BOARD OF TRUSTEES January 14, 2019
PRESENT: Mayor Monachino Lapey Trustee Annunziata Trustee McLaughlin Trustee Senerchia Attorney Cornachio Manager Pierpont
ABSENT: Trustee Bennett
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND FIRE SAFETY ANNOUNCEMENT
Mayor Monachino Lapey led those assembled in the Pledge of Allegiance and notified those in attendance where the fire exits were located.
The Mayor announced that Trustee Bennett was recovering with a medical matter and sends her regrets. She said that the website will be complete in the upcoming weeks and said that the upgrade is coming shortly. The Mayor also announced that Deputy Mayor Annunziata has two new grandchildren. He has four daughters and five granddaughters.
Mayor Monachino Lapey said that Pelham High School graduates P.J. Shiels from the Village of Pelham and Andrew Spana from Pelham Manor were both honored for receiving the rank of Eagle Scout on January 11th. She spoke at the Eagle Scout Court of Honor. She said that Andrew Spana made several structural improvements at OLPH church, The Mayor highlighted in her remarks that the Village’s houses of worship are not only religious institutions but are community resources for the underserved and those struggling with addiction. The community benefits from them. She especially thanked Andrew Spana for his work in the community.
The Mayor also noted that she had a very productive meeting with Alessandra Biaggi, the new senator representing the Village. She and Mr. Pierpont met with Senator Biaggi and her staff assistant Maura Curtin who lives in the Village of Pelham. She is happy to have a communicative and collaborative relationship with Senator Biaggi.
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MINUTES FROM THE DECEMBER 10, 2018 REGULAR MEETING
The Mayor asked if there were any comments, questions or corrections to the minutes. There were none.
After discussion and upon motion duly made and seconded, it was unanimously
RESOLVED, that the minutes from the Regular Meeting on December 10, 2018 be and hereby are approved. ------
REPORTS
The Village Clerk reported that the activity in the building department was somewhat more normal this month with twenty four building permits, dog licenses and notices of violation issued for violations of the Village Code.
After discussion and upon motion duly made and seconded, it was unanimously
RESOLVED, that the Village Clerk report be and hereby is adopted.
------DISCUSSION ON CON EDISON’S GAS LINE REHABILITATION PROJECT
The Mayor said that she has been told by the Village Manager that this project puts their other project to shame. She asked the Manager Pierpont to speak about this project.
Manager Pierpont said that last week he met with Con Edison about this new gas main project. They have low pressure and high pressure systems. The low pressure system will be replaced by the high pressure system. This project will be done in two phases. One phase will be done this year and the second phase will be done next year. Clay Avenue, Hunter Avenue, Washington Avenue, Garden Road, Garden Place, Edgemere Street, Grant Avenue, Oak Lane and Monroe Street will be done in the first phase. It’s a pretty big project and working around Prospect Hill School will require coordination. Suez, the water company, has been contacted about this project to see if they had any work planned for these streets. They plan to put in new mains on Grant Avenue, Clay Avenue, and Monroe Street, but that work isn’t scheduled until 2020 and 2021. We want them to find a way to advance that work. Some roads are new or substantially intact. The Manager would like to work with counsel on establishing road restoration guidelines.
The Mayor commented on Con Edison’s part in the past communication problems. Some residents weren’t particularly well informed about the work that was taking place. The Manager said the Village and Con Edison both learned some things from the last project. He said that e- blasts and Facebook posts would help keep residents informed.
At the end of the day, the Village will have streets that look like Wolfs Lane.
Trustee Annunziata said that the Manager has had success with having the roads repaved.
Manager Pierpont said that expectations are known ahead of time.
Trustee Senerchia said that full restoration of the roads, curb to curb, at no cost, other than the inconvenience of the work, would be a good move forward.
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CONTINUED DISCUSSION ON PROPOSED E-COMMERCE FACILITY
The Mayor asked the Village Manager for a synopsis on this project.
Manager Pierpont said that the e-commerce facility would be located at 4301 Boston Post Road behind Smash Burger. It is the former Getty oil storage terminal. It would offer same day delivery for people that place an order online. Access in the Village of Pelham Manor is at Route 1 at the foot of Connor Street. He said that more information has been requested on traffic and the height of the building.
Attorney Steven Silverberg, from the law firm Silverberg & Zalantis, represented the contract vendee Boston Post Road Realty, LLC. Attorney Silverberg said that a full traffic impact study has not been done which would answer more in depth questions about traffic. Andrew Villari, an engineer from Stonefield Engineering, New York, New York, was in attendance to speak about a traffic analysis they’ve done for the proposed site. Daniel Rosenberg and Gideon Etra, who have been to the board before, were also in attendance.
