📐 Planning Board
Board Approves Steel Lift For Riverside Avenue Building
The Croton Planning Board voted 5-0 to approve an amended site plan for a three-story multi-family building at 25 South Riverside Ave, replacing a concrete ADA ramp with a steel lift and requiring landscaping improvements. The board also reviewed a draft local law to add alternate members to the Planning Board and ZBA, raising concerns about the proposal's necessity.
◆ Key Actions & Decisions
- **Resolutions Passed**
- Approval of Amended Site Plan for Croton Riverside, LLC at 21-27 South Riverside Ave (Tax Map 78.8-5-43). Vote: 5-0. Modifies retaining wall geometry, replaces a large concrete ADA ramp with a steel ADA lift, and requires updated landscaping including 8-10 foot arborvitaes near Barton Place and ivy on the rear retaining wall. Requires retaining wall certification prior to Certificate of Occupancy.
- Approval of September 16, 2025 meeting minutes (as amended). Vote: 4-0-1 (Steve Krisky abstained due to absence).
- **Resolutions Failed**
- None.
- **Applications Reviewed**
- *Croton Riverside, LLC — 25 South Riverside Ave:* Amended Site Plan for a three-story multi-family building. A public hearing was opened (5-0) and closed (5-0) with no oral public comments, though a letter from neighbor Lauren Davis regarding rear-of-building concerns was acknowledged. The board clarified her concerns pertained to the previously approved rear, not the current front-facing amendments.
- *Draft Local Law Introductory No. 14 of 2025:* Referred by the Village Board of Trustees to review a proposal allowing the appointment of alternate members to the Planning Board and ZBA for one-year terms. The Planning Board raised concerns about alternates potentially steering discussions without voting, noted their historically high attendance, and suggested alternates might be more necessary for other boards. No vote was taken; feedback will be returned to the Trustees.
- **Public Comments**
- Ed Riely of Truesdale Drive: Spoke regarding Local Law No. 14, suggesting it would be more appropriate to appoint alternate members to the Village Board of Trustees rather than the Planning Board, noting his respect for the Planning Board's judicial temperament.
- **Reports**
- *Parkland Fees Memo:* The Planning Board reviewed a draft memo to the Board of Trustees requesting a waiver of parkland fees for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) to ensure consistency with accessory apartments.
- *Meeting Schedule Change:* The Village Manager requested the Planning Board consider moving meetings from the first and third Tuesdays to the second and fourth Tuesdays to accommodate the planning consultant and legal counsel. The board agreed in principle, pending coordination with other Village boards' schedules.
A proposed three-story multi-family building on South Riverside Avenue moved forward this week, as the Croton Planning Board unanimously approved an amended site plan that swaps out a bulky concrete ramp for a more streamlined entrance.
By a 5-0 vote on Tuesday, the board signed off on changes to the Croton Riverside, LLC project at 25 South Riverside Ave. The most visible shift is the removal of a large concrete ADA ramp, which will be replaced by a steel ADA lift. Pedestrians will now access the front entrance via stairs, allowing for what the applicants described as a "softer front" and expanded planting areas along the north end of the building.
To appease neighbors on Barton Place, the updated landscape plan includes the planting of 8-10 foot arborvitaes. Board member Steve Krisky successfully pushed for a third condition requiring ivy or similar vegetation to be planted on the retaining wall at the rear of the property to "green" the wall.
During the public hearing, Chairman Rob Luntz read a letter from neighbor Lauren Davis raising concerns about the rear of the property. The board clarified that because the project was already approved in 2021, and the current amendments only impact the front of the building, they could not address the rear-facing issues raised in the email.
In other business, the board pushed back on a proposal from the Village Board of Trustees to appoint alternate members to the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals. Deputy Mayor Len Simon noted that most surrounding communities use alternates to prevent applicant delays. However, Planning Board members expressed skepticism, questioning whether an alternate could steer discussions without casting a vote.
"I could not think of another Village that does not have alternate members," said Village Attorney Dan Pozin, arguing they would prevent delays if a member misses several meetings.
Resident Ed Riely of Truesdale Drive suggested the Village Board of Trustees needs alternates more than the Planning Board does. Ultimately, the Planning Board concluded the role might be better suited for other boards with attendance issues and plans to send its feedback to the Trustees.
Residents should also note that the Planning Board may soon be changing its meeting nights. At the request of the Village Manager, the board is considering shifting from the first and third Tuesdays of the month to the second and fourth Tuesdays to better align with legal and planning consultant schedules.