Citizens for an Informed Yorktown

Town Board

January 20, 2015

The main issues on the agenda were the vote on the Compass Westchester special permit and a public hearing on a rezoning request for a portion of the Bear Mountain Triangle along Old Crompond Road and to the east of the Crompond Crossing (Best Plumbing) development.

Compass Westchester

On a motion made by Supervisor Grace and seconded by me, the motion to approve the permit failed in a 2-1 vote with Councilman Patel voting against it.   Initially, Councilman Patel said he was not prepared to vote during the meeting and said he wanted more time, but after a short break, he changed his mind and voted.

At the beginning of the discussion, Supervisor Grace read the revised version of the 6-page approval resolution that had been discussed at last week’s work session.  The only additional changes that were made at the meeting dealt with clarifying the architectural drawings that showed the current number of bedrooms and not the proposed number that the applicants could make subject to getting a building permit.

I read a statement explaining why I voted to approve the permit after initially drafting a resolution to deny it.

After the vote, there was no public comment from representatives of Compass Westchester .

Crompond Terraces

Members of the development team made a presentation explaining the plan and outlining some of its proposed impacts including land disturbance, traffic, stormwater, fiscal, etc.   The only impact discussed in any detail was fiscal with the applicants showing that a mix of commercial and residential would generate considerable more revenue for the town and Yorktown School District than if the current half acre residential zoning was left in place.  In response to a question from Bob Giordano, the consultant explained that her school impact calculation was based on a $10,500 per pupil instructional and transportation cost as certain overhead costs did  not change if enrollment increased.

Recalling a plan from the 1990s that would have rezoned the area for light industrial use, former Councilman Gary Ajello asked the board to consider keeping the 23 acres all commercial.  Ken Belfer supported the mixed use concept and asked the applicant to consider a mix of housing types at the site plan stagae.  Greg Bernard supported the mix used concept but suggested that the proposed density might be too great.

On behalf of the applicants, Ann Kutter explained that going forward, the applicant needed guidance from the board in three areas:

1. how much additional information  the board needed in order to evaluate the rezoning request

2. how the town wanted to handle to recreational fee the development would be required to pay

3. how the affordable housing law would impact the development

On the information issue, I suggested that the board meet with the applicant and the planning director in a work session to discuss the scope of the what additional information is needed and the level of detail for issues such as stormwater, grading, traffic, alternative development scenarios, etc.  I suggested that the board look at the recent Stateland rezoning where the impact analysis was done based only on a conceptual site plan, not a real one.

On the recreation issue, Ms. Kutter said the applicant would be making a presentation to the Recreation Commission at its February 5^th meeting. I suggested that the Town Board hold some type of information meeting so that residents had an opportunity to provide input as to what type of municipal use they might want as part of the eventual development. As the type of use, e.g., a senior center or municipal offices, would change impacts such parking and traffic, the sooner the applicant had an idea of what the town wanted the better.

There was no discussion on the affordable housing issue.

The hearing was adjourned and the applicant will return to the Planning Board for the next discussion.

Miscellaneous Issues

1. Tax Levy. Due to a calculation error, the state Comptroller’s office ad vised that town that the 2015 budget exceeded the allowable tax levy cap by $21,000. To correct the error, the town transferred an additional $21,000 from fund balance.

2. YCCC Generator. The project will move forward with the award of a $30,400 contract for the required plumbing work.