Planning board issues negative SEQRA declaration for 4230 East Samford Boulevard; Floor Decor to submit lighting study and remove tractor trailers

The Mount Vernon City Planning Board voted to issue a negative State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) declaration and approved the application for 4230 East Samford Boulevard (Case DaysPD25‑4230), while asking council staff to prepare a draft resolution that incorporates conditions discussed at the meeting.

At the hearing the board confirmed notice requirements (mailing, publication and sign posting) and reviewed the property description: a 318,293-square-foot site in the CB Commercial District near East Samford Boulevard and Fulton Street. Counsel and staff reported that the board had declared its intent to serve as lead agency for SEQRA on May 7, 2025. The board then voted to issue a negative declaration under SEQRA for the proposed action and to close the public hearing.

Jennifer Kinnarek, attorney for the applicant (Floor Decor), told the board the applicant has engaged an engineer to review exterior lighting and will submit a lighting study to staff once it is complete. Board members said brighter lighting was needed for safety and to discourage after-hours parking and loitering. The applicant agreed to submit the lighting study to planning staff for review.

Commissioners pressed the applicant to clarify overnight tractor-trailer parking; the applicant’s counsel stated that existing tractor trailers currently parked on the site are not part of the applicant’s operation and will be removed and will not be permitted to remain overnight once the tenant takes possession. The applicant also agreed to repair surface areas in the parking lot that need it and to include notes on the resubmitted site plans stating those repairs.

The board directed counsel to complete the draft resolution incorporating conditions discussed at the meeting and authorized the chair to sign the resolution once it was ready so the applicant could proceed without returning to a future meeting. The motions to issue the SEQRA negative declaration, close the public hearing and authorize council to finalize the draft resolution were seconded and passed by voice vote.

Other items discussed and to be included as conditions or clarified in final documents included updated plantings consistent with ARB feedback, confirmation of security cameras shown in the submission, and coordination on any future street light conduit work when sidewalks are replaced. The board recorded that additional details would be finalized in the council-prepared resolution and in subsequent plan submissions.