The Riverdale Nature Preservancy
Local Development
Hebrew Home Updates
December 1, 2025 CB8 Land Use Meeting
​Special Permit Renewal Application: Hebrew Home - Special Permit Second Renewal
Renewal of a prior CPC approval: a ZS pursuant to ZR 74-901 to allow the development of a long-term care facility in an R1-1 district.
HIGHLIGHTS OF MEETING MINUTES: James Powers presented on seeking a second permit renewal as originally approved by the Land Use Committee to allow for a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) at Hebrew Home Campus. There are no changes to the site plan on this second renewal from the first modified renewal of the Site Plan presented on September 11, 2024 that was approved by the Land Use committee and Regular Board in September 2024. Special Permit has a ten-year term. They have until November 2028 to start the foundation work in phase one under the renewal. CEO David Pomeranz said the construction will begin in early February with a 36-month construction schedule. Will resume quarterly construction meetings consisting of community members. Will try to minimize impact for community at large second permit renewal as originally approved by the Land Use Committee to allow for a continuing care retirement
​community (CCRC) at Hebrew Home Campus. There are no changes to the site plan on this second renewal from the firstmodified renewal of the Site Plan presented on September 11, 2024 that was approved by the Land Use committee and Regular Board in September 2024. Special Permit has a ten-year term. They have until November 2028 to start the foundation work in phase one under the renewal. CEO David Pomeranz said the construction will begin in early February with a 36-monthconstruction schedule.Will resume quarterly construction meetings consisting of community members. Will try to minimize impact for community at large
Committee Concerns and Comments:
• Do you have the staging plan for construction – they will follow up as it is still being formulated.
• Mansion is still there that board was hoping to preserve for historic purposes - It remains as it is.
• 167 of the trees will be removed, this is 20% of all trees on site can you reconsider if this is absolutely necessary? Can you preserve more of them? - They will replace with 239 new trees which are in their landscape plan previously approved. Chair asked them to send details on why they are taking them down and to re-evaluate if they all have to go,give plan on what the replacement and timeline will be for replacement.
• Will you have public access to the river when/if a Greenway is built? – Yes, it is still part of the agreement (MOU) made in the past.
• Does DEP require a Storm Water prevention Plan (SWPP)? - SWPP submitted, reviewed and approved.
• Reducing from 607 to 384 nursing beds due lack of adequate financial support from the State and Government. Medicaid reimbursement is inadequate and an economic burden. Can ask Health Committee to look into this and help deal with these economic issues.
• Are they aware of the project on West 254th Street occurring while their project is happening? The West 254 th Street Safety Plan will impact traffic here and by the Hebrew Home. - Will work with T&T Committee, DOT/DDC to minimize impact as much as can.
• November 6, 2025 they were approved to start construction.
Schervier Construction
HIGHLIGHTS OF MEETING MINUTES: Schervier, Bon Secours is doing construction on their site which concerns SNAD.
Visible back hoes, construction equipment and work on grounds, digging on the slope and there is no information on this. Committee will invite them, DCP and DOB to the January meeting to discuss what they are doing. DOB is investigating this now.
-
Will ask board for authorization to file formal complaint.
-
DOB has a stop work order from 2023 that they are not supposed to be doing work on the vegetation. Rumored they are trying to address a water issue with water flowing into neighboring driveway and garage. No permits filed for this can be found.
-
Chair raised the issue on effort to do zoning lot mergers on single family homes to allow for high rise buildings in backyard of single family homes. Asked office of CM Dinowitz and all 3 of our City Council members to reintroduce legislation in the event of any zoning merger applications, the Community Board and City Council are given 60 day’s notice in advance. Proposed making sure to do a tax assessment and give increase in these cases.
Parks Updates
December 11, 2025 CB8 Parks & Recreation Meeting ​​
HIGHLIGHTS OF MEETING MINUTES
Deteriorated Conditions at Seton Park Dog Run
The Community Board 8 office has been receiving complaints regarding the Seton Park Dog run
including poor drainage, leaves blown against the fence, poor fence conditions, rats and holes. The
Board office is working to address the immediate maintenance issues. A dog run group is needed for Seton Park Dog Run before the committee can recommend capital improvements. Please contact the Community Board 8 office if you would like to be involved in organizing such a group.
​
DISCUSSION: NYC Department of Parks & Recreation Planting Team: Tree Plantings in Kingsbridge Heights-Van Cortlandt Village, Van Cortlandt Park
Gabriella D’Erasmo with New York City Parks presented on the Comprehensive Neighborhood
Tree Planting Program. The Parks Department now replaces trees based on neighborhood on a
nine-year cycle... Click the links below for more information on the project.​
Conditions at the Van Cortlandt Park Stadium Track Soccer Field
The Riverdale Soccer Club presented photos of the unsafe condition of the soccer field at Van Cortlandt Stadium where they play. There are large holes on the field and the artificial turf is torn and completely worn away in large sections especially in front of the goal areas where children are most likely to come in contact with it. Referees have begun cancelling matches because it is too dangerous to play. This soccer field was allocated budget in January, 2023 for a State of Good Repair project which would remove all of the existing artificial turf, regrade the field and replace all of the turf with new artificial turf. The SGR repair has been delayed and is now scheduled for calendar year 2027. The Riverdale Soccer Club is requesting to have stopgap repairs as soon as possible and ideally to have the full replacement occur over the summer of 2026 instead of 2027. Bronx Borough Commissioner Jessenia Aponte and her staff visited the site this week and are investigating short term repairs, however, large swaths of turf will need to be replaced to address the most severe damage.