Andrew Villari described the site at 4301 Boston Post Road, as south of the Fairway development. The property is located in the Bronx, Pelham Manor and Mount Vernon. The property is almost equally divided between the Bronx and Pelham Manor with a small sliver in Mount Vernon. It is now somewhat shuttered and the contract vendee wants to redevelop it with an e-commerce facility. You would place your order online, receive a tracking number and be able to track the order’s progress. To get to the recipient’s door, a smaller truck would be used. He said that the truck traffic would generate from the Port of Newark. He said that there would be no more than two trucks in any hour. It is a more efficient way to get goods to Manhattan. The objective is to avoid peak times on Boston Post Road. He said that they would leave at approximately six in the morning and come back at ten in the morning and continue for three shifts during the weekday.
Trustee McLaughlin spoke about two tractor trailers, two an hour, going out and asked about how many smaller trucks would be going out. He asked if box trucks, which are the smaller trucks, would be going out at a rate of thirty to forty trucks per hour and was told that there would be a number of trucks per shift rather than per hour. There would be six four- hour shifts.
The route to get to the site was discussed. The exit from I-95 was discussed. The drivers could use exit 13 at Connor Street or exit 15 in New Rochelle. Exit 13 is the optimal route. It is shorter and cheaper to use this route. Mr. Villari said that quite a few trucks do this already.
Mayor Monachino Lapey asked if drones also observed the truck traffic on 95 at exit 15.
She was told that this traffic pattern was not done via drone. This area was observed.
Trustee Annunziata spoke about traffic coming from exit 15. He said that, if he were driving, he would go to New Rochelle and come straight down the Post Road versus taking the number of turns through Mount Vernon with tractor trailers.
Andrew Villari said that manual turning counts were collected during weekday mornings, afternoons and evenings and Saturday midday time periods. Counts were also done at the site driveway. He said that at the site driveway there were seven tenants and now there are two.
Trustee Annunziata asked if this use would supplant seven other uses and was told yes.
Andrew Villari said that truck traffic currently takes the more efficient route of Pelham Parkway onto Boston Post Road.
Trustee Annunziata asked how the trucks would exit and was told they would use the service road, loop around, and go over the South Fulton Avenue Bridge.
Attorney Cornachio said that there would be between thirty and forty box trucks per shift for three four hour shifts.
This would be a twenty four hour facility. The number of employee vehicles was discussed. An analysis of a similar site, Hunts Point, was mentioned. There are thirty to forty employee vehicles per shift. There are two eight hour shifts for employees. There would be twenty tractor trailers per day.
Maurice Owen-Michaane, 457 Siwanoy Place, asked about the environmental impacts from the truck traffic. He also spoke about exit 15 and said that he thought the trucks would use that exit. He asked if there was a guarantee that the trucks would not come down Boston Post Road from exit 15. He also asked if there was a way that the owners wouldn’t challenge their tax assessment for ten or twenty years. Mr. Owen-Michaane said that he has not heard anything this evening about the size of the building. He said that he would not be supportive of this project as is.
Attorney Silverberg said that there are things that would be addressed in a formal SEQR review. Originally there were seven industrial uses at this site and now there are two. He said that there would be twenty tractor trailers over the day. There would not be more than two in an hour.
Mayor Monachino Lapey spoke about SEQR and asked if they were aware that St. Paul’s Church in Mount Vernon is a National Historic Site.
Attorney Silverberg said that it the Board feels we have to do a full Environmental Impact Statement, we would have to do it. It would provide more traffic information and we would work with your counsel. This traffic analysis does not address how many trucks take one exit over another such as exit 13 versus exit 15.
Gideon Etra said that drivers would be instructed to use exit 13. He said that air quality is important. There were many construction trucks going in and out and said that electric vehicles are being introduced into fleets. He said that the school district, county and village would receive sixty nine million dollars in taxes. He said that the building would be one hundred twenty feet which was a reduction in height.
The Mayor spoke about the logistics of the enforcement of tracking trucks as they proceed. The logistics company could mandate that the trucks use a certain route, but she wanted to know what control mechanism would ensure this.
Gideon Etra said that GPS technology exists and it’s not impossible to track trucks on how they proceed.
Maurice Owen-Michaane asked if the village had any businesses that operate twenty-four hours a day. He said that he was concerned about a lot of tractor trailers and the amount of weight on the roads. He asked about the cost to the Village for consultants. He mentioned the burden on the police department. Mr. Owen-Michaane also said that it will add jobs and add to the tax base.
