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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

New Rochelle Planning Board Meeting – October 26, 2026

Meeting Portal — Monday, October 26, 2026

BodyNew Rochelle, New York

SessionMeeting Portal

DateMonday, October 26, 2026

StatusNEW · FILED

Video Record

0:00 / 3:38:41

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording. Names come from transcript evidence. “Possibly” marks uncertain attribution.

Speaker 1

2:34

Good evening.

2:35

Welcome to the October 26th, twenty twenty-six planning board meeting of the city of Neurochel.

2:41

There will be two portions to our meeting this evening.

2:44

The first portion of the meeting is open to public comment, and the second portion of the meeting is not open to public comment, but folks are willing to willing uh to stay if you like.

2:56

Um in the first portion of the meeting, applicants will be invited to the podium to present.

3:00

The planning board will ask some questions and then we'll open it up to the public.

3:04

Um, if anybody is would like to make public comments on the application.

3:08

Um, each individual will get three minutes to make a public comment, and if you'd like to make a comment, just please fill out uh a white card.

3:15

And when you come up to the podium, state your name and address for the record.

3:18

Um, the second portion of the meeting is going to be items for referral or administrative purposes.

3:24

Um, and with that we'll call roll.

Speaker 2

3:31

Sylvia Hamer.

3:33

Doug Houston.

Speaker 3

3:35

John

Speaker 2

3:35

Lancer.

3:37

Kate Mercado.

Speaker 4

3:38

Here.

Speaker 2

3:38

Christine O'Connell

Speaker 4

3:39

here.

Speaker 2

3:40

And staff members with us today, Jeff Bream, Deputy Corporation Council, Paul Vaca, Commissioner of Buildings, Kevin Kane, Director of Planning and Sustainability, and myself, Benito Seha, board clerk.

Speaker 1

3:53

Okay.

3:53

Um, we do not have any minutes to approve.

3:57

Uh, so we'll move on to uh set item number two, which is our site plan special permit and subdivision public hearing.

4:04

And we'll start with um application PB nineteen-2026 by fifty Lockwood LLC for site plan approval to construct a mixed use development at Fifty Lockwood Avenue, block 1207, Lot 31 in a DO eight zoned district.

Speaker 5

4:21

Thank you, Madam Chair.

4:22

Good evening.

4:22

Uh, good evening, members of the board.

4:24

For the record, my name is Janet Gearis.

4:26

I'm a partner with Del Bellow Dinell and Weingartenwise and Whitaker.

4:29

Pleased to be here on behalf of Fifty Lockwood LLC in connection with their application for site plan approval for the property located at Fifty Lockwood Avenue.

4:38

Uh, we made a presentation last month.

4:41

We have a little bit more for you this evening.

4:43

Uh, since we were here last month, we've been working very diligently with city professional staff to address the comments that we received uh before last month's meeting.

4:53

So just a little bit more about this property.

Unassigned speaker

4:56

It is located at the southeast corner of Lockwood Avenue, Memorial Highway.

Speaker 5

5:00

It's approximately 26,000 square feet and is in the D08 downtown Overlay district.

5:07

And as you might remember, it's developed with the two-story church building that was previously owned by the Zion Baptist Church, and it was something that was irreparably damaged by a fire in 2018, and it is intended to be demolished.

5:23

The project that we have before you consists of a nine-story building to contain 89 affordable senior citizen dwelling units with a unit mix intended to be 24 studios, 64 one-bedrooms, and one two-bedroom units.

5:53

There are 31 parking spaces proposed on the property, and we are seeking a fee in lieu of the remaining, I believe it's six spaces that are required under the zoning ordinance.

6:04

The project is walking distance from the New Rochelle Metro North Train Station, and there is a B-line bus stop at the corner of the property.

6:12

A little bit about the applicant.

6:14

50 Lockwood LLC is a joint venture between two companies who have a long history of delivering affordable housing to communities across the Northeast.

6:24

One is people restoring communities or PRC.

6:27

They're an award-winning industry leader in developing, operating, and maintaining thank you.

6:34

Developing, operating, and um maintaining affordable multifamily residential housing with over five decades of experience and 20,000 units completed in the past 15 years.

6:48

Partnering with the community builders, and I've had the uh pleasure of working with both of these companies before and and more so with community builders.

6:56

They're one of America's leading nonprofit real estate developers and owners.

7:00

They have over 50 years of operations and they've constructed and/or preserved hundreds of affordable and mixed income housing developments and have secured billions of dollars in project financing from public and private sources.

7:14

TCB currently owns or manages over 12,000 apartments across 14 states and Washington DC.

7:21

I'd like to turn the mic over to Tyler Torville, who's our project architect.

7:25

We also have our consulting team here this evening to answer any additional questions you might have.

7:31

But Tyler will take you through the rest of the presentation and the details of the project, and then we're happy to answer questions.

Unassigned speaker

7:40

Thank

Speaker 6

7:40

you, Council.

7:41

Good evening, members of the board.

7:43

Um, yes, my name is Tyler Torville.

7:46

I am a project architect.

