As you can see from the photo above the room was packed at Smith Hall for the Community Board 8 Land Use meeting on one subject the latest proposal by the Hebrew Home to build on its South Campus a Continuing Care Retirement Community. CB 8 Land Use Chair Charles Moerdler laid down the ground rules that no vote by the community board was going to take place, and that this was only an informational presentation by the Hebrew Home on its plans for the South Campus purchased in 2013. After the presentation CB 8 board members would be allowed to ask questions, and then time permitting members of the public would be able to.
Mr. Dan Reingold CEO of the Hebrew Home/Riverwalk took the podium and started by saying the property to the south of the Hebrew Home campus was purchased in 2013 with an aim to give senior a three phased options as a Continuing Care Retirement Community.
Phase One would be a place for seniors to retire while they were still in good health and able to do everyday things on their own normally.
Phase Two would be an assisted living part of the campus where resident seniors who could no longer do everyday things on their own, but needed assistance to function normally.
Phase Three would be a full skilled nursing part (as is presently the Hebrew Home) when resident seniors could no longer function on their own, and would get the fully assisted skilled nursing help they needed. The question is not the three options of senior living, but how they are to be placed and where on the recently purchased property zoned R1 for one family homes, and not apartment style building living.
When Mayor Bill de Blasio was first elected in 2013 (coincidentally), the mayor saw a need for more affordable housing, and affordable senior housing and care facilities. In March 2015 the organization Liveon NY came out with a proposal for 2,000 new senior housing units on current HUD 202 properties unused housing areas such as parking lots. Thirty-nine sites in the five boroughs were highlighted with three sites in the Bronx. One site was the Schervier Home where detailed photos of where property line were, and where to place another building on the parking lot and adjacent areas. These proposed new buildings however had zoning covenants not allowing for additional buildings.
In the March 2016 ZQA/MIH passed by the City Council and signed by the mayor there is mention of Long Term Care Facilities. LTCf's are 'As of Right' in all areas zoned R3-2 or above, and not in R1 or R2 zoned areas. They are permitted in R1 and R2 zones with the City Planning Commission approval of a special permit called ZR 74-901. This also does not subject the building(s) to minimum unit size or density factor calculations. Another way for a LTCF is to get a BSA Special Permit ZR 73-623 for non profit institutes with sleeping accommodations. However these special permits are for 'Affordable Housing' for seniors which many say that the Hebrew Home project is anything but Affordable Housing. The entrance fee as described by Mr. Reingold would begin at four-hundred thousand dollars, and go as high as one million dollars according to the size and area of the unit. The monthly maintenance fee would be approximately four to five thousand dollars, to which there were shouts from the audience that it was no where near affordable.
In the power point presentation there were three photos taken from drones at levels of the third floor, tenth floor, and twentieth floors by Skyview Mr. Reingold said. He added that worries of Skyview residents that their views would be blocked by the new CCRC are not founded. When it came to the public speakers three Skyview residents rebutted Mr. Reingold's comment that their view would not be obstructed, with one offering him to come to their apartment in Skyview to see, which he turned down. Mr. Reingold then spoke about the height of the over twenty story buildings which make up the Skyview complex.
The meeting came to a close with Chair Moerdler saying there would be a time frame of sixty days after the plans are submitted to the city for review for the community board to give a response. That there would be two meeting of the committee before a vote would be taken, and that the current chair of the board wrote the rules (while working at the CPC) for the Special Nature Area in which the Hebrew Home is located. He then adjourned the meeting.
The zoning regulations and special permit information comes from the seventy-four page 'CIty Planning Commission report 'Housing New York, Zoning for Quality and Affordability Overview'.
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