Burden Property

Route 128 near its intersection with Route 117, New Castle, Westchester County, New York

97 acres

The Burden property comprises four lots on the eastern side of Route 128, north of Sheather Road near the Mount Kisco border. 

6/02/04.  Drove around and around the area but could not find it. (Patrick L. Cooney)

History:

Community Housing Innovations Inc. of White Plains told New Castle town officials they are no longer seeking approvals to develop part of the 105-acre Burden property on Route 128, near its intersection with Route 117. Community Housing and Mountco Construction and Development Corp. of Scarsdale had proposed transforming 15 acres of the site into "Green Ridge," which would have consisted of 100 town homes, 25 of which included a one-bedroom apartment.

Alexander H. Roberts, executive director of Community Housing, said his group is no longer in contract to purchase the Burden property from the estate of William Armistead Moale Burden (1906-1984), an aviation finance consultant whose public service included a stint as U.S. ambassador to Belgium between 1959 and 1961.

Roberts said Green Ridge was doomed by the refusal of Mount Kisco’s board of trustees to approve extending its sewer system into the project site.

Green Ridge was opposed by a group representing neighboring residents, the Rolling Fields Homeowners Association. The group said it opposed Green Ridge because of the neighborhood’s 1- and 2-acre zoning.

Community Housing originally pursued the project with Wilder Balter Partners L.L.C. of Elmsford, whose development track record includes nine Westchester projects. Wilder Balter withdrew during the summer, saying it was too busy with its current projects to continue pursuing Green Ridge.

The town board will use $1.5 million of the $2 million open-space preservation bond passed by voters last year toward the purchase of the Burden Property off Route 128.

Source: PATRICK GORMAN, THE PATENT TRADER (Original publication: April 10, 2003)

Westchester County Business Journal: http://www.westchestercountybusinessjournal.com/articles/extra_news3.asp; December 16, 2002, "Affordable housing in Chappaqua? No." Alex Philippidis

NEW CASTLE — The town has entered into a $2.5 million contract to buy the 112-acre Burden property off Route 128, where developers had proposed 125 affordable housing units last year.