Peekskill council holds public hearing on proposed auto‑repair shop at 301 North Division; residents press parking and safety concerns

The Peekskill Common Council on June 22 opened a public hearing on a special‑permit application to operate a minor auto‑repair shop at 301 North Division Street and heard detailed questions from residents and council members about parking, pedestrian safety and traffic circulation.

Planning staff said the site—formerly an auto body shop—is no longer a preexisting nonconforming use in the C‑3 district, and that minor repairs may be permitted by special permit. Planning recommended the council consider conditions, including a time limit on the permit (the planning commission suggested seven to ten years) and explicit controls on vehicle queuing and filtration system maintenance.

Keith Bukinski, the applicant’s attorney, told the council the operation will perform “minor repairs only” such as oil changes, state inspections, tires and brakes, and will not conduct bodywork or paint. He said an appointment app will stagger arrivals, and the proposal provides 16 on‑site parking spaces—8 inside the garage and 8 in front of the building—with no on‑street or overnight vehicle storage. “There will be no on street parking. There’s no overnight parking,” Bukinski said.

Neighbors pressed staff and the applicant for more detail. Resident Sue Imhoff described frequent congestion in the area used for school runs and said the plan shown to residents at a prior meeting did not reflect the actual one‑way streets. “It’ll be crazy with all these cars trying to pull out,” she said, urging the council to consider impacts on sidewalks and the one‑way street pattern.

Councilmembers and other residents raised safety concerns about vehicles backing onto North Division from service bays and whether the small existing sidewalk provides adequate clearance. One councilmember said, “Eight cars trying to back in and out of there is a problem,” and asked whether the police department had reviewed the safety plan.

The owner, Majid Al Jamal, and his son said the building’s layout allows circulation that can avoid backing out directly onto North Division; the applicant offered to examine off‑site employee parking options and to work with staff on explicit conditions to prevent on‑street queuing. Planning staff noted the Zoning Board of Appeals has approved variances for setbacks and parking and recommended the council could require a return to the board if parking becomes problematic.

The public hearing was closed after no further speakers. The council did not act to grant the special permit at the meeting; planning staff and the applicant will return with additional details if the council requests conditions or further review.

Next steps: the application will be reviewed by the planning commission for a report and recommendation; any future permit action will be preceded by a council decision to schedule or hold a subsequent public hearing.