To: Date: Gary Zuckerman, Chairman, and the Planning Board of the Village of Rye Brook October 2, 2015 Subject: Bowridge Plaza, 80 Bowman Avenue Petition. Subdivision and Site Plan Applications We reviewed the new petition to extend the current FAH District approval, the subdivision application for a lot merger, and an amended site plan application submitted by Frank and Virginia Madonna, Bowridge Realty, LLC, property owner, for approval to construct 16 units of Fair and Affordable Housing in eight, attached, two-family town houses with a total of 24 outdoor parking spaces located onn property situated on the southeast corner of the intersection of Bowman Avenue and Barber Place, in the FAH District, Section 141.27, Block 1, Lots 26, 31, and 32 on the Town of Rye Tax Assessor s Map. Property Description and History The 21,,982.06 square-foot property, comprised of three existing building lots, is located in the FAH District. An approved AFFH development site plan for 16 units of Fair and Affordable Housingg in eight, attached, two-family town houses is currently in effect; however, the FAH District zoning will expire in November. An approved subdivision plat combining the lots that comprise the property was not filed with the Westchester County Clerk s Office after the original approval, so the approvedd subdivision/lot merger has already expired. Revised Project Description The current application for subdivisionn (lot merger) approval required by Section 250-6 A. (2) (a) of the Rye Brook Code is the same application the Planning Board reviewed and made a recommendation to the Trustees to approve earlier this year. The new petition to extend the FAH District zoning would allow the Board of Trustees to review and approve minor amendments
to the originally approved site plan for 16 AFFH units and a 24-space parking approved in 2012 and amendedd in 2013. area The applicant abandoned the petition to rezone the property into the C1 District and the mixed-use market-ratis the approval authority for the AFFH unitss and referred the petition and the site residential/retail building proposal. Therefore, the Board of Trustees plan application to the Planning Board for report andd recommendations. Review We reviewed applications, a petition, site plans, correspondence, analysess and supporting materials submitted by the Applicant that include thee following items: 1. Site Plan Application 2. Site Plan Submittal Review Checklist 3. Application for Subdivision Approval 4. Architectural Review Board Checklist for Applicants 5. Short Environmental Assessment Form 6. Draft Construction Management Plan prepared by Bowridge Realty, LLC, Pleasantville, N.Y., dated September 18, 2015 7. Petition Letter to the Board of Trustees to extend FAH District approval from Bowridge Realty, LLC, dated September 3, 2015 8. Phase 1 Environmen ntal Site Assessment Report, prepared by Team Environmental Consultants, Inc., Middletown, N.Y., dated May 2, 2012 9. Letter to the Planning Board from Frederico Associates, White Plains, N.Y.., dated September 18, 2015 10. Letter to the Board of Trustees from Bowridge Realty, LLC, Pleasantville, N.Y. dated September 4, 2015 11. Letter to the Board of Trustees from Bowridge Realty, LLC, Pleasantville, N.Y. dated July 15, 2015 12. Topography of Property, prepared by Thomas C. Merritts Land Surveyors, P.C., Pleasantville, N.Y. dated August 20, 2012, last revised November 26, 2014 13. Preliminary Mergerr and Reapportionment Map, prepared by Thomas C. Merritts Land Surveyors, P.C., Pleasantvill le, N.Y. dated July 12, 2012, revised September 20, 2012 14. Architect s Plans, prepared by Federico Associates, White Plains, N.Y.: Sheet Number 1 of 10 Sheet Title Amended Cover Sheet 2 Dated
2 of 10 3 of 10 Existing Conditions Amended Site Plan and Zoning Table 4 of 10 Amended Site Plan and Zoning Table 5 of 10 6 of 10 Amended Utility Plan Amended Grading/Sediment & Erosion Control & Tree Protection Plan 7 of 10 8 of 10 9 of 10 10 of 10 1 of 1 A1 of 10 A2 of 10 A3 of 10 Amended Landscape Plann Amended Details Amended Details Amended Details Amended Site Lighting Plan Amended Elevations - 6 Units Amended Elevations - 6 Units Amended Floor Plans Ground Level 6 Units 3/ /25/2011 rev. 9/18/2015 3/ /25/2011 rev. 9/18/2015 5/ /1/2012 rev. 9/18/2015 9/ /17/2015 A4 of 10 Amended Floor Plans First Floor 6 Units A5 of 10 Amended Floor Plans Second Floor 6 Units A6 of 10 A7 of 10 A8 of 10 Amended Elevations 100 Units Amended Elevations 100 Units Amended Floor Plans Ground Level 10 Units A9 of 10 Amended Floor Plans First Floor 10 Units A10 of 10 Amended Floor Plans Second Floor 10 Units Please note that our review is limited to planning, zoning and have the following comments regarding the applications: environmental issues. We 1. SEQRA Review. An environmental review pursuant to SEQRA willl be required for the combined action of the subdivision and amended site plan. The Board of Trustees classified the applications as an Unlisted Action, and circulated a Notice of Intent to be Lead Agency for the review. 3
