Our Work in Sleepy Hollow

UPDATE:

View a photo gallery of the Sleepy Hollow Bathhouse prior to its renovation More...

UPDATE: December 2007

GM announces search for new developer for Lighthouse Landing More...

UPDATE: July 2007

Village of Sleepy Hollow approves Lighthouse Landing findings statement More...

Introduction

For nearly a decade, Scenic Hudson has been helping village officials and residents of Sleepy Hollow create a vision for developing for the historic 97-acre site of the former General Motors plant – the largest undeveloped waterfront parcel in the lower Hudson River Valley.

In 2001 Roseland Property Co. of New Jersey was named developer of the site. Its plans for the project, dubbed Lighthouse Landing, incorporated about 80 percent of the recommendations generated from community discussions initiated by Scenic Hudson -- including a mix of housing and retail, a waterfront park that all can enjoy and a 200-foot buffer between the development and adjacent Kingsland Point Park.

public enjoying the Hudson waterfrontPeople from all over Westchester enjoy the Hudson waterfront.

Remaining Concerns about Lighthouse Landing

We’ve made tremendous progress. Still, several crucial issues remain unresolved. Click on these ongoing concerns voiced by residents, then read about possible solutions.

  1. Too much traffic.
  2. Too crowded.
  3. Buildings don’t blend with village’s existing architecture.
  4. Site contamination not fully explored.
  5. Roseland about to submit its fourth set of plans

    “Those of us living on the east side of the Hudson need to be thinking of 100 years from now—what can we be doing for our grandchildren?” —Nicholas Robinson, Sleepy Hollow Planning Board

    Since 2001 Roseland has presented three revised plans for Lighthouse Landing. The village has rejected each for not adequately reflecting the concerns of residents and local officials. Some time this fall the developer will submit a fourth Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), which will contain the latest plans for the site. Public hearings on the FEIS are expected in the fall.

    Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity should not be squandered

    lighthouseKingsland Point LighthouseAnyone who stands by the river at the Lighthouse Landing site, taking in the panoramic view that spans the Palisades down to the Manhattan skyline, can envision the possibilities. Sleepy Hollow has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a very special place – for residents of the new development, the village and the entire Hudson Valley. It would be a terrible misstep not to get this right.

    Will GM make good on environmental commitment?

    “GM’s practice is to return surplus properties and sites to productive use. The main focus is to ensure suitable redevelopment in relation to the site’s location and to restore and promote wildlife and biodiversity,” notes GM's Web site. It continues: “A key element of the [Sleepy Hollow] project -- the design of the open space at the development -- is being performed jointly with the village of Sleepy Hollow.”

  • Sleepy Hollow Bathhouse Restoration

    As we prepare for the restoration of the historic Kingsland Point Bathhouse in Sleepy Hollow, we thought we'd share some recent photos of the bathhouse in its current condtion. Click here to launch the slideshow.

    Excitement about this renovating the historic bathhouse has been building throughout 2009.

    When completed, the Kathryn Davis RiverWalk Center not only would provide kayak rentals and be home to a community sailing club, it also would offer classroom space where schoolchildren could conduct firsthand field studies on a nearby park beach. The building also features a rooftop pavilion perfect for picnicking and community gatherings. More information about the bathhouse project is available in this May 20 Journal News op ed and May 17 New York Times article.

    In May 2008, Scenic Hudson announced that the first phase in the restoration of the Kathryn W. Davis Bathhouse at Kingsland Point Park will be performed by Jan Hird Pokorny Associates, a New York City architecture firm. The project -- a partnership among Scenic Hudson, the Westchester County Parks Department, and The Friends of Westchester County Parks -- will focus on a thorough assessment of the historic bathhouse and preliminary designs for transforming it into a center of activity in the park with features that could include an outdoor café, kayak rentals and changing rooms.