Neighbors push back as ZBA opens SEQRA review for 200,000‑sq.ft. warehouse at 79 Austin Avenue

The Yonkers Zoning Board of Appeals on Oct. 15 voted to declare its intent to assume lead agency status under the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) for a proposed warehouse at 79 Austin Avenue, a roughly 200,000-square-foot project presented by the Morris Companies.

Counsel Janet Garris and traffic consultant Anthony Guccione described a one‑story warehouse with about 171,760 square feet of storage and 30,000 square feet of office space, 21 loading docks and extensive screening and grading to reduce visual and noise impacts. The applicant said engineering and traffic studies requested by city staff are in progress.

Public comment at the meeting was strongly opposed. Yonkers Council member Anthony Maranti told the board the project could overburden narrow local roads and said residents are worried about tractor‑trailer traffic, 24‑hour access and unspecified tenants. "Austin Avenue has become part of my district... the Sprain Road gate is a main concern," Maranti said.

Neighbors described existing peak‑period congestion and predicted that the facility’s truck activity could make local traffic worse. Resident Robert Nadler noted that "21 bays" could translate into hundreds of truck movements per day, and Robin Good said the site sits "in my backyard" and warned 24‑hour operations would harm neighbors’ quality of life.

The board voted to seek lead agency status and directed the planning department to begin coordinated environmental review and circulation to involved agencies. Chair Wilson Kimball also asked planning and engineering staff to ensure submitted traffic studies reflect typical school‑day and peak usage rather than holiday or off‑peak conditions.

The applicant received the board’s procedural support to resubmit required studies, and staff will schedule follow-up community engagement and further hearings once the technical materials have been filed and circulated.