City Council:
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF
THE CITY OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK
DECLARING ITSELF AS THE LEAD AGENCY FOR
MOUNT VERNON EAST ZONING AMENDMENTS,
AND SCHEDULING A PUBLIC HEARING
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Mount Vernon is in receipt of an Amended Petition submitted by Alexander Development Group (“Petitioner”) to amend the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Mount Vernon to create a new Mount Vernon East TOD High-Density District (“TOD-1 District”), and to amend the Zoning Map to apply this TOD-1 District to an area of land comprising one city block, bounded by Portugal Place, East Prospect Avenue, Rich Avenue and Elm Avenue (“Zoning Petition”); and
WHEREAS, Petitioner is the owner of three adjacent tax lots known as 140, 146, and 152 East Prospect Avenue, totaling approximately 0.828 acres, and designated on the City of Mount Vernon Tax Map as Section 165.63, Block 1141, Lots 9, 10, and 11 (collectively, “Property”); and
WHEREAS, the Property is located in an RMF-15 Multifamily Residence District, and within the area of land proposed to be rezoned to the TOD-1 District; and
WHEREAS, the purpose of the requested rezoning of the Property is to allow Petitioner’s proposed 21-story mixed-use building, consisting of approximately 288,784 square feet of gross floor area, which would accommodate up to 350 market rate dwelling units, approximately 7,000 sf of retail space, and 201 parking spaces (collectively, “Project”); and
WHEREAS, on or about September 17, 2024, Petitioner submitted to the City Council the Zoning Petition, together with a conceptual site plan, floor plans, and renderings, as well as a Full Environmental Assessment Form and associated supplemental studies (collectively, “EAF”); and
WHEREAS, as described in the EAF, the Proposed Action includes the requested Zoning Petition and the redevelopment of the Property for the Project as further described in Petitioner’s application materials; and
WHEREAS, the Project has been reduced in scale from Petitioner’s prior proposals for a 30-story and 26-story mixed-use building at the Property in 2018 and 2021, respectively; and
WHEREAS, Petitioner modified the Project to be consistent with the recommendations outlined in the City Council’s Downtown Vision Report, adopted in January 2024; and
WHEREAS, the City Council previously designated its intent to serve as Lead Agency for the prior proposals pursuant to the State Environmental Quality Review Act and its implementing regulations at 6 N.Y.C.R.R. Part 617 (collectively, “SEQRA”); and
WHEREAS, the City Council is the approval authority for the Zoning Petition; and
WHEREAS, the Proposed Action is a Type I action under SEQRA; and
WHEREAS, on October 10, 2024, the City Council re-designated its intent to serve as Lead Agency for the coordinated review of the Proposed Action pursuant to SEQRA; and
WHEREAS, the City Council concluded that it is the appropriate agency to serve as the Lead Agency; and
WHEREAS, the City Council provided written notice of its intent to serve as Lead Agency to the Involved and Interested Agencies; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has not received any written objections from any Involved or Interested Agency to the Council’s designation as Lead Agency; and
WHEREAS, on November 6, 2024, the Planning Board consented to the City Council’s designation as Lead Agency; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED, that the City Council declares itself as the Lead Agency to conduct a coordinated review of the potential environmental impact of the Proposed Action under SEQRA; BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, that the City Council shall hold a Public Hearing on the Zoning Petition on December 11, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. in City Hall, Council Chambers - Room 206, 1 Roosevelt Square N., Mount Vernon, New York, 10550, where public comment will be heard regarding the Zoning Petition, and written comments on the Zoning Petition are requested, and will be accepted by the City Council up to ten (10) days following the close of the Public Hearing; BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, that the City Clerk shall arrange to fulfill the notice requirements for the Public Hearing pursuant to Section 267-61 of the Code; BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, that this Resolution shall take effect immediately.