Zoning Board of Appeals Meeting - July 17, 2025
Zoning Board of Appeals Meeting - July 17, 2025
The Zoning Board of Appeals of Peekskill, New York, held a regular meeting on Thursday, July 17, 2025, at 7:45 p.m. in the Common Council Chamber. The board addressed three public hearing items, approved minutes, and re-elected officers.
Public Hearing 1: 1106 Main Street – Reaffirmation of Parking Variance
The board held a public hearing to reaffirm a parking variance previously granted in October 2023 for a proposed three-story mixed-use building with 20 apartments and ground-floor commercial space. The variance had lapsed due to circumstances beyond the applicant’s control. The project had not changed. The board reopened the public hearing, no public comments were offered, and then closed it. They voted unanimously to reaffirm the SEQR negative declaration (Type II action) and reapprove the variance for three residential parking spaces, with all conditions from prior approvals remaining in effect.
- Vote: Unanimous (all present in favor).
Public Hearing 2: 1004 Cortlandt Street – Parking Variance for Change of Use
The board considered a parking variance request for the conversion of an existing interior commercial garage (1,691 sq ft) into a two-bedroom apartment (approx. 1,400 sq ft) and a small office/retail space (274 sq ft). The existing AA meeting space (750 sq ft) and four upstairs apartments would remain. The applicant, represented by Pat Costello, explained that the existing building has no on-site parking; the proposal would remove a curb cut to add one on-street parking space. The board reviewed the five statutory criteria, noting the reduction in intensity of use and consistency with the residential neighborhood. No public speakers opposed. The board approved the variance.
- Vote: Unanimous.
Public Hearing 3: 317 North Division Street – Area Variances for Accessory Garage
This public hearing was opened for a proposal by Luis Urbina to construct a two-story, 4,000 sq ft accessory storage building (intended for personal car storage and tenant storage) on a 0.265-acre lot in the C-3 General Commercial District. The building requires side and rear yard variances (30-foot setbacks required, but lot constraints prevent compliance). The applicant spoke at length, addressing concerns about the three mailboxes (explained as landlord mailbox), the accessory nature of the building, and citing other nearby properties with similar large accessory structures. Board members expressed concerns about the bulk of the building relative to the primary residence, the size of the variances, and whether the use is truly accessory. They requested the applicant consider a reduced footprint and provide more information (e.g., staking out corners, research on comparable properties). The board also discussed the possibility of individual site visits. The public hearing was continued to the next meeting on August 21, 2025, to allow further information gathering.
- Continuation: August 21, 2025.
Administrative Items
- Election of Officers: The board re-elected Chris as Chair and Mark as Vice Chair by unanimous vote of the four members present.
- Minutes: Minutes from the April 17, 2025 meeting were approved. Minutes from June 18, 2025 were deferred due to lack of a quorum (only four members present, one absent). Minutes from March 20, 2025 were tabled.
Key Outcomes
- Reaffirmed parking variance for 1106 Main Street.
- Approved parking variance for 1004 Cortlandt Street.
- Continued public hearing for 317 North Division Street to August 21, 2025.
- Re-elected officers.
- Approved April 17, 2025 minutes; deferred June 18, 2025 and March 20, 2025 minutes.
Meeting Transcript
Board of appeals. We have three items on our agenda tonight and some other things to address administratively, some minutes and uh the potential um election of officers. Uh our first application tonight is a public hearing uh regarding a parking variance uh pursuant to section 575 33 G2 of the zoning ordinance for the construction of a mixed-use commercial and residential building on the property located at 1106 Main Street in the C2 Central Commercial District. Um this is actually a um a rehearing and a reapproval of the variance previously granted for the project, uh but um it had lapsed uh due to some circumstances that are not really under the control of the applicant, so he's looking to re-apply. So do we have uh applicant uh the applicant repres uh is not able to join us this evening, but we can have a conversation about um the project. The project has not changed, and um you can see on on page two of the plans or excuse me of the staff report, um the zoning board of appeals requests for the to reaffirm the seeker and um to discuss and and reaffirm the parking variants. Yeah, I think you guys are all familiar. This is that uh proposed project um at the I guess. Yeah, this is a the if you want me to address it 1106. Yeah, this is directly across the street from uh the Dunkin' Donuts. Yeah, okay. So this is what it looks like. We'll refresh our memories. Okay. So um, yeah, I mean I think this is a pretty straightforward thing. Um you want me to read the the paragraph or anything? Would that be um just a quick update of not really just a I guess just to quickly bring the the members at home or right or people that maybe that haven't heard about this thing for the first time? Sure. Sure. This is um at um 1106, 1102, 1106 Main Street. Um the applicant is seeking reapproval of the parking variants for three residential parking spaces granted originally in October 2023 to construct a three-story mixed-use retail and multifamily residential. Um Main Street at the corner of James. Uh it's at the northeast corner, which would include 20 apartments on the second floor, third floor, excuse me, ground floor commercial space on Main Street and James, and a small courtyard with the parking um behind. Um, and a total of 12 one-bedroom and two, eight two-bedroom apartments are proposed. Um nothing has changed substantially in the project. Um, and planning would recommend that nothing has changed in the surrounding area. Um that is the same application that was immediate was applied for and approved in 2023. Okay. Does do the uh the other approvals that were obtained, um the certificate of appropriateness, the site plan approval from the planning commission, do those need to also be re-upped? The historic board would I want to say it's expired. Okay. But obviously, if we we're sort of the start of the process. Yeah. Yeah, I got you. Okay. Anyone else have any questions about this on the board? Um, just a uh uh question kind of an internally. So um if the property is sold, if the property is sold, the buyer would have to follow this plan or seek a new approval. Correct. Okay. That is absolutely correct. Yeah. All right, so there are two actions that we have here um to reaffirm this. Uh first of all, we would need to reaffirm the seeker action that was adopted back in uh October of 2023, which is uh determining that this action was an unlisted action under seeker, and we would reissue a negative declaration. So that is I've put that out as a motion. Can I have a second? Second. All in favor? Aye. Okay.
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