Traffic a Major Concern for Hotel Planned on Route 6
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Residents recently expressed concerns that a 93-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel being proposed near King Buffet on Route 6 in Cortlandt will bring increased traffic to an already congested roadway.
The project from applicant Bilal Ahmad was first presented to the Cortlandt Planning Board in November.
“We believe there is a strong demand for this hotel,” said David Steinmetz, attorney for Ahmad, said during a public hearing last month “We want this to be an attractive building that doesn’t take over the viewshed.”
The 2.4-acre site, bound by Route 6, Jacob’s Hill Road and the Bear Mountain Parkway, is located across the street from where a new gas station and convenience store, that drew the ire of nearby homeowners, was approved by the Planning Board and is currently being constructed.
Since the hotel is proposed to be four stories, it will need a height variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals, in addition to Planning Board approval.
The hotel is slated to include an outdoor parking lot with 101 spaces, a courtyard deck, indoor swimming pool, fitness center, professional conference center and a full bar and grill.
Several residents who live in the Jacobs Hill affordable senior apartments complex near the property where the hotel would be situated spoke out against the proposal.
“This is not the appropriate location for a hotel for many reasons,” said Lorraine Levins, who cited traffic and noise as a few examples.
“Traffic is a disaster and it’s only going to get worse,” said Bob Baker. “Hotels bring additional problems, like car thefts, buses, truck deliveries.”
Louis Ferrari, 74, said profits were being placed ahead of the quality of life of people who live in the area.
“It’s all about money. What about the people that live there?” he remarked. “Look at the main roadway, there’s only two lanes on Jacob Hill Road. That can have very negative consequences down the road.”
Another resident asked if it was already “a done deal” that the hotel would be approved, to which Planning Board Chairman Steven Kessler replied, “It’s not a done deal until we vote.”
Kessler also noted the state Department of Transportation would be redoing all the traffic signals on Route 6 to make sure the traffic flows smoother.
The Planning Board left the public hearing open to its July 25 meeting, where a draft resolution approving the hotel may be on the agenda for a vote.
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