City Council:
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF
THE CITY OF MOUNT VERNON, DECLARING
INTENT TO SERVE AS LEAD AGENCY PURSUANT
TO SEQRA FOR A PETITION SEEKING ZONING
TEXT AND MAP AMENDMENTS AND RELATED
LAND USE APPROVALS BY GRACE BAPTIST
CHURCH, AND REFERRING THE PETITION TO
THE CITY CORPORATION COUNSEL, CITY PLANNING
BOARD, AND WESTCHESTER COUNTY PLANNING BOARD
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Mount Vernon is in receipt of a Petition submitted by Grace Baptist Church (“Petitioner”) to amend the Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map of the City of Mount Vernon (“Petition”) to permit Petitioner’s Project (as defined herein) to be developed on three adjacent lots known as 70 South Sixth Avenue, 60 South Sixth Avenue, and 47 Second Street West, designated on the City of Mount Vernon Tax Map as Section 165.78, Block 3068, Lots 15, 16 and 36 (“Property”); and
WHEREAS, Petitioner is the owner of the Property, which comprises approximately 27,653 square feet (±0.63 acres); and
WHEREAS, the Property is located in two zoning districts, the NB Neighborhood Business District and the RMF-6.75 Multifamily Residence District; and
WHEREAS, Petitioner’s stated purpose of the requested Petition is to permit the construction of a 15-story mixed-use building, consisting of approximately 262 affordable dwelling units (for families at or below 80% of the Area Median Income for Westchester County), office space which will be utilized by the Grace Baptist Church (±6,948 sf) and municipal offices (±5,000 sf), approximately 114 structured off-street parking spaces, and resident amenities (“Project,” collectively with the Petition, “Proposed Action”); and
WHEREAS, the Project as proposed is not presently permitted in either the NB Neighborhood Business District or the RMF-6.75 Multifamily Residence District; and
WHEREAS, on or about June 11, 2025, Petitioner submitted to the City Council the Petition, together with a conceptual site plan, floor plans, and renderings; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to the State Environmental Quality Review Act and its implementing regulations at 6 N.Y.C.R.R. Part 617 (collectively, “SEQRA”), Petitioner submitted to the City Council a Full Environmental Assessment Form Part 1 (“EAF”) for the Proposed Action, dated September 12, 2025; and
WHEREAS, as described in the EAF, the Proposed Action includes the requested Petition and the redevelopment of the Property for the Project as further described in Petitioner’s application materials; and
WHEREAS, the Proposed Action is a Type I action under SEQRA; and
WHEREAS, the Proposed Action has been designed to be consistent with the recommendations and guiding principles of the City Council’s Downtown Vision Report, adopted January 2024, which encourages increased density, affordable housing, and walkable mixed-use development in the downtown area; and
WHEREAS, the City Council is the approval authority for the Petition; and
WHEREAS, the City Council desires to designate its intent to serve as Lead Agency for the coordinated review of the Proposed Action pursuant to SEQRA; and
WHEREAS, the City Council is required to refer the Petition to the Corporation Counsel and Planning Board for their respective reviews and reports pursuant to Section 267-59 of the Zoning Ordinance; and
WHEREAS, Section 267-59 of the Zoning Ordinance requires the Corporation Counsel and the Planning Board to report their respective recommendations to the City Council with respect to the Petition within 30 days after referral; and
WHEREAS, the City Council is also required to refer the Petition and EAF to the Westchester County Planning Board pursuant to Section 267-62 of the Zoning Ordinance and Section 239-m of the General Municipal Law; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED, that the City Council hereby declares its intent to serve as Lead Agency for the SEQRA review of the Proposed Action; and BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, that the City Council authorizes the City Clerk to circulate its Notice of Intent to declare itself as Lead Agency to all known Involved and Interested Agencies, together with the Petition and EAF, notifying them that the Council intends to serve as Lead Agency for the purpose of conducting a coordinated review of the potential environmental impacts of the Proposed Action under SEQRA; and BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, that the City Council authorizes the City Clerk to refer the Petition to the City of Mount Vernon Corporation Counsel and Planning Board for their respective reports pursuant to Section 267-59 of the Zoning Ordinance; and BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, that the City Council authorizes the City Clerk to refer the Petition and EAF to the Westchester County Planning Board in accordance with Section 267-62 of the Zoning Ordinance, and Section 239-m of the General Municipal Law; BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, that this Resolution shall take effect immediately.State Environmental Quality Review
NOTICE OF INTENT TO ACT AS LEAD AGENCY
This Notice is issued pursuant to 6 N.Y.C.R.R. Part 617 of the regulations implementing Article 8 (State Environmental Quality Review Act, or “SEQRA”) of the Environmental Conservation Law. The City of Mount Vernon City Council (“City Council”) is in receipt of a Petition submitted by Grace Baptist Church (“Petitioner”) to amend the Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map of the City of Mount Vernon (“Petition”) to permit Petitioner’s Project (as defined herein) to be developed on three adjacent lots known as 70 South Sixth Avenue, 60 South Sixth Avenue, and 47 Second Street West, designated on the City of Mount Vernon Tax Map as Section 165.78, Block 3068, Lots 15, 16 and 36 (“Property”).
