Croton's Planning Board unanimously signed off on two new accessory dwelling units Monday night, but not before putting the Village Board of Trustees on notice: the state-mandated parkland recreation fee attached to ADU approvals may be undermining the very housing type the village says it wants to encourage.

Both applications — a 750-square-foot modular cottage at 43 Riverview Trail and a 499-square-foot garage conversion at 284 Grand Street — carried draft resolutions requiring applicants to pay a fee in lieu of parkland under Village Code §230-73. In both cases, the board voted 5-0 to strike that condition.

"The fee could represent a large part of the overall cost for the applicant," board member Geoff Haynes said during the Riverview Trail discussion. Steve Krisky agreed to waive the fee to avoid disturbing precedent set by recent ADU approvals, but added pointedly that he hoped the Village Board would either give the Planning Board flexibility on the matter or restructure the fee itself.

At 43 Riverview Trail, owner Roseanne MacDonald plans to demolish a dilapidated cottage and replace it with a two-section modular home delivered by crane. The property already secured ZBA variances for street proximity, height, and front-door visibility. At 284 Grand Street, James Corbett will convert an existing garage into a one-bedroom cottage for his in-laws' summer visits, keeping the same footprint and matching the main house's exterior.

Both approvals carry standard conditions: a three-year clock to commence work, as-built surveys, visible street addresses for emergency vehicles, and a requirement that new owners notify the Building Department within 90 days if they wish to continue the ADU use. Krisky also requested that exterior floodlights at the Riverview Trail property use downward-throwing shades.

In other business, the board granted final signage approval for Mirage Mirror & Glass at 425 South Riverside Avenue — a housekeeping item that drew two neighboring residents concerned about broader redevelopment. Village Engineer Vincent Salanitro confirmed that a 49-unit building proposal for that property is expected to come before the board.

Residents with questions about the Village Comprehensive Plan can find it on the municipal website. The next Planning Board meeting agenda and materials are posted at croton-ny.gov.