Based on a review of the Short EAF and thee site plans provided, we believee the Planning Board should consider the following issues while reviewing the potential impacts of the proposed project, which are the same topics, reviewed in 2011 during the original review process: a. alteration of the land surface and sub-surface; b. flooding (stormwater run-off, altered drainage patterns); c. transportation (increases in traffic and parking demand); d. increasee in energy use; e. human health (related to hazardous materials); f. consistency with community plans (Rye Brook Comprehensivee Plan, land use, zoning) ; g. consistency with community characterr (demand for community services including schools, architectura al scale); h. construction (increased traffic and parking demand, impacts to air quality, increased noise, hazardous materials handling and disposal, potential erosion and sedimentation, potential for rock removal or blasting, etc.) The Applicant provided information regarding these topics that addresses them in a letter to the Planning Board from Federico Associates datedd September 18, 2015. IT is our opinion that the minor changes to the site and building plans would not createe any environmental impacts that were not already reviewed during the original SEQR process in 2011. 2. Site Plan. The proposed changes to the site plann are necessary because the Applicant increased the sizes of the FAH units to make them more desirable. The new unit sizes are consistent with the minimum sizes for AFFH units in the Village Code at 745 square feet to 780 square feet for one-bedroom units, and 1,311 square feet to 1,455 square feet for two-bedroom units. The ratio of one-bedroom to two-bedroom units remains the same as originally approved, 8 one-bedroom units and 8 duplex, two- The changes to the site plan include changing thee location of the 6-unit building, which bedroom units. The second floor duplex units now have 50 to 65-square-foot terraces. is now 57 feet 6 inches wide and 43 feet 2 inches deep, wider and deeper than the originally approved building, to front on Barber Place. The 10-unit building, which is 76 feet 5 inches wide and 54 feet 6 inches deep, remains in the same location as the original plan. The front yard setback of both buildings from the Barber Place front property line is been reduced from 11.5 feet to 9.33 feet. 4
Most of the rest of the site, including the 24 parking spaces, remains unchanged from the original plan. The landscape plan was changed to accommodate new walkways from the front of the 6-unit building to Barberr Place. Driveways, vehicle exits and entrances, and parking space sizes remain the same as originally approved. The building height is 30 feet. 4. Traffic and Parking. It is our opinion that the amended site plan would not generate additional traffic or parking issues that were not studiedd during the review of the original application, based on the updated trafficc and parking analysis provided by the Applicant for review of the mixed-use residential/retail building proposal, now abandoned. 5. Visual Impacts. The revised lightingg plan is satisfactory and would not cause night- in our opinion would not appreciably increase visual impacts to neighboring homes from what was created by the originally approvedd site plan. lighting impacts to neighboring properties. The wider and deeper town house buildings, 6. Landscape Plan. The amended landscape plan for the Barber Place frontage should be revised to address the concerns raised by members of the Board of Trustees regarding landscape design to reducee the visual impact of the building facade. There is too much walkway along the Barberr Place façade in the current plan. The walkways to the homes should be reconfigured to be narrower and an extra walkway to the public sidewalk eliminated. The grading plan should be reconsidered, and the walkway along the front of the building should be eliminated as it is not necessary. This change will create larger planting areas to accommodate the layeredd plantings discussed with the Trustees to soften the building façade and separate the front yard space from Barber Place. Evergreen and deciduous shrubs, and shade trees should be utilized to define the edge of the property. We do not recommend the spruce trees used in the current plan in the locations they are proposed. We look forward to discussion with the Planning Board. Marilyn Timpone-Mohamed, ASLA, AICP Senior Associate/Planning/Environment 5
cc: Honorable Mayor and the Village Board of Trustees Christopher Bradbury, Village Administrator Michal Nowak, Village Engineer/Superintendent of Public Works Philip A. Butler, Esq., Village Attorney Anthony F. Federico, for the Applicant J:\DOCS2\500\Rye Brook\538.658.80 Bowman Avenue.Subdivision and Site Plan.PB memo.mtm.docm 6