Update on Manor Inn:
Owners Attain Variances for Subdividing Property
by Judy Silberstein
(
October 30, 2002) The fate of the Manor Inn continues
to be unsettled, though the owners have taken one more
step toward preparing the property for subdivision and
possible demolition of the building. Meanwhile, a local
“Steering Committee” is continuing attempts
to buy and preserve the Inn, and County Legislator George
Latimer reconfirmed support for the committee’s
efforts.
For the past four years, the three sisters who own
the last remaining Larchmont hotel have been attempting
to sell it. They have been thwarted by various roadblocks
including lack of approval from the Village of Larchmont’s
Zoning Board for plans to subdivide their land. The
sisters successfully appealed Larchmont’s decisions
to the New York Supreme Court in May, and at October’s
Zoning Board meeting they finally received variances
to divide the property into two separate parcels, pursuant
to the Court order.
The owners can now return to the Planning Commission,
where they have had difficulty with new, detailed procedures
for acquiring a demolition permit. With the Zoning Board’s
variances in hand, they can ask the Planning Commission
for a separate set of approvals needed for developing
the site.
The long road through the approval process has been
wearing on the sisters and their families, but they
have still not abandoned hopes of finding a buyer who
will maintain the Inn. One potential buyer, the Manor
Inn Steering Committee, is continuing efforts to raise
funds to preserve the historic building and to operate
it for independent senior living. The Village Board
is supportive of their efforts, though they have declined
to provide Village funds for the project. (See Board
Support and Steering
Committee.)
Other potential support for preserving the Inn comes
from Westchester County. In a conversation with the
Larchmont Gazette this week, George Latimer reiterated,
“The County has made a commitment for over $1
million to obtain the property. It would be money well-spent
to preserve the historic inn and to provide needed units
for seniors. The County has made its best possible offer;
it's out of our hands and up to the owners and the local
Steering Committee.”
“We've always wanted to have the Manor Inn remain,”
reminded owner Chrissy Bolton. “It's obvious that
the community is not willing to spend their own money.
They've had a year to buy the Inn. At this point we
have better offers on the table than the preservationists’
one.” She added, "Whichever option comes
through first is the way we're going to go.”
Send
this page to a friend
Discuss this topic in our forums,
or send a letter
to the editors.
| 