Manager Pierpont said that other that gas stations, all stores close by midnight and can open at five o’clock in the morning. He said that regarding consultants, a good faith estimate is made for a project. The review deposit is established for the cost of consultants. The applicant pays the estimated fee, and the account is replenished if necessary. There is no cost to the village.
Gideon Etra said that a crane company has been on that lot. He spoke about security and said that they have an armed guard, a video system. It is self- contained. He said that they would like to be good citizens. They work with not for profit organizations such as schools and religious organizations. They use cutting edge robotics and would be interested in exploring internships and site visits.
Mayor Monachino Lapey said that it would make sense to digest this information and be back in touch with the applicant.
The Mayor said that there is no implication from this Board that there is any quid pro quo required. This project will be evaluated on its merits. ------
SPECIAL PERMIT FOR 6 CANAL ROAD
The Mayor asked the Village Manager to give some background on this subject. The Manager said that the property currently has a permit for the storage of buses and other equipment. They have some space not being occupied by buses and would like to put construction equipment there. They would like the ability to store scaffolding equipment which is permitted. This would be an amendment to the permit.
Trustee Annunziata asked if this would generate an additional fee and was told no that this was a swap for buses.
The Mayor said that she thinks this is fine. It’s essentially an exchange.
After discussion and upon motion duly made and seconded, it was unanimously
RESOLVED, that a special permit to allow the storage of scaffolding equipment at 6 Canal Road be and hereby is approved.
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TAX CERTIORARI 1388 ROOSEVELT AVENUE
Mayor Monachino Lapey said that the Board is in receipt of a determination from the court to reduce the taxes for 1388 Roosevelt Avenue and grant a refund in the amount of six hundred thirty- six dollars and four cents.
The Village Board has nothing to do with this decision, but reports it for the record.
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APPOINT ELECTION INSPECTORS FOR MARCH 19, 2019 ELECTION
After discussion and upon motion duly made and seconded, it was unanimously
Resolved, that the following people be and hereby are appointed Election Inspectors for the March 19, 2019 Village Election at the rate of eighteen dollars and seventy-five cents per hour.
Anna Perna Christine Genovese Richard Genovese
Be It Further Resolved, that that the Board of Trustees may provide for alternative inspectors who shall assume the same office of Inspector upon the inability or refusal of an Inspector to perform his/her duties and for any clerical help which may be deemed necessary. ------
RESOLUTION IDENTIFYING THE POLLING PLACE AND HOURS THE POLLS WILL BE OPEN FOR THE VILLAGE ELECTION ON MARCH 19, 2019
After discussion and upon motion duly made and seconded, it was unanimously
RESOLVED, that polling place for the Village election to be held on March 19, 2019 be and hereby is the Firehouse located at 4 Penfield Place, and the hours the polls will be open will be from six thirty in the morning until nine o’clock in the evening.
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RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO SIGN ABSTACT OF VOUCHERS NUMBERS 25776-25920
After discussion and upon motion duly made and seconded, it was unanimously
RESOLVED, that the Mayor be and hereby is authorized to sign abstract of vouchers numbers 25776- 25920. ------
PUBLIC COMMENT
Mayor Monachino Lapey asked if there was any additional comment from the public.
Anthony Marrella, 103 Iden Avenue, gave a letter to the Board of Trustees asking to amend the parking code on Iden Avenue, Stellar Avenue and Wolfs Lane. He would like the code to be amended to allow short term parking for visitors of homeowners.
According to the State Vehicle and Traffic regulations, the Board cannot create short term parking for residents and their guests. An act of the New York State legislature could amend the code, but the parking would be available for anyone to use. It cannot only be for visitors. The police can’t discriminate in enforcing the law
The Mayor said that the Board can talk with residents. The parking was originally removed because the residents wanted that. She said that this is not an easy issue.
The condition of roads, especially from the Four Corners to the Thruway entrance, was discussed.
The Mayor said that when she met with Senator Biaggi that was one of the things that was discussed. Mayor Monachino Lapey encouraged people to reach out to Senator Biaggi with their concerns.
Mr. Marrella said that the Mens’ Club of Pelham was meeting on January 24th and the speaker will be Richard Naclerio who will speak on the formation of the Federal Reserve.
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EXECUTIVE SESSION
After discussion and upon motion duly made and seconded, it was unanimously
RESOLVED, that the Board be and hereby is authorized to conduct an Executive Session to discuss the following:
Personnel Matter No action was taken in Executive Session
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ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to come before the Board, the meeting was adjourned.
------Clerk