ARB reviews two options for second‑floor addition at 147 West Sanford; samples and landscaping required
May 29, 2025 | Mount Vernon, Westchester County, New York
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Architects representing the owner of 147 West Sanford presented two design options for a one‑story addition and a new covered porch during a City of Mount Vernon Architectural Review Board hearing. The board accepted the concept but required finish samples, window and railing cut sheets, and a detailed native‑plant landscape plan before final approval.
The proposal calls for a second‑floor bedroom and covered porch area on the front of an existing nonconforming single‑family building, with minimal first‑floor changes. The design team said the addition would remain largely within the existing footprint and that construction would be contained on the property to minimize disruption to neighbors.
The applicant presented two layouts. Option 1 retains the original interior orientation; option 2 flips the rear bathroom and rooftop garden area to address neighbor concerns about views and sunlight. The architect said option 2 was developed after input at a zoning‑board hearing. The architect said the property has “no parking” on site and plans to use off‑street parking identified in the submission.
ARB members repeatedly asked to see physical finish samples: siding, roofing, railings and lighting. Commissioner members noted that cut sheets and material samples help avoid ambiguity in the application: “If it can't be left to our imagination what these colors look like, actual finishes alleviate all of that,” one member said.
Staff and commissioners also requested a landscaping schedule and explicit planting plan for the narrow front and side areas, and asked that plantings be native and low‑maintenance. The board and applicant agreed that the applicant should return with revised materials and samples and be prepared to appear at the June meeting for a faster resolution.
No final vote was recorded during the presentation; the board asked the applicant to prepare cut sheets, physical samples and a landscaping schedule for the next submission.
The proposal calls for a second‑floor bedroom and covered porch area on the front of an existing nonconforming single‑family building, with minimal first‑floor changes. The design team said the addition would remain largely within the existing footprint and that construction would be contained on the property to minimize disruption to neighbors.
The applicant presented two layouts. Option 1 retains the original interior orientation; option 2 flips the rear bathroom and rooftop garden area to address neighbor concerns about views and sunlight. The architect said option 2 was developed after input at a zoning‑board hearing. The architect said the property has “no parking” on site and plans to use off‑street parking identified in the submission.
ARB members repeatedly asked to see physical finish samples: siding, roofing, railings and lighting. Commissioner members noted that cut sheets and material samples help avoid ambiguity in the application: “If it can't be left to our imagination what these colors look like, actual finishes alleviate all of that,” one member said.
Staff and commissioners also requested a landscaping schedule and explicit planting plan for the narrow front and side areas, and asked that plantings be native and low‑maintenance. The board and applicant agreed that the applicant should return with revised materials and samples and be prepared to appear at the June meeting for a faster resolution.
No final vote was recorded during the presentation; the board asked the applicant to prepare cut sheets, physical samples and a landscaping schedule for the next submission.
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