Resolution Adopting SEQRA Findings Statement Relative to Lincoln Neighborhood District Passed
By Stephen E. Lipken
New Rochelle Mayor Yadira Ramos-Herbert convened the April 16th City Council RLM, beginning with Approval of Minutes, Submission of Minutes and Consent Agenda.
Councilman Albert Tarantino posed a question regarding Consent Agenda Item 2, Proposed Adoption of the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) Findings Statement and Downtown Overlay Zone (DOZ) Amendments, adopting SEQRA Findings Statement relative to the Lincoln Neighborhood District, including changes to DOZ.
“[Regarding] Item Number 2, brought up last week about the sheer size of DOZ in proportion to amount of units allowed to be built, how does that work if we wanted to add more units in that hospital area with its massive parking lots that could gobble up units. What we don’t want to happen is that the Lincoln Avenue corridor comes along and there are no units left,” Tarantino asked.
“We did an analysis when we adopted the zoning of the parcels around the hospital,” Commissioner of Development Adam Salgado answered. “We determined that 400 of them could be accommodated around the 654 units so there would still be units for other parcels in the DOZ. Additionally, the hospital included in the Downtown Overlay 8 (DO 8) is a good thing. What is unique about the DO 8, it requires the fees that are generated be reinvested into the community.”
Ramos-Herbert requested that Salgado describe how in theory to add additional units to the DOZ. “Each of those uses that are described in the theoretical development scenario have different impacts in the environment,” Salgado replied. “We look at traffic, stormwater, impact on the sewers. We would amend the SEQRA to get approval by the State.”
Next, Council moved to establish June 8th each year as “Thomas Paine Day.”
In other business, a Special Meeting was held on April 9th, addressing the resignation, separation agreement and release of claims between the City and City Manager Kathleen Gill. Department of Public Works (DPW) Commissioner Wilfredo Melendez was appointed Acting City Manager.