Town of Eastchester, NY: Minutes, Planning Board Meeting, October 26, 2005

2 Eastchester Planning Board Meeting

October 26, 2005

PLANNING BOARD MINUTES FOR

6 OCTOBER 26, 2005

BOARD MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE:

Chairman Raymond DelSavio

12 Robert Pulaski

Joseph Cermele

13 JoAnn Murphy

Angela Cascione

EASTCHESTER EMPLOYEES IN ATTENDANCE:

Director of Planning, Margaret Uhle

18 Deputy Town Attorney, Louis Reda

Building Inspector, Jay King

Dina M. Morgan, Reporter

24 43 Central Drive

Bronxville, New York 10708

25 914-469-6353

DINA M. MORGAN, REPORTER

1 EASTCHESTER PLANNING BOARD - 10/26/05

Meeting called to order by Joseph Cermele.

Roll call conducted by Margaret Uhle:

Ms. Cascione: Present.

4 Mr. Pulaski: Present.

Ms. Murphy: Present.

5 Mr. Cermele: Present.

6 Ms. Uhle: States Chairman DelSavio will be a

few minutes late.

Pledge of Allegiance.

Ms. Uhle: States application for 390

9 Hutchinson Boulevard is adjourned to the

November 30th Planning Board meeting and is

10 pending review at the November 3rd ARB meeting.

APPLICATION 05-65, 113 WHITE ROAD

13 Mr. Reda: Explains since Chairman DelSavio is

not here yet, each applicant will be proceeding

14 with a board of four rather than a full board

of five. Asks Mr. Cotugno if he wishes to go

15 forward with a board of four rather than a

board of five

Mr. Cotugno: John Cotugno, architect. States

17 they will proceed with a board of four. States

they were before the ARB. States they meet all

18 the setback requirements. Shows trees that

will remain. Shows drawing of house. States

19 house will be brick and on the second floor the

sides and rear will be hardy plank and color

20 will be arctic white and shutters will be

black. Indicates there will be a hanging

21 carriage light in the portico and sconces on

either side of the garage door. States garage

22 door is a white barn type door. Shows sample

of hardy plank. Shows brick sample. States

23 brick will be used for chimney as well as

around garage and gable roof area. Shows

24 sample of shingles. States trim will be white

and double hung windows will be white.

Mr. Cermele: Asks if application was granted a

DINA M. MORGAN, REPORTER

1 EASTCHESTER PLANNING BOARD - 10/26/05

waiver from the ZBA.

Mr. Cotugno: States yes.

Mr. Cermele: Asks if side yard setbacks are

4 fully in compliance.

5 Mr. Cotugno: States yes.

6 Mr. Cermele: Discusses tree on the northwest

corner of the property. States it's a ten inch

7 diameter tree.

8 Ms. Murphy: Asks if that tree will be removed.

9 Mr. Cotugno: States he believes it's in the

way. Shows trees that will remain. Indicates

10 they are showing new evergreens on both sides

of the property.

Mr. Cermele: Asks if they are proposing

12 putting in new bushes.

13 Mr. Cotugno: States yes. Shows location of

screening.

Mr. Cermele: Asks if it's the same on the

15 other side.

16 Mr. Cotugno: States yes.

17 Mr. Cermele: Makes a motion to open the public

hearing on Application 05-65.

Mr. Pulaski: Seconds motion.

(All aye.)

(No comments.)

Mr. Cermele: Makes a motion to close the

22 public hearing on Application 05-65.

23 Mr. Pulaski: Seconds motion.

24 (All aye.)

25 Mr. Pulaski: Asks why code does not include a

house be required to have a garage.

DINA M. MORGAN, REPORTER

1 EASTCHESTER PLANNING BOARD - 10/26/05

2 Ms. Uhle: Explains code says you have to

provide a minimum of two off-street parking

3 spaces for each single family home. States in

the R-5 district most homes don't have garages.

Mr. Pulaski: Explains in an application like

5 this he has more interest in how the other

house is being dealt with rather than this

6 house.

7 Ms. Uhle: Explains it's a completely separate

owner. States driveway for 111 White Road is

8 to the left of the house and extends far enough

for two cars to park.

Mr. Pulaski: Discusses fireplaces. States

10 fireplace that's in the living room kitchen

area doesn't seem to have a chimney.

Mr. Cotugno: Explains it's a direct vent out

12 the side.

13 Mr. Pulaski: Feels site has a gentle slope.

Likes the way the house is done.

Ms. Cascione: States she is fine with

15 application.

16 Ms. Uhle: States ARB recommended there be

carriage light fixtures next to the garage door

17 which Mr. Cotugno indicated he was going to

provide.

Ms. Cascione: Makes a motion to approve

19 Application 05-65.

20 Mr. Pulaski: Seconds motion.

21 (All aye.)

APPLICATION 05-74, 24 GRAND BOULEVARD

24 Ms. Uhle: Explains this is an application for

a new single family home. States application

25 appeared before the ARB on October 6th and ARB

asked applicant to consider adding a window on

DINA M. MORGAN, REPORTER

1 EASTCHESTER PLANNING BOARD - 10/26/05

the first floor in the garage with the

2 indication if it could be appropriately

coordinated with the windows directly above;

3 recommended that any proposed planting between

the new house and existing house doesn't

4 emphasize an existing non-conforming setback;

and recommended that the proposed AC condenser

5 units be as remotely located as possible.