​
The committee expressed concern that the SGR replacement work has not been completed yet since it was planned for 2024. The committee is also concerned that replacing large swaths of turf in 2026 temporarily will waste time and money when the full replacement is planned to take place in 2027 and that these temporary measures will create a field where new turf and old turf are side by side at different heights due to the deterioration of the underlayment of the old turf. The committee resolved to send a letter to the Parks Department demanding the full replacement of the turf immediately.
West 254th Street Construction
A community meeting was held at Riverdale Country School on December 12, 2025. Click the buttons below to view informative documents from the meeting. As additional information becomes available, we will share it here.
​
Meeting Info:
The City of New York, through the Department of Design and Construction (DDC), intends to acquire specific street areas, shown on the accompanying map below, to support the reconstruction of roadways, sidewalks, curbs, sewers, and water mains. The proposed acquisitions are limited to properties located within the existing street right-of-way (ROW). The project area also includes a City-owned segment of W. 254th Street.
DDC will provide an overview of the project, including its location, purpose, scope, anticipated construction impacts, and the process for acquiring the necessary street areas. Following the presentation, DDC representatives will be available to answer general questions and address community concerns related to the project and the City’s use of eminent domain for acquiring street ROW.
Long Term Planning
Greater Greenways Long-Term Expansion Plan Survey
NYC Economic Development Corporation, in partnership with NYC DOT and NYC Parks, is working to enhance and expand the greenway network and provide high-quality, continuous biking and walking facilities for New Yorkers in all five boroughs.
​
To find more information, please visit the project website: https://edc.nyc/citywide-greenways
​
This initiative is just getting underway, and we are seeking community input from a diverse set of New Yorkers. Sharing your thoughts in the 5 minute survey below will help us understand how these spaces are used and will shape the future of greenways in New York City.
Upcoming Events
Welcome to the Undercroft
​
January 11, 2026 @ 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm FREE
Kingsbridge Historical Society
DATE AND TIME SUBJECT TO CHANGE DUE TO CONSTRUCTION- STAY TUNED
Come to Edgehill, ​2570 Independence Ave, for a look at the newly refurbished “undercroft” or cellar. Selected treasures from the collection of the Kingsbridge Historical will be on display.
Pollinator Pathway NYC
Pollinators are critical for maintaining local ecology. Most bees have a range of about 750 meters. If there is a break in inviting habitat larger than the polliators' comfortable range, their ability to move about and do their important work is threatened. Pollinator Pathways are initiatives to engage with the local community to create an intentional pathway for pollinators ensuring their free motion to, and through, our area. With enough participation, communities will ensure that a hospitable path for pollinators exists throughout the western hemisphere.
From CALL
CALL has been involved in our local community, including participation in the Riverdale Y Sunday Market and supporting the Daylighting of Tibbetts Brook.
​
Learn more about their work and how you can support them below!
Photo Credit: https://www.cityaslivinglab.org
National Endowment for the Arts Grants Revoked
We are writing again with disheartening news. On May 2nd, CALL was informed that two National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grants are being terminated and withdrawn, making an immediate loss of $30,000. This is on top of what was cut from our National Science Foundation grant. You may have received reports from other arts organizations. The spontaneous database of REVOKED NEA FUNDING has calculated over $25M in lost support.
Since 2015, CALL has been working in the NW Bronx, to support community efforts by local activists to daylight Tibbetts Brook through artistic and community-based practices. Our Rescuing Tibbetts Brook initiative has been a cornerstone of our mission. Without the NEA grant, we face significant hurdles in maintaining the momentum and impact of our projects.
This capricious cancellation erodes CALL’s capacity to sustain our work, which is slow and is achieved incrementally from the knowledge we gather, the relationships built over time, and the teams that we bring together. Defunding one project undermines all the cumulative work CALL has invested in.
Our newest project in Corona, Queens began two years ago as we visited sites throughout NYC’s boroughs to uncover new perspectives on complex issues and the consequences of flash flooding. Simultaneously we reignited a partnership with urban ecologist, Eric Sanderson and his colleagues at the New York Botanical Garden, to formulate a synergistic approach to confronting these challenges.
After completing an investigative WALK followed by a community WORKSHOP to better grasp the concerns of residents and move toward projects for envisioning new futures, we have recruited a Neighborhood Project Team (NPT) that nominated and helped inform the artist selection process. We are still in the initial formative phases of this project, which will take roughly six months for the artists to interact with the community and the other team members (Sanderson and his colleagues) to formulate their first steps.
CALL’s loss of funding weakens or may break the chain of connection, knowledge, and creative ingenuity that makes our work meaningful and impactful. We are committed to finding innovative ways to move forward. We hold up the spirit of collaboration and resilience as we navigate these challenges.
We are reaching out to our community and supporters for encouragement and assistance. You can help us bridge this gap and ensure our work continues to thrive. Whether through donations, spreading the word, or sharing your perspective all will make a difference.
Thank you,
Mary, Olivia & the entire CALL team
Learn more about funding from NYC DEP
NYC DEP offers green roof retrofit funding for private property owners in New York City. The goal is to incentivize private property owners to retrofit their roofs with green roofs to manage storm water runoff.
​​​​​​
Attend an online workshop to learn more​:​​​​
-
December 10, 2025; 2–3:00pm​​
