Mount Kisco village board approves land swap with developer

By MARTIN WILBUR

A land swap between Mount Kisco and the developer of seven proposed townhomes was unanimously approved by the Village Board on Monday evening, preserving a strip of environmentally sensitive land and making construction of the project more feasible.

A portion of the half-acre parcel on Lexington Avenue where seven townhouses have been proposed. MARTIN WILBUR PHOTO

The village and applicant CJ Developers LLC, engaged in the deal that would exchange 4,071 square feet of land toward the back of 461 Lexington Ave., bordering the Kisco River from the developer to the municipality. Another 4,046 square feet of rectangular-shaped village-owned land will be transferred to CJ Developers, which would better accommodate the project.

The full half-acre parcel is located between Le Tulipe Desserts and Mardino’s restaurant on Lexington Avenue.

Safe from development

Mayor J. Michael Cindrich said the trade would place the land that the village now owns into the Preservation District keeping it safe from future development while the new privately owned land conveyed to the developer would become part of the Commercial Zoning District that allows for multifamily development along Lexington Avenue under the zoning code. 

“The purpose of the conveyance is to allow the applicant to develop a portion of the property currently owned by the village and allow the village to obtain and protect an equal area of land so that it can become a larger portion of the larger open space corridor,” Cindrich said.

Eyesore no more?

The vacant property has been a longtime eyesore for the community, with it serving as a junkyard for a period of time. About 10 years ago, a proposal for an office building was submitted but the application fizzled and that land owner sold the property to CJ Developers in 2019. Before the swap, a construction yard would be a permissible use for the property in the CL-1 zone.

Village officials hope that construction of the townhomes could spur redevelopment along Lexington Avenue as envisioned in the 2019 Comprehensive Plan update.

Last month, the village’s Planning Board recommended the swap and switched the zoning for each piece of land.

Plans call for the seven townhomes to each measure about 1,800 square feet with a single-car garage. Late last year, the Planning Board issued a negative declaration, meaning the development would produce no significant adverse impacts. In February, the village’s Zoning Board of Appeals granted all needed variances.

While she didn’t oppose the transaction, Deputy Mayor Karen Schleimer said there has been confusion in the community because of the proliferation of signs along Lexington Avenue and Main Street that advertised the public hearing for the swap. Schleimer contended there are signs extending from Lexington Avenue to Cassidy-Flynn Funeral Home.

“People are concerned that we are rezoning more than just that small parcel,” she said.

Village Manager Ed Brancati explained that Mount Kisco’s ordinance requires signs for public hearings to be posted along any property frontage that is the subject of a hearing. 

If the frontage exceeds 200 feet, there must be a sign posted every 100 feet, he said. For this hearing, which opened July 20 and was closed Monday evening, there were three signs posted along Lexington Avenue and 12 on Main Street.

“There may be more signs due to other applications,” Brancati said. “The only signs that were put up were for our frontage as required by the code was along the frontage on Main Street for the village-owned property.”

The Planning Board must still grant site plan approval and wetlands and steep slope permits.