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.