Town Board adopts zoning text amendment to allow small school/tutoring use at Alpha Anywhere Center

The North Castle Town Board on Sept. 9 adopted a zoning-text amendment to allow limited school and tutoring uses at the Alpha Anywhere Center (355 Main Street, Armonk) and approved a negative declaration under the State Environmental Quality Review Act.

JC Fisher, the executive vice president of operations for Alpha, described the request as a minor text amendment that would allow a school use on part of the site and permit a smaller, "homeschool tutoring center" while the applicant seeks state education approval. He told the board, "Our intended enrollment is around 40," and said the change avoids major traffic or queuing impacts because the proposal is not a high-capacity school.

Board members reviewed planning staff and county planning board recommendations and accepted the submitted project narrative, site plan and negative declaration. The board voted to receive the required public notices and supporting reports, adopted the negative declaration and then adopted the local-law update to PBO-2A permitting the tutoring/school use as proposed. Members indicated standard building, fire and life-safety reviews will still apply prior to any occupancy.

The change allows schools/tutoring as a permitted or specially authorized use within the PBO-2A district subject to site plan and building approvals; the supervisor said the board expects ongoing coordination with planning and building departments for inspections and approvals before the facility may operate.