Stop Big Varma
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Stop Big Varma
Home
Contact the village
Press
what the experts say
village code
More
  • Home
  • Contact the village
  • Press
  • what the experts say
  • village code
  • Home
  • Contact the village
  • Press
  • what the experts say
  • village code

Stand With Your Neighbors to Save Irvington

Stand With Your Neighbors to Save IrvingtonStand With Your Neighbors to Save IrvingtonStand With Your Neighbors to Save Irvington
GET INVOLVED
tell the village no!

Irvington is Threatened

The Varma Development Corporation has a conditional contract to to purchase the land and historic mansion at 76 North Broadway.  Varma is weaving its way closer to being permitted to build and oversized apartment building with attached day care center capable of accommodating 176 children.  Varma will be allowed to demolish the historic mansion, punch a large hole in the stone wall along Broadway, and remove 76 of the 116 trees on the property including almost every tree along Broadway.  The landscape of Irvington will forever change.  But that's not all: we're going to get an additional stoplight, lose parking spaces in the Village, and be saddled with a permanent traffic nightmare.  What does Irvington get in return?  5 (yes that's right, just 5) affordable housing units in a building way too big for this Village.  It's a bad deal, and we need to be asking, why?  Our goal is simple: Stop Big Varma.

Did You Know About...

Tree Removal

Traffic Nightmare

Traffic Nightmare

The Varma project will remove almost all the trees - 29 out of 31 - along Broadway between Strawberry Lane and Meadowbrook. 

Traffic Nightmare

Traffic Nightmare

Traffic Nightmare

The Village admits there will be an adverse traffic impact but is blindly accepting Varma's flawed traffic study.  In fact, tT\he project will add more than 300 cars on Broadway during the morning and evening rush hours along with a new pedestrian stoplight near Strawberry Lane

Total Destruction

Traffic Nightmare

Total Destruction

Not only will the trees be destroyed, but Varma will raze the historic mansion, remove a large section of our iconic stone walls, and  blast away thousands of tons of earth and rock - using dynamite!

Unethical Conduct

Unethical Conduct

Total Destruction

The Mayor and Village Trustees admittedly changed our Zoning Code twice solely to allow the Varma project to continue.  Our so-called Village Engineers also work for Varma's Architect and Attorney!  The Mayor is now trying to improperly remove a Zoning Board member because he expressed doubt about the project.  


Here's a video of the Mayor, our Village Attorney, and the Chair of the Zoning Board, bullying the Zoning Board member and refusing to provide him with an attorney - as is required by out Village Code! 

How Big is Varma

Unethical Conduct

How Big is Varma

The Varma project proposes a 53 unit apartment building and attached nationally franchised day care center accommodating 176 children in a residential neighborhood.  It will be one of the largest structures, if not the largest structure in Irvington.  Our Village consulting architect says (in part):


"The proposed building’s large scale, mass, height, and architectural character are not in scale with its historic setting in the neighborhood."


Prominent Architects call Varma "a building of mindnumbing mediocrity."

How Bad is Varma

Unethical Conduct

How Big is Varma

Here's what our Village Architectural Review Board says in part (you can read the entire report - as well as others - here):


"The proposed new construction introduces a mass, height, and scale that is entirely out of character for the building site and the North Broadway Corridor. "


"The inconsistency with the existing Village landscape and, in particular, the Broadway Corridor is a consequential and pivotal change to the village."


 "the land would be forcefully contorted to accommodate the massive structure...disrupting the scenic and historic character of the corridor in a significant way."

read the full reports

SAVE THE BROADWAY CORRIDOR!

Here is what Broadway looks like now in full bloom

Here is what Broadway looks like now in full bloom

Here is what Broadway looks like now in full bloom

Beautiful trees and iconic stone walls lining Broadway

Autumn in the Hudson Valley

Here is what Broadway looks like now in full bloom

Here is what Broadway looks like now in full bloom

The picturesque gateway to Irvington

What Broadway will look like - AARGH!

Here is what Broadway looks like now in full bloom

What Broadway will look like - AARGH!

Immature trees, a gaudy entrance to a commercial development far too outsized for this Village.  This does not show the planned stoplight or the traffic you will see!

Destruction of This Amazingly Preserved Historic Mansion

Varma will destroy Woodcliff Manor

George  Denison Morgan was one of Irvington’s founders and earliest estate  owners. He was brother-in-law to US Navy Secretary Gideon Welles and a  close relative of the legendary financier J.P. Morgan.  George Morgan  was already living at Woodcliff when Irvington first existed as the  hamlet of Dearman in 1850.  To honor their neighbor Washington Irving,  in 1854 George Morgan and another prominent resident arranged to change  the name of Dearman’s local post office and train station to  “Irvington."   The Village was incorporated as Irvington in 1872.  And  one more fun fact - while George and J.P. Morgan were swapping estates  one summer, J.P. Morgan's son, J.P. Jr. was born at this very Irvington  mansion on Sept. 7, 1867.  It is undeniably rich in local and national history.


