The Missing Puzzle Pieces: Beaveridge/Senior Center/Soundview

The puzzle box has been opened and some pieces appear to be missing. I’m referring to the puzzle of the area between Allan Avenue and Underhill Avenue along Rt. 118 better known as Beaveridge and Soundview.

And since the Yorktown Town Supervisor has presented the puzzle to the Town, I’m asking him to provide the missing pieces.

There are at least six missing pieces.

Missing Piece One – Free?

Piece One went missing on November 10, 2020 when the Supervisor told us that there would be a new Senior Center/Parks & Recreation office built on the Beaveridge property on Allan Avenue. “The challenge has always been, ‘How do you pay for it?’” Slater said, adding that as part of a public-private partnership, Beaveridge would pay for the new center.

The agreement between the Town and Beaveridge states that Beaveridge will pay up to $880,000 for the design and construction of the new 4,000 square foot building. But what is the plan if the cost is more than $880,000? Well, the agreement between the parties executed on November 20, 2020 states that the Town will finance any additional overage.

But that’s not all! The agreement between Town and Beaveridge has two financial exhibits. Exhibit B lists the continued annual PILOT payment (payment in lieu of taxes) Beaveridge will pay for another 35 years if the new Senior Center is not built. Exhibit C lists the PILOT payments for each of the 35 years once the new Senior Center is built.

Exhibit B shows the PILOT payment for year 1 at $135,881, increasing to $250,054 in year 35. But – once the Senior Center is built and Exhibit C goes into effect — the yearly payments are reduced, beginning with only $133,466 in year 1 and ending with just $171,161 in year 35.

If the Senior Center is built, the loss of income to Yorktown over the term of the agreement could be as much as $1,416,098 which is much more than the $880,000 to build.

So, who exactly is paying for the new Senior Center?

Missing Piece Two – Maintenance?

The Yorktown Town website has an announcement entitled, “Yorktown Approves Affordable-Housing Agreement.” That announcement clearly states “Beaveridge will be responsible for all maintenance and repairs at the new Senior Center.”

However, the actual agreement states, “Town tenant shall be responsible for all interior maintenance, cleaning, utilities, etc.”

Missing Piece Three – Parking?

Parking for the new Senior Center and Parks & Recreation offices would be located on the adjacent Soundview property because there is no space for the necessary parking at Beaveridge. I have not found any study determining the required number of parking spaces. Soundview is expected to provide parking but there should be a study stating how much parking is needed.

Another question related to the number of seniors and employees coming and going during the day has to do with whether those vehicles will enter through the Allan Avenue entrance to Beaveridge, or through the Underhill Avenue entrance to Soundview. If through Soundview, has the Soundview traffic study included these trips?

Missing Piece Four - Liability?

With Town employees and seniors parking on the Soundview property, if there is ever an accident of any manner (i.e. a slip on the ice by a senior or by a Town employee, one car hitting another car, etc.) which organization has liability? Will liability rest with the new owner or manager of the Soundview property, the Beaveridge owners, or the Town? To enter into a public-private partnership, a local government has to know the potential magnitude of risk, particularly risks that feel like outliers.

The same liability issue exists for seniors and Town employees in the proposed Senior Center on Beaveridge property. Should there be any accident at the Senior Center or on the walkway to the Senior Center, does Beaveridge have liability, or does the Town which is using the property for Town purposes, or do they have joint liability?

Missing Piece Five – The Nutrition Center?

Will the Nutrition Center located at the Community Center move to the new Senior Center, or will lunch be trucked over? Or, will the seniors wanting lunch have to go back and forth to the Community Center for lunch? If the Nutrition Center moves to the new Beaveridge Senior Center that will create even more traffic.

Puzzle Piece Six – Interconnections?

The sixth puzzle piece is what happens if the current version of the Soundview project does not move forward as planned.

Although Soundview is not a signatory to the Beaveridge agreement, it certainly appears as though they were at least consulted. According to the agreement, ‘The Town and/or the developer of the Soundview property shall be responsible for the siting and the construction costs for all parking, parking lot site-lighting, parking lot paving and parking lot access, including the main vehicular approach/entrance, for the Senior Center Building, all of which shall be located on the Soundview Property ("Building Access and Parking").'

When the Supervisor signed the Beaveridge agreement without an approved parking plan in place, he must have been confident that the current Soundview plan would be approved as is. Why else would he approve, or announce, the Senior Center at Beaveridge, which is dependent on the Soundview project, before the Soundview project is approved? And the Soundview project is dependent on the proposed Overlay District Zoning plan, which has not been approved as of yet either.

It appears as though all these announcements must be out of sequence, unless everything has already been agreed to.

Looking for the missing puzzle pieces? Let’s hope it’s not a Jingo puzzle.

Beaverridge resident

Leslie Hochberg