I am writing to voice my anger and concern about the way that Spot Zoning and Colossal Development has been playing out in Yonkers over the last several years.
I attended a meeting of the Zoning Board of Appeals 2/19/25 in support of neighbors who live on or near Warburton Ave. That neighborhood has had several projects approved by the Planning Dept, Zoning Board and Yonkers City Council (YCC), despite many objections from the residents of the neighborhood. I felt the need to support them after attending last month’s City Council Meeting at which time hearings about matters in Bronxville, Ludlow Park and Warburton Ave were held. It became apparent to me that the Bronxville and Ludlow Park neighborhoods were treated differently than was the Warburton Ave neighborhood.
Different Neighborhoods/Different Treatment
The Ludlow Park and Bronxville neighborhoods in Yonkers had been able to meet with their city reps, who then supported their efforts and questions about zoning and development. However, the Warburton Ave residents had not been able to meet with their representatives, despite many attempts. YCC members were not listening to them or advocating for their constituents’ viewpoints to be heard and incorporated into development plans. Why so different? I can only speak about my Ludlow Park experience, where the YCC President and our YCC reps took walks through the area of the proposed development project at 501 Hawthorne Ave. In Ludlow Park, we have managed, via our YCC reps, to get the National Resource group to listen to our concerns and have arranged to have a Community Meeting for March 5th. It is here that a dialogue with residents can occur after presentations are made. The Warburton Ave residents have never been afforded this process, to my knowledge, and their neighborhood has been burdened by numerous high-rise developments in the last few years. This is just plain wrong.
Information found Lacking
The Zoning Board on 2/19/25, voted for and passed 7-0, a resolution for a variance to build 143-151 & 163 Woodworth Ave & 10 & 14 Lamartine Ave, a 36 story, twin tower monstrosity in a 2-family neighborhood. Zoning Chair Kimball did not choose to read aloud the reasons for allowing this to go through nor the stipulations for the developer to follow. The decision had only been posted on the Zoning Board website the same morning!
Sharp Exchange
When residents, who did not know the reasoning behind this decision for this project and others, expressed their confusion, anger and frustration, and one speaker used the common idiom “that this would blow up in your face,” Chair Kimball retorted, “is that a threat?” I kid you not! Residents are being treated like rude children instead of concerned citizens. The disrespect shown for my neighbors was embarrassing and could easily be construed as racist. Watch this: https://play.champds.com/yonkersny/event/17
Residents of Yonkers who want to preserve their neighborhoods are being steamrolled by the development process. There is a foreboding sense that the outcome is preordained before voters and residents are informed. It appears that our City Officials in Planning and Zoning are following directives to benefit developers, not taxpayers. The frustration level is rising!
I call on all our elected officials at each level of government to pay attention to this development hijacking in Yonkers. It resembles the steamrolling of our democratic Government in Washington! It will ultimately hurt all of us. Our Yonkers City Officials seem to be doing the bidding of autocratic developers. They are ignoring the pleas of Yonkers residents who want to have a voice in how their neighborhoods look and feel.
This has got to stop!
Eileen O’Connor
Ludlow Park, Yonkers
