Clean-up Complete At Chappaqua Brownfield

CHAPPAQUA, NY — The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has determined that the cleanup requirements to address contamination at 54 Hunts Place, site of a controversial affordable housing development under construction in Chappaqua, have been or will be met under New York State's Brownfield Cleanup Program.

The 1/3-acre site is between the Saw Mill River Parkway and the Metro-North Harlem Line on an industrial site formerly used by Chappaqua Coal Fuel and Humble Oil.

NYSDEC approved a Final Engineering Report and issued a Certificate of Completion for the site, state officials announced Tuesday.

According to the announcement, 7,000 tons of contaminated soil were excavated and disposed of off-site. Clean fill was brought in to replace the removed soil and to establish the design grades at the site. Recovery wells were installed to remove any potential oil remaining in the subsurface. An Environmental Easement has been recorded as an institutional control to prevent future exposure to any contamination remaining at the site and to ensure implementation of the site management plan.

The development was first proposed in 2012.

All of the units will count toward Westchester County's 2009 affordable housing settlement, which required that 750 units be built in communities that are predominantly wealthy white enclaves, such as New Castle.

After years of fighting as residents and officials tried to prevent the project, permits were issued, the site was cleaned up and construction began — and was stymied in 2019 by problems of shoddy workmanship by Westchester County's contractor in charge of infrastructure, The Journal News reported.

Conifer Realty's webpage for 54 Hunts Place describes the project as under construction.

The cleanup activities were performed by Chappaqua Station, LLC with oversight provided by the state.

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