Even if developer Tony Errico sells the parcel known as 226 Fordham Street, the property will not sprout more than 43 residential units.
On Tuesday, June 9, at a Community Board 10 Housing/Zoning Committee meeting, Errico promised to include a 43-unit cap in the 226 Fordham Street deed. In return, The CB10 Housing/Zoning Committee voted unanimously to approve a rezone of the property. CB10 will issue its final recommendation on Thursday, June 18.
The 43-unit cap persuaded the committee to support Errico, committee chair Pete Sullivan said. Sullivan and other committee members were concerned that Errico would sell the property to another developer. Errico wants to rezone the property R3A; however, R3A would allow up to 76 residential units. On Tuesday, June 2, neighbors packed the City Island Library to vet the development. City Island Estates – also known as On the Sound at City Island – is a planned 5.4-acre condo community.
Errico acquired 226 Fordham Street, formerly International Underwater Contractors, in 2001. His current plan calls for 22 buildings. In order to build, Errico must secure a special height permit and a rezone. The property is zoned for light manufacturing. Errico wants to build five houses at the City Island height limit. He wants to build 17 houses beyond the limit. The shorter houses will face Fordham Place.
At the June 2 public hearing, neighbors asked about parking and garbage collection. Errico brought a handful of concessions to the table on June 9. He will offer condo residents 86 on-site parking spots – the maximum allowed and 14 more than before. Most of the spots will be in front-to-back two-car garages. Condo residents will be able to park on the private development street network, lawyer Melanie Meyers said.
According to Meyers, work on the development will widen Fordham Place, adding ten new parking spots. A private carter will collect the condo garbage from one of two potential sites. The current plan has the houses staggered; Errico is willing to build the houses in a straight line to maximize existing views from Fordham Place. Errico is not willing to reduce the height of the 17 houses not on Fordham Place. The extra height nets each house an additional 800 square feet. The units will start at $750,000, Meyers said. The CB10 committee voted 4-3 to approve the special height permit.
One topic of concern was a sale ad for the property. Last month, broker Massey Knakal listed 226 Fordham Place for $8 million. On June 9, Errico apologized for the “over-aggressive” ad. He engaged Massey Knakal in an attempt to attract a national builder. Lawyer Stanley Schlein promised to admonish Massey Knakal; the property was still listed online on Monday, June 15.
CB10 committee member Virginia Gallagher suggested Errico build a retirement community instead. A number of committee members questioned whether the development’s waterfront promenade, open to the public as required by the state Department of Environmental Conservation, might deter condo buyers. Only eight feet separate the planned promenade pavilion from one of the houses. Errico has developed a number of condo communities in New Jersey. City Island Estates is his first New York venture.
