Town of Eastchester, NY: Minutes, Planning Board Meeting, January 25, 2006

2 Eastchester Planning Board Meeting

January 25, 2006

PLANNING BOARD MINUTES FOR

6 JANUARY 25, 2006

BOARD MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE:

11 Chairman Raymond DelSavio

Joseph Cermele

12 Robert Pulaski

JoAnn Murphy

13 Angela Cascione

15 EASTCHESTER EMPLOYEES IN ATTENDANCE:

17 Director of Planning, Margaret Uhle

Deputy Town Attorney, Louis Reda

18 Building Inspector, Jay King

Dina M. Morgan, Reporter

23 43 Central Drive

Bronxville, New York 10708

24 914-469-6353

Meeting called to order by Chairman DelSavio.

DINA M. MORGAN, REPORTER

1 EASTCHESTER PLANNING BOARD - 1/25/06

2 Pledge of Allegiance.

3 Roll call conducted by Margaret Uhle:

4 Ms. Cascione: Present.

Mr. Pulaski: Present.

5 Chairman: Present

Mr. Cermele: Present.

Ms. Uhle: States JoAnn Murphy will be arriving

7 late. States Application 05-86, Lou's

Luncheonette has been adjourned to the February

8 22nd, Planning Board meeting.

APPLICATION 06-01, 876 & 878 WHITE PLAINS ROAD

11 Ms. Uhle: Explains application is before Board

for preliminary review for a two lot revision

12 or a lot line adjustment. Explains the two

building lots front on White Plains Road, one

13 is a little bit short on the frontage but could

be amended by adjusting the lot line moving it

14 slightly so the applicant has two fully

conforming lots fronting on White Plains Road.

15 Explains applicant is asking to rotate the lots

so they front on Homestead Avenue which is more

16 of a residential street. States if they rotate

the line that way both of the newly formed lots

17 will be short on the frontage by approximately

one point two eight feet. States application

18 is here for preliminary review for referral to

the Zoning Board.

Mr. Salerno: Rocco Salerno, attorney for the

20 applicant. States lots are known as 876 and

878 White Plains Road and are located in an R-5

21 zone and presently front on White Plains Road.

States applicant proposes a revision so the two

22 lots will front on Homestead Avenue. Explains

that will render the lots non-conforming with

23 respect to lot frontage. States lots will only

be forty-eight point seven two feet wide in the

24 front as opposed to fifty feet as required by

the code. States they are requesting this

25 Board refer this application to the Zoning

Board of Appeals for the variance.

DINA M. MORGAN, REPORTER

1 EASTCHESTER PLANNING BOARD - 1/25/06

2 Mr. Pulaski: States this puts the driveways on

a far less congested street than White Plains

3 Road. Feels there is a public safety benefit

by giving this a positive referral to the

4 Zoning Board.

5 Mr. Salerno: Indicates that is the first and

foremost reason for the application.

Chairman: Asks if they still exceed the five

7 thousand square feet in both cases.

8 Mr. Salerno: States yes.

9 Mr. Cermele: Agrees the Homestead Avenue

driveway entrance is beneficial.

Chairman: Asks if all the underlying setbacks

11 would be fully complied with.

12 Ms. Uhle: Explains the only variance the

applicant is requesting is for the frontage on

13 both lots. States they would be required to

meet all other lot and bulk requirements and

14 could readily meet those.

15 Chairman: Asks if the variance is for one foot

three inches.

Ms. Uhle: States yes.

Mr. Pulaski: States the corner lot is where

18 you need the most setback because you're doing

a front setback and then a large side yard

19 setback from White Plains Road. Asks if that

would happen either way.

Ms. Uhle: States yes. Explains a side yard

21 adjacent to a street has to be fourteen feet

within that district which is larger than what

22 a typical side yard would be but that would be

the circumstance under either scenario.

Chairman: Asks if it would be fourteen in lieu

24 of ten.

25 Ms. Uhle: Explains they're required to have

eight feet on one side and fourteen feet

DINA M. MORGAN, REPORTER

1 EASTCHESTER PLANNING BOARD - 1/25/06

adjacent to the street.

Chairman: Entertains a motion to refer

3 Application 06-01 to the Zoning Board of

Appeals for their consideration of the

4 variances.

5 Mr. Cermele: Seconds motion.

6 (All aye.)

7 Chairman: Explains the Planning Board meetings

will be a four hour duration ending at eleven

8 but since the meeting started at seven twenty

tonight it will run until eleven twenty. Asks

9 everyone to be brief otherwise the applicants

at the end of the agenda will be held over to

10 next month.

APPLICATION 05-88, 292 WHITE PLAINS ROAD

13 Mr. Addesso: Jack Addesso, 153 Stevens Avenue,

Mount Vernon, New York, attorney for the

14 applicant. States application has previously

appeared before the Zoning Board. Explains

15 applicant needs a use variance to put in a car

detailing business at the premises located at

16 292 White Plains Road. States Planning Board

would have to issue a special permit and some

17 area variances because the code deals with car

washes as opposed to car detailing businesses.

Chairman: States the Planning Board doesn't

19 deal with area variances.

