Rules committee sends conveyance of former Public School 12 at 164 Ashburton Ave. to budget committee

The Yonkers City Council Rules Committee on Sept. 9 scheduled for budget-committee review a resolution issuing a SEQR termination of significance and a local law authorizing conveyance of city-owned property at 164 Ashburton Avenue, identified in the meeting as the former Public School 12. The local law would authorize conveyance of the property to a buyer identified at the meeting as DAR Holdings LLC. Both items were forwarded to the budget committee for additional review; no final sale or conveyance was approved at the Rules Committee meeting.

Why it matters: Disposition of city-owned property and conveyance to a private buyer can affect neighborhood land use, tax status and municipal capital plans. A SEQR (State Environmental Quality Review) determination is a required step in New York for certain property actions to determine whether further environmental review is necessary.

At the Sept. 9 meeting a staff member read a resolution described as issuing a "termination of significance pursuant to SEQR" for review of the proposed sale of the property and also read a local law authorizing the conveyance to DAR Holdings LLC. The presiding officer confirmed both items would go to the budget committee; no motions or votes on sale terms were taken in Rules Committee.

The budget committee will review the proposed conveyance, SEQR documentation and any accompanying budget transfers before the matter returns to the full council for potential approval.