Depew Street Mixed-Use Project Continues to Face Planning Commission Criticism
By Lindsay Emery
The developer of a Pleasantville mixed-use project presented more material on the wetland evaluation that was recently conducted and more information regarding the traffic review, as well as more mock-up perspectives of the future building.
Brian Dempsey from Provident Design Engineering, PLLC presented the findings from the traffic study of 52 Depew St. that showed the proposed development would not significantly impact the surrounding area.
Planning commission member David Keller drew the commission’s attention to the fact that the study was done in the middle of December and said he wanted traffic analysis to be conducted on Saturdays when the Village has the farmers market, as well as from 7 to 9 p.m. on weekdays instead of the prior time period of 4 to 6 p.m.
“This does not inform me the way I need to be informed,” Keller said.
The managing principal of Frederick P. Clark Associates, Michael A. Galante agreed with Dempsey in his memo. Galante also recommended eliminating the southbound left turn onto Depew St. from Grant St. Dempsey said they would consider adding additional signage or prohibiting left turns during the morning and evening peak times.
During the meeting in June, the developer was asked to provide an update to the study that confirms the function of the pocket wetland that is adjacent to the property, applicant’s attorney David Cooper said. He asked the commission to remember the precedent that they set in 2012 when they allowed LaDuca to occupy the property and that this wetland is not that high functioning.
“The empirical data and the expert opinion in the record, demonstrates there’s low function and low benefit to this wetland, but whatever function there is will be benefitted from this project,” Cooper said.
Chairperson Russell Klein voiced his concerns over the financial hardship aspect of the wetland cleanup, as well as the building being allowed in part of the buffer. Cooper asked if any other projects have had to prove financial hardship and urged the commission to look at the positive impact of cleaning up the contaminated site.
The developer, David Mann, explained how he arrived at $2.6 million for the cost of the cleanup by going through the estimates of the amount of contaminated soil that needs to be removed. He said this should be considered a financial hardship because money needs to be raised for the cleanup, even though it will eventually be reimbursed. The reimbursement will therefore go directly back to the investors without any profit.
“It’s not profit,” Mann said. “It’s just enabling the project to go forward.”
The commission asked Mann for additional traffic information pertaining to the times that Keller requested, additional perspectives of the building and cut sheets of the materials.
The next meeting will be the first Wednesday of September.
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