Don't Believe The Hype

All of The Jefferson’s public relations emphasize the “proximity” of the site to highways and parkways like Interstate 87 and the Saw Mill River Parkway. There is a reason for this. JPI is trying to sell the idea of “proximity” and avoiding the word “density.” Densification of land is, of course, what multi-family rental apartment buildings like The Jefferson (where the units themselves are quite small) are about. There is nothing wrong with this concept if it is done in the right place and in the right way. Here it is being in a way that guarantees more noise and more congestion.

Although current land use planning seeks to emphasize mixed uses of land with varying types of housing choices, what is being proposed  here is a single use project of vertical sprawl in an area where the infrastructure is entirely inadequate and soon to be overwhelmed by Rivertowns Square and The Lofts.

The developer is also saying its project can be considered “bicycle oriented” because it will be near the South County Trail. Again- there is the marketing  - proximity to a bike trail.

But when we look at the details of their bike to work hoopla (JPI apparently never reading the signs on the South County Trial that it closes at dusk) or that riders must wear helmets (see the stock footage on their website showing two Jeffersonistas on their bikes without helmets below)  we see that JPI is  making no material investment in the bike trail it seeks to exploit. 

If JPI were truly interested in helping our community they would have worked closely with various local organizations like the Saw Mill River Coalition or Friends of the Westchester County Parks to determine and implement the improvements needed to turn the neglected and lackluster South County Trail into a great public facility.  They might have even contributed funds to jumpstart the County's stalled plan to join the South County Trail with the North County Trail (there is a half mile gap in Elmsford where the trail meets Route 119 near Pete's Tavern).  

Instead, they focussed their efforts on creating slick traffic videos and glossy websites that promote “proximity.”