Croton-on-Hudson Earns Planning Award For Affordable Housing

CROTON-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. — A Westchester village's commitment to affordable housing has earned recognition from experts.

The Village of Croton-on-Hudson received a Planning Achievement Award from the Westchester Municipal Planning Federation recently during their 50th Annual Awards Program. The award was given to the village in recognition of the Maple Commons affordable housing development.

Maple Commons, which received funding from the NYS Division of Homes & Community Renewal and Westchester County, began construction last year. The development features 33 affordable residential rental apartments, a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units, across two buildings targeting a wide range of incomes. A housing lottery for applicants was held last month with move-in expected to begin this month.

The design of Maple Commons supports an improved walkable and livable neighborhood, which will establish connections to nearby shopping and green space. The site is located across the street from the Van Wyck shopping center and is served by the Number 10 & 14 routes of the Beeline bus.

Maple Commons will have a new pocket park on the southern side of the property for community and residential use, with tiered floral landscaping, park benches, and a stone walkway. A playground will also be available on the property for use by families living at Maple Commons.

"I thank the Westchester Municipal Planning Federation for its recognition of Croton-on Hudson’s housing progress. Maple Commons is the first new affordable housing in the Village since 2009 — I believe it is the first of a new cohort of affordable quality homes in our community," Mayor Brian Pugh said. "I am especially encouraged that Maple Commons was not the only affordable housing to receive a WMPF award this year. Croton-on-Hudson is part of a movement of municipalities taking on the housing shortage."

The Croton-on-Hudson Village Board began the process of selling the village-owned parcel on Maple Street (formerly known as the Katz Property and 41-51 Maple Street) after updating the zoning for the Municipal Place Gateway. Following a Request for Proposals (RFP), the Regan Development Corporation was selected as the designated developer. The village sold the parcel to Regan for $2 million.

"My decades of involvement with the housing issue have taught me how incredibly complex and time consuming it is to build anything," Nance Shatzkin, President of the Croton Housing Network, said. "The Croton Housing Network is pleased and proud of its partnership in Maple Commons. For the extraordinary effort of so many to be recognized with this Planning Achievement Award is like icing on the cake. My heartfelt thank you to the Mayor and Board of Trustees for enabling this fantastic achievement."