2019.02.07 F.P Clark Memo
To: Robert I. Goodman, Chairman, and the
Planning Board of the Village of Rye Brook
Date: February 7, 2019
Subject: 259 North Ridge Street – Subdivision, Zoning Petition
and Map Amendment, and Revised Site Plan Application
As requested, we reviewed additional and revised information submitted in support
of a three-lot subdivision, and a site plan and petition to re-zone Lot 1 of the
subdivision into the FAH District, submitted by Lazz Development (Louis Larizza),
contract vendee, on behalf of the property owner, Daniel Greto. The revised
development plan for Lot 1 reduces the number of housing units to four AFFH units
divided into two, two-family homes. The subdivision remains unchanged, and, in
addition to Lot 1, still includes two lots (Lot 2 and Lot 3) each with one single-family
market-rate home. The property is situated at the intersection of West Ridge Drive
and North Ridge Street within the R-15 District and the North Ridge Street Scenic
Road Overlay District, Section 135.35, Block 1, Lot 11 on the Town of Rye Tax
Assessor’s Map.
Property Description
The 3.96-acre (172,620 square-foot) property is partially developed with a one-story
single-family home, driveway and curb cut, and a terrace at the back of the home in
the rear yard. Behind the home, the lot slopes down very steeply to the northeast
from the elevation of North Ridge Street to approximately the elevation of the rear
yards of homes along Eagles Bluff and Rock Ridge Drive. The site drains to wetlands
located in the woodlands below the existing home and from there into a pipe within a
drainage easement across one of the properties on Eagles Bluff. Outside the
landscaped area around the existing home, the lot is naturally wooded, with
watercourses and wetlands mostly located in areas of lower elevations.
Project Description
The Applicant’s revised proposal is for a three-lot subdivision to create two, single-
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family building lots (Lot 2 and Lot 3) that would remain in the R-15 District, and a third building lot
(Lot 1), which would be re-zoned into the Fair and Affordable (FAH) District for development of two
sets of two, semi-attached homes (a total of four AFFH units). Each of the two buildings would have
a curb cut, a two-car garage and surface parking for three additional cars. The application also
includes a zoning petition for Lot 1, a request for a Zoning Map amendment, and a revised site plan
application for Lot 1. The revised Lot 1 site plan requires approval of wetlands and steep slopes
permits by the Planning Board.
The original application was referred by the Board of Trustees to the Planning Board for a report and
recommendation in September, 2015 and the Planning Board submitted a report and
recommendation to the Trustees in September, 2016. In addition, the original application was
referred to Westchester County Planning Board, which provided comments to the Village on October
31, 2016. The application under review in 2016 was re-referred to the Planning Board on November
8, 2018 for a new report and recommendation regarding the new revisions.
Review
We reviewed the additionally revised application, the zoning petition and map amendment, the
preliminary subdivision plat, revised site plans, new correspondence, and supporting materials
submitted by the Applicant that include the following items:
1. Full Environmental Assessment Form dated revised 1/8/2019 and EAF Mapper Summary
Report dated 12/11/2018
2. Short Environmental Assessment Form dated April 11, 2018
3. Application for Subdivision of Land, not dated or signed
4. Petition to the Board of Trustees to Re-Zone New Lot 1 into the FAH District from Pawling
Holdings, LLC, prepared by Clark Neuringer, R.A., Mamaroneck, N.Y., dated May 15, 2015
5. Application for Site Plan Approval for Lot 1
6. Site Plan Submittal Review Checklist for Lot 1
7. Two Exterior Building Permit Applications for Lot 1
8. Two Applications for Site Plan Approval for Lots 2 and Lot 3
9. Two Site Plan Submittal Review Checklists for Lots 2 and 3
10. Two Exterior Building Permit Applications for Lots 2 and 3
11. Letter to Ralph Mastromonaco, P.E., P.C., Verifying the April 2015 Wetland Delineation,
from Tim Miller Associates, Inc., Cold Spring, N.Y., dated January 15, 2019
12. Wetland Delineation and Functional Assessment prepared by Tim Miller Associates, Inc.,
Cold Spring, N.Y., dated October 26, 2015
13. Storm Water Report, prepared by Ralph G. Mastromonaco, P.E., P.C., Croton-on-Hudson,
N.Y., dated December 12, 2018
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14. Storm Water Report, prepared by Ralph G. Mastromonaco, P.E., P.C., Croton-on-Hudson,
N.Y., dated April 12, 2018
15. Report Memorandum to loulazz@apl.com Regarding the Estimated Public School Children
Generated by the Three Lot Development, prepared by RH Consulting, White Plains, N.Y.,
