The entity Lexington Townhomes, which is located in Mount Kisco, is seeking approval to demolish two existing multifamily buildings on a 12,968-square-feet site at the corner of Lexington and Locust Avenues in Mount Kisco and construct two new buildings. The project would require merging two lots located at 325 Lexington Ave., and 15 Locust St.
According to Ralph Alfonzetti of the Mount Kisco-based firm Alfonzetti Engineering, the new buildings would include a total of eight condominium units. The western building would have four units including two one-bedroom condos and two two-bedroom units. The eastern building also would have four units but all four would be three-bedroom condos.
There would be six indoor parking spaces and 10 outdoor spaces.
While the Mount Kisco Planning Board declared itself lead agency for reviewing the plans, the Westchester County Planning Board reviewed the plans and noted that the site is within a mixed commercial and residential corridor and is across from the Oakwood Cemetery. The county’s board noted that the proposed development would increase the total housing provided on the site by two units but questioned whether the increase in two units balances the disturbance of six existing residences. It suggested that consideration be given to providing relocation aid to the people living in the current buildings at the site who would have to move out.
The county planners also pointed out that the required setbacks within the CL-1 zone makes redevelopment of this property difficult, as the site is narrow and on a street corner. They suggested that Mount Kisco consider whether adjustments to the CL-1 setback requirements may assist in alleviating undue hardships for existing residents and businesses while creating new opportunities for redevelopment along the Lexington Avenue corridor.
The county expressed concern that the materials it reviewed did not not indicate if any of the proposed residential units would follow the county’s guidelines on affordable housing that would require one unit to be priced as affordable.
“The acute shortage of affordable housing in Westchester County has been documented in the County’s Housing Needs Assessment and it is critical for all of Westchester’s municipalities to play a role in meeting this need, particularly since the economic and social impacts of the affordable housing shortage are spread throughout the county,” Bernard Thombs, chairman of the county’s Planning Board, wrote to Mount Kisco.
