Planning Board Minutes - April 26, 2005

Minutes

Work Session of the Planning Board

Village/Town of Mount Kisco

Tuesday April 26, 2005

Meeting called to order at 8:00 p.m. Tuesday April 26, 2005 at the Municipal Building Mount Kisco, New York

Members Present: Joseph Cosentino

Anthony Sturniolo

Joseph Morreale

Stanley Bernstein

Doug Hertz

Members Absent: Ralph Vigliotti

Staff Present: Whitney Singleton

Nanette Bourne

Michael Stein

Chairman Cosentino opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance.

Public Hearing

Public Hearing

David Padget, Anthony Monteleone, counsels for the applicant, Joel Seligman, Michael Caruso, David Sours, architect, Donald Clinton.

Nanette Bourne:In anticipation of the number of residents in the village, in particular surrounding the hospital, coming out to tonight's meeting I thought it would be helpful for us to go through the basic SEQR process so they understand where we are and where the process is going. We are at the beginning stage of the proposed project and there is quite a bit that needs to take place in addressing a number of items by the time this project is ready for the Planning Board to take a vote to approve, modify or to deny. The first slide is an example of the number of steps that have to be considered by the Planning board in going through the SEQR process. Let me begin by saying the SEQR process stands for the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act. It a law that was adopted in 1975 and it requires that the Planning Board that has an approving authority to consider the environmental factors in the early stages of any project before they take any action. The next slide is the next stage of the process. If the board were to receive an application such as the one before them tonight for the Northern Westchester Hospital is to determine whether or not the action is subject to SEQR. In order to determine if it were subject to SEQR it is classified as a type 2, type 1, or unlisted.Type2 would be minor type home improvements. Type 1 would be the large projects, like the Northern Westchester Hospital plan or, unlisted which are projects that would fall between those two. The proposed project that is being considered tonight would be considered a type 1 action. The applicant completed an Environmental Assessment Form and submitted it to the Planning Board and this environmental assessment or EAF just outlines some of the characteristics and the details of the project. The Planning Board made a decision to coordinate the review for this particular project; and what that means is that in addition to the Planning Board approval, a number of permits are required. For instance New York City Department of Environmental Protection will be required to provide a permit to consider storm water and water quality. What the Planning Board has decided to do is to act as the lead agency to act as the coordinating body and to consider all of the interested issues that are of interest to these other agencies. They will coordinate the review for the SEQR process. The next step is for the Planning Board to determine the significance. They consider the potential adverse environmental impact that the proposed action could have on the environment. They understand enough about the project to come to the conclusion that if there is no adverse environmental impact they would have given it a negative declaration. Another possibility is the conditional negative declaration. The third is a positive declaration which is what the Planning Board determined. A positive Declaration briefly states that there is a potential because of the size of the scope of the project for there to be a potentially adverse environmental impact and a more detailed analysis of the proposed action to be conducted. As a result they have requested that the applicant prepare a draft environmental impact statement. The first step that the Planning Board required in this DEIS process was that they asked the applicant to submit a scoping of the DEIS. The scoping is merely an outline of the issues that they think need to be included and the methodology or the way those issues are going to be analyzed. Going back to the scoping. The applicant submitted this draft scoping, the Planning Board reviewed the draft scoping made numerous comments, changes and modified it so that the scoping document that is before them tonight still in the draft form. It includes Planning Board comments and it is the subject of the Public Meeting tonight and the Planning Board is hoping to hear from you as to the adequacy of the scope to make sure that all issues and items will be included. So that when seeing the document that is produced drafted DEIS it reflects the issues that is of interest of the community. The applicant will prepare the draft DEIS they will submit a preliminary DEIS to the planning Board. The Planning Board will review it and make sure that it is has covered all the items in the scoping document and it will not be accepted until the board determines that it comprehensive. Once the Planning Board accepts the draft DEIS as completed doesn't mean that the DEIS or the project is approved. It just means that the document is readable it is accurate and reflects the project and is suitable for public review. The DEIS once it is accepted will be circulated to the public again so that you have a chance to review it. There will be a public hearing that you will be invited back to make any comments any areas where you think have not been fully evaluated. Issues that you think have been ignored. Or other concerns that you have regarding the project. Those comments that the public and other agencies make will be presented in an oral form, which will come to the Planning Board again at the public hearing. Some people will make written comments and all of those comments will be combined in and the applicant will have to respond to each question issued that is raised by the public. That will be included in what is called a final environmental impact statement. The final environmental impact statement will include the draft DEIS it will include your comments and it will include all of the Planning Board who is serving as lead agency all of their responses. That final DEIS will be circulated for your review and after about ten days the Planning Board will then make findings. The findings will be the summary of the Planning Board's consideration of the entire project. It will come to some conclusions as to whether or not the applicant has identified all potentially adverse impacts and whether or not the applicant has addressed or mitigated them to the satisfaction of the Planning Board. At this point the SEQR process will be concluded and will be at the end of the process and that point the Planning Board will then consider the site plan and the zoning changes that the applicant is proposing. It won't be until the SEQR process is concluded that the Planning Board will be able to approve modify or deny the project and the proposed zoning. There are copies of the SEQR process that Michelle has put on the table if you would like to look at it. If you have any questions please feel free to ask.

