Planning Board
June 22, 2020
Attending: John Savoca, William LaScala, Rich Fon, Aaron Bock
REGULAR SESSION
1. Gallinelli minor subdivision/Quinlan Street/time extension
(See Planning Board 1/27/20.) The board approved the second 90-day extension in order to give the applicant more time to get the funds needed to pay for all the required permits.
2. 387 Granite Springs Road/public hearing
(See Planning Board 6-8-2020.) The applicant explained the project. The board had no comments and there were no public comments. The hearing was closed with a 10 day written comment period.
3. Atlantic Appliance, Maple Hill Street, public hearing
Steve Marino explained the environmental aspects of the plan, including the mitigation plan for tree and wetland disturbance.. He explained that only the 1.5 acre woodland fronting on Maple Hill St and where the building will be located will be disturbed; he said no trees would be cut down on the rear 3.1 acre parcel that abuts Greenwood St. He also explained that the proposed stormwater plan goes “above and beyond” what is required and will attenuate downstream flooding.
Linda Miller talked about the need to consider the functions of the woodland that will be disturbed and Susan Siegel, the person writing this summary, expressed concern over whether the mitigation plan for the loss woodland was adequate. Mark Lieberman and Jennie Sunshine, noting the loss of a woodland, asked why the applicant couldn’t relocate to an existing vacant space instead of building on the proposed site. Mara Ziedins and Councilman Lachterman both expressed support for the project and the benefits it would bring to Yorktown.
In response to questions about the adequacy of the tree mitigation plan, Mr. Tegeder noted that the applicant’s plan addressed four of the six possible mitigation measures identified in the Tree Law and Mr. Fon noted that the board has used a “holistic” approach when reviewing the mitigation plan. Mr. Fon and the board’s attorney said that it was “improper” for the Planning Board to suggest other sites to an applicant and that property owners have the right to develop their property as they wish as long as their plans conform to town codes.
The hearing was closed and a 10 day written comment period left open.
WORK SESSION
4. 379 Hallocks Mill Road, minor subdivision
The applicant proposes a 2-lot subdivision on an existing 1.4 acre lot in a half acre zone. The existing house will be retained along with a cottage on the site which he said the previous owner had used as an office but which the current owner was not using. The board asked for clarification about the cottage and the extent of any indoor plumbing in the structure. It also wanted clarification on the number of trees that would be cut on the newly created parcel to make room for a new house.
The board will make a site visit and the applicant will provide the requested additional information.
5. 1135 Stonegate Road/Accessory structure
Mr. Fon recused himself because his family has a personal relationship with the applicant.
The applicant wants to construct a pool in the rear yard but needs an amendment to the original approval regarding the rear yard setback. Because the subdivision was approved years earlier under the town code’s cluster and flexibility standards, any changes in the rear yard setback for individual lots has to be approved by the Planning Board. In 2015, the board approved a 3’ side yard setback that would apply to all parcels in the subdivision.
The board went into special session to approve the 10’ rear yard setback, making it clear that the amendment only applied to this particular lot.
6. 3D development, Lexington Ave/ZBA referral
Tarrytown Honda proposes to lease the 15 acre site (the Yorktown Golf and Baseball property at the corner of Lexington Ave and Route 20) for storage of its new car inventory; there is insufficient space at its current location. In order to meet the zoning code’s requirement, the applicant will use the existing pro shop building for back office functions as the site’s main use, with one or two staff members, and is currently applying for a special permit for the exterior storage as an accessory use. The applicant advised the board that with the exception of some fencing for security purposes, it did not intend to make any changes to the site and that the cars would be parked on the existing turf which he said was stable and could support the cars. The applicant did not identify the exact location of where the cars would be located except that they would be on the driving range portion of the site. The applicant said there was the potential to store 600 cars; the cars would be delivered by a car carrier and when needed would be driven off the site one at a time. Once the inventory was established, he did not anticipate many arrivals by car carrier.
Mr. Tegeder noted that the parking requirements for 600 cars would be 97,000 square feet. He also noted that the property abuts Sylvan Glen and that there might be a visual impact that needed to be considered. He was also concerned about the stability of the turf and the possibility of mud and erosion if it turned out not to be sufficiently stable.
The board will send a memo to the ZBA supporting the special permit application but it was made clear that if the permit was granted, the applicant would have to come back to the Planning Board for more site plan review.
7. Amendments to Chapters 178 (Wetland) and 248 (Stormwater)/Town Board referral
Mr. Tegeder explained the reasons for the amendments. The board had no issue and Mr. Tegeder will draft a memo to the Town Board.