[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 187 (Wednesday, September 28, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56734-56735]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-19297]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-4912-N-15]


Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
for the Ashburton Avenue Urban Renewal Plan and Master Plan, Yonkers, 
Westchester County, NY

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Housing and Urban Development gives notice 
to the public, agencies, and Indian tribes of the availability of the 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for review and comment for: 
(1) The Ashburton Avenue Urban Renewal Plan and Ashburton Avenue Master 
Plan and (2) the Mulford Gardens HOPE VI Revitalization Plan in the 
City of Yonkers, Westchester County, New York. The Draft EIS was 
prepared by the City of Yonkers, NY acting under its authority as the 
Responsible Entity for compliance with the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) in accordance with 24 CFR 58.4. The Draft EIS 
has been prepared to satisfy the requirements of both NEPA and the New 
York State Environmental Quality Review Act of 1978, as amended (6 
NYCRR part 617). The EIS and NEPA process will also be used to address 
historic preservation and cultural resource issues under Section 106 of 
the National Historic Preservation Act, 16 U.S.C. 470f. This notice is 
given in accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality 
regulations at 40 CFR parts 1500-1508.
    The Draft EIS analyzes two interrelated actions: (1) The Ashburton 
Avenue Master Plan and Urban Renewal Plan and (2) the Mulford Gardens 
HOPE VI Revitalization Plan. The analysis of the Ashburton Avenue 
Master Plan and Urban Renewal Plan consists of a broad or generic 
discussion of the potential impacts resulting from the adoption of the 
two broad planning documents. The analysis of the Mulford Gardens HOPE 
VI Revitalization Plan, which is geographically contained within the 
Master Plan and Urban Renewal Area, is a site-specific analysis. Due to 
the timing of these two actions, both the generic Draft EIS for the 
Master Plan and Urban Renewal Plan and the site-specific EIS for the 
HOPE VI Revitalization Plan are contained in this one document. Each of 
the chapters in the document contains discussion and analysis for both 
the generic Master Plan and Urban Renewal Plan and the site-specific 
HOPE VI Revitalization Plan.

DATES: Written comments on the Draft EIS will be accepted for a period 
of 45 days, beginning on Monday, October 3, 2005 and ending at 5 p.m. 
on Wednesday, November 16, 2005. Written comments may be sent by mail 
or facsimile to the address listed below under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT. Oral comments are welcome at a public hearing that will be 
held on October 20, 2005. The location and time of the public hearing 
will be published in local Yonkers newspapers on October 4, 2005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Copies of the Draft EIS and Executive 
Summary are available upon request to the Lead Agency, care of Stephen 
Whetstone, Commissioner of Planning and Development, City of Yonkers, 
87 Nepperhan Avenue, Suite 312, Yonkers NY 10701-3874. Telephone: (914) 
377-6565. Fax: (914) 377-6672. Web site: 
[email protected]. Copies are also available for review 
at the Yonkers Riverfront Library, 1 Larkin Center, Yonkers, NY 10701.
    Need for the EIS: The City of Yonkers has determined that the 
Proposed Action constitutes an action which has the potential to affect 
the quality of the human environment in terms of socioeconomics, 
housing and improvements to the existing transportation system. 
Therefore the City, as Lead Agency, has prepared an EIS to examine the 
potential impacts of implementing the components of the Master Plan and 
Urban Renewal Plan. Since it is anticipated that transportation 
improvements and new residential construction will be at least in part 
funded with federal monies, the City has prepared the EIS in accordance 
with NEPA. Additionally, 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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 18, 2005 (70 FR 20160), the Federal 
Register published the Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS. The Draft 
EIS evaluates the potential impacts of the Proposed Action which 
consists of the preparation of an Urban Renewal Plan and Master Plan 
for approximately 44-acres in downtown Yonkers, Westchester County, NY, 
and the redevelopment of the Mulford Gardens public housing complex and 
eight sites on nearby blocks financed, in part, by a HOPE VI grant to 
the Municipal Housing Authority for the City of Yonkers. Associated 
actions include condemnation and conveyance of real property; expansion 
of the Ashburton Avenue right-of-way and street demapping actions as 
applicable; amendments to the City Zoning Code and zoning map; 
applications for site plan and subdivision approvals; and potential 
applications by the City for State and/or Federal funding to accomplish 
any of the foregoing.
    The Urban Renewal Area (URA) is located on the west side of 
Yonkers, north of the downtown and west of the Saw Mill River Parkway. 
The area encompasses approximately 600 parcels along and near Ashburton 
Avenue, between Warburton Avenue and Yonkers Avenue. The area was 
selected by the City as a potential URA to tie into the redevelopment 
of Mulford Gardens, the City's oldest public housing complex, which is 
located on 12 acres within the boundaries of the proposed URA. Due to 
its age and substandard housing condition of its 552 units, Mulford 
Gardens is slated for demolition. The City's Municipal Housing 
Authority was awarded a HOPE VI grant to demolish and reconstruct 
housing on and around the existing Mulford Gardens site. Proposed HOPE 
VI residential development will occur on the existing 12-acre Mulford 
Gardens site, with additional residential, community facility and 
retail development to occur on eight surrounding sites within the 
Ashburton Avenue URA.

[[Page 56735]]

    The Urban Renewal Plan will be used as a revitalization strategy to 
improve the residential character of the area, expand business 
opportunities and improve the transportation network. The Master Plan 
for the URA will include: the provision of a range of housing 
opportunities; mixed use development along Ashburton Avenue; and 
transportation improvements, including street widenings along Ashburton 
Avenue to improve east-west access between the Saw Mill River Parkway 
and the Downtown Waterfront District, allow on-street parking, reduce 
traffic congestion and allow for an upgraded sidewalk and streetscape 
plan.
    The Draft EIS analyzes three alternatives to the proposed action 
for revitalizing the Ashburton Avenue area and improving the 
transportation network: (1) A no action alternative, i.e., the 
Ashburton Avenue right-of-way is not widened and Mulford Gardens is not 
redeveloped under the HOPE VI program, (2) the Ashburton Avenue right-
of-way is not widened along all segments of the roadway, and (3) the 
Mulford Gardens/HOPE VI revitalization plan is reduced/modified in 
scale.
    Questions may be directed to the individual named above under the 
heading FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

    Dated: September 19, 2005.
Pamela H. Patenaude,
Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development.
[FR Doc. 05-19297 Filed 9-27-05; 8:45 am]
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