More than four years later, house in Katonah approved

Rendering by architect Teo Sigüenza for right side elevation of planned house at 48 Hillside Ave., Katonah. The structure is considered one story, though it has a partial basement level and an attic containing mechanical equipment. IMAGE COURTESY BEDFORD PLANNING BOARD

By JEFF MORRIS

The Planning Board issued approvals for a house in Katonah first proposed in 2021.

The action came at its July 14 meeting. A public hearing was opened on May 12 regarding the application, which stemmed from a subdivision plan first introduced in 2021. That plan was to subdivide property at 46-48 Hillside Ave. then owned by Thomas McCrossan, in order to build a new house on part of the parcel, for which a steep slope permit was also needed. 

Under the original application, the 1.69-acre parcel was to be divided into two lots, and the remaining lot of over 1/2 acre would still have two existing houses on it. In order to develop the newly created lot, disturbance of steep slopes would be required. The plan called for a new three- or four-bedroom house of approximately 3,250 square feet, with a driveway.

The main issue, raised repeatedly at meetings over the years, 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. Several nearby residents expressed concerns about runoff, and the fact that the town had to repeatedly repair Congdon Lane to fix the damage.

When the subdivision received preliminary approval in June 2022, the approval simply stated that details would be worked out without involving the Planning Board. When final approval was sought in August 2022, town attorney Eric Gordon recommended that the board go ahead and issue that approval, with the road problem still to be settled. After some other details were ironed out, the board voted to issue the approval, pending resolution of the issue of who would maintain the drainage and when road improvements would be done.

In May of this year, a new steep slopes application along with a stormwater pollution prevention plan was made by Wulf Lueckerath, now the owner of 48 Hillside Ave. and 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 — the same issues that were raised in 2021-22. However, while voicing the same concerns, the neighbors expressed appreciation for efforts by the current owner to meet with them and solicit their input.

The current plan calls for construction of a single-family residence and pool on 1.04 acres, in a 1/4-acre zoning district. The new house design, presented by architect Teo Sigüenza, while having a larger footprint, is for a single story house rather than the two-story house that was originally part of the subdivision application. Sigüenza said that house had been a generic design, while the new design is to meet Lueckerath’s specifications. Sigüenza explained that though the renderings he presented show a basement and attic level with windows, the basement only extends to a portion of the footprint, and the attic is only for mechanicals and its windows are strictly decorative.

Plans were presented for a drainage system that is to direct runoff to an area maintained by the town. But because the board was waiting to obtain additional information from Highway Superintendent Kevin Winn, the public hearing was adjourned.

On July 14 the hearing was reopened, with Sigüenza presenting a design that had been modified to reduce the overall size of the house and move it back from the road, toward the rear of the property. He showed a building coverage chart to display how the size of the structure was in keeping with the size of the lot, which is considerably larger than the others in the neighborhood.

The longstanding concerns regarding flooding and washing out of the unpaved portion of Hillside Avenue that runs through the property and down to Congdon Lane again arose, with one neighbor seeking clarification of how that had been resolved. The agreement that had been reached in 2022 regarding the status and maintenance of the gravel drive was reviewed; it called for the town to maintain the road and drainage system without taking ownership.

The board thanked the applicant for having listened to concerns about building size and location, drainage needs, and landscaping selection and placement, and modifying the plans accordingly. After going through the environmental review checklist, the board voted to issue simultaneous steep slopes and site plan approvals. It added conditions calling for answers to be provided for some unresolved questions from the town engineer, along with the specifics of the agreement involving the town Highway Department for road maintenance.