PLATTSBURGH -- The City of Plattsburgh Zoning Board denied a variance for a major Center City housing development Monday night, rendering the project's future uncertain.

The denial stalls the housing project, known as Catherine Gardens, which was slated for the former Seton Catholic Central School building on North Catherine Street between Brinkerhoff and Court.

Catherine Gardens called for 43 units of affordable housing, with combinations of one-, two- and three-bedroom units in six structures.

It is being developed by the Clinton County Senior Citizens Council and Affordable Housing Unlimited, which is run by George and Sally Hezel of Buffalo.

The Hezels are connected with White Pine Commons, a newly opened housing development in the Town of Plattsburgh put together by the Joint Council for Economic Opportunity.

Catherine Gardens was awarded $1.5 million in funding from the State Housing Trust Fund and $620,000 from the State Division of Housing and Community Renewal.

The Senior Citizens Council received about $896,000 in state money for demolition of existing structures.

The remainder of the $7.65 million project would be funded by tax credits syndicated by the National Equity Fund.

Although the project is classified as affordable housing for anyone who qualifies, the waiting list includes about 160 seniors who have applied to live in Catherine Gardens.

But concerns were raised at the Zoning Board meeting about people other than seniors living in the project and about the number of people.

Marilyn Smith, who lives next door on Brinkerhoff Street, said one of the townhouse units would be very close to her property, and the second floor would overlook her swimming pool.

"I thought it was just going to be eight old people (in the unit next to hers), and now I hear it's going to be 24 people," Smith said.

The developers were seeking a variance to allow multi-family living in the neighborhood, which is zoned for single-family housing.

Variances were granted on two previous applications for similar developments offered by United Group of Companies of Albany (2004 and 2005), but those projects died after they did not receive state funding.

Zoners were deadlocked 3-3 Monday night, with Maurica Gilbert, Steve Fuller and Connie Fisher voting in favor of the variance and John Seiden, Kathy Latinville and Chester Mazzone voting against it.