Chairman Cosentino: What I am going to do now is, we have a sign up sheet and we are going to hear from Richard and Pat Visconte. You had some questions that need addressing.

Richard Visconte: We do not have any questions we just thought that you had to sign in.

Nanette Bourne: The applicant was going to do a presentation.

Chairman Cosentino: There are only few people here. Alright if you want to do that. The sign up sheet shows that someone wanted to speak. That is not a problem. Is there anybody that wanted to speak on behalf of the hospital? One, why don't you come up. Make your presentation since there is only one.

David Padget: The presentation will be made by Donald Clinton the architect.

Donald Clinton: I will be brief, the board and many members of the public have seen this presentation. We are planning at the board's request the long range growth of the hospital over the next ten-to- fifteen years. We have prepared this master plan submitted it to the board and it is on the basis of that master plan that we are submitting a scope to the DEIS tonight. The hospital today sits on the edge Main Street at the foot of South Bedford Road. Most of the site is paved as parking lot today. The goal is for the hospital is to grow as in a new emergency room uses up some parking space. There is parking space for new use. The plan that we had developed for the first time in Mount Kisco would be using parking garages. We see that as a plus because we will be able to liberate more of the site for landscaping as a result of that. The plan you see today has parking surrounding the site and the plan that we are proposing for the hospital is removing most of the parking in front of the hospital. It allows the hospital to grow at the north end where presently there is a Cancer Center under construction at the hospital. It would allow two additional floors on top of that building. Then it would allow a medical office building set back from Main Street and then tucked in between those buildings is the first parking garage. It's five levels partly below grade partly above grade and then set back from Moore Ave 30 feet and then stepped away from Moore Ave. Steps first it is four stories and then it five further in. Then the northern part of the hospital there are no other significant changes. At the southern part of the hospital there is a new emergency room plan. It is an expansion of the existing emergency room. It would have the capacity to handle ambulances. One of the most important things that we are doing in that we are creating a route from Moore Ave around to South Bedford and to Main Street so that ambulances have two ways into the hospital. Today there is an emergency entrance from St. Marks Place into the parking lot for ambulances to get into the hospital. It is a gated entrance, which would not be required in the future as a result of this new road. In the long term master plan there is also plans for a garage at the south end. For that it is also tucked into the site and set back in this case 60 feet from St. Marks Place. The retail that is on the corner of St. Marks Place and South Main Street would be retained. That retail except for Conte's Restaurant belongs to the hospital but would be kept as retail services for the local community. In the long term there would be some additional space built in back of the hospital, an oncology wing and other clinical support wings at the back. As you know the hospital is seven stories today and it was planned originally for fourteen stories. I believe the elevator buttons actually have that on in the elevator cab. The plan is not to add to the height of the hospital but to add two stories to a wing at the back where it is low. So that the wing instead of just being two wings there would be a third wing. That is in the long term future of the project. Now just to put the phasing in context. The first phase is construction of the garage at the north end and a medical office building, construction of one the floors on top the current Cancer Center that is currently under construction. There would be one extension oncology floor that would be added at the back of the hospital. The road would be built that I described going along the back of the hospital. In the south the parking lot that is there today has sitting in it a small office building, that office building would be demolished. The parking lot would be organized better landscaped so that it would be able to hold more cars and also be easy to circulate and find your way around. That is essentially the scope of the first phase. In addition to that for you come in today it is confusing as to two entrances. There is a main entrance and then there is the emergency room entrance. In this case we would make the main entrance would now be under the hospital major ambulatory care out patient visiting part of the hospital would be at the north end with the medical office building was. Then there would be a connection to the hospital from that medical office building. It would begin to be more organized as a site that when you are coming just for the day or as an out patient you would go to the north end of the site and if you are an inpatient or visiting an inpatient you would go to the south end of the site. It would be less confusing than it is today. This is in broad terms the master plan of the hospital. I would be happy to answer any questions.