The City Council hereby declares its intention to act as the Lead Agency for the Proposed Action identified below. Unless written objections are received from any involved agency by [DATE] (30 days from the issuance of this Notice), the City Council will be established as Lead Agency for the Coordinated SEQRA Review of the Proposed Action.
Enclosed with this Notice is the Environmental Assessment Form (EAF) and the Zoning Petition, which has been submitted by the Petitioner to the City Council on or around June 11, 2025.
Date: October __, 2025
Name of Action: The Grace
SEQRA Classification: Type I
Description of Action:
The Proposed Action involves the proposed amendments to the Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map of the City of Mount Vernon to permit a 15-story mixed-use building, consisting of approximately 262 affordable dwelling units (for families at or below 80% of the Area Median Income for Westchester County), office space which will be utilized by the Grace Baptist Church (±6,948 sf) and municipal offices (±5,000 sf), approximately 114 structured off-street parking spaces, and resident amenities (collectively, “Project”).
The Property is located in the NB Neighborhood Business District and RMF-6.75 Multifamily Residence District. The Project as proposed is not presently permitted in either District, necessitating the requested Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map amendments.
The City Council is the approval authority with respect to the Zoning Petition.
The Proposed Action also requires Site Plan approval. The City Planning Board is the approval authority with respect to the Site Plan application. The City Architectural Review Board is the approval authority with respect to a Certificate of Appropriateness, which will be required for the Project.
Location: The three adjacent tax lots comprising approximately 27,653 square feet (±0.63 acres), the properties known as 70 South Sixth Avenue, 60 South Sixth Avenue, and 47 Second Street West, designated on the City of Mount Vernon Tax Map as Section 165.78, Block 3068, Lots 15, 16, and 36.
Proposed Lead Agency: City of Mount Vernon City Council
1 Roosevelt Square
Mount Vernon, NY 10550
Contact Person: Danielle Browne, Esq., City Council President
1 Roosevelt Square
Mount Vernon, NY 10550
Telephone No.: (914) 665-2398
A Copy of this Notice Has Been Sent to the Following Involved & Interested Agencies:
City of Mount Vernon Planning Board
1 Roosevelt Square
Mt. Vernon, NY 10550
Attn: Darryl Selsey, Chair
City of Mount Vernon Architectural Review Board
1 Roosevelt Square
Mt. Vernon, NY 10550
Attn: Robin Myers, Chair
Westchester County Department of Health
145 Huguenot Street
New Rochelle, NY 10801
(914) 813-5000
Westchester County Planning Department
148 Martine Avenue, Room 432
White Plains, NY 10601
Attn: Richard Hyman, Chair
Copy of this Notice on file with:
Office of the City Clerk
City of Mount Vernon
1 Roosevelt Square
Mount Vernon, NY 10550
Attn: Tanesia Walters, City Clerk