=== EXECUTIVE BRIEF === • Approved amended site plan for 25 South Riverside Avenue multifamily building • Required neighbor-agreed arborvitae plantings to be documented on final plans • Required wall certification before certificate of occupancy • Added condition requiring vine or similar plantings to green the rear retaining wall, to be included in landscape documentation • Agreed to draft memo to Village Board of Trustees expressing reservations about alternate member proposal, suggesting it may be more appropriate for Zoning Board than Planning Board
A speaker addresses the board during a meeting.
A speaker addresses the board during a meeting.
"If anybody needed alternatives, it would be the village board because of absenteeism on the village board, which is frequent and chronic." 34:29▶ That was resident Ed, addressing the Planning Board Tuesday night during a public hearing on a proposal to add alternate members to both the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals. His comments landed like a thunderclap in an otherwise routine evening — and the board largely agreed with him. The proposal, introduced by Deputy Mayor Len Simon, would let the Village Board appoint one alternate to each body for a one-year term. The alternate would sit through every meeting but only vote when a regular member was absent. Simon pointed out that most surrounding communities already do this. But board members pushed back hard. One member called it "a solution looking for a problem," noting the board rarely misses a quorum. Another worried an alternate who could ask questions but couldn't vote might "steer the discussion" without being accountable. The board also raised concerns about losing institutional memory with one-year appointments and whether alternates would be required to complete the same continuing education as full members. 28:30▶ The board agreed to draft a memo to the Village Board of Trustees outlining its reservations — and specifically noting that while the Zoning Board might benefit from alternates (since it needs three of five votes to pass anything, compared to simple majority here), the Planning Board does not. Before the fireworks, the board handled a quieter matter: amended plans for the three-story multifamily building at 25 South Riverside Avenue. Developer Ralph Rossi and Phil Spagnoli returned with updated landscaping that replaces a massive concrete handicap ramp at the front with sloped green space and a wheelchair lift. They also agreed to plant eight-to-ten-foot arborvitae along the rear property line after meeting with affected neighbors. One board member successfully pushed to add a condition requiring vine or similar plantings to soften the rear retaining wall — a detail not originally in the plan but roundly supported. "We try to augment even if we don't have to," Rossi said. 6:00▶ Ironically, nobody from the public showed up to speak on the amended plans — despite a blistering email from neighbor Lauren Davis of 14 Hamilton calling the project "a done deal" from the start, complaining about dust and vibrations in her home, and arguing neighbors weren't given adequate time to review changes. The board noted the amendments actually addressed front-of-property aesthetics and neighbor-requested screening, not the concerns raised in the email. Rossi said planting would begin in a few weeks, with residents potentially moving in by early December. What to watch for: The Planning Board's memo on the alternate member proposal will be circulated for board review before heading to the Village Board of Trustees. Construction at 25 South Riverside Avenue is expected to wrap by November, with landscaping underway within weeks.
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