The Village of Suffern postponed its regular board meeting until Tuesday, October 14. The Suffern board is set to make a board determination on a zone change related to the Orange Avenue development project that, if green lighted, would see a 91-unit luxury rental apartment building on the site of the current dilapidated Hotel Lafayette.

The apartment proposal would build on a block of properties now occupied by the Hotel Lafayette and five other designated properties that are in Suffern’s designated Urban Renewal District.

The long and winding life of the Orange Avenue project goes back several years but caught the Suffern public’s attention at a Public Hearing on the issue almost a year ago in October 2013 when then Mayor Dagon Lacorte introduced the issue by saying that Suffern was poised to make an important decision on the village’s future.

Village of Suffern Public Meeting in October 2013 that discussed the proposed Orange Avenue development that would build a 91-unit luxury hotel where the Lafayette Hotel currently stands.

“When you you strip it down,” Lacorte said, “this is a discussion on whether we want to make an honest effort to bring economic development to our downtown.”

Since that time, the Suffern Village Board has worked with Orange Avenue Associates to shepherd the project through the Public Hearing process, reducing the footprint of the project to conform to public sentiment while approving a 35-year PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) to assist the developer’s financing of the development.

Suffern Trustee John Meehan wrote in a LoHud OpEd in June that Suffern’s PILOT payment from the project would essentially increase by $5000 over what the discussed property block currently pays to the village.

Suffern then waited to move on creating a special Transit Development District (TDD) zoning change until the Ramapo Central School District and Orange Avenue Associates resolved a PILOT agreement for the school district. If the village approves the proposed TDD zoning change, Orange Avenue Associates would complete its purchase of a block of properties along Orange Avenue and Park.

Then the Town of Ramapo cut its own 40 year PILOT deal with Orange Avenue that binds both the school district, the town and county. Since the town’s PILOT agreement, Ramapo Central has attempted to negotiate improved payments from Orange Avenue Associate. But to date, negotiations have broken down.

Suffern Mayor Trish Abato said in Akiko Matsuda’s coverage of the issue in LoHud that the village would move forward with the process, even though Ramapo Central and Orange Avenue Associates have failed to reach an agreement on PILOT payments — the two parties are still tentatively negotiating the issue.

Abato initially said she would oppose any Suffern zone change unless the school district was on board with the project. With the proposed $23 million Orange Avenue project now loaded with tax incentives, the issue is set to perhaps answer the rhetorical cliche — if you build it, will they come?

The Village of Suffern Board meets on Tuesday, October 14, at 7:30 p.m. to consider an Orange Avenue zoning change.