At Final Public Hearing on Crestwood Rezone, Residents Continue to Share Concerns

After months of discussion over the possible rezoning of the site of the Getty Service Center from business to business/residence, the Tuckahoe Board of Trustees held its final public hearing on the matter at a meeting on Monday night.

Currently, 300-308 Columbus Avenue is owned by Crestwood Station Plaza, LLC, who is looking to build a mixed 26-unit condo complex with storefronts on the site. It would comprise of 3,600-square feet of business space on the first floor, while the second and third floors would include 21 two-bedroom apartments and 5 one-bedroom units.  

The hearing began with Frank Fish, the planning consultant to the Village, offering his recommendations. Mayor John Fitzpatrick asked him about many of the core issues discussed in the past, including aesthetics, traffic and the number of school children the condo complex would add to the district.

Fish responded that compared to what could be there—namely an all-commercial building—traffic would be reduced. He noted that there would be a "slight net increase in taxes," and that the aesthetics would offer a positive impact on the Village.

When asked about whether the projection of an additional 3 –5 children in the district was accurate, Fish said: "Yes, and on that we're fairly certain."

Residents, who had come out to express their unhappiness of the proposed rezoning at past meetings, continued to communicate their concerns. The worries centered around the traffic, safety and number of school children the condos would add, as well as whether the proposed plan would change if put before the planning board.

Christine Valente, an Eastchester resident and president of the Leewood Park Community Association said, "Now this has to go before the planning board and they can change their whole pretty little picture on what this whole development is going to look like and maybe we will wind up with several three-bedroom condominiums."

She continued, "The core issue remains the overdevelopment, compounded with traffic and parking problems in the area that's already inundated with intense traffic and limited parking. I don't see how one more child in the school district is acceptable."

Calling it "ill-advised," she said, "It is not something that the Town or Village need right now. And it has to be seriously reconsidered."

And Tuckahoe resident Ray Macioci echoed that sentiment.

"I don't think I've heard from one person who resides in this area speak in favor of this rezoning," he said.

In addition to the public hearing, the Board declared their intention to act as lead agency in regards to SEQRA—the State Environmental Quality Review Act. Under this law, the lead agency determines whether the proposed project will have a positive or negative impact on the environment.

According to Fitzpatrick, since the Board has the most information and data on the project, they're in the best position to act as lead agency. There is a 30-day window when another agency could indicate it wants to have lead status.

He also noted that this would allow for the proposed plan to be presented to the planning board as is. And while the planning board can change aspects, such as the entrance or where the front door is placed, for example, the actual number of condo units in the proposed plan could not.

"It can't change into something else," he said towards the end of the meeting. "That's the reason that now our planner recommend that we take lead agency status, so that all the data that's been collected, we send it as that."

According to Fitzpatrick, the Board could vote on the proposed plan as early as the next meeting, set to take place on September 13.