City Council:
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF MOUNT VERNON DECLARING ITSELF AS
LEAD AGENCY FOR A PETITION SEEKING ZONING
TEXT AND MAP AMENDMENTS AND RELATED
LAND USE APPROVALS BY GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH
WHEREAS, a Petition submitted by Grace Baptist Church (“Petitioner”) to amend the Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map of the City of Mount Vernon (“Zoning 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 has been designed to be consistent with the recommendations and guiding principles of the City’s November 2025 Comprehensive Plan, including the January 2024 Downtown Vision Report, which encourages increased density, affordable housing, and walkable mixed-use development in the downtown area; and
WHEREAS, the Proposed Action is a Type I action under SEQRA; 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 City Council concluded that it is the appropriate agency to serve as 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 the statutory deadline for any such objections has passed; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED, that the City Council declares itself 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 this Resolution shall take effect immediately.