15 more apartments proposed in Katonah

By JEFF MORRIS

Among items on the agenda of the Bedford Planning Board at its Monday, May 12 meeting was a proposal for a new 15-unit apartment building in Katonah.

150 Bedford Road

Presented by Steven Helmes of The Helmes Group, a proposal from contract vendee 150 Bedford Road LLC, whose principal partner is Jamie Provenzano, calls for “a 15-unit apartment building with on-site parking, landscaping, and related appurtenances.”

Three of the units will be classified as affordable.

The site is a vacant lot of a little over half an acre, located just to the south of Arroway Tractor, which has been using it for overflow parking. It is next door to the commercial building that contains the women’s boutique Fado, immediately to the south of which is the recently completed apartment building at 156 Bedford Road now known as “The Mark.” That building contains 13 units.

When the 156 Bedford Road building was under discussion in 2023, it was severely criticized by residents of nearby Sunrise Avenue and Orchard Lane, who feared it would generate additional traffic and that a parking space deficiency would result in vehicles parking on their streets.

That building had required several variances from the ZBA. The new building, according to the application, “will be located in the north-west corner of property conforming to all building yard setbacks and coverages, etc., with off-street parking located off the rear east side of property.” Helmes said this building is before the zoning board for two variances: a 4,600-square-foot footprint in a district where 4,000 square feet is permitted, and a parking deficiency with 23 spaces available where 26 are required.

Described as a three-story gambrel-style building with a full basement for storage and mechanical rooms, it will consist of six two-bedroom units and nine one-bedroom units. The design includes front and rear entrances, fire stairs, elevator service, double-hung windows, shingle siding and asphalt/fiberglass roof shingles.

The project had received approval in February from Public Works Commissioner Kevin Winn to utilize sewer capacity. At the May 6 town board meeting, that board approved an adjustment to sewer capacity for Katonah and Bedford Hills, with 6,000 gallons per day allocated to both hamlets. Winn said there were some projects in both hamlets looking to move forward, and noted that 6,000 gallons a day for a hamlet would mean a medium-sized restaurant and about 30 apartments with a mix of one and two bedrooms.

“That doesn’t mean that’s what’s going to happen, but it just kind of puts some perspective as to the size that amount of capacity might equate to,” Winn had said at the time.

Planning Board Chairwoman Deirdre Courtney-Batson commented, “I think this is one of the places in town that’s not serving its best use at the moment, and could make an excellent location for housing.” She went on, “If we are going to put housing in the center of town, and I think we have to, this is the way we want to do it — not the way some others have suggested it be done, at the rate of high-rise apartments in the center of Katonah and Bedford Hills. This is something that’s on a scale that matches the rest of the community.”

Concluding this initial presentation, Courtney-Batson said, “I think I’m not talking out of turn if I say the board’s reception is more positive than anything else.”

3-5 Edgemont Road

Helmes appeared again for an application for a site plan amendment to a previously approved apartment project at 3-5 Edgemont Road, Katonah, also owned by Provenzano. That building, which was originally occupied by Katonah Printing, was converted to five apartments under plans approved in 2023. 

When an as-built survey was done, said Helmes, discrepancies were discovered with the original survey, which had the building 2-feet back from the road when it was really 5- to 6-feet back. That resulted in changes to the dimensions of what was actually built. A permanent certificate of occupancy has been held up due to the plan being inaccurate.

Helmes enumerated a number of deviations from the approved site plan, including two lights in the parking area at the rear of the property that were installed as pole lights instead of bollards. That led to a discussion of the effects of downward-facing lights, which the board had been trying to avoid. Courtney-Batson proposed that as a condition of approving the amended site plan, the applicant at least consider shielding the lights, and the plan was approved.

48 Hillside Avenue

In another follow up to a plan from several years ago, a subdivision that was approved in 2022 came before the board again.

Back in 2021, residents of Congdon Lane and Hillside Avenue in Katonah raised objections to a plan to subdivide property owned by Thomas McCrossan, in order to build a new house on part of the parcel. The main issue, raised repeatedly at meetings over a two-year period, was with drainage and runoff down the gravel portion of Hillside Avenue and onto Congdon Lane, with disagreements over who had jurisdiction over the road and whether the town was responsible for maintenance. When the subdivision was ultimately approved in August 2022, it was without the road problem having been resolved.

Now a steep slopes application has been made by Wulf Lueckerath, who is seeking to build a new home on the property. A public hearing was opened, and several neighbors again expressed concerns about runoff from the property, in addition to commenting on the size and footprint of the new home as compared to other nearby homes.

Plans were presented for a drainage system that is to direct runoff to an area maintained by the town. The board said it was waiting to obtain additional information from the highway superintendent, and voted to adjourn the public hearing until its next meeting.