Diaz will hear Hebrew Home expansion plans July 12

Community Board 8 may have voted down the Hebrew Home at Riverdale's plans to expand its Palisade Avenue campus to include what would be New York City's first continuing care retirement community, but the project is far from dead.

Bronx borough president Ruben Diaz Jr., is set to listen to (and decide) on the proposal during a hearing July 12 at 6 p.m., at Diaz's office, 851 Grand Concourse. 

It's believed Hebrew Home will present its original plans submitted to the city ahead of what had been believed to be a compromise deal struck ahead of the recent CB8 meeting with some neighbors surrounding the campus. Hebrew Home had agreed at the time to reduce the height of its planned north campus tower from 12 stories to nine, and to reduce two smaller buildings on the south campus from four and six stories to three and five.

However, after CB8 voted down the expansion, the question of whether such an agreement still existed was unclear. CB8's role is advisory, and neither Diaz — nor ultimately the city council — is bound by that vote.

Anyone wishing to see the plans can visit the city planning commission at 120 Broadway, 31st Floor, in lower Manhattan. 

The hearing is open to public comment, but those wishing to speak will need to register at the meeting. They will be limited to two minutes each. 

Some of the surrounding property and unit owners took issue with the size of the planned CCRC buildings on land zoned for lower heights. The concerns ranged from environmental impacts, to fear the buildings would block views of the Hudson River, to those who stated the buildings are just out of character for that part of Riverdale.