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Bet Torah presents ambitious sanctuary and classroom expansion; ARB asks for larger-scale details
Summary
Bet Torah told the Architectural Review Board it plans to expand its Mount Kisco facility with a new sanctuary, classrooms and a Moore Avenue parking entrance, increasing building area from about 35,000 to 41,000 sq ft; the ARB praised the concept but asked the congregation to return with larger-scale elevations, color samples and more detail on materials and site impacts.
Bet Torah representatives presented a conceptual plan to the Architectural Review Board on May 21 for an expansion that would add a new sanctuary, additional classrooms and a reconfigured parking entrance.
"The new sanctuary is the centerpiece of the project," architect Lee Wright told the Board, describing fixed seating for about 200 people and space for roughly 150 additional loose chairs when needed. Wright said the sanctuary's east wall would be nearly all glass opening onto a meditative garden, with an operable folding wall at the back to connect into the existing social hall. The project would convert the existing sanctuary into a library and add rabbi offices and classroom wings on two levels.
The congregation plans to demolish a portion of the eastern nursery wing and add a Moore Avenue entrance and parking lot designed to allow vehicles to stack on-site for drop-off and pick-up; the existing Smith Avenue entrance and exit would remain. The architects said the total building footprint would grow from "a little less than 35,000 square feet" to about 41,000 square feet.
Architect Alan Westman outlined exterior materials: an earth-toned one-coat Stowe finish for classroom wings, porcelain tile and Jerusalem stone accents on curved 12"x24" walls, and large clear glass expanses capped with a floating roof element. The team also described landscaping and a garden wall at the Moore Avenue entrance intended to screen headlights from adjacent homes.
Board members praised the concept. "My initial reaction is that the plan is very exciting," Chairman Frank Tortorello said, while also asking for more refined elevations and larger-scale drawings showing how new materials will relate to the existing brick façades facing Smith Avenue. Several members said the design could be made more visually cohesive by making selective changes to the older façade rather than leaving it as-is for strictly financial reasons.
The Board asked the congregation to return with larger drawings, sample materials and additional detail on the Moore Avenue parking design and streetscape mitigation. No formal action or vote to approve the project was taken; the application will return for further review.
