The Dobbs Ferry Planning Board is expected to have on its Jan. 8 meeting agenda plans for a 16-unit apartment building to be constructed at 33 Main St. in the village. Dobbs View Realty, LLC originally was seeking site plan approval and a Special Use Permit for a building with 19 apartments, but that number was trimmed as plans were revised to deal with various comments.
The building as now proposed would be four stories with seven one-bedroom units, eight two-bedroom apartments and one three-bedroom unit. Four of the apartments, twice the number required by the village, would be priced to be affordable for tenants earning 80% of the Area Median Income.
The building site consists of a vacant 0.2-acre lot in Dobbs Ferry’s Downtown Transition zone and is within walking distance of the Dobbs Ferry Metro-North train station. The fourth floor would be stepped back from the front of the building, providing a patio area, and additional amenity decks would be provided on the rooftop. The upper stories would overhang to the south, providing a driveway route underneath that would utilize the slope of the site to access a basement garage and parking area with 15 spaces and bicycle storage. New landscaping would screen the rear of the building and provide trees along the street.
When the Westchester County Planning Board reviewed the plan, it expressed concern that a retaining wall planned to help deal with the slope of the property could have negative effects on the surrounding hillside. It said that the town should “ensure that potential environmental impacts are remediated, for instance an increase in downhill stormwater runoff, the possibility of landslides, and the reduction of vegetation.”
While the county welcomed having a bicycle parking area within the building it recommended that the area include electrical outlets to charge e-bicycles. At the same time, it warned that there is a fire risk associated with e-bike batteries, particularly when tenants charge them using extension cords.
“Providing a centralized, sprinklered storage facility with appropriate outlets for charging is the best way to prevent fires and accommodate this form of transportation to and from the building,” the County Planning Board said.
In a Nov. 11 memo, a planning consultant for the village advised the developer that additional details and studies were needed regarding environmental issues of concern including: stabilization of steep slopes; excavation required from the site; methods of erosion and sediment control and stormwater management; construction phasing, duration of construction, and truck traffic; landscaping and site restoration; visual impact analysis; an exterior lighting plan; traffic analysis including internal maneuverability of vehicles; and fire department access.
