Written by Carol P. Bartold     

Jan. 21, 2015: Recognizing the constraints involved in developing the landlocked former Morgan Manhattan Storage Building at 100 Pondfield Road and the desire to provide a beneficial result for the village, the developer, 100 Pondfield LLC, has agreed to explore viable development options over the next 30 days that will make the project work for all parties involved.

In response to 100 Pondfield LLC's request for a determination under the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) at the January 14, 2015, Bronxville Planning Board Meeting, Chairman Eric Blessing suggested extending the dialogue between the village and the developers in seeking a means to reduce the number of variances needed for development.

Blessing also stated that the board, as the lead agency for the application, could issue a positive declaration under SEQRA, which would indicate that the board has determined that the project would create one or more significant environmental impacts. A positive declaration would require the developer to prepare a full environmental impact study.

"I believe a positive SEQRA determination at this juncture would put us in an immediate adversarial position," stated attorney Michael Zarin, the developer's representative. "This is not something we would favor."

At issue with several planning board members is the plan to build a fourth story on top of a building that is already nonconforming with the village zoning code. Plans presented to the board include eleven residential condominium units in what would be the upper three floors of the reconfigured structure. The ground floor is designed for parking.

"I don't think we would be looking to make this existing building any more nonconforming than it is," Blessing noted.

Board members expressed again their concerns about adding vehicular traffic in and out of a property that has only a fifteen-foot-wide easement to provide access to the building and increasing the number of vehicles that would have to cross one of the busiest sidewalks in the business district.

Planning board member James Murray suggested that reducing the size of the residential units and eliminating the fourth floor would not only reduce the development's traffic impact, it would eliminate the need for a variance to add the top floor.

Zarin explained that to be economically viable to the developer, the fourth floor, which would allow for larger units, is vital. "The increment in real estate between the increase you can get for a larger unit versus an additional [smaller] unit is a large spread," he said. He added that if the property offered that type of flexibility he would have advised the developer to reduce the number of units to gain approval. "It just doesn't work here," he said.

Zarin stated that the developer has provided everything possible to the planning board to demonstrate the application's compliance and conformance with health and safety measures. "The Eastchester Fire Department has opined to this board that they inspected our plans. They are experts in the field and said they have no concerns," Zarin said.

He submitted to the board that the developer has designed a good project, consistent with the articulated principles in the Village of Bronxville Community Plan 2009 and that the plan permits a use that will improve upon the existing building and its condition.

Zarin pointed out to the board that the property owner has paid over $160,000 in property taxes since purchasing the building. "They have millions of dollars in this. They can't walk away from their investment, so they're going to have to make some productive use of it," he said.

The 100 Pondfield LLC application will be continued at the next planning board meeting on Wednesday, February 11, at 7:30 pm in the trustees room at Bronxville Village Hall.

Pictured here: The former Morgan Manhattan Storage Building peering behind the CVS store on Pondfield Road.

Photo by A. Warner