Breaking ground for Warwick Grove adult residential community

WARWICK - The celebration started with a blast. Early arrivals at a ceremonial groundbreaking for the new Warwick Grove adult residential community were invited to watch an on-site blasting from a safe distance. After years of planning, public hearings and applications for various approvals, construction on the 130-acre site between Route 17A and Forester Ave. has finally begun. The ceremony for the 215-unit project, being developed by Leyland Alliance LLC and Tarragon Realty Investors, Inc., was held on Tuesday, May 11. "We've learned how to pull rabbits out of a hat," said Mayor Michael Newhard, who praised the efforts of his predecessors, Mayors Frank Lacalamita and Anthony Portelli. They, he said, had worked closely with the developers and the community to arrive at a plan that would be beneficial for all. Town Supervisor Michael Sweeton added, "The real thanks has to go to the Village and all the players in the Village." William Friedman, chairman of Tarragon Realty Investors, Inc. said that his firm joined up with Leyland Alliance when he realized that the innovative project encompassed his company's environmental philosophy. He said that the under-the-tent groundbreaking celebration reminded him of a wedding or more accurately "a wedding between Warwick and a new community." Lou Marquet, executive vice president of Leyland Alliance, reminded the audience that this historic project began about seven years ago. "We are grateful for all the support from the people of Warwick, the officials who worked closely with us throughout the years and our staff," he said. "I know everyone will be pleased with the result." The plan for Warwick Grove utilizes the principles of traditional neighborhood design, which places emphasis on human scale, a lively mix of uses and pedestrian-friendly atmosphere. These neighborhoods typically feature a town center, a variety of housing types and interconnected street networks. Communities like Warwick Grove, a development of 154 single-family houses, 31 townhomes and 30 condominiums, are compact and walkable. Warwick Grove has already been recognized with six of the building industry's most prestigious awards for its model house, named "The Warwick." It was inspired by the early architecture of the Village. The Donald Powers Architects firm of Providence, Rhode Island was design architect and DeGraw & DeHann Architects of Middletown, N.Y., served as construction architect. The sale of the first units in Warwick Grove is expected to begin this summer.