Former Country Willow Site to be Office Complex

A pair of century-old structures at 73-77 Bedford Road that once housed Country Willow's retail furniture shop in Katonah will soon get a facelift and a lot more office space.

In addition to an overhaul of the buildings' appearance, plans call for creating more than 6,500 square feet of office space, installing an elevator and scrapping an aging fire escape.

The Helmes Group of Katonah, which is managing the project, presented details of the proposed overhaul to the planning board Tuesday. The board later waived the need to approve a preliminary site plan, clearing the way for Helmes to continue further work on lighting and landscaping.

Helmes had represented the property's buyer, Akonia Holdings LLC, a CT-based investment company, in a bidding war in June. Kevin Helmes, who appeared Tuesday before the planning board, said he bought the property on Akonia's behalf for $1,462,018. Bedford town records place the buildings' construction at about 1900. 

After the sale, Steven Helmes—an architect and one of four Helmes brothers who, with their architect father, Bruce, make up the Helmes Group—drew plans for the overhaul.

The three-story main structure, Building A in the plans submitted Tuesday, is a cream colonial with brown trim, occupying a site at 73-77 Bedford Road, opposite St. Luke's Episcopal Church. It now has more than 4,700 square feet designated as retail space, which is expected to be largely converted to office use. The building also houses four apartments—a pair of one-bedroom units and a pair of two-bedroom units—and they will remain. In addition to the three floors, the building also has a lower level.

In back, Building B, now also three stories, will convert its first-floor retail space to office use. Its third-floor one-bedroom apartment will move to the second floor and enjoy vaulted ceilings, with the third floor removed.

Outside, the main building will sport a wood-shingled gambrel roof: barnlike, it slopes first at a shallow angle and then steeply, maximizing the top floor's usable space. The building will also replace its exposed fire escape with enclosed stairs.  

With Akonia Holdings planning to occupy the first floor and lower level, the building's lone current tenant, WhiteLeaf Entertainment, could potentially move to the back of the building, said Helmes. Whiteleaf owner Barry Weisblatt said they weren't sure how the renovations would impact their business location yet.

Kevin Helmes said he hoped to have the project completed by June.

Planners OK Presbyterian Church additions

Three years after it appealed for help with overcrowded facilities, the First Presbyterian Church of Katonah got a green light Tuesday to add three needed classrooms and relocate its fellowship hall. The renovations, for which the church initially sought approval in October 2007, will provide an additional 2,100 square feet of space for educational and social purposes.

In other action Tuesday, the planning board approved a preliminary site plan for the overhaul of Bedford Green, the Route 117 ShopRite shopping center at Green Lane. The plan, drawn to accommodate the introduction of a major CVS retail drug outlet, realigns the center's entry drive and reconfigures parking spaces, among other things.