Tuckahoe Board Votes Three to Two in Favor of Crestwood Business-Residential Rezone

On Monday, the Tuckahoe Board of Trustees voted 3 to 2  in favor of the proposed rezone of the Crestwood Getty Service Station on 300-308 Columbus Avenue.

The business, which is owned by Crestwood Station Plaza, LLC, was formerly a business zone and will now be a business-residence zone. This will allow for a residential component to be added, along with tripling the current tax revenue from $70K to $210K. The plan is to build two stories of 21 two-bedroom, two-bathroom units, and five single-bedroom units, above a ground floor of storefronts, with an allotment of 73 parking spaces.

Tracy Schiavone, a 35-year-homeowner on Columbus Avenue, spoke first, reminding the Board that the village's best resource is the people—and to keep in mind that Frank Fish, planning consultant to the village, is not a village resident.

"They've come out in spades about this project, and nothing has come out from the people of this village of a positive nature," she said. Then she asked, "There are other buildings on that block, what will you do if I want to rezone my place? What if the pizzeria wants to put three floors above them? Where does it end?"

Christine Vallenti, an Eastchester resident, spoke both for herself and on behalf of the Leewood Park Association. "Unless I'm mistaken, I haven't seen one person get up in favor of this project. There's no sign of anything positive for the people of these communities—it only benefits the builder."

The Board responded to the public's fears that the complex would overcrowd Eastchester schools, create more traffic, more accidents, and reduce quality of life by blocking out a view of the sky and surrounding buildings.

Trustee Thomas Giordano was the first voice from the Board, reading from a prepared statement. He expressed his concerns about the inefficient data collected and presented by John Meyer Consulting on behalf of the applicant, speculating that the estimated 3-5 school children the complex is projected to bring is closer to 15-20. He echoed Tracy Schiavone's sentiments and added that tax benefits didn't make up for the loss to quality of life.

"A quaint village begins to resemble a borough of the city," he said. He brought up senior housing as an alternative that eliminates school and traffic congestion, while addressing a community need, "as seniors make up 26% of our population," he cited.

Another worry he had regarding the development was a recommendation for affordable housing, put in by Edward Burroughs, acting commissioner of the Westchester County Planning Board. "What would happen if there were to be affordable housing component?" he asked. "This is the wrong project, the wrong scope, and it's bad for our village," he continued, before stating his intention to vote no.

Deputy Mayor Steven Ecklond discussed his preference for having only one floor of residential units versus two, but that he preferred it to a strictly commercial building.

"Since the ground floor will always have commercial stores in both zoning districts, this proposal is really about the difference between having two upper floors of office space versus two upper floors of apartments. With the current zoning already allowing a three-story office building to be built without permission from this Board, the issue becomes how significant will two floors of apartments have on this neighborhood?" he said.

Trustee Clare Gorman spoke next, explaining that a business-residential rezone would actually mean less traffic. "Even in my neighborhood, I'm noticing more and more couples moving in with only one car because they're commuting using the train," she said.

Saying that she'd love a park to go there instead, she told the community, "I'm so against a three-story commercial building there. I think it would be the worst thing to happen to Crestwood." She added that she disliked gas stations in residential areas and that she had great confidence in the Planning Board doing the right thing.

Trustee Stephen Quigley added that after a grueling budget discussion and cutting back on programs, he'd be interested in anything that would generate significant revenue for the village.

"This project is in line for our need to refocus on dwellings where cars are not needed for anything," he said. Quoting from a Westchester County Planning Board letter, he read that the project was consistent with the Westchester 2025 Policies to Guide County Planning, adopted in January of 2010.

Mayor Fitzpatrick only spoke for a few minutes. He said that his decision was neither hard nor unpopular. He spoke on the current curb-cuts in that area being anti-pedestrian and how the new configuration would allow for increased pedestrian safety.

He said this project will allow for larger increase tax rateables, and will undoubtedly improve the aesthetic of the village, before saying that he was voting in favor. He then called for the vote.

Trustees Ecklond and Giordano were opposed, while trustees Quigley and Gorman and Mayor Fitzpatrick voted in favor.

After the meeting, Schiavone described how a precedence had been set. "Now any property can sell to a developer to build on."

Carol Macioci of Eastchester believed this decision would strain the Eastchester school district by bringing in more than the estimated 3-5 children. Of the Board, Macioci said, "They have no concern for the Eastchester school district. They need to combine the Eastchester and Tuckahoe school districts."

"These are the most offensive remarks I've ever heard from a politician in my life. How dare you say this was an easy decision?" Christine Vallenti, mother of a 12 and 15-year-old, said. "My kids have already been hit by a car, it's our streets that are being affected," she continued, referring to when her younger son was hit when coming out of the Eastchester Middle School. "It's an abuse of power."

At the meetings close, Mayor Fitzpatrick told citizens, "Today's vote was in the best interest of the community and is now in the hands of the Planning Board, where you can come down and put your input into the aesthetic of the building."