Chris Visconti: Did you say that gate would remain closed on St. Marks?

Donald Clinton: It would be eliminated.

Chris Visconti: So there would no entrance.

Donald Clinton: Down where the entrance that comes in to the back of Conte's that would remain as a driveway. The driveway that is farther up and goes into the parking lot would be eliminated.

Eduardo Oliveria: I am asking about this entrance.

Donald Clinton: This is a two family residential. The hospital in the early stages of our master planning worked for the hospital. There was no question as to what is to be done here. In fact at one point the hospital contemplated building parking there. We worked very hard on this and the thinking about this was there was a need in the long term for residential use for the hospital for nurses or doctors to be on staff that they have there. The board essentially said we are not in the business, we are in the hospital business we own these buildings we use them for our staff. We use this housing for our staff. One of the things that we are doing in the rezoning action is we are changing that parcel which is zone H for hospital back to a residential zone. So the intention is that Boltis would remain a residential zoning and residential use.

Eduardo Oliveria: This entrance will affect the people here today.

Donald Clinton: There will be no entrances.

Eduardo Oliveria: Whatever ambulances go by will affect the people there. That is my concern is the ambulances. It is a nice quiet neighborhood as soon as this is built we lose all of that privilege.

Donald Clinton: One of the things that we are attempting to do in the site plan is to buffer that road from Boltis Street.

Eduardo Oliveria: The noises will be heard.

Donald Clinton: We did make a determination that we were not creating any driveways or change the condition along this stretch of road.

Chairman Cosentino: Is there anyone else?

Kitty Vilkas: I also live across the street. Is it possible for us to get any copies of this as residents of the area?

Chairman Cosentino: I don't know if they have any.

Kitty Vilkas: I would like to study it a little bit more. Living right across the street from all of this we are all very concerned about what is going to happen to our property values and our own lifestyles. Thank you. It would be wonderful if we could get that.

Donald Clinton: All I can say in response to these concerns is that it was one of the first planning issues that we raised with the hospital, is what the appropriate thing to do. Essentially we are seeking to leave it untouched.

Kitty Vilkas: I like the fact that there is a nice swatch of green there to look at.