7:48

I am representing community architecture on behalf of our client, 50 Lockwood LLC.

7:56

Um, so this is just a reiteration of the fact all the facts that um council just presented to you.

8:03

Uh maybe a couple of additional facts here.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Zoning And Land Use████████████████████████████28%

Affordable Housing████████████12%

Engineering And Infrastructure███████████11%

Water And Wastewater Management█████████9%

Environmental Protection████████8%

Technology and Innovation█████5%

Parks and Recreation████4%

Parking Management████4%

Procedural███3%

Summary of Proceedings

New Rochelle Planning Board Meeting – October 26, 2026

The New Rochelle Planning Board convened on October 26, 2026, to consider multiple applications, including a mixed-use affordable senior housing development, a parking lot expansion, a residential addition, a solar installation, a new single-family home, and two large mixed-use projects. Public comments were heard on several items, and the board took votes on most applications. The meeting began at approximately 12:00 PM and included two portions: a public hearing portion and a discussion/referral portion.

Public Comments & Testimony

50 Lockwood Avenue (PB19-2026): Spearos, owner of 175 Memorial Highway, opposed the project, raising concerns about ownership of the parking lot (subject to litigation) and potential rodent issues from garbage near his building. Jackie Mills of Tulemkey Place questioned income requirements, traffic safety, lack of a southbound bus stop, and neighborhood conditions including a smoke shop and nursing homes.
1 Beach Road (PB25-2026): Multiple neighbors expressed concerns:
- Jenna Curry (24 The Boulevard) asked about the duration of rock chipping and city regulations.
- Shauna and Adam Klein (597 Forest Avenue) detailed worries about construction noise, dust (silica), vibration damage to their home, stormwater runoff, and the scale of the proposed 5,066 sq ft house in a neighborhood of smaller homes.
- Joseph Lanny (112 Mountain Avenue, also representing 2 Beach Road) argued the site plan was incomplete, failing to address extensive rock excavation, noise, and dust from silica.
- Birgit Mengel (17 Beach Road) expressed concern about impacts on shared rock ledge and her foundation.
- Ted (2 Larchwood Road) stated the project is visually incompatible with the neighborhood and cited code factors for disqualification.
- Rich Davidson (65 Devonshire Road) and Joe Rogot (71 Devonshire) raised flooding concerns from increased impervious surfaces.
- Andrea Hirsch (Mamaroneck) emphasized the geological and tree loss impacts.
Other applications: No public comments were made on the 21 Circuit Road, 12 Elm Ridge, or 550 Fifth Avenue applications.

Discussion Items

PB19-2026 – 50 Lockwood Avenue (Fifty Lockwood LLC): Proposal for a nine-story, 89-unit affordable senior housing building (24 studios, 64 one-bedrooms, 1 two-bedroom) with 30 parking spaces, seeking a fee in lieu of six required spaces. The project includes a civic plaza, bioswale, rooftop solar, and all-electric systems. The board discussed loading operations, trash pickup, generator noise (72 dB at 23 ft with enclosure), stormwater detention, and traffic. The applicant confirmed income limits of 30-60% AMI (up to $71,000 for one person) and that property management would provide referrals but no on-site social services. After public comment, the board voted to approve with 64 conditions.
PB21-2026 – 21 Circuit Road (Aldo Vitagliano): Request to expand parking lot by eight standard spaces and one compact space. The applicant noted variances from the ZBA for front yard encroachment and compact space. The board questioned a 30-day revocable shared driveway agreement with an adjoining property. A condition was added requiring the license agreement to remain in effect. Approved.
PB22-2026 – 12 Elm Ridge Drive (David Abish): Application for first- and second-floor additions, a pool, terrace, and new garage. The architect presented a 500 sq ft variance for gross floor area (4,731 sq ft vs. allowed 4,238 sq ft). Conditions of approval (six items) were read. Approved.
PB24-2026 – 550 Fifth Avenue (Sunkeeper Solar): Installation of ballasted solar arrays on three affordable housing buildings (228 modules total, 150 kW AC). The system will offset about 25% of building load. The owner will own the panels and benefit from lower electricity costs. Conditions included fire code compliance. Approved.
PB25-2026 – 1 Beach Road (Rick Yestat, AIA): Proposal to demolish an existing 2,100 sq ft home and construct a 5,066 sq ft single-family home (two stories, hip roof, 25.9 ft height). The lot has extensive rock ledge. The board requested additional information before voting: a rock excavation and vibration mitigation plan, construction noise and silica dust mitigation plan, construction management and logistics plan, revised stormwater/grading plans, a closer look at architectural massing and neighborhood compatibility, and a revised landscaping plan with more tree preservation. The application was adjourned to the November 24, 2026 meeting.
PB18-2026 – 457 North Avenue (457 NR North LLC) – Presentation only: A six-story mixed-use building with 162 residential units (33 studios, 86 one-bedroom, 43 two-bedroom) and 175 parking spaces. The design includes retail on North Avenue, a courtyard, and a buffer to the adjacent residential historic district. No vote was taken; the project will return for a public hearing.
PB23-2026 – 238 Huguenot Street (260 North LLC) – Presentation only: A 28-story mixed-use building with 414 units (60 studios, 178 one-bedroom, 154 two-bedroom, 22 three-bedroom), 434 parking spaces (valet), and four commercial spaces including a relocated Citizens Bank. The board discussed curb cuts on North Avenue, traffic, facade treatment, and shadow impacts. No vote taken.
Administrative Amendment – 11 Plain Avenue (Evan List, Wise Westchester Youth Sports): Request to remove rooftop greenery (planters and trees) from a previously approved baseball training facility due to weight and cost. Board approved the amendment, noting the change simplifies the project.

