No. Castle Approves Arts Instruction in Industrial Zones
The North Castle Town Board approved a zoning change last week to allow fine arts education facilities to operate in industrial zones but postponed a decision whether to permit wider recreational uses in the zone.
The action taken last week will permit Dramatic Arts School to move into an 8,500-square-foot space at 1 Labriola Court should the applicant receive site plan approval from the planning board, said town Planning Director Adam Kaufman.
Officials deleted two sections of the original law that outlined specific examples of permitted uses, including skating rinks, bowling alleys, swimming pools, racquet clubs, gyms and health facilities and martial arts studios. Supervisor Howard Arden said a work session will be scheduled in the coming weeks so the board can decide what uses should be included and prohibited.
Discussion surrounding recreational uses in the town’s industrial zones was ignited earlier this year following submission of Dramatic Arts School’s application. Kaufman asked the board to consider enhanced recreational uses as a way to help the town fill vacant spaces at Business Park Drive in Armonk and other locations. Vacancy rates, particularly in office parks, remain high throughout the region.
While the town board agreed unanimously that the school would be a suitable business for Labriola Court, it must consider what other types of operations would be permissible in the zone and whether the board should continue to issue special use permits or leave approval entirely up to the planning board.
In its comments last week, the board appeared split on the issue. Councilman Stephen D’Angelo said larger venues, such as skating rinks and swimming pools are “once-in-a-lifetime buildings” that should require greater oversight.
“If we’re going to get one in our town either in Business Park or in one of the other districts, we should be approving it as the elected officials,” D’Angelo said. “We shouldn’t just be allowing site plan approval to go in.”
Councilman Michael Schiliro said that zoning should remain in the hands of the town board to provide checks and balances.
“I have no problem with expanding uses in the district,” Schiliro said. “I just think the town board should have some control over it.”
On the other side were council members John Cronin and Diane DiDonato-Roth, who said that special use permits, which would include submission of applications and the scheduling of hearings, is an unnecessary step once the board decides on permitted uses.
“The property owners in Business Park contribute significantly to the taxes of the town and I think we should allow them to maximize the flexibility,” Cronin said.
DiDonato-Roth said if the board retained special use permit control it would get mired in a slow-moving process that would be to the detriment of the town and the applicant.
However, several speakers during the Aug. 15 public hearing said the town board should retain oversight through the special use permit because there is no way it can anticipate all potential recreation uses in the future. A few residents mentioned the possibility of a movie theater, which they said should be regulated by the town board.
Resident Ed Woodyard read from one of the two deleted sections, which stated that recreation uses are ones that “provide the public with an amusing or entertaining activity and where tickets are sold or fees or collected for the activity.”
“My God, the imagination goes wild,” he said. “You need a special use permit.”
There was no date set last week for the board work session to discuss permissible recreation uses.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/