dated January 7, 2019
16. Report Memorandum regarding the proposed energy use of the AFFH residences on Lot 1
17. Traffic Generation Worksheets, prepared by Ralph G. Mastromonaco, P.E., P.C., Croton-
on-Hudson, N.Y., no date
18. Tree Inventory and Mapping for Entire Property prepared by Paul D. Muscariello, Certified
Arborist, dated February 2, 2016
19. Tree Inventory and Removal Plan for Lot 1, prepared by Anthony Zaino, RLA, Westchester
County Planning Department, dated 8/9/18
20. Chart showing Construction Tasks and a Construction Schedule dated 12/1/18
21. Letter to the Planning Board from Ralph G. Mastromonaco, P.E., P.C., Croton-on-Hudson,
N.Y., dated January 8, 2019
22. Letter to the Planning Board from Ralph G. Mastromonaco, P.E., P.C., Croton-on-Hudson,
N.Y., dated December 11, 2018
23. Revised Zoning Analysis Memorandum to the Rye Brook Board of Trustees from Michael J.
Izzo, Building and Fire Inspector, dated October 19, 2018
24. Response Letter to Dolph Rotfeld, P.E. from Ralph G. Mastromonaco, P.E., P.C., Croton-
on-Hudson, N.Y., dated December 12, 2018
25. Response Letter to the Rye Brook Building and Fire Inspector from Ralph G. Mastromonaco,
P.E., P.C., Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y., dated October 29, 2018
26. Stopping Sight Distance Study prepared by Ralph G. Mastromonaco, P.E., P.C., Croton-on-
Hudson, N.Y., dated December 13, 2018
27. “Topographical Survey of Property,” prepared by Link Land Surveyors, P.C., Mahopac,
N.Y., dated January 15, 2016
28. “Preliminary Subdivision Plat,” prepared by Ralph G. Mastromonaco, P.E., P.C., Croton-on-
Hudson, N.Y., dated April 10, 2018
29. Tree Preservation Plan (Lot 1), prepared by Anthony Zaino, RLA, Westchester County
Planning Department, dated January 29, 2019
30. Planting Plan (Lot 1), prepared by Anthony Zaino, RLA, Westchester County Planning
Department, dated April 8, 2018, revised 12/13/18
31. Engineer’s Plans (Revised Site Plans for Lots 1, 2 and 3), prepared by Ralph G.
Mastromonaco, P.E., P.C., Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y.:
Sheet Number Sheet Title Dated
0 of 5 Cover Sheet and Drawing Schedule 8/27/18 rev. 12/11/18
1 of 5 Site Plan, Grading/Layout 4/10/18 rev. 12/11/18
2 of 5 Utility Plan 4/10/18 rev. 12/11/18
3 of 5 Erosion Control Plan 4/10/18 rev. 12/11/18
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4 of 5 Sight Distance Study 4/10/18 rev. 12/11/18
5 of 5 Details/Notes 2/21/18 rev. 12/11/18
32. Two Sets of Builder’s Plans (Lot 1 Building 1A and Building 1B), Lazz
Development/Pawling Holdings, Port Chester, N.Y.:
Sheet Number Sheet Title Dated
1 Elevations 4/27/18
2 Elevation Calculations, Fire Ladder
Diagrams, and Site Section 1/23/18
3 Foundation Plan 4/27/18
4 First Floor Plans 4/27/18
5 Second Floor Plans 4/27/18
Please note that our review is limited to planning, zoning and environmental issues. We have the
following comments regarding the applications:
1. Environmental Assessment Form (EAF). A revised Full EAF and EAF Mapper Summary
Report were provided with the new submission. Section D.2.b.v regarding mitigation for
disturbance of wetland buffers should be completed, and Section E.2.m regarding wildlife should
be completed based on an appropriate field review of the site.
2. SEQRA Review. Environmental review pursuant to SEQRA is required for the revised Lot 1
site plan as part of the combined action of the subdivision and map amendment to re-zone
proposed Lot 1 into the FAH District and the Lot 1 site plan. All the information and analyses
provided for the original subdivision and site plan should be updated for the revised
application and site plan.
3. Alteration of Land and Topography. The revised site plan for Lot 1 would be located on the
steep slopes, and will be required to comply with the Village Code regulations regarding steep
slopes for approval of a Steep Slopes Work Permit. We continue to recommend that the design
of the revised site plan for Lot 1 should ensure that the plan causes the least disturbance
practicable to regulated slopes and the vegetation on these slopes, the creation of the least
amount of new steep slopes, and limited utilization of tall or long retaining walls and/or multiple
terraced retaining walls.
4. Wetlands and Wetland Buffers. The FEAF provided calculation of the area of disturbance
within the buffer, which would be 0.12 acre. Therefore, the application will require approval of a
Wetlands Permit.
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5. Revised Site Plan. The Applicant should provide more visual information simulating views
of the new buildings in context, the regraded rear yards, new parking areas and retaining
walls as seen from residential lots and the roadway on North Ridge Street, and from down-
slope of the site on Eagle’s Bluff.
6. Soils. A statement in the letter to the Planning Board dated January 8, 2019 from Mr.
Mastromonaco, indicated, if necessary, chipping would be the method used to remove rock
from the site during construction. The proposed construction management plan should
include discussion regarding the potential impacts of rock removal and the mitigation
measures for impacts related to noise, air quality and vibration, and compliance with the Rye
Brook Village Code and best management practices regarding chipping or other types of rock
removal.
7. Transportation, Site Access Considerations. As of the date of this memorandum, the
outstanding transportation and access comments provided in our January 7, 2019
memorandum to the Planning Board have not received a response.
8. Land Use and Zoning. The potential for visual impacts to neighbors surrounding the site and
the North Ridge Street scenic road should be analyzed and provided for review.
9. Construction. The applicant provided a construction task schedule dated 12/1/18; however,
the schedule does not provide the information requested. The Applicant should provide a
draft construction management and logistics plan that identifies and estimates the impacts
of construction based on the new revised Lot 1 site plan. The draft CML should explain how
impacts, such as increased traffic, increased demand for parking, construction traffic routing,
need for materials storage and staging areas, impacts to air quality, security and safety on the
construction site, increased noise, vibration, potential erosion and sedimentation, potential for
rock removal, etc. will be eliminated or mitigated by the construction management plan. The
plan should demonstrate compliance with Village Code requirements regarding construction,
and identify and employ specific best practices pertinent to the site and the development plan.
Marilyn Timpone-Mohamed, RLA, AICP
Senior Associate/Planning/Environment
Cc: Mayor Paul S. Rosenberg and the Village Board of Trustees
Christopher Bradbury, Village Administrator
Michal Nowak, Village Engineer/Superintendent of Public Works
Jennifer L. Gray, Esq., Village Attorney
Ralph G. Mastromonaco, P.E.
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