The Bedford planning board this week heard a proposal for a 10-lot subdivision of about 98 acres of land located on the south side of Upper Hook Road in Bedford.
The development, at 131 Upper Hook Road, was described as a "conventional subdivision," with ten lots ranging in size from four-and-a-half acres to just over 20 acres.
The lots were designed to conform with the area's four-acre zoning requirements according to information presented by David Sessions, a principal at Kellard Sessions Consulting, the Armonk-based architecture and engineering firm representing the property owner, America Capital Energy Corporation.
Access to the neighborhood would be via a 1,450 foot road to be located off Upper Hook Road, with three lots having private driveways and the remaining seven lots sharing common drives.
"It was an initial presentation," said Planning Board Chairman Donald Coe in a phone call after the meeting. "They still have a lot of work to do."
In discussing the proposal with Sessions, the planning board presented a number of questions and concerns, Coe said. For example, they asked for attention to the town's rules on tree cutting and for researching whether the Bedford Riding Lanes Trails that traverse a portion of the property are used. In addition, they asked Sessions to contact the town's historian for any potential preservation concerns.
The planning board also informed Sessions about the town ordinance requiring developers of sites with five or more residential units to set aside at least 10 percent of them as affordable housing. If the units are in a single-family residential subdivision, the developer can pay a fee in lieu of building the affordable housing.
The land includes two parcels—sized at 61.8 and 36.8 acres, respectively—and is owned by America Capital Energy Corporation. In a letter to Supervisor Lee Roberts, the company said it seeks an amendment to the deed restriction on the smaller parcel to allow the construction of four homes instead of the two currently permitted.
Coe said that request did not arise during Monday night's meeting.
The planning board scheduled a site walk of the property for Oct. 19.
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Katonah Firehouse
The planning board also considered a request to construct a temporary structure to house the Katonah Fire Department's fire apparatus during the $2.5 million renovations taking place at the fire house.
The board approved the request on the condition that the exterior lighting be minimized and the structure would be removed from the property by June, 2013.