6 Mr. Cotugno: States regarding window in the

garage it was inappropriate to put one above

7 and it would not look good with just one in the

garage.

Mr. Pulaski: States house is on a street that

9 has a slope down towards Scarsdale Avenue.

States land right next to the foundation wall

10 of the existing building is sloped up steeply.

States there's only two foot two to the

11 property line and that's what went through the

ZBA and was approved. Asks how these contours

12 are going to work.

13 Mr. Cotugno: States they did submit the

drainage report by the engineer. Explains

14 house next door slopes toward the railroad

tracks but they built the house out of the

15 ground. States with this property there's just

the side to side slope. Explains it will slope

16 somewhat toward the back so it will be like a

natural swale all going down the hill or down

17 to the driveway area which has a drain.

18 Ms. Uhle: Explains existing house was built in

1906 and has a two point two foot setback so

19 the house that's being proposed now fully

conforms to the zoning with regard to the lot

20 area and with regard to all setbacks so

variances were not required with this.

Mr. Cermele: States he would like to see a

22 revised site plan incorporating the existing

house, the two tax lots so they can take a look

23 at where the proposed driveway is going to be,

and would like to see the impact of existing

24 trees.

25 Mr. Cotugno: States all that is shown on the

plans.

DINA M. MORGAN, REPORTER

1 EASTCHESTER PLANNING BOARD - 10/26/05

2 Mr. Pulaski: Discusses the thirty-six inch

maple.

Mr. Cotugno: States that will remain.

Mr. Cermele: Makes a motion to open the public

5 hearing on Application 05-74.

6 Mr. Pulaski: Seconds motion.

7 (All aye.)

8 Mr. Constantine: Mark Constantine, attorney on

behalf of Mr. and Mrs. Stefano at 30 Grand

9 Boulevard. States the Stefanos are neighbors

to the house that is 24 Grand Boulevard. Feels

10 this subdivision when it's complete will create

or at least accentuate the non-conformance that

11 exists with respect to the existing house and

property line. Feels it will create a

12 situation where the existing house at 24 Grand

Boulevard will not have the requisite parking

13 spaces. Explains the property is currently

owned by the Kemly's and the home is set on

14 part of the property and there's a driveway and

garage on the other property. Feels the

15 development of this home will create a

situation where the garage can no longer

16 service 24 Grand Boulevard and there will have

to be some accommodation made for off-street

17 parking. States he has not seen anything that

develops a plan for that. States that will be

18 the most direct impact on Mr. Stefano.

Explains Mr. Stefano is concerned about how

19 that parking will materialize, where it will be

situated and how it will effect his views and

20 the appearance of the property and neighborhood

in general. Asks Planning Board to take a hard

21 look at this application and the way that it

will create or accentuate the non-conforming

22 situation that exists at the property. Feels

the development of this property will create a

23 situation where there will be a two foot

setback where there should otherwise be a nine

24 foot or eight foot setback in that zone and

create a situation where there is a lack of

25 off-street parking for the existing home.

States these two issues combined will effect

DINA M. MORGAN, REPORTER

1 EASTCHESTER PLANNING BOARD - 10/26/05

Mr. Stefano's ownership and environment of his

2 property and effect his property values, safety

issues with regard to the driveway, air and

3 light issues with regard to the driveway and

setbacks, and lastly, the character of the

4 neighborhood in general. States Mr. Stefano

does not object to the development per se, he

5 only wants the Board aware of his concerns.

6 Mr. Pulaski: Explains this application did not

have any Zoning Board involvement.

Mr. Cermele: States he resides across the

8 street from this application at 21 Grand

Boulevard.

Ms. Uhle: Explains there is no application for

10 a subdivision before the Board, this is already

a filed subdivision within Westchester County

11 Division of Land Records and the issue goes

back to the fact that the existing residence

12 was built in 1906 and is set back two feet from

a subdivision line. States there is no

13 subdivision approval involved with this

application at all. States with regard to the

14 driveway for the existing house, the applicant

did submit a plan that shows precisely where

15 the proposed driveway will be located for the

existing house and it should be a condition of

16 approval that that driveway be constructed

before the permits are given for the new house

17 because the zoning law says that every

residence must have a minimum of two off-street

18 parking spaces.

19 Ms. Cascione: Asks if they said anything about

filing for the demolition of the garage that's

20 on the property that they want to develop and

the driveway that's there.

Mr. Cotugno: States that will be done before

22 they start the new house.

23 Ms. Uhle: States that should be a condition of

approval.

Mr. Pulaski: Explains this type of condition

25 does arise and it concerns him. Feels they

should endeavor to make the entire development

DINA M. MORGAN, REPORTER

1 EASTCHESTER PLANNING BOARD - 10/26/05

as nice and as appealing as possible.

Mr. Cotugno: Explains that's one of the

3 reasons they have an eleven foot setback rather

than an eight foot. States the other houses on

4 the street are also non-conforming.

5 Mr. Cermele: Asks that they take the site plan

and enlarge it because it's hardly legible.

6 Feels they could hardly see where the existing

trees are, what they plan to do, what type of

7 surface the driveway is going to be.

8 Ms. Uhle: Explains Mr. Cermele is referring to

the plan for the existing house where the

9 driveway