Hotel, Condos and Spa Plan Floated for New Castle Legionaries Land

Representatives of a New Jersey real estate firm presented conceptual plans Tuesday night to build a residential community, wellness spa and boutique hotel on the Legionaries of Christ property in New Castle.

Appearing before the town board and planning board, Soder Real Estate Equities President Stephen Oder and attorney David Steinmetz pitched a proposal that includes 66 condominium units and a 20,000-square-foot spa along with a 30-room hotel on the 97-acre property at 773 Armonk Rd. Soder Real Estate Equities would buy the parcel from the Legion, which put the land up for sale last year, if it can obtain the necessary approvals.

There would be no age restrictions to live in the residences, which would include a combination of one-, two- and three-bedroom units. It would offer an upscale living environment with multiple amenities. The spa would feature a swimming pool and a health club, among other activities, and would be open to the general public. Preliminary estimates forecast an additional $1 million in combined tax revenue for the town and the Bedford School District should the project be developed.

“We want to really make it a lifestyle where you want to enjoy and come here and don’t want to leave,” Oder said. “It’s basically set up as you’re moving into your own estate with your own theater and your own pool.”

However, the firm is likely to face multiple planning and zoning hurdles should it move forward to submit a formal application. Members of both boards questioned Oder and Steinmetz on issues ranging from septic capacity to aesthetics such as building height, landscaping and screening and limiting potential light pollution.

Supervisor Susan Carpenter said the zoning designation for the hotel would also be critical. A special zone would have to be created to accommodate its development.

“We will not do spot zoning changes just for this person,” Supervisor Susan Carpenter stated firmly during the discussion. “We have other large parcels in town.”

Steinmetz said his client was looking to first gauge the town board’s interest in the hotel before many of the complicated planning issues are addressed. The condominiums could be covered through an existing multifamily zone that is outlined in the code, Steinmetz said. The property is currently zoned two-acre residential.

“We don’t have a project here unless the town board is interested in having a hotel in the community,” Steinmetz said.

Under the current conceptual plans, Soder Real Estate would construct four new residential buildings, each with 10 duplexes and five penthouses. Another six units would be built in the existing main building. The firm, based in Montclair, N.J., would find a partner to help it develop the project’s residential component since Soder Real Estate specializes mainly in retail development.

It would also look to preserve much of the original main building, which dates back to the late 1920s, as well as the additional wings that were built in 1954.

Carpenter said she was worried whether a project of such proportions could be sustained solely on septics.

“You have an awful lot of bedrooms on a septic system,” she said.

Oder said extensive testing revealed that the property could comfortably accommodate roughly 140 bedrooms, including the hotel. Estimates call for a daily 24,000-gallon flow with a 100 percent overflow capability.

Members of both boards voiced concern over the concentration of the new construction toward the Tripp Street side of the property, which could impact neighbors. Oder said the rationale behind grouping the buildings to that side is because that is where the septic capability lies.

“We intend to screen the property appropriately, and frankly, beyond appropriately,” he said.

Planning Board member Thomas Curley said the residential three-story buildings could be too tall and out of character with the area. He suggested the company explore smaller buildings even if there are a greater number of structures.

“The size of the buildings is really quite big in contrast to the area and the neighborhood,” Curley said.

Steinmetz stressed that the Legion’s previous application, which had been progressing though the town’s planning channels before it was withdrawn, called for the construction of housing to accommodate up to 450 seminarians. Officials corrected him by stating that it was later revised to about 200.

Town officials agreed to have a site visit in the coming weeks to better visualize the plans. No date was set for the visit.

The Legion, which bought the property in 1993, also sold its property in Thornwood last year.

The New Castle parcel was once owned by Billy Rose, a Broadway producer and songwriter, Steinmetz said.