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Mahopac ‘Contractor Condo’ Plan Ready for Public Hearing
By Bob Dumas,
16 days ago
The rendered view of a proposed project from the bike path near Buckshollow Road with the new landscaping. Credits: Courtesy Carmel Planning Board
MAHOPAC, N.Y. — A plan to build two new commercial buildings on a swath of land between Route 6 and Buckshollow Road, which town planners say would dramatically improve the site aesthetically, is ready to move to the public hearing stage of the site plan application.
Brothers Nick and John Crecco, owners of DAG Route 6, LLC, are seeking to construct a 10,000-square-foot contractor warehouse and a 3,240-square-foot office space on 4.8 acres with frontages on both Buckshollow and Route 6.
That property, located at 395 Route 6, currently contains a 12,300-foot building with the Pawsitively Petastic doggy daycare and boarding business inside and an associated 14,000-square-foot play space. Under the plan, the dog-boarding business and play area would remain. However, a 2,800-square-foot two-family dwelling would be removed to make room for the new construction.
The plan not only calls for the construction of the new buildings, but would also remove dozens of old trash receptacles, abandoned cars, and other debris.
The Creccos are purchasing the bordering Freight Liquidator property to ensure complete access and egress to the property via both Route 6 and Buckshollow Road. The 10,000-foot building would be divided into five units, sometimes referred to as “contractor condominiums.”
The concept is to rent the units to those in the trade business, such as plumbers, electricians, and other contractors. It would not include automotive work of any kind.
The idea is also to improve the view of the property from the adjacent Putnam Trailway bike path near Buckshollow Road with fencing and landscaping.
At the Planning Board’s April 10 meeting, Adam Thyberg, a project landscape architect with Insite Engineering, the design firm overseeing the project, introduced artist renderings of what the building would look like.
Town planning consultant Pat Cleary said the design of the buildings was appropriate but needed to be punched up a bit because it will take years before the landscaping and tree planting takes hold along the bike path.
“These buildings are at the back of the property, but the back of the property is significantly important to us because it runs along the Trailway,” he said. “So, we asked the applicant to really pay attention to the landscaping and screening along that area. There is some scrubby growth down there right now and a chain-link fence.
“But the applicant has done quite a good job of doing what they can in the area that they have,” Cleary continued. “The entire perimeter of that property will have 6- to 10-foot evergreens and they will grow larger than that.”
But until that happens, Cleary said, the new buildings are mostly exposed, and its plain façade could use more style.
“It is an industrial building and not the most attractive industrial building,” he said. “In the area above the [garage] doors there is just a blank void. It would be useful if there were some horizontal architectural elements to break up that massive thing and soften the view.
“Eventually, those evergreens will grow and you probably won’t see much of the building, but for about 10 years you are going to,” Cleary added.
Thyberg said he would talk to the project’s architect, and they would add more detailing to the building.
If approved, the Creccos would be responsible in perpetuity for replacing any of the new trees or landscaping should something die.
“The space there now is a mess, and this [plan] clearly cleans it up and would also provide contractor space for local guys,” Cleary said. “It’s a good use for the property. It clears up the problem.”
Planning Board Chair Craig Paeprer agreed, saying this was a good step toward improving the look of the town.
“We have to start somewhere to clean up the town and any project that comes in front of us should look nicer when it leaves,” he said. “And this is a good opportunity. This is an improvement. This could be one of the nicer industrial buildings.
Two required variances for the project have been approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals, so Paeprer said the next step will be to schedule a public hearing for the project.
Several people in the audience who wished to speak and Planning Board attorney Joe Charbeneau said they didn’t have to wait for the public hearing to share their thoughts.
“In addition to the public hearing the board does accept written comment,” he said. “You are free to email Rose Trombetta, the planning board secretary, and all that correspondence gets forwarded to the board.
“Just because we are not in a public hearing tonight doesn’t mean you are not permitted from accessing the board vis-à-vis the written comment,” Charbeneau added. “And we do read them.”
Though the public hearing has not been officially scheduled, the next Planning Board meeting is Wednesday, April 24, at 7 p.m.
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