A proposal to subdivide a wooded parcel on Mount Airy Road drew a crowd of opposition at the Zoning Board of Appeals meeting on February 17, with 45 residents signing a letter urging the board to reject two lot-width variances. The applicant, 52 Mt Airy Rd, LLC, represented by attorney Kory Salomone of Zarin & Steinmetz, is seeking to split the property into two lots for single-family homes. Both lots would fall short of the 25,000-square-foot minimum required in the RA25 Residence District by just 281 square feet — roughly a one percent deficiency. "This application was straightforward," Salomone told the board, arguing that many neighboring lots are already smaller than the proposed parcels, with some as small as 8,700 square feet. But neighbors weren't convinced. Deborah Schpack of 16 King Street read a letter signed by 45 residents warning that the variances would open the door to intensified development on environmentally constrained land. "The letter cited concerns regarding stormwater runoff, erosion, potential flooding of downhill properties, steep slope impacts," according to the minutes. Claire Hilbert of 60 Mount Airy Road read a letter from Stuart and Karen Greenbaum of 48 Mount Airy Road South that raised a long list of objections: tree removal, disturbance to natural rock formations, wildlife habitat loss, traffic safety, and property values. David Steele of 56 Mount Airy Road spoke of the neighborhood's "wooded properties and historic homes" and warned against cumulative tree loss. The project engineer, Michael Mastrogiacomo, P.E., said approximately 26 to 30 trees would need to be removed to grade the site, terrace the slope, and manage stormwater. He said the design would achieve net zero runoff after construction and that a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan was being prepared. Retaining walls of four to six feet would be built using segmental block or stone. Board Chairman James Tuman noted that multiple written opposition letters and a car accident report for that stretch of Mount Airy Road had been submitted for the record. The board declined to close the public hearing, instead requesting a steep slope analysis, architectural renderings, updated surveys, and marked site features ahead of a spring site visit. Board Member Doug Olcott recused himself from the matter. No vote was taken. The hearing will continue at a future meeting. Residents can monitor the agenda for the next ZBA meeting at croton-ny.gov.