Planned Hotel in Cortlandt Likely to be Approved

A 93-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel being proposed near King Buffet on Route 6 in Cortlandt will likely be approved by the town’s Planning Board in September.

After closing a public hearing on the project last week, the board authorized planning staff to prepare a resolution to be voted on September 5.

The direction from the board at its July 25 meeting came after nearby residents continued to express concerns about increased traffic, noise and water pressure surrounding the 2.4-acre site.

“Are we going to become a tourist attraction all of a sudden? Why do we need 93 rooms?” remarked Toni McElroy, a 50-year-resident of Old Oregon Road. “I will not go on Route 6 on the weekends. I’m taking my life in my hands. Put that in and I won’t be able to go out during the week.”

“This is not an appropriate location for the building of a hotel,” said Lorraine Levins, a condominium owner on Jacob’s Hill Road. “This will be a Route 6 traffic nightmare.”

The five-story hotel, which also requires a height variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals, is located across the street from where a new gas station and convenience store are being built. The hotel is slated to include an outdoor parking lot with 101 spaces, a courtyard deck, indoor swimming pool, fitness center, small conference center and a full bar and grill.

“We think there is a strong need for this in the community,” said David Steinmetz, attorney for applicant Bilal Ahmad. “We believe our site is minimally visible from our neighbors.”

To provide a buffer, Steinmetz said 72 trees and 223 shrubs would be planted as part of the landscaping plan.

“One of the things that attracted me to Jacob Hill was the quietness, the trees,” said Colleen Sidorik, a nurse and condominium owner. “We love our home. We work hard. I want to keep what I had when I first moved in there.”

Cortlandt Planning Director Chris Kehoe said the hotel was envisioned in the town’s 2016 Master Plan. Steinmetz agreed.

“This is entirely consistent with Vision Cortlandt,” Steinmetz said. “My client would not be spending tens of thousands of dollars if the market studies said this area doesn’t need or deserve another hotel. Maybe this will spur development in other areas on Route 6.”

Planning Board Chairman Steven Kessler, who rejected a plea from a resident to keep the public hearing open, said the state Department of Transportation would be redoing all the traffic signals on Route 6 to make sure the traffic flows smoother. The traffic island entering Jacob’s Hill Road will also be improved.

“I don’t think we’ll be getting any more information by keeping the hearing open,” he said. “I think it’s time to sit back and review the material.”

Rick Pezzullo

Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/