Congregation Seeks Approval for 10 Homes
The Jewish Community Center of White Plains has asked the Planning Board to approve a subdivision of part of its synagogue property.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Judaism
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The Jewish Community Center of WP Inc., the corporate entity for Congregation Kol Ami, seeks Planning Board approval to build 10 single-family homes on an 8.5-acre portion of its 20.8-acre property at 252 Soundview Ave. The synagogue building itself would remain unchanged.
Why it matters
The proposal affects land used by a long-standing congregation and neighbors in White Plains and Scarsdale. A conservation development design is preferred because it eliminates a through road to Scarsdale and keeps a wooded buffer along the village boundary.
The conservation plan uses 21,000 to 24,000 square-foot lots, compared with the 30,000 square feet a conventional subdivision would require under R1-30 zoning. About 12.3 of the property's 20.8 acres would stay in use for congregation activities, and the outcome of the Planning Board review is not yet reported.
The players
Congregation Kol Ami
A White Plains Reform congregation whose synagogue at 252 Soundview Ave. is the site of the proposed subdivision.
Jewish Community Center of WP Inc.
The corporate entity that serves as the legal owner of Congregation Kol Ami's property and submitted the development proposal.
The details
The conservation development design includes a cul-de-sac within White Plains instead of a through road to Scarsdale, and it retains 2.6 acres of greenspace abutting Scarsdale. Stormwater would drain southerly to an existing discharge location used by Fenway Golf Club.
Timeline
April 2026: Development plans were first presented to the Planning Board.
October 2026: Congregation Kol Ami returned to the Planning Board at its October meeting.
Culture Shift
The proposal applies a conservation development layout under White Plains R1-30 zoning as an alternative to a conventional subdivision that would have required 30,000-square-foot lots. The choice keeps wooded buffers and avoids a through road, a pattern local planners increasingly use to reduce neighborhood impact.
Nearby White Plains and Scarsdale residents may see the land change from synagogue grounds to a 10-home neighborhood. Replacement overflow parking would be available once a subdivision takes place, and the through road to Scarsdale would not be built under the conservation plan.
The takeaway
Land-use proposals from religious institutions often balance a congregation's need to raise funds against neighbors' concerns about traffic and buffers. The conservation design in this plan shows how layout choices can reduce impact on adjacent communities.
Further reading
Explore more on Judaism coverage of local congregations and community institutions.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Westfair Communications.
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