Open Door Medical Center Eyes Second Mt. Kisco Site
The Mount Kisco Planning Board was receptive to a proposal from Open Door Family Medical Center last week for a second location in the village, although some members had doubts about the off-street employee parking arrangement.
Open Door, which operates four facilities in Westchester, including one at 30 W. Main St. in Mount Kisco, is seeking amended site plan and change of use approvals from the planning board to lease a 9,686-square-foot space formerly used by The Journal News at 185 Kisco Ave. Last used as offices and warehouse space by the newspaper, Open Door has proposed medical and dental offices at the location.
The most controversial part of the proposal is Open Door’s parking plan. It has requested a variance to seek relief from the village code’s requirement of 55 spaces at the 2.2-acre property. Instead, Open Door has proposed that 24 on-site spaces be used only by its patients and visitors to the property’s 125-space lot.
Geraldine Tortorella, an attorney representing Open Door, told the planning board during its Dec. 9 meeting that the employees would park in the municipal lot on North Moger Avenue. Open Door would have up to 26 full-time employees at the new location, Tortorella said.
While board member Doug Hertz said he had no problem with the applicant’s parking request, two of his colleagues disagreed. Ralph Vigliotti said the municipal lot was a half-mile away from the location and some employees may be unwilling or unable to walk that distance, and would park in the building’s lot instead, especially during bad weather.
Another board member, Peter Grunthal, said he was also skeptical of the proposed arrangement. He estimated the facility would need at least 40 parking spaces on site.
Tortorella responded that the village’s traffic consultant has not objected to the proposed parking plan. She agreed to the board’s request to return with information about how employee parking works at Open Door’s other locations.
“We need to get this together and find a solution,” Chairman Joseph Cosentino said.
The discussion was adjourned but no date was announced when Open Door and its representatives would return before the board.
