Bedford Schools Bus Co. Plans New Facility

Towne Bus Corp., the Bedford Central School District's contracted bus company, is proposing a new fueling and maintenance facility in Mount Kisco.

The proposal, unveiled at the Mount Kisco Planning Board on June 25, involves redeveloping the former site of the De Silva Ice & Fuel Co. at 343 N. Bedford Road, on a property of about .75 acres. The overhaul includes tearing down the vacant, 2-bay beige building and replacing it with a new 4-bay structure that will have a gray facade.

The site, which changed ownership last December, is now owned by a limited liability company that, in turn, is owned by the principals who control Towne, one person involved said. The property is near a storage facility for the bus fleet, which is located off of Norm Avenue in Bedford Hills. 

Towne, which became Bedford Central's contractor in 2012, just completed its first school year of a 5-year deal with the district.

The new building will have bays that will not be visible from the street, along with landscaping. The proposal calls for buses to enter from the southern part of the site and to exit from the northern section.

“We should not make it look like a repair facility or a maintenance building," said Ira  Grandberg, who is the architect for the project.

The proposal calls for having about 14,000 gallons worth of fuel storage, with about 10,000 for diesel and about 7,000 for gasoline. The diesel will be used for buses while the gasoline will be used in vans. In contrast, De Silva once had 19 tanks, or capacity of about 140,000 gallons. To clean up the site, tanks were removed and two remediation rounds were done. More remediation will need to be done if the existing building is demolished.

Traffic for the site is not expected to be an issue, according to Charles Martabano, who is Towne's attorney. He noted that fueling would be staggered at off-peak hours for traffic, and that buses would fuel up as part of their trips, a routine that Martabano explained would not create new traffic. Van refueling will be staggered during the afternoon, he said.

Up to four buses will be served at once, Martabano said. If buses are not being served, then with some exceptions they will be left in the storage lot. Newer buses would also be serviced elsewhere for problems that are covered under warrantees. 

Some board members praised the concept.

Board Chair Joseph Cosentino said “it's a masterpiece” and added that it's “beautiful for North Bedford Road.”

Board member Ralph Vigliotti said that the “conceptual is second to none.”

Even with the initial praise, however, more discussion with the village is planned.

Village Attorney Whitney Singleton requested more information, and suggested that a special permit may also be needed. Martabano replied that he was not sure he agreed but felt the issue could be discussed at a later time once more information was given.