A local movement to protect a 19th century Manor home from being razed and subdivided continues to build momentum, as the Larchmont Village Board Monday introduced legislation to temporarily stop residential developments.
The iconic property at 40 Ocean Avenue in Larchmont, known as “The Orchard,” and which is recognized by the Larchmont Historical Society as a “Century Home,” is the former home to Miriam Curnin, who served as both the Village’s Mayor and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Larchmont Library.
According to public records, the home went to contract October 30, 2015 and sold for $4,999,000.
Many residents have said they feel Village zoning laws are antiquated and need to be reconsidered, so that larger parcels sold to developers are more difficult to divide up.
Similar projects that replaced one home with two have already been approved by the Village, including two on Larchmont and Palmer Avenues. Plans for another controversial development of this nature at 5 Vanderburgh Ave. has been a subject of discussion at the Village Planning Board since 2014, when four new homes were proposed on the site.
