What is Mamaroneck Coastal?
The Mamaroneck Coastal Environment Coalition (“Mamaroneck Coastal”) is a New York not-for-profit corporation. A grass roots, citizen –led volunteer organization, Mamaroneck Coastal was formed in response to the plans of the owner/developers of the Hampshire Country Club (HCC) to seek a zoning change that would enable them to build a five-story, 110 to 125-unit apartment-style condominium and parking facility on the property.
Why is there concern about this development project?
This would be a dangerous precedent that would set the stage for requests to rezone other waterfront and environmentally sensitive properties in the village and nearby areas within the broader community as well as other coastal communities along the Sound Shore, and it raises numerous other issues including:
- Traffic: exacerbating an already difficult situation, particularly around the Hommocks School.
- Flooding: significantly increasing residential development on a historically flood-prone site, further taxing our first responders in times of emergency.
- Scale: The planned building would be 8 times the size of the existing clubhouse and 40-80 times the size of the adjacent homes, and grossly out of character with the neighborhood of single-family homes.
What are Hampshire’s Options?
- HCC currently has the right to develop the property in a manner consistent with the existing zoning and approval processes, through which they could build some number of single family or (possibly) attached style homes. The owner/developer bought the property with full understanding of applicable zoning and building/operating restrictions, which would have been factored into the price paid for the property.
- HCC may also apply for a rezoning to develop the property in a manner not currently permitted – which is the path HCC has indicated it wishes to take; however, the Village Board can decline to consider any request for rezoning, which Mamaroneck Coastal strongly believes the Village Board should do. The primary beneficiary of the proposed rezoning would be the owner/developer who would be receiving a significant economic windfall from the Village.
What is Mamaroneck Coastal Doing Now?
Mamaroneck Coastal has retained Carter Ledyard & Millburn as legal counsel to help voice our concerns, and will engage independent traffic, hydrological and other experts to ensure fact-based decision-making to the proposed project. While our initial focus is the proposed rezoning and development of the Hampshire Club site, Mamaroneck Coastal is committed to ensuring rational land use policies and practices throughout the coastal areas of Mamaroneck, including Mamaroneck Village, Town of Mamaroneck and Village of Larchmont.