The community church has resumed discussions about renovation and possible plans to sell. The church is looking for a way to remedy the building’s deterioration. This is made difficult by the fact that there are few volunteers responsible for the renovation due to low attendance, Robert Taylor said in an email from the church.
The Community Church scheduled a virtual meeting for Aug. 21 to discuss the options. That meeting, which has since been canceled, will be open to the public via email. The meeting would also have included discussions with William Eisenhut, a real estate agent with experience marketing churches in Westchester County. He was recommended by Jason Labate, the attorney who has represented the church in previous negotiations on the issue.
One possible solution is a proposal from the Pelham Children’s Center. As part of this proposal, the Children’s Center investigated what repairs would be needed to the building. The church said in an email that the cost of doing so would be higher than expected, which prompted the Children’s Center to request that the church transfer ownership to them on a long-term basis, which the church refused.
Pelham Children Center Board Chairman Dan Rowoth said: “Both sides have worked really hard to work something out.” Ultimately, however, “thewill not result in a final agreement.”
He declined to comment on why the acquisition of church property was a prerequisite.
The church did not respond to a request for comment on its rejection.
Another proposal was made before the children’s center by former Mayor Michael Volpe. That plan would repair the building while expanding the parking lot, the email said. It would include rezoning the property to build housing for an older population, as well as childcare facilities and possibly a space for church use. The plan was presented to the Village Zoning Board in October 2022 and faced opposition from nearby residents, prompting the church to explore other options, such as the children’s center proposal.
The date for the meeting to discuss these options has not yet been rescheduled.
