Remarks of Greg Varian to the New Rochelle City Council on the Iona Dorm Proposal

Written By: Robert Cox

GregVarian.jpgGreg Varian…..35 Sidney Street.

Good Evening- Mayor – Members of Council

I’m here tonight to speak about Iona’s dorm proposal. When I last spoke to Council on January 12th – before your vote to amend the zoning for this part of North Avenue—Zoning that rejects the possibility of 10 story buildings and encourages mixed use development—-retail below—-housing/office above, I expressed my dismay that Iona would be proposing a new dormitory on it’s already densely developed CR-1 zoned parcel fronting on North Avenue which contradicts the very height and density restrictions being imposed on every other property owner. I pleaded with you to explore any and all options whereby the needs of Iona and those of our city could be addressed together for the mutual benefit of us all.

Iona’s latest dorm proposal is wrong for so many reasons.

Good Zoning is based on good planning. And Iona’s dorm proposal contradicts everything we’ve learned over 25 years of studies, comprehensive plans and common sense experience as to what it will take to make this dysfunctional section of North Avenue…..functional…And that is low rise and mixed-use along North Avenue, not single use high rise abutting single family residential neighborhoods.

The Courts have held that when zoning is amended to benefit one property owner to the detriment of surrounding properties – it’s illegal – it’s called spot zoning.

Iona is the only property owner in the city of New Rochelle with their own zoning district-the CR-1 (College related district), carved out of the commercial zone governing the rest of North Avenue in order to accommodate the college after it’s purchase of the Mayflower school……and Iona has now sought to amend their zoning, the zoning that governs only this parcel – this spot – 4 times- to accommodate 1st one 10 story dorm…..and then, a 5-story dorm proposal on Summit…and then, two 14 story dorms, subsequently reduced to the two 6 story dorms constructed along North Avenue in 2003.

Under the CR-1 zone, you as City Council have complete discretion to approve or deny Iona’s petition to amend their zoning….your sole criteria being…..is this good planning……..and think about it, if the applicant had included all of these other dormitories when they sought to create the CR-1 zoned district, when they proposed Loftus, would you or any other Council seriously consider what is now before you?

This Thursday you begin the scoping process to determine the extent of the environmental studies the college must undertake in connection with this dorm proposal….So, we will spend a year learning about just how bad this proposal really is…..the strain on essential services….the irreparable damage it will cause to Iona’s residential neighbors….and then another year or two in litigation……but we will all lose because of the lost opportunity of not addressing the college’s housing needs in a way that improves North Avenue while stabilizing the abutting residential neighborhoods……think about it…..the only bright spot in this depressed housing market is “student housing”. Iona can be the engine for revitalization….retail below with housing or offices above…..on the tax rolls………..Together over the next 2 years we can either find a solution that benefits us all, or fight, and it is your leadership that will determine the outcome.