Documents

application 2 pages

Also attached to this agenda item: 123 NRA Site Pics and Full Plan Set 2022 123 NRA ZBA Application 2022 123 North Riverside ZBA Letter Neighbor Statement from 9.14.22 Meeting

Proposed Driveway Entrance on State Highway at 123 North Riverside Avenue and Senasqua Expressway Entrance, Croton on Hudson Thank you for taking my call and remembering our previous conversations and emails approximately 14 to 15 months ago on the subject of 123 North Riverside Avenue. The Village of Croton on Hudson Planning and Zoning Boards plan to approve a 3500 square-foot, single-family residence configured from two parcels of land that are steep slopes. One of the two parcels involved historically provided access to the lower property lines of two large estates that are located on Old Post Road in Croton on Hudson. One of the parcels involved was used to maintain the lower areas of two Old Post Road estates property as well as a 10 plus foot retaining wall required to provide lateral support at their lower property lines. The access parcels property consisted of a 30” foot wide strip of land on a steep slope that ran approximately 200 feet in length parallel with North Riverside Avenue and had an historic easement right to gain access to North Riverside Avenue. Forty years ago, a 30 foot road easement right owned by the Town of Cortlandt (as part of a division of other parcels in the immediate area) was sold as property by the Town of Cortlandt to the owners of the 30 foot wide strip that is 18 feet wide and exceeds a 15 degree slope for its over 100 foot length. This access does not meet state highway entrance requirements for a driveway nor does it meet entrance requirements for non-state highway roads in Croton on Hudson. The Village Planning Board, as well as Mr. O’Connor, Croton on Hudson Village Engineer, has openly stated in public meetings that consultation, nor permitting activity, are required to be coordinated with New York State Department of Transportation on this matter and the other issues raised in today’s conversation and letter. Approximately 14 months ago, the Village of Croton on Hudson Planning and Zoning Boards approved the proposed consolidation of these two parcels into one property and provided variances for the construction of a single-family residence. This inappropriate approval, without state authorization and/or consultation was not acted upon, there was no consolidation of the parcels, no building permits were filed, nor has any construction activity associated with 123 North Riverside Avenue occurred to date. The Planning Board, in its original flawed authorization for the construction of the residential house, approved over a 300 foot, water impervious driveway to be constructed to access the house. This driveway would be drained with the use of piping and storm grates for its entire length and, upon the system’s arrival to North Riverside Avenue, the driveway water would be piped underground into the New York State storm sewer system. The authorized plan provided that overflow from the residence’s roof stormwater mitigation system would additionally be fed underground to the New York State storm water system serving the State highway entrance at the Senasqua Expressway Entrance. Major issues related to fire safety at the proposed residence and the neighboring properties, were identified by the Croton on Hudson Fire Department. The response of the Planning Board was to require the owner not only to place a private hydrant near the residential structure, but to require the whole structure to have a code compliant, fire sprinkler system. No testing or certification of the water pressure/volume available at the Village hydrant water on North Riverside Avenue was undertaken. Additionally, there is no policy governing the installation, use, or regular inspection of private hydrants in the Village of Croton on Hudson which is in violation of New York State Fire Code. When concerned neighbors of the adjacent properties on North Riverside Avenue questioned the placement of accumulated piles of snow from the 300 plus foot driveway, the Planning Board directed that all snow removal activity for 123 North Riverside Avenue would require the use of a payloader and a dump truck to remove accumulated snow from the driveway. Without any means of enforcement, nor consideration of where the snow would ultimately be dumped, their remedy is doomed for failure. We are all concerned that the directed snow removal process will impede the state highway, creating dangerous obstructions to traffic during hazardous road conditions in stormy weather, at the entrance to our state expressway entrance. Legal notice of a Zoning Board hearing, that was held on September 14, 2022, was provided to the affected homeowners surrounding the property, indicated that a new, alleged owner of the property was seeking a variance for the residential development of this property at 123 North Riverside Avenue. This variance is for the creation of a proposed, additional water impermeable parking canopy attached to the dwelling. This roof will be located over the original residence’s footprint for the roof stormwater mitigation system which is to be piped to North Riverside Avenue. The total square feet of water impermeable roof surfaces and the driveway’s coverages of this residential lot on a steep slope will create a water hazard issue and snow removal issue of dangerous proportions for the state roadway and access to the New York State Senasqua entrance to the state Expressway. Finally, this “change of use for this property” requires state approval. John