Politics & Government

County Planners Recommend Car Wash Changes

Bedford's zoning board will discuss the proposal at its Nov. 14 meeting.

The Westchester County Planning Board has recommended changes to a proposed car wash site at the corner of Valerio Court and Route 117 in Bedford Hills that they say will eliminate the need for the requested variances.

Splash Car Wash has asked to cross from its longtime home at 527 North Bedford Road to the former site of a Carvel’s franchise at 570 North Bedford. The move requires action by Bedford’s planning board and zoning board of appeals.

The 1.67 acre site is commerically zoned in the front and residentially zoned to the rear, requiring variances to both permit the use of rear portion of the property for a business and to allow parking within 25 feet of a residential district.

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If the proposed buildings are moved to the front of the site, a residential variance is not needed, said county planning commissioner Edward Burroughs in a letter to Bedford's zoning board. He also said the change would render a proposed rock cut and construction of a retaining wall unnecessary.

Burroughs also recommended the town suggest architectural modifications and plan revisions that would make the site more pedestrian-friendly and incorporate any impact the development would have on a Bee-Line bus stop located in the front of the property.

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He also noted the property's location in the Croton Watershed and suggested that particular attention be paid to erosion, sediment control and stormwater runoff during—and after—construction.

Nearby residents have objected to the car wash plan, citing multiple traffic, safety and noise concerns if the former ice-cream site becomes a high-volume car wash. Dino DeFeo, a representative of the neighbors of Valerio Court, said incorporating the new recommendations wouldn't be enough to make the site safe.

"While we applaud the county's recommendations as a step in the right direction, it would be far preferred by the residents of Valerio Court (and all concerned Bedford citizens) to have the project moved elsewhere," said DeFeo.  "The traffic generated on Valerio Court still poses safety concerns as the car wash would share the street with our children. The noise from the facility—specifically weekends and late evenings when most other businesses are closed—would be also be a hardship to the residents.

The county's recommendations are non-binding, according to zoning board chairman, David Menken, but the five-member group does take them into consideration. The next zoning board meeting—at which the Splash application will be discussed—is scheduled for Nov. 14. Final site approval rests with Bedford planners.

Related stories:

New Car Wash OKd for Splash's Bedford Hills Site

Neighbors Protest Car Wash Plans

Letter to the Editor: New Car Wash Site Presents Dangers

ZBA Postpones Action on Car Wash Variances

Letter: Move Car Wash Elsewhere


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