Pat Reilly: I just want to make a few comments. For this present Planning Board and for the previous Planning Board. I just want the residents to be aware of how hard they have worked. They're not yes people; they have worked for about five years on this project. When the Village of Mount Kisco was doing its master plan and that was a very important gesture for the village to do. The village purposely left out two areas, because we felt they were so complex that it would prohibit the master plan from completed in a timely fashion. So they left the Grand Union property, which is the biggest piece of property and the hospital property because the hospital at that time did not have their master plan. Something unique happened, I believe it was one of the first times that the Village of Mount Kisco sat down and almost worked step by step with an applicant. What I mean is again it wasn't a yes yes ok we want to give it to you. It was more of what does the village want and does the village feel was very important to protect our community. At the same time realizing that the hospital had to grow, had to change. The purpose of the hospital had changed greatly and so there was a meeting of the minds. They met almost weekly or every other week. That included the Planning Board and including our own building department our building inspector. It was a unique happening for the Village of mount Kisco. We all know how important the hospital is. It is very important to the Village of Mount Kisco. I am very proud of what has happened to this point. With the hospital and the Planning Board and the Village has worked so closely together. I know some of you here are from the area especially Boltis Street and I know why you would be concerned. Believe me from day one and I did when I was Mayor I did come to every Planning Board meeting. So I enjoyed watching this whole process happen. That was one of the biggest considerations especially on the Planning Board side. We don't want to have influx of high rise on our residential streets. Especially Boltis Street. So that was always one of the planning projects that both the hospital and the village tried to work out. I didn't realize that the residents part, as they explained the roadway for the hospital will be within the campus. So it won't be going in and out all over the place. It will be within the campus. I feel that I know if I lived on Boltis Street I would be concerned too. I would not want to see a high rise right across the street from me. Believe me they are making, their buffer is much bigger than what is demanded. I just want to congratulate both the hospital and the Planning Board because it has been a long time and it certainly is not finished yet and it still going to be a long time. I just wanted to reassure you that the village from day one wanted the best for the residents. We have a hospital and we want to do what is best for the hospital also. I just wanted to make that statement. Thank you very much.

Evan Lerner: How many current parking spots are there now and how many are planned?

Donald Clinton: There are 791 today and 1262 planned. This is when both garages are built.

Evan Lerner: At the north end parking lot that is the five square structures?

Donald Clinton: It is 649.

Evan Lerner: Would that be the tallest structure in the main part of Mount Kisco?

Donald Clinton: No the hospital itself is the tallest structure.

Evan Lerner: Baring the hospital do you know what the next tallest structure is?

Donald Clinton: Actually the building across the street is taller. This office building across the street is taller. This is three stories on a basement, the office building. The garage behind it is actually lower than that. The garage floor plates are not the same height as a normal office floor plates. It is not a tall building.

Doug Hertz: Let me just clarify, we have talked about five levels. Is it five levels above ground?

Donald Clinton: It is five levels entirely. It goes about a level and half down into the ground.

Doug Hertz: So about three and half levels above grade?

Donald Clinton: Moore Ave. slopes. The conditions vary. It is more on the ground at the Main Street end.

Chairman Cosentino: Is there anybody else? Those of you that came tonight I thank you and appreciate it, for your input. I hope you have learned more about what is going on, because that is what these comments were all about. They will be before us many more times. It is an open meeting and you are welcome to come and be part of the process. Nanette do we want to go to the scoping?

Nanette Bourne: What I would recommend is that you consider the comments that were raised tonight. Then the scoping outline should be on for your meeting. Then you can make whatever revisions you would like. Incorporate any comments as well.

Anthony Sturniolo: Should we also keep the written comment period open?

Nanette Bourne: There is no formal written comment period because it is not a public hearing. If anybody has anything further they can add.

Chairman Cosentino: This letter from one of the residents and I want it on record from Captain Merrits Hill. There are ten signatures and they are concerned about the traffic on St. Marks Street, Boltis Street and also Marion Avenue and what it would do to Rt. 133. I am going to make this part of the record.

Mary Smith: Will we be notified of any future meetings?

Chairman Cosentino: They will be on the agendas.

Whitney Singleton: Even if when there is future public hearings there will be notice. Going forward on the applicants coming in it would something upon you to check the agenda here online on the village web site or here at village hall as far as future meeting dates. If you want to call the building department to verify the agenda you are certainly welcome to do that.

Anthony Monteleone: Just before closing the public comment the president of the hospital would like to make a few comments.