Key Outcomes

PB19-2026 (50 Lockwood Ave): Approved with 64 conditions. Motion by [unnamed], seconded, all in favor.
PB21-2026 (21 Circuit Road): Approved with condition that the shared driveway license agreement remain in effect. Motion and second, all in favor.
PB22-2026 (12 Elm Ridge Drive): Approved with conditions. Motion and second, all in favor.
PB24-2026 (550 Fifth Ave solar): Approved with four conditions. Motion and second, all in favor.
PB25-2026 (1 Beach Road): Adjourned to November 24, 2026. Applicant to provide: rock excavation and vibration mitigation plan, construction noise and silica dust mitigation plan, construction management plan, revised stormwater and grading plans, design adjustments for massing/compatibility, and revised landscaping plan with additional tree preservation.
Administrative Amendment (11 Plain Ave): Approved to remove rooftop greenery. Motion and second, all in favor.
PB18-2026 and PB23-2026: Presentations only; no votes taken. Future public hearings will be scheduled.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening. Welcome to the October 26th, twenty twenty-six planning board meeting of the city of Neurochel. There will be two portions to our meeting this evening. The first portion of the meeting is open to public comment, and the second portion of the meeting is not open to public comment, but folks are willing to willing uh to stay if you like. Um in the first portion of the meeting, applicants will be invited to the podium to present. The planning board will ask some questions and then we'll open it up to the public. Um, if anybody is would like to make public comments on the application. Um, each individual will get three minutes to make a public comment, and if you'd like to make a comment, just please fill out uh a white card. And when you come up to the podium, state your name and address for the record. Um, the second portion of the meeting is going to be items for referral or administrative purposes. Um, and with that we'll call roll. Sylvia Hamer. Doug Houston. John Lancer. Kate Mercado. Here. Christine O'Connell here. And staff members with us today, Jeff Bream, Deputy Corporation Council, Paul Vaca, Commissioner of Buildings, Kevin Kane, Director of Planning and Sustainability, and myself, Benito Seha, board clerk. Okay. Um, we do not have any minutes to approve. Uh, so we'll move on to uh set item number two, which is our site plan special permit and subdivision public hearing. And we'll start with um application PB nineteen-2026 by fifty Lockwood LLC for site plan approval to construct a mixed use development at Fifty Lockwood Avenue, block 1207, Lot 31 in a DO eight zoned district. Thank you, Madam Chair. Good evening. Uh, good evening, members of the board. For the record, my name is Janet Gearis. I'm a partner with Del Bellow Dinell and Weingartenwise and Whitaker. Pleased to be here on behalf of Fifty Lockwood LLC in connection with their application for site plan approval for the property located at Fifty Lockwood Avenue. Uh, we made a presentation last month. We have a little bit more for you this evening. Uh, since we were here last month, we've been working very diligently with city professional staff to address the comments that we received uh before last month's meeting. So just a little bit more about this property. It is located at the southeast corner of Lockwood Avenue, Memorial Highway. It's approximately 26,000 square feet and is in the D08 downtown Overlay district. And as you might remember, it's developed with the two-story church building that was previously owned by the Zion Baptist Church, and it was something that was irreparably damaged by a fire in 2018, and it is intended to be demolished. The project that we have before you consists of a nine-story building to contain 89 affordable senior citizen dwelling units with a unit mix intended to be 24 studios, 64 one-bedrooms, and one two-bedroom units. There are 31 parking spaces proposed on the property, and we are seeking a fee in lieu of the remaining, I believe it's six spaces that are required under the zoning ordinance. The project is walking distance from the New Rochelle Metro North Train Station, and there is a B-line bus stop at the corner of the property. A little bit about the applicant. 50 Lockwood LLC is a joint venture between two companies who have a long history of delivering affordable housing to communities across the Northeast. One is people restoring communities or PRC. They're an award-winning industry leader in developing, operating, and maintaining thank you. Developing, operating, and um maintaining affordable multifamily residential housing with over five decades of experience and 20,000 units completed in the past 15 years. Partnering with the community builders, and I've had the uh pleasure of working with both of these companies before and and more so with community builders. They're one of America's leading nonprofit real estate developers and owners. They have over 50 years of operations and they've constructed and/or preserved hundreds of affordable and mixed income housing developments and have secured billions of dollars in project financing from public and private sources. TCB currently owns or manages over 12,000 apartments across 14 states and Washington DC. I'd like to turn the mic over to Tyler Torville, who's our project architect.

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