Planning Commission Meeting - October 9, 2025
Planning Commission Meeting - October 9, 2025
The Peekskill Planning Commission convened on October 9, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. in the Common Council Chamber. The meeting included public hearings on two site plan applications, recommendations to the Zoning Board of Appeals and Common Council, and approval of minutes.
Public Hearings & Testimony
1474 Elm Street – IRA Residence (Special Citizens Futures Unlimited)
- Attorney Jodi Cross argued that under the Padavan Law (Mental Hygiene Law §41.34), the proposed Individualized Residential Alternative (IRA) for five developmentally disabled adults is exempt from site plan review because it must be treated as a single-family residence. The alterations are mostly interior (doors, walkway, basement window, central air).
- Multiple residents testified with concerns about traffic, parking (narrow street, daycare proximity), emergency vehicle access, lack of prior notification, property values, noise, and staff turnover. Some expressed support for the residents but criticized the process.
- Applicant CEO Alex DeMaio stated: no exterior alarms, parking for four cars in driveway, no street parking, no more than five residents, and an open house will be held. He emphasized oversight and commitment to being good neighbors.
- The Commission acknowledged the legal question and decided not to take action, deferring to the city attorney to determine jurisdiction.
668 Main Street – Three-Unit Residential Building (Joseph Thompson Architect)
- The applicant presented updates: zoning variances granted, fire access improved (tree trimming, no-parking signs), and a new pedestrian pathway via an easement to Main Street. No public speakers.
- Commissioners discussed easement rights, utility coordination, and parking (three spaces per unit). The public hearing was held open for further review at the November meeting.
Recommendations to Other Boards
1019 Park Street – Mixed-Use Building (Joseph Thompson Architect)
- The Commission declared its intent to act as lead agency for SEQRA review and forwarded an area variance request to the Zoning Board of Appeals regarding floor area ratio (FAR). No public hearing was held.
400-410 Main Street – Mixed-Use Development (Bonus Height & Special Permit)
- The applicant showed visualizations of the five-story building's impact from Route 9 and discussed stormwater management. Commissioners expressed strong concern about using city parking lots; preferred that parking be self-contained.
- The Commission voted to recommend to the Common Council that the special permit and bonus height be granted, but with conditions: the unit count should be reduced to 34 (with 1:1 parking on site) unless the applicant secures off-street parking not on city lots within close proximity to support 41 units.
Key Outcomes
- 1474 Elm Street: No action; legal jurisdiction to be determined.
- 668 Main Street: Public hearing held open; continued to November meeting.
- 1019 Park Street: Commission declared lead agency and forwarded variance to ZBA.
- 400 Main Street: Recommendation sent to Common Council with parking conditions.
- Minutes: Approved for May 13, 2025 and June 10, 2025 meetings.
Other Business
- Meeting adjourned after minutes approval.
Meeting Transcript
October 9th meeting of the Planning Commission to order. And our first agenda item is an application. The applicant is Mark Campion of Special Citizens Futures Unlimited, and the owner is Special Citizens Futures Unlimited Inc. It is a public hearing by the planning commission regarding final site plan approval of the City of Peak Skills zoning ordinance for the proposed level two alterations to an existing family residence for use as a new IRA individualized residence alternate residential alternative residence on property located in the R1A one family residence district at 1474 Elm Street. So I'm going to ask Jean, did you want to present or shall I just ask the applicant to present? Okay. So I think then what I'll do is I'll open the public hearing. Can I have a motion to open the public hearing? So move. Second? Please. Second. All in favor? Hi. Okay. So the applicant will present on this application. Good evening. My name is Jody Cross. I'm from the law firm of Zaren and Steimetz. I'm here on behalf of Special Citizens Futures Unlimited Inc., uh, the owner of uh 1474 Elm Street, which as you noted was located in the R1A zoning district. I'm here with uh from uh special citizens, Alex uh Alex D. Mayo, uh Mark Campioni and Steven Matrone, who's sitting right here. So last year uh the my client uh sent a notice to the city under the mental hygiene law, Section 4134, which is known as the Padavan Law. And uh and according to that law, they established their community residential facility on the property to provide housing for five developmentally disabled adults, and this house will be licensed by OPWDD, the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities. We're here tonight because a public hearing was scheduled for this um for site plan application. But when our firm Kate was retained two days ago, um I looked at the papers and I realized that uh I think we're here in error. We are here in error. Um, under the Padovan law, community residential facilities are required to be treated as any other single family house for purposes of zoning and other local laws and ordinances. And that's because this house is going to be operated as a family. There's no change in use. They're going to be a family unit, and in fact, your zoning code defines family in part to include Padawan houses. Um it's a family, they're going to operate as a family, they eat together, socialize, go on uh uh you know, have meals together, et cetera. Um they're proposing alterations in the home that are almost entirely interior. They're doing some exterior aesthetic fixes like the walkway, there's a basement window they're changing out, but otherwise this is an interior renovation, which you otherwise wouldn't have a single family resident uh come in for a sp site plan. So respectfully, although your board doesn't have jurisdiction, we do know that this was noticed as a public hearing. And we know that the public has questions, and what our goal here is to become a fabric of the community. So rather than ask you guys to adjourn or uh get us off the agenda, we thought we'd come in and answer any questions you might have or the public might have. So thank you. Um so I just have is there somebody one of you who can explain before the but before the public gets up to ask their questions? Um, because I do know that people have questions that pertain to the exact things that are being done on the site. Um, and I kind of know what those mostly are, but can somebody to my knowledge there's um there are two a walkway that's being repaired, correct win patio, a walkway that's being replaced, and a laundry room that's being enclosed in the basement. And you mentioned the window that's being changed out. Correct. And as far as as far as I know, that's are there other renovations? Do you why don't you come up and introduce yourself? Yeah, you have to come to the microphone and give your give us your name. And we apologize our architect locked. No. Hi, it's my name's Mark Campioni. I'm the chief financial officer for Special Citizens Futures Unlimited.
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