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Continuum Revises Plan For Assisted-Living Project

IRVINGTON, N.Y. – The company proposing an assisted-living facility in Irvington is revising its plan to reduce the size and height of the project so it is a better fit for the neighborhood.

The changes will be part of the final environmental impact statement, which officials say should come before the Irvington Planning Board in September.

“We went back and took a hard look at the plan and the issues that have come up continuously throughout the public hearing process,” said Scott Aaron, Continuum executive vice president. “We decided that it was time to have a new architect take a fresh look at the property and the plan and attempt to create something that mitigated those impacts.”

Continuum wants to build a 120-bed facility at the site of the Foundation for Economic Education on Rt. 9 just south of Main Street. Aaron and architect Richard Behr spoke at Wednesday's Board of Trustees meeting, where they presented an early look at the new concept.

Mayor Brian Smith said Wednesday's presentation was not part of the planning process — but was only meant to informally present the concept to the village board and the public.

“This doesn't change the process at all,” Smith said. “The next step is still drafting and finalizing the FEIS [final environmental impact study] for the Planning Board, who will still be running with that document.”

The Irvington Board of Trustees will need to pass a local zoning law to allow the Continuum project to move forward into the construction phase.

Residents had several concerns with the original proposal, including its overall size and the traffic it would create. The Irvington Volunteer Ambulance Corps voiced concerns with the increase in emergency calls the facility would generate.

Aaron said company officials had revised the plan so that it reduced the mass of buildings so that it stayed within buffer zones for the Broadway corridor and the Old Croton Aqueduct. Officials have also worked with the Fire Department to create a new fire access plan.

The new plan, Behr said, includes moving more parking and loading underground so that it's not visible from the street. The major entrance to the facility would stay the same.

“Basically what we've done is we've attempted to learn about the site and let the site solve itself,” Behr said, noting that the new plan includes keeping some major trees and preserving public views.

More detailed plans will be available when Continuum submits its final environmental impact study, Aaron said.

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