Plan for new apartments in Katonah revised

Illustration depicts an aerial view of the planned apartment building at 150 Bedford Road and the surrounding area. Courtesy of THE HELMES GROUP

By JEFF MORRIS

A revised proposal for a 15-unit apartment building in Katonah came before the Planning Board on Monday, Dec. 8.

The plan was first introduced to the board in May. This week, architect Steven Helmes of the Helmes Group presented an overview of the plan for 150 Bedford Road on behalf of 150 Bedford Road LLC, whose principal partner is Jamie Provenzano.

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 a commercial building, immediately to the south of which is another 13-unit apartment building at 156 Bedford Road, known as The Mark. That building is, in turn, just north of the headquarters of the Katonah Bedford Hills Volunteer Ambulance Corps.

Helmes characterized what had been altered in the plan as “minor changes.” He said it was still a 15-unit building with three stories and a gambrel-style pitched roof. Plans call for six two-bedroom and nine one-bedroom units, including three units characterized as affordable, complying with town code requiring 20% of the units be affordable. Parking will be in the rear of the property.

“We basically flipped the building on the site,” Helmes said. “That allowed us to pick up a little additional parking.” 

Helmes also noted his client has interests in the adjoining Arroway property at 140 Bedford Road. 

“This way, this building will tie in to that complex when that gets developed in the near future,” he said. “They’re going to remain at its present use right now, but we’re looking at studies to develop that property, working with that footprint — that scale of the building, not adding anything, just trying to enhance that tired-looking building at 140.”

According to Helmes, they also went back to the fire department, which is on board with flipping the building, for accessibility; they also pushed the building back so it lines up with the building to the south, which he said was “better for the streetscape.” 

The plan will require there be some grading work, Helmes said, with a retaining wall being built to level it out a bit, so the parking will be at about a 5% slope.

Engineer Ralph Mastromonaco said his firm had completed a stormwater pollution prevention plan that has not yet been submitted, because the building plans are still preliminary, but he would be ready to submit it as soon as the board was ready to schedule a public hearing. He said he did not think the builders will need to disturb the entire property during construction, and the lower part of the property will be developed after the building is completed.

In May, Helmes had said the building required two variances from the Zoning Board of Appeals, for a 4,600-square-foot footprint in a district where 4,000 square feet is permitted, and a two parking spot deficiency. The proposal went before the ZBA in June, but it was made clear the board would not be able to make any decisions until the Planning Board declared itself as lead agency for the application. Nonetheless, that board engaged in discussions regarding the need for traffic management in that section of Katonah, and the impact of the building on the streetscape. Files on the town website include four letters from residents of nearby Orchard Lane and Sunrise Avenue, which were referenced at the ZBA meeting. The letters voiced the same strong objections to granting any variances that had been expressed in 2023 regarding the apartment building then planned for 156 Bedford Road, citing worries about traffic, congestion and the changing character of the neighborhood.

One Sunrise Avenue resident appeared in person at the ZBA meeting to express his concerns. He noted that the building at 156, though completed, did not yet have any tenants, so its impact could not be assessed. He was advised to also appear before the Planning Board when it holds hearings. 

At Monday’s meeting, board members asked Helmes some specific questions regarding details, such as whether the elevator will meet emergency responder requirements for stretchers, and he said he would check. Helmes asked whether they would need to do a traffic study, or if the one that was done for the building at 156 was sufficient. Chair Deirdre Courtney-Batson said she thought a new one would be needed, as traffic remains a major concern. 

The Planning Board voted to declare itself the lead agency, which resulted in the start of a 30-day period during which other agencies can review the declaration and comment. Courtney-Batson said she would like to save the bulk of discussion for when they hold a public hearing, which cannot be scheduled until after the 30-day period. The board told Helmes they would see him again once that period is up.