to the taxes of the town and we should allow them to maximize the flexibility of those buildings, Cronin said.
Scherer said that developments on the Washington Avenue property and rezoning the area should move forward in the next two months.
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