Documents

site plan 2 pages

Also attached to this agenda item: Amended Site Plan 9.13.24 Amended Site Plan Application Redacted Cover letter for Croton Board of Trustees meeting 9.12.24 SP Sprocket

Pursuant to Section 239 L, M and N of the General Municipal Law and Section 277.61 of the County Administrative Code George Latimer County Executive 432 Michaelian Office Building 148 Martine Avenue White Plains, New York 10601 Telephone: (914) 995-4400 Website: westchestergov.com August 19, 2024 Paula DiSanto, Village Clerk Village of Croton-on-Hudson One Van Wyck Street Croton-on-Hudson, New York 10520 County Planning Board Referral File CRO 24-005 – Battery Energy Storage System Croton Auto Park – 1 Municipal Place Special Permit Approval Dear Ms. DiSanto: The Westchester County Planning Board has received a special permit application for a proposed 280 kWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) located within a 4.9-acre site known as 1 Municipal Place (SBL 78.12-3-2), within the C-2 – General Commercial district. The site currently hosts the Croton Auto Park car dealership, and is located on the corner of Municipal Place and South Riverside Avenue (NYS Route 9A) within a commercial corridor. The dealership consists of one service and showroom building located near the street corner, situated within large parking lot. The proposed BESS would replace a portion of the existing parking lot near the existing electrical connection for the building along the South Riverside Avenue frontage of the property. Multiple cabinets related to the BESS and associated transformers and panels would be located in this area, which would be cordoned off by a seven-foot fence screened by evergreen trees. Access to the compound would be provided through a gate facing the parking lot. In tandem with the proposed BESS, the applicant has filed building permits for electric vehicle charging stations and a solar canopy within the parking lot towards the center of the site, in order to provide service for the oncoming electric fleet of vehicles. The full system would create a micro-grid for the use of the property owner, in order to not inundate the electric grid with additional demand. The BESS, solar arrays, and charging stations do not require site plan approval by the Village, but as the BESS system is proposed to provide over 200 kWh of electrical output special permit approval is required. We have reviewed this matter under the provisions of Section 239 L, M and N of the General Municipal Law and Section 277.61 of the County Administrative Code and we offer the following comments: 1. Green building technology. We commend the applicant for proposing to install a BESS and solar arrays to provide electrical storage capabilities on the site, and for developing a means for on-site power generation to offset the increase in electrical requirements due to the transition to electric vehicles. Such technologies are important as the State and County works towards reducing carbon emissions and the use of fossil fuels for energy creation and transportation. Referral File No. CRO 24-005 Croton Auto Park Battery Energy Storage System August 19, 2024 2. NYS DOT review. South Riverside Avenue (NYS Route 9A) is a State highway. The Village should forward a copy of the application to NYS DOT to identify any required permits for the proposed project and to evaluate potential impacts to Route 9A. We note that, due to potential fire hazards from the BESS, the safety of highway infrastructure should be ensured to protect those utilizing this transportation corridor. 3. Site design and landscaping It is generally recommended that larger utility installations such as the proposed cabinet system are located away from the street frontage, in order to avoid negative impacts to the character of the neighborhood. Also, as noted above, there are concerns over the potential fire hazards of BESS. As such, we question the location of the proposed cabinets at the front of the property. While we understand that electrical conveyance can require specific siting requirements, we ask that the applicant consider if alternative locations for the BESS, away from the street frontage but still avoiding the residential neighborhood behind the property, is manageable. Should the location of the system be required to remain along the street, the Village and applicant should work to ensure the proposed screening is sufficient. 4. Stormwater Management. The Village and applicant should work to ensure that stormwater is protected from any chemical pollution that may leech from the BESS system into the exiting stormwater management system. Please inform us of the Village’s decision so that we can make it a part of the record. Thank you for calling this matter to our attention. Richard Hyman Chair, Westchester County Planning Board RH/mv cc: Blanca Lopez, Commissioner, Westchester County Department of Planning Susan Spear, Deputy Commissioner, Westchester County Department of Emergency Services Anne Darelius, NYS Department of Transportation, Region 8 Christopher Lee, NYS Department of Transportation, Region 8