Two supposedly “buildable” village-owned lots turn out not to be so buildable after all.

Officials discussed developing small parcels on Whelan and Radnor with the Croton Housing Network and local builders. The village is now negotiating with a resident who wants to buy the Whelan lot.

119 Radnor Avenue (left) and 60 Whelan Avenue (right)

At the Croton-on-Hudson Board of Trustees meeting of April 10, 2023, at approximately the 1 hour 16 minute mark, Village Manager Bryan Healy read out a proposed resolution to accept a gift from the town of Cortlandt of a property at 60 Whelan Avenue in the village. The property, which consists of a small patch of land fronting on the street and a portion of a steep ravine behind it, was acquired by Cortlandt through foreclosure when a former owner failed to pay their taxes.

Healy explained that the town had given the property to the village with the idea that veteran housing would be constructed on it. Mayor Brian Pugh commented that the idea of building a home for a veteran had also been considered at the village-owned lot at 119 Radnor Avenue, across from the Bethel Cemetery (at the so-called Five Corners intersection), which the village has owned since 1959.

But Pugh said that he preferred to expand the preference categories to include perhaps a first responder, adding that the village was “looking for partners to develop both sites.”

In the discussion, both Pugh and Healy referred to the parcels as “buildable lots.” Pugh said that while they were not large enough for multi-family housing, they could be developed using PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) tax breaks into single family homes for private ownership. Pugh also said it was likely that builders interested in developing the lots would partner with the Tarrytown-based Housing Action Council to do so. (The HAC recently ran the lottery to pick residents for Maple Commons.)

The Board then voted to accept the gift from Cortlandt and went on to the next agenda item. At the end of the week, The Gazette published a letter by Mayor Pugh announcing the decision. Pugh commented that “Not only would this redevelopment provide needed housing for individuals that serve our country and community, it would also return both parcels to the property tax rolls. In short, it would be a true win-win for the community.”

Today, about 20 months later, it is unlikely that houses will be built on either the Whelan Avenue or Radnor Avenue lots. As far as we know, village leaders have done nothing to inform Crotonites about this, nor have they been at all transparent about the long process that led to this likely conclusion. But from a combination of New York Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests and discussions with knowledgeable sources, the Chronicle is able to tell the story for what we believe is the first time.