SELKIRK —Selkirk Reserve received site plan approval from the Bethlehem Planning Board on Tuesday, Feb 7, clearing way for full approval from the Town Board and for construction to start as early as this spring.
The $20 million development situated off of Route 9W in Selkirk received Planning Board approval after a three-year journey through site acquisition, design and local government approvals. This included a year-long moratorium on new housing projects in 2021 which delayed progress, and a moratorium extension which threatened to void $12.5 million in critical affordable housing investment from New York State Homes and Community Renewal. Ultimately, Selkirk Reserve was eventually issued a waiver of that moratorium before it was extended
“The Selkirk Reserve team is pleased to have passed Bethlehem’s rigorous Planning Board review process, and we thank the board for their dedication to the work,” said Jonathan Gertman, Senior Vice President of Development at The NRP Group. “We believe the laborious nature of this process highlights the difficulty of building housing in New York, especially affordable housing – even as Governor Kathy Hochul has pledged New York will build 800,000 new housing units over the next decade. We look forward to continuing our important work on affordable housing in New York as the Governor’s administration aims to streamline the local government process.”
The development team said Selkirk Reserve meets a need for affordable housing first identified in the town’s comprehensive plan in 2005. Groundbreaking is anticipated within the next few months, once final Town Board approval is achieved.
If approved, Selkirk Reserve will become the town’s first affordable housing project. The plan proposes 72 units of one, two and three-bedroom homes in the Ravena Coeymans Selkirk School District.
The development team said they have adhered to green energy standards, and that the housing will feature affordable housing for those living below the median wage in Bethlehem.
According to the US Census Bureau, the median household income in Bethlehem is $93,512 per year.
The development has partnered with Soldier On to designate twelve units exclusively for those who served our nation.
