Cadillac Drive buildable‑lot application adjourned after neighbors raise rock‑removal, drainage and noise concerns

The Zoning Board adjourned an application to convert a vacant parcel on Cadillac Drive into a buildable lot after extended public comment and questions about rock removal, drainage and neighborhood impacts. The applicant sought relief for lot area (12,061 square feet proposed vs. 15,000 required), a roughly 19% shortfall in minimum lot size.

Applicant counsel and the builder described the site as a buildable tax lot that dates to a 1968 subdivision. The applicant said all other dimensional standards could be met and that only the lot area required relief. The project team provided a topo survey that shows rock outcroppings near the front of the lot; the architect said the bulk of the rock sits at the front of the property and that only a small portion at the driveway/footing area would need to be chipped or drilled and pinned.

Neighbors objected at length. Speakers described the rock as a deep geological formation, not a superficial boulder, and raised concerns about noise, vibration, the potential need to chip or drill rock for foundations or footings, impacts to foundations and utilities (water and gas), and changes to drainage and run‑off that could affect downstream yards. Several residents said they had observed heavy equipment and tree removal on adjacent parcels and asked the board to visit the site before deciding.

Applicant representatives pointed to New Rochelle’s Rock Removal Regulations (Directive 2014) and emphasized that blasting is not permitted and that regulated rock removal is limited to weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. They estimated rock removal would be limited in extent and could be completed in a few weeks using chipping or hydraulic splitting, and said they would coordinate preconstruction meetings, provide contact information for site superintendents and be subject to building‑department inspection.

Board members expressed concern about the site’s geological conditions and neighbors’ safety and quality‑of‑life issues. Several board members asked for site‑specific house plans and elevations, and for additional information to better understand rock removal extent and drainage plans. The applicant requested an adjournment to prepare those materials; the board moved to adjourn the matter to the next meeting (April 1) to allow the applicant to submit further documentation. The motion to adjourn passed.