Joel Seligman: I just want to thank the Planning Board for their continued cooperation and working together with us. I also want to reassure that is has been our intent to be as communicative as possible about our plans. About three or four months ago we held a series of open houses to the best of my knowledge we invited everybody that lived in Mount Kisco to come in and look at the plans and talk about them in detail. I believe they are also on file in the library. If you did not get that invitation we invite you over to walk through with us. We can learn something and you can learn something. There is no intent from any of us to conceal this. This is public process that we want supported. I thank the board for its support and for caring so much.

Anthony Sturniolo: The folks who are interested in getting a copy of the plan that were discussed before. John and Tony if you could make additional copies of that available and deliver them to Nancy who is the secretary of the Planning Board so those of you folks who wish to have a copy you can see Nancy Placona in the building department she will have them for you.

Mary Smith: Do we have to pay for them?

Anthony Sturniolo: No.

Mary Smith: I had to pay for this.

Chairman Cosentino: You had to pay for what?

Mary Smith: This thing, the revised draft scope.

Nancy Placona: Mrs. Smith came in and requested a copy and procedure is there is a charge for copies to cover the cost of the paper.

Anthony Monteleone: We will make copies available to the village and the residents at no cost.

Anthony Sturniolo: How much did you have to pay for that?

Nancy Placona: It was .25 a page and she requested three copies. It totaled $12.00.

Chairman Cosentino: We will reimburse you.

Mary Smith: You will?

Anthony Sturniolo: Absolutely.

Chairman Cosentino: We will reimburse you.

Mary Smith: Maybe.

Chairman Cosentino: I will do it personally. I will make sure you get it.

Mary Smith: Thank you.

David Padget: I just wanted to say thank you and we will see you at the next meeting with respect to the adoption of the scope.

David Sessions, Don Murphy, Eric Kaeyer, Architect, Sean Coughlin, Rich Stavridis.

Nanette Bourne: The next is the Premier Collection. They are two one being a public hearing on a Permit Disturbance to Natural Sensitive Areas and they are also on continuing review to seek material that we had spoken about a few meetings ago. I suggest that we combine the two. So all you have to do here is ask for comments and or hold it over.

Chairman Cosentino: The next public hearing is the Premier Collection. Is there anybody in the audience that would like to make comment? This is for Disturbance of Natural Sensitive Areas. Since there is nobody we will keep it open for ten days for written comment.

Doug Hertz: I make that motion to close this part of the public hearing but keep it open for written comment.

Anthony Sturniolo: On the question. For the record there is a public notice that we all have a copy of that refers to the comments pertaining to the natural resource disturbance permit application for the Premier Collection two existing parcels of land etc. at 250 Kisco Avenue. This is in receipt and documented.

Chairman Cosentino: We have a motion. Do we have a second?

Joseph Morreale: Second.

Chairman Cosentino: The second by Dr. Morreale, the motion made by Mr... Hertz. Secretary poll the board.

Board All Ayes.

Nanette Bourne: Michelle Robbins is prepared to discuss the items that are set before you.

Michelle Robbins: What I gave you was prepared by the applicant and the specs for the lights would be the outdoor lights on the site. These would be 12 foot poles.

Eric Kaeyer: It is a combination of 5 and 12 foot poles.

Michelle Robbins: You asked that the applicant show prepare lighting simulation that showed the mock of what the building would look like lit at night. From the vantage point I believe from Burger King. First one shows the Curtis instrument in the corner. This is a farther away view. This is unshielded lighting fixtures. The lighting simulation shows unshielded lighting fixtures because when we did the mock up with the shielded lighting fixtures you couldn't see them. We wanted to show you what they would look like unshielded. All lights would be shielded. This building is showing the interior light of the offices with two lights on.

Eric Kaeyer: Two by four light fixtures per office.

Michelle Robbins: They will all turn off at closing. This is the worst case scenario. This is a close up view.

Doug Hertz: Did you also prepare as we had requested from Kisco Avenue. We talked about two elevations, one from across the valley and one that was looking up.

Sean Coughlin: My recollection that we never decided on the second location. You were to let us know.

Doug Hertz: The only location we specified was Kisco Avenue. The second location across the valley was to be determined.

