[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 106 (Tuesday, June 3, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33178-33179]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-13743]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-4491-N-11]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Ridge Hill Village Center Development Project in the City of 
Yonkers, NY

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and 
Development, HUD.

NOTICE:  Notice of intent.
SUMMARY: In accordance with Section 102(2)(C) of the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and implementing regulations of the 
Council on Environmental Quality (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), the City of 
Yonkers, New York, acting by Lee J. Ellman, AICP, its Planning 
Director, has identified a need to prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) and therefore issue this Notice of Intent in accordance 
with the provisions and requirements of 40 CFR 1501.7. The EIS will 
evaluate the impacts of the Proposed Action which consists of the 
development of 1 Ridge Hill (the Property), an approximately 81.4-acre 
parcel of real property located to the east of the New York State 
Thruway (I-87), west of Sprain Brook Parkway, and immediately south of 
Sprain Ridge Park, in the City of Yonkers.
    The EIS will be prepared as a joint NEPA and New York State 
Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) document intended to satisfy 
the requirements of both federal and state environmental statutes. In 
accordance with specific statutory authority and HUD's regulations 
under 24 CFR part 58 (Environmental Review Procedures for Entities 
Assuming HUD Environmental Responsibilities), HUD has authorized the 
City of Yonkers, New York to assume authority as the NEPA Responsible 
Entity. The City Council of the City of Yonkers is the SEQRA Lead 
Agency. Federal agencies with jurisdiction by law, special expertise, 
or other special interest should report their interests and indicate 
their willingness to participate in the EIS process as a Cooperating 
Agency. The EIS will cover the following areas: Land use and zoning; 
topography, soils and geology; vegetation, wildlife and wetlands; 
surface water resources; utilities; traffic and parking; noise; air 
quality; and visual/aesthetics/neighborhood character, and others.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For a copy of the Scoping Document 
contact: Lee J. Ellman, AICP, Planning Director, City of Yonkers, 
Department of Planning and Development, 87 Nepperhan Avenue, Yonkers, 
NY 10701-3874. Telephone: (914) 377-6558. E-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Proposed Action consists of amendments 
to the Yonkers Zoning Ordinance, site plan approval from the Yonkers 
Planning Board, and related permits and approvals, to permit the 
development, construction, and use, of the Ridge Hill Village Center in 
the City of Yonkers, New York. The 81.4-acre Property is currently 
improved with a single office building of 240,000 square feet which is 
partially occupied for general office use; ten smaller buildings 
aggregating 120,000 square feet, which are unoccupied; and 
approximately 1,000 parking spaces. The Property is intended to be 
developed by FC Yonkers Associates, LLC, the project sponsor, as a 
planned, integrated, multi-use development to include retail, 
commercial, multi-family residential and hotel uses along with 
accessory parking.
    The project is currently proposed to include approximately 1.3 
million square feet of retail stores set along a traditional Main 
Street that will include shopping, dining and entertainment; a 350-room 
hotel and 40,000 square foot conference center; up to 800 residential 
units, a portion of which will be developed in accordance with the City 
of Yonkers Affordable Housing Ordinance (Article XV of the City of 
Yonkers Code), and approximately 150,000 square feet of office and 
research facilities. Approximately 5,000 parking spaces will be located 
appropriately throughout the site.
    Vehicular access to the Property is proposed to be provided from 
Exit 6A of the New York State Thruway (I-87) and a new connector to the 
Sprain Brook Parkway to, or in the vicinity of, Tuckahoe Road. The 
project sponsor proposes improvements to Exit 6A, including 
reconstruction of the Bates Bridge, extension of the Thruway southbound 
service road from Stew Leonard Drive to the bridge, closure of the 
existing southbound Thruway entrance ramp at Stew Leonard Drive, and 
construction of a new southbound thruway entrance ramp at the Bates 
Bridge. All of these activities are included in the Proposed Action, 
and will be examined in the EIS.

A. Alternatives

    The alternatives to be considered by the Lead Agency include a no-
action alternative limited to the continued use of the existing, 
partially occupied office building on the Property; the development of 
the Property under existing zoning; alternative site access 
configurations; and alternative offsite highway configurations.

B. Need for the EIS

    Insofar as the Proposed Action includes a residential component, it 
is subject to the Yonkers Affordable Housing Ordinance, Article XV of 
the Code of the City of Yonkers. The Decision of the United States 
District Court in D'Agnillo v. United States Department of Housing and 
Urban Development, 1999 WL 350870 (S.D.N.Y. 1999), requires 
environmental review, under NEPA, of all housing projects which are 
subject to the Affordable Housing Ordinance. The City of Yonkers has 
determined that the Proposed Action constitutes an action which has the 
potential to significantly affect the quality of the human environment 
and therefore requires the preparation of an EIS in accordance with 
NEPA.

C. Scoping

    A public EIS scoping meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on June 10, 
2003, at the Yonkers City Hall, Council Chamber, 40 South Broadway, 
Yonkers, NY 10701. In accordance with the provisions of 40 CFR 
1500.2(c) the scoping meeting will be held jointly with the Yonkers 
City Council, which is acting as Lead Agency with respect to the 
Proposed Action under the New York State Environmental Quality Review 
Act (SEQRA), Article VIII of the New York Environmental Conservation 
Law and the Regulations promulgated pursuant thereto at 6 N.Y.C.R.R. 
Part 617. The public is invited to attend and identify the issues that 
should be addressed in the EIS. The public will have the opportunity to 
comment on the scope of the EIS orally and in writing. A written 
comment period during which additional written comments will be 
accepted by the Lead Agency will be extended through and including June 
25, 2003. A scoping document that explains in greater detail the 
Proposed Action and alternatives identified at this time will be sent 
to known interested parties in advance of the public scoping meeting. 
The scoping document can

[[Page 33179]]

also be viewed at http://www.cityofyonkers.com/.
    Questions may be directed to the individual named in this notice 
under the heading FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

    Dated: May 27 2003.
Roy A. Bernardi,
Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development.
[FR Doc. 03-13743 Filed 6-2-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-29-P