Yorktown Town Board Work Session Meeting - December 10, 2024
Yorktown Town Board Work Session Meeting - December 10, 2024
The Yorktown Town Board held a work session meeting on December 10, 2024, at 12:30 PM. The meeting included public hearings, discussion of development projects, a presentation on battery energy storage safety, and consideration of zoning amendments. Key actions included adoption of a local law to remove recycling facilities from light industrial zoning, approval of a negative declaration and rezoning for the Toll Brothers 118-unit active adult community, and scheduling of further discussion on the Navajo Fields overlay district extension.
Public Comments & Testimony
- PANY Industries – 2991 Hickory Street: Applicant sought approval for an MS4 stormwater management and tree removal permit for a single-family home. Neighbor Antoinette Noto (2999 Hickory Street) expressed concern about flood control and groundwater impact. The engineer explained stormwater management plans. The board conditioned approval on a tree mitigation plan acceptable to the Tree Advisory Board and Conservation Board.
- Recycling Facility Local Law: Mr. Sillick (Yorktown Heights) delivered petitions opposing the removal of recycling facilities as a permitted use in the light industrial zone. The board noted that public comments overwhelmingly opposed removal, but the decision to remove had already been made; the public hearing was reopened for housekeeping on the enacting resolution.
Discussion Items
- Toll Brothers – 118-Unit Active Adult Community: The board considered a negative declaration (finding no significant adverse environmental impacts) and a rezoning resolution for 2302 and 2448 Catherine Street. Councilwoman Siegel raised concerns about process, the field home preservation language, sewer mitigation ratios (1.5:1 vs. 1:3 recommended by the county), steep slope impacts, and traffic studies. The board voted 4-1 (Siegel opposed) to adopt the negative declaration and unanimously (5-0) to adopt the rezoning resolution. Condition: Toll Brothers to convey the field home and lot to the town within one year of adoption or plat signing, with $150,000 for Hunterbrook Field improvements.
- Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) Safety: Deputy Chief Mark Ianucchi (retired Yonkers FD) presented on fire risks, thermal runaway, and state code updates. Leo Wigman (Sustainable Westchester) discussed local zoning considerations and recommended reviewing model laws. The board agreed to update the town's energy storage law, with a focus on siting, setbacks, and safety requirements.
- 3167 Lincoln Drive – Deck and Wetland Buffer: Applicant requested an amended permit for a deck and remediation of fill placed in the wetland buffer. The planning board requested a site visit and additional information on fill. The board agreed to wait for planning board and DEC input before acting.
- Navajo Fields – Lake Osceola Overlay District Extension: Attorneys Michael Grace and Mark Blanchard argued for extending the overlay district to include the 240-unit project. Councilwoman Siegel raised multiple issues: lack of contiguity, traffic, sewer hookup costs for residents, and the need for more detailed environmental studies. The board decided to hold another work session in January after receiving written comments from board members.
Key Outcomes
- Adopted Local Law 18 of 2024: Amended Chapter 300 (Zoning) to remove recycling facilities as a permitted use in the Light Industrial district. Motion passed unanimously (5-0).
- Adopted Negative Declaration (Toll Brothers): Determined that the proposed rezoning and 118-unit development would not result in significant adverse environmental impacts. Motion passed 4-1 (Siegel opposed).
- Adopted Local Law 19 of 2024: Rezoned properties at 2302 and 2448 Catherine Street from RSP-3 and R-140 to RSP-2 to allow the active adult community. Motion passed unanimously (5-0).
- Approved Resolutions: Included budget transfers for tax certiorari refunds ($600,000+), appointment of Robert Waterhouse to the Planning Board and Judy Reardon as alternate, police equipment purchase ($54,005.41), and other administrative items. All passed unanimously.
- Meeting Calendar: Councilwoman Siegel proposed returning to four meetings per month (two regular, two work sessions) for 2025. The supervisor will review the calendar and consider adding a fourth meeting in months with two-week breaks.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening everyone and welcome to the uh work session meeting for December 10th, 2024. If we could all uh stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. And uh we'll have our retired firefighter Mark Ianuchi lead us. And which stands one nation under God of liberty and justice for all if we could remain standing for a moment of silence as we uh remember all of those that are victims of uh violence and uh thank those first responders who keep our streets safe and our military who keeps our country safe thank you amen. So we're gonna open up with a public hearing. Uh we're gonna convene a public hearing to consider an MS4 stormwater management permit and tree removal permit application submitted by PANY Industries Inc. for property located at 2991 Hickory Street. Um Mr. Panny, if you could even we're just looking to get approval so we can start building a new house on that area. Okay, do we did you have uh presentation today here or no? I don't think I need a presentation. Okay, all right. No, no, I I thought I heard someone say you were presenting. So uh Dan, why don't you come up as well? These are the comments we've received. Thank you. Yeah, they would affidavit. I have some written. Good evening. Um so this is one of these applications where we've actually talked about tweaking the uh thresholds for administrative permits. Um it's a single family home with a septic system and stormwater. Um and what it does is it puts the application above the threshold for administrative permit. So here we are. I mean it's a straightforward single family home, but like I say, it it crosses that threshold, so the town board is the approval authority on this application. Gotcha. Um we really don't have any objections to it. We have uh a memo out there um from August, which a couple of minor comments, so we'll be working with the engineer to wrap that up. But otherwise, um, you know, as long as that's incorporated into the resolution uh we're good to go with the application. Very good. I see your memo in here. I think it's the same one I have. March I know this is March 1st. This one is 21st. Thank you. Yes, we see the address. August 21st. So your concerns are minor. Yeah. It all seems pretty uh pretty there pretty there. I also have comments from the conservation board. Um so determining with a qualified arborist any dead, dying, or invasive trees of the 32 to be removed, removal of dead and disease trees are permitted by the tree ordinance and should be removed. And uh then we'll know the determin the required mitigation. Um we have uh planning board just asking engineer to look over it twice. And uh county planning said not our uh jurisdiction. All right, and Will's looks like Will's email from March 1st is uh similar to yours, a couple things that look like they've been taken off the August email. All right, I have a question. What is the tree mitigation plan for 32 trees being removed? Well, I'm ready for the the uh tree board to give me you got to talk to the mic. Oh I'm sorry. Um I was waiting for the tree board to give me um some type of guidance for what they wanted in replacement of, and I haven't heard from them, so I'm not sure what they're looking for.
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