Woodbury ZBA moves to draft approval for Aspen Dental sign variance after SEQRA negative declaration

The Village of Woodbury Zoning Board of Appeals closed the public hearing and moved toward formal approval on a request from Aspen Dental Management Inc. for an additional wall sign at a Central Valley commercial site.

At the January 2025 meeting, the board declared itself lead agency for an uncoordinated State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) review, issued a negative declaration for the proposed signage, and voted to ask village counsel to prepare a draft resolution consistent with the discussion. The action clears the way for a formal vote on the variance at a future meeting.

The application concerns a request for a second wall sign on the north elevation of the end-cap unit at the property described on the agenda as 6 Loci Lane in Central Valley (applicant materials referred to the street as “Lucy Avenue”). The applicant, represented in person by Josh Mulcoveyney, director of national accounts for Anchor Sign, said the additional sign is needed because of the site’s topography and visibility constraints where Route 17 and Route 6 intersect.

“Given the location of that property, the topography of it, it’s elevated and raised,” Mulcoveyney said, adding that the second sign would improve visibility for drivers approaching the site from the intersection and would be encompassed within the total square-footage allowance in the code. He also said the proposed signage uses low-voltage LED illumination and is comparable to other signs in the nearby commercial development.

Board members reviewed the SEQRA Part 2 impact assessment and found all sections indicated either no or small impacts. The board noted the closest residence is over 1,000 feet from the proposed north-facing sign and agreed the two wall signs combined would be less than the total area allowed on the building’s east-facing elevation. Members also discussed whether the difficulty was self-created by the applicant; one member described the difficulty as self-created but said that did not preclude further action.

Following the discussion the board: (1) closed the public hearing; (2) declared the ZBA lead agency for an uncoordinated SEQRA review; (3) issued a SEQRA negative declaration finding no significant adverse environmental impacts; and (4) directed counsel to prepare a draft resolution reflecting the board’s findings and consistent with the discussion. The board indicated the draft resolution would be available from the building department within a few days of the next meeting and likely reviewed for adoption at that meeting.

No members of the public spoke in opposition at the hearing. The applicant acknowledged that the landlord constructed the building and that the unit’s end-cap location creates the visibility challenge cited in the application.

The board did not adopt a final variance at this meeting; it voted to have counsel prepare a resolution for consideration at the next regular meeting, currently scheduled for February 12, 2025.