Nanette Bourne: We provided a couple different computer simulations models that gave us a direction of where to go. In looking at some of the preliminary conclusions it not shows on some of these computer simulations from Kisco Avenue. With the lights shielded you couldn't see any of the building. So what happens with the simulation you look up there and you would just see black.

Michelle Robbins: The fixture specified on the sheet is a full cut off fixture.

Doug Hertz: Because the site is obviously higher than Kisco, if you are walking or driving along Kisco Ave are you going to be looking up into these? Is the placement of the fixtures such that you are going to be basically looking up into the face of the fixture even though it is full cut off. Full cut is 8 feet below.

Eric Kaeyer: The difference would be if you look at these fixtures up here in the ceiling. If you are looking at this angle the intensity of the light fixture verses if you are looking this way. That these are cut off so when you see the bulb perhaps then you will get the intensity of the light.

Nanette Bourne: The computer simulation was not going to show.

Doug Hertz: We talked extensively about placement of night lighting; emergency lighting within the building. When it was turned off at night we would minimize or eliminate a glowing in that space. How successful is that going to be?

Eric Kaeyer: On the second floor emergency lighting, only required is the corridors space. We have solid walls in the offices which is different from Curtis. Curtis actually has open office space upstairs. So where you see lights coming through there that maybe office lighting it may be night lighting we can't tell. In our case where we have solid walls between the corridor and the offices, the office lights are off you are not getting the emergency lighting on the second floor at all. We actually did this rendering originally with all the lights off upstairs and thought that was kind of silly because you couldn't even see the building at all.

Doug Hertz: What about in the showroom space? We had talked about positions.

Eric Kaeyer: Here again in terms of the emergency lighting we talked about the emergency lighting actually being in the waiting area which is in between the two showrooms. There is a solid wall there as well. So you are going to get a little bit of a glow up there. I can't say that you're not going to get a little bit of a glow. We don't need to have emergency lighting in the showroom. We can have it in the area behind, which would light towards the entrance which is not the Kisco Ave. side it is the other side of the building. A lot of that elevation also what we referred to as spandrel glass which is solid. It is opaque glass, because there is a whole parts department in between the service and the showroom. That is opaque glass so even if the lights are on inside you don't see through it, it is a solid wall.

Doug Hertz: The area right on Kisco Ave., the vehicle display area. How are those lit?

Eric Kaeyer: That is a fixture that is a little complicated. It is stuck into the ground shining up at the vehicle. When we were doing the photometric if you look at the drawing it shows zero because there is actually no light on the ground it is only a spot light on the vehicle itself.

Doug Hertz: We'll be limited to our maximum illumination for say signage and five foot candles at the face of the vehicle?

Michelle Robbins: You actually see it over at the Volvo dealership. The exact same type of lighting that they were proposing for this particular sight is currently in existence at the Volvo dealership right now.

Anthony Sturniolo: What is it? A bar type fixture?

Eric Kaeyer: Upward landscape lighting.

Doug Hertz: Those are all pretty close to the light.

Chairman Cosentino: Mr. Vigliotti is not here tonight he had surgery and he asked that we deliver a message and put it on record for him. He stated that he had some negative concerns about the cars at the bottom here and here. His concerns were having the displays at the bottom there and I just wanted to bring that up.

Eric Kaeyer: We reduced several cars that were down there. When we first did the site walk I remember we had about twelve and we currently have seven or eight. We eliminated 30%.

David Sessions: Along the display area here we had another display area over here.

Chairman Cosentino: I think one of his concerns, and I need to bring them up for the record, was that is other agencies such as Toyota or whatever wanted to put a rack outside for display and if we allow that here what would we do in a situation like that? I think the town certainly would be flooded with displays out in front of the agencies.

Sean Coughlin: If I could possibly address that. Florida is the best place I can think of to talk about that they actually have displays of the cars up in the air that you can see underneath and designed to show the suspension designed to show articulation, that is not what we are trying to do here. What we are trying to do is create a very tasteful display using some of the natural landscaping in place already, hopefully enhancing with flowers and landscape lighting to make it an attractive tasteful view of the cars. The same way we did it at Mt. Kisco Volvo where there is a display right out on the road. It is by no shape or form a display ramp it is hopefully a tasteful way to show one of our vehicles.