20 Mr. Addesso: States they believe this business

would be closer to a service business than a

21 car wash because this is not a mechanical car

wash. Explains building department determined

22 this would require a use variance since this

use would not be permitted in a residential

23 business zone. States Zoning Board referred

applicant to the Planning Board for preliminary

24 review and recommendation. Explains this is an

existing building which has been at the site

25 for many years, consists of a one family house

and a very large irregularly shaped garage that

DINA M. MORGAN, REPORTER

1 EASTCHESTER PLANNING BOARD - 1/25/06

was constructed in 1952. States applicants

2 have had this property in their family for many

years. States in 1952 the applicant's father

3 operated a limousine service out of this

location for many years. States when the

4 limousine service moved to a different location

the applicant took over the space for his

5 refrigeration business and used that facility

to store equipment and materials. Explains in

6 2003 or 2004 the applicant sold that business

and began to market the property to see what he

7 can do with it for purposes of rental or for

purposes of sale. States over a period of

8 almost two years the applicant has been unable

to find either a purchaser or tenant that would

9 be able to use this site for the purposes that

are designated in the RB district. Explains

10 that's what brought him to the determination

that he wanted to use this building himself and

11 wanted to operate a car detailing business at

the site which would be run by his son and

12 which would be a family business. States there

are no additions to the building, they're not

13 expanding it. States the real issue is the use

of the property and where it fits within the

14 zoning code and what relief would be required

to get the applicant the appropriate permission

15 to do what he wants to do. States garage is

about thirty-two thousand square feet, enclosed

16 space, has a high ceiling and is constructed of

reinforced concrete. States the use they're

17 looking for is where clients make an

appointment, there would be five or six

18 appointments a day so there would be five or

six cars coming in a day, cars are brought

19 inside the facility, they're detailed and the

owner or by specific arrangement the car is

20 brought out of the garage and driven off the

property. Explains there is no queuing outside

21 the building. States there are existing floor

drains with an existing connection to the storm

22 drain. States soaps are biodegradable.

Indicates they have a letter from the DEC with

23 the findings there is no adverse impact to the

water quality. States there are no cars

24 running inside the garage. States if technical

issues would arise that would warrant a closed

25 exhaust system the applicant is willing to put

in a filtered exhaust system where they would

DINA M. MORGAN, REPORTER

1 EASTCHESTER PLANNING BOARD - 1/25/06

have a closed pipe system loading into an

2 exhaust fan on the roof that would be fronted

on White Plains Road a far distance from any of

3 the adjacent residential uses. States this use

is a very low intense use. Explains the

4 limousine service had the same kind of uses,

the cars would be pulled in, stored there and

5 cleaned for the next service run. States this

is not unlike what was done in the past.

6 States they have stations for five cars.

States cars would enter off White Plains Road

7 by appointment, there's a small desk area

inside, cars will be pulled to the back and

8 stationed there for the rest of the day.

States they have ample space to store eight

9 cars there. States there will be three

employees who will park in the back in the

10 garage during the daytime.

11 Ms. Cascione: Makes a motion to open the

public hearing on Application 05-88.

Mr. Pulaski: Seconds motion.

(All aye.)

(No comments.)

Mr. Cermele: States a concern that the general

16 public is not going to be aware that they can't

just pull up and make arrangements. Feels

17 there is not a lot of parking for that type of

scenario.

Mr. Addesso: States there may be in the

19 beginning a situation like that but the

applicant will take all steps necessary to

20 notify people this is by appointment only.

Believes once the business is there for a

21 period of time people will know it.

22 Chairman: States Mr. King's letter has almost

ten other items that are required.

Ms. Uhle: Explains the building department

24 made the determination this was considered a

car wash. States Zoning Board also agreed it

25 should fall within the car wash category.

States in order for applicant to get approval

DINA M. MORGAN, REPORTER

1 EASTCHESTER PLANNING BOARD - 1/25/06

of a car wash they need a special permit.

2 Explains the special permit lists very specific

requirements. Explains if this gets back to

3 the Zoning Board they will need to address the

special permit issues. States applicant is not

4 proposing what you would typically picture as a

car wash, they're planning to use all hand

5 washing, etcetera. States for zoning

compliance purposes they're calling it a car

6 wash. States Zoning Board wanted Planning

Board's help and input with site planning,

7 engineering, traffic consideration that they

should be aware of from a planning perspective.

8 States Zoning Board was concerned about

potential issues related to fumes and exhaust

9 in the garage, about how the waste water would

be disposed of and the potential for queuing on

10 White Plains Road, parking and the curb cut.

11 Chairman: Asks how long the property has sat

dormant.

Mr. Addesso: States two years. Explains they

13 had a number of people interested and they

referred them to the building department and

14 they haven't been able to find a purchaser who

has a business that would be able to utilize

15 this site within the guidelines of the zoning

ordinance as it currently stands. States

16 applicant believes this is the best type of

business that would be the least onerous in the

17 area and would utilize this space quite

similarly to the way it was utilized when it

18 was a limousine service.

19 Chairman: Asks how would this vary from the

prior hand wash that was in Eastchester up near

20 the library.

21 Applicant: States he believes that was more of

a volume business. Explains this is strictly

22 going by appointment only and it's not a car

wash.

Mr. Addesso: States even a hand car wash is

24 different than an auto detailing business.

Explains this is more intense, takes a longer

25 period of time and there's not that much in the

way of trips onto the site that can occur in

DINA M. MORGAN, REPORTER

1 EASTCHESTER PLANNING BOARD - 1/25/06

the course of the day.

Mr. Pulaski: States this is located right on

3 White Plains Road. Asks if the cars will be

backing out onto White Plains Road or will

4 there be any kind of staging of cars on White

Plains Road.

Mr. Hero: States illustration in front of

6 Board now shows two cars parked off the side.

Explains that area is planned to be an apron.