Will the retaining wall at 25 South Riverside hold back an eroding cliff? The jury is still out.

The developer, contractor, and village officials say there is no problem. But others—including neighbors and a highly experienced engineer consulted by the Chronicle--aren’t so sure.

Will this retaining wall, under construction, hold up? / Photo: Michael Balter

Jura Mohen and her husband, Girard Mohen, have lived in the yellow house at the end of Van Wyck Street for the past 44 years. Village archives suggest the house is more than 120 years old. They started off as renters, and then bought the place in 1982. The house is not only at the end of the street, but also at the edge of a cliff overlooking South Riverside Avenue and the Hudson River beyond.

The Mohens have always been worried about the stability of that cliff. Soon after they bought the house, torrential rains caused erosion and slippage, and every time it rains it seems there is a bit more erosion. In 1983, when the old Croton hardware store was being built on the lot below, the Mohens had an expert from the Army Corps of Engineers come out to take a look.

“He was astonished that the village had approved it,” Jura told the Chronicle during a recent visit.

Nevertheless, they have hung onto the house they love. In the summer, their outdoor deck is their dining room, and Jura would string a hammock between two pine trees at the edge of the cliff and lounge in it contentedly.

Until now, that is.