Anthony Sturniolo: The difference that we see with the Volvo it is a single car on a flat display. Basically behind it is a parking lot with cars. Here because it is green on the side and all the up it's a natural hillside. You expect to see cars on display in a black top parking lot environment. Then you start to place these cars in basically an un-natural setting when you start to take a natural state and carve it up into un-natural state by putting cars in. I don't believe the relationship of the cars to the sloping hillside visually enhances Mt. Kisco. That is my personal thought.

Sean Coughlin: It certainly compared to across the street Toyota where they have the cars lined up along the road.

Anthony Sturniolo: I am not using that as a benchmark by any means. This somewhat unique and those are my thoughts Mr. Chairman.

Chairman Cosentino: Does anybody else have any comments?

Stanley Bernstein: The word tasteful is basically is in the eyes of the beholder. This particular beholder doesn't think it is tasteful. I don't like to see a hunk of iron mixed in among trees and flowers and shrubs. I don't like it.

Joseph Morreale: I have a different point in that we walked on Saturday and realized that there is a like hood that cars are going to pull off. People would get out and go look at them. This is a very busy street and a major intersection and lots of traffic. We really think that could be hazardous in the safety issues.

Sean Coughlin: I think it would be more likely that they would pull into our driveway. I can't imagine a car stopping on Kisco Avenue any more than they do for the Volvo store any more than they do for currently.

Rich Stavridis: They are set back there and it's not as if they are going to climb out and go up there. It's not a normal situation that is for sure.

Joseph Morreale: I am not sure of that. To get to see any of it especially the ones in the front you can't go up the driveway. It is much simpler to pull off the road park your car and walk the hill. That is the whole issue.

David Sessions: We presented at he beginning I think we had a dozen or more cars displayed out there. These are the same concerns that we heard a year or so ago. The board walked the site and I don't want to put words in the mouth. I think the board was relatively surprised that open some of the areas were and how far set back the area was from the road. We listened to your concerns and we cut out more than 50% of the display area along the road and some going up the driveway. Quite frankly I don't think we've heard any comments for the last four or five meetings on that. I am surprised to hear it now.

Chairman Cosentino: Every member is entitled to voice an opinion.

Davis Sessions: We are trying to meet you half way.

Anthony Sturniolo: We did a site visit and looked at it and these are the comments you're hearing now.

Chairman Cosentino: Does anyone else have any comments?

Doug Hertz: I would like to go with Dr. Morreale's concern. I drive down this road constantly I agree that it could invite some traffic issues. People turning their heads to stop and look. I understand what your point is. The fact is it is in harms way I think the display is done and I don't have any disagreement with the setting. The number of cars, the size and placement it is definitely concerning. I joined the board after that site visit so I was not there on that visit. It certainly is a concern of mine.

Chairman Cosentino: We were there on Saturday to see how it looks. There was a concern because of people pulling along side of the sidewalk and parking the car getting out looking at the cars. It is a major roadway there. I don't know what the board's pleasure is.

Eric Kaeyer: Why would that be any more of an issue in terms of somebody stopping to see these cars as opposed to stopping across the street to look at the cars across the street. This is a typical way of showing off cars.

Anthony Sturniolo: No because of the spot to stop and look.

Eric Kaeyer: Is there an easier spot across the street?

Anthony Sturniolo: No.

Eric Kaeyer: I guess in terms of setting precedent this is not a typical car dealership site in the fact that it is 40 feet up to the showroom. For people to know and see that this is a car dealership we would like to show off a few pieces of our merchandise. Where most other dealerships get to show their entire inventory and you see their entire inventory and you see the entire parking lot. As Sean Coughlin said we are trying to do this in a tasteful way where we can show off a few cars and still let people know that this is a car dealership. If this wasn't fifty feet up in the air we wouldn't have to do this at all.