Sign the Petition

Please take a minute to read and sign the Change.org Petition to Save Woodcliff Manor - there are over 1250 signatures already!

sign the petition

Here's what's at stake

A "massively" oversized, ugly square box

A "massively" oversized, ugly square box

A "massively" oversized, ugly square box

The Morgan's famous home, a pillar of  Irvington before Irvington existed, will be replaced by a 50+ unit apartment building and day care center. 


Our own Architectural Review Board says it is overly massive and that "this development will have potentially significant adverse impacts to historic resources, community character and visual resources."

Traffic chaos

A "massively" oversized, ugly square box

A "massively" oversized, ugly square box

We already know how bad traffic is on North Broadway.  Imagine another 300 cars during rush hours and a pedestrian stoplight at Strawberry Lane!


We don't need a flawed traffic study to tell us it's a traffic nightmare. 

Destruction of the Broadway Corridor

It is a Very Very Bad Deal for the Village of Irvington

It is a Very Very Bad Deal for the Village of Irvington

Since the 1700's, stately trees, hand built stone walls, and a historic mansion have been a hallmark of Irvington's visual history. Irvington has strict guidance around protecting this treasure.  Your Village Officials are ignoring these guardrails and plan to allow Varma Development to destroy an entire section of Broadway to build something that all the experts say DOES NOT BELONG.

It is a Very Very Bad Deal for the Village of Irvington

It is a Very Very Bad Deal for the Village of Irvington

It is a Very Very Bad Deal for the Village of Irvington

We need to ask why the Mayor and Trustees are pushing for this VERY bad deal.  In exchange for forever changing the nature of our Village and creating permanent and significant traffic, what are we getting?  5 (yes, only 5!) affordable apartment units.  That is not going to solve any affordable housing issues in the Village.  


It's a very very bad deal.

THIS IS NOT WHAT WE WANT FOR IRVINGTON!

No Respect for our Village!

Big  Varma is already demonstrating it does not care about  Irvington’s architecture, character, or history. It only cares about one  thing: maximizing profit.  This commercial project does not belong in a historic residential neighborhood.

Gateway to Irvington?

This is NOT what the Trustees promised!  Read the Village Code here.  The experts agree: Our Trustees want to replace a magnificent mansion "with a building of mindnumbing mediocrity."

The truth about the Village Trustees' promise

What the Trustees Said

In legislation passed by the Irvington Village Trustees, they committed to preserving the Broadway Corridor:


"The purpose of the Multifamily/Office District is to ensure that any  future development of the large lots on the east side of Broadway north  of Strawberry Lane and south of the MF District maintains the scenic  character of Broadway, a prominent gateway to the Village; reflects the  current and historic uses of these properties; encourages the  preservation of historic structures; and promotes a diversity of housing  in the Village. The Multifamily/Office District permits a mix of  residential, commercial, and institutional uses in a manner that  maintains the character of the large properties with deep setbacks and  open landscapes."


Now they are going back on their word....and the law!

What our elected and appointed officials are actually doing

Instead of an open and transparent process, the Village Planning Board Village Trustees, and Zoning Board Chair have been conspiring to greenlight a project our own architects call an irreversible and pivotal change "entirely out of character...with the existing Village landscape and, in particular, the Broadway Corridor."  While not a exactly a secret, the Planning Board and Trustees do not want us to review, discuss, or officially lodge our complaints.  They have changed the law specifically to accommodate Varma and they are actively trying to suppress opposition by attempting to remove a Zoning Board member who does not agree.  The engineering firm hired by the Village has clear conflicts of interest - they work for Varma's Architect and Attorney.  Our Village Attorney, Marianne Stechich, has a clear conflict of interest - Varma's attorney, Kathy Zalantis, is also Tarrytown's village attorney.  Ms. Stechich routinely appears for land use clients in Tarrytown.  You do the math,  If those aren't the appearance of impropriety, what is?  We have to ask, WHY??

What's next

An appeal to the Village Zoning Board is underway seeking, among MANY other things, a determination that a day care center is not a permitted use for the site.  Several lawsuits have already been filed against the Village, and, if this project continues to progress, many more will be.  The Village is expending tremendous resources that would better be spent elsewhere.  Again we have to ask, WHY?

e-mail the village

How can I help?

Contact the Village!

Email or call the Village Mayor, the Village Trustees the Planning Board and Building Department. Attend the next public meeting and speak your mind.  Tell them you stand against Big Varma. 

E-mail the village now!

Sign the Petition!

Sign the petition

Spread the Word!

Share stopbigvarma.com with your neighbors, friends, and local community groups.  E-mail us at stopbigvarma@gmail.com.

E-mail us

Go to a Village Meeting!

Go to the next meeting of the Trustees, the Planning Board, or the Zoning Board and make your opposition known!  We are gaining a critical mass and YOU can help just by being there.  Check the Village website for meeting agendas and calendars.

Village Calendar

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IMPORTANT ZONING BOARD MEETING OCTOBER 27, 2026 at 7:30 PM

Please come and show Village Officials we are united in saving Irvington and upholding the promises in the Village Code!

Learn more