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Mount Kisco board hears public concerns, industry objections at BESS hearing; matter continued to Aug. 11
Summary
At a July 14 public hearing, industry representatives urged the Village not to adopt a blanket ban on battery energy storage systems (BESS), while several residents raised safety and scope concerns; the board adjourned the hearing to August 11 for further review.
The Mount Kisco Village Board opened a public hearing July 14 on a proposed local law that would restrict or ban battery energy storage systems (BESS) within the village. Mayor J. Michael Cindrich read the proposed text into the record and took public comment.
Doug Warden, partner at Snyder & Snyder representing applicant Catalyze Energy, asked the Board to decline a ban, saying the village should adopt a comprehensive code rather than an outright prohibition. "A ban will inundate the Zoning Board of Appeals," Warden said, arguing that a prohibition would shift approvals to the ZBA and produce inconsistent, ad hoc variance decisions. Jesse Peterson, director for BESS at Catalyze, invited board members and stakeholders to visit an operating facility to see how the systems are managed.
Residents who spoke urged caution. Erica Charpentier of Grove Street said the draft resolution’s size threshold (described in the legislation as greater than 600 mW) is unclear and might unintentionally restrict smaller consumer or residential systems, and she asked how the law would affect local medical providers. Fionna Ford, a researcher on climate impacts, requested the Board release the risk assessments cited in the draft and evidence the Fire Department could not handle the risks identified. Louis Terlizzi of Drake Street cited Fire Department of New York reporting and local incidents, saying lithium‑battery fires can be difficult to extinguish and that Mount Kisco’s small, dense footprint raises safety concerns.
Mayor Cindrich said the Board would answer outstanding questions and aim to clarify perceived misinformation. Trustee Thomas G. Luzio asked staff to provide Westchester County and Mount Kisco planning board comments and explained how the Board would handle responses at the next meeting.
Deputy Mayor Theresa Flora moved, and Trustee Karen B. Schleimer seconded, to adjourn the public hearing to Monday, August 11, 2025 at 7:00 p.m.; the motion passed unanimously.
The hearing will reconvene Aug. 11, when the Board has said it will provide responses to requests for background materials and agency comments.