Sean Coughlin: I would be willing to stipulate that if it became a problem if we had an issue of stopping on the street I would be willing to discuss and I am comfortable that enough that it won't happen.

Anthony Sturniolo: Going back to the typical site. Because it is that and you believe you need the display area down at the bottom because you can't see a display area up top. The concerns the commitment and the dedication that this board has to the overall look and quality of life in Mt. Kisco should not be compromised because you choose a site that you can't traditionally display cars on. As opposed to somewhere else where the cars and office complex are all on the same plane.

Sean Coughlin: I would agree with that, but I would like to point out to the board that every other automobile retailer in town has cars displayed along their frontline. We are not asking for something that is unusual in putting cars somewhere close to the road.

Anthony Sturniolo: This is different because of the heavily wooded setting that is in and metallic cars don't grow on dogwood trees. Metallic cars coexist with blacktop.

Doug Hertz: I think also the number. Seven or eight cars is not a single car like in front of Volvo dealership.

Sean Coughlin: It is many times wider, much more frontage. If Mt. Kisco Volvo had more frontages we probably would have asked at that point for more cars over there. It is very narrow site.

Anthony Sturniolo: At the risk of repeating myself, then you have the amount of cars right behind the sole display car on the raised berm. Here cars are in the middle.

Rich Stavridis: You are saying that everybody else is doing it on asphalt you would think you would want this as opposed to the asphalt.

Anthony Sturniolo: I want to preserve the greenery.

Sean Coughlin: Most other automobile retailers in town haven't done any greenery in their displays at all.

Anthony Sturniolo: Correct, but this is green right now and this is the application in front of us as I started talking before, this is one member and this is my feelings about this.

Chairman Cosentino: I guess the board has a problem with it. Something has to be done.

John Aarons: Is the board ready to act on the site plan except for this issue?

Chairman Cosentino: I am not sure.

John Aarons: If that is the only issue left then I would ask that we see if we can reach a resolution at this point.

Anthony Sturniolo: Amongst yourselves. Re-think it and come back at a later date.

Sean Coughlin: That is what we are trying not to do.

John Aarons: We are trying to get beyond it tonight. That is why I asked if there were any other issues.

Chairman Cosentino: You have heard the board. This is a continuing review.

Anthony Sturniolo: We obviously discuss Mike Stein's concerns.

Michael Stein: I worked everything out with Dave Sessions from Kellard. We had addressed all our comments. One thing: while driving by Mt. Kisco Commons site, I saw all the torn-up gravel pave. I just raise the question and the board might want to consider since over at Mt. Kisco Commons gravel pave was an issue do we want them to do the similar and change the gravel pave to the same paving unit they are using behind the Elephant's Trunk?

Anthony Sturniolo: That may be a question not answered tonight because of the gravity and impact with what we are currently discussing.

Nanette Bourne: The issues with the gravel pave because and I am looking at Dave because we were reluctant at the outlet center.

David Sessions: The reason why it wasn't successful at the Outlet Center and the main reason is the center was open in October and they put sod sown in October. The cold weather set in and it didn't have an opportunity to set and bind and grow. Tractors ran over it and ripped the sod up. Quite frankly it looked horrible. Had it been put in, in the spring during the growing season it would have probably matted down.

Nanette Bourne: Do you see this comparable with the Elephant's Trunk? Take the same material here does it matter?

David Sessions: I have used gravel pave probably a dozen times in other communities and grass pave works fine. It is the timing. The timing that it was put down that was the problem.

Michael Stein: The other thing all the truck deliveries were done on site. The tractor trailer where it turned around would be along the edge of the gravel pave. That may cause it to rut up more.

Nanette Bourne: So it would be a repeat performance of the outlet center.

Michael Stein: So if we are then looking at the paver unit, the gravel may prevent something like that.

Sean Coughlin: I would say we are going to end up with a lot less tractor-trailer traffic, than Target did.

Michael Stein: You are still going to have the truck backing up into the area to unload the vehicles. You are still going to have a tractor-trailer up there with a heavy cargo. That is part of what caused the prob