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Larchmont board opens public hearing on proposed gasoline service station rules; no vote
Summary
The Board of Trustees opened a public hearing on a draft local law to clarify regulation of gasoline service stations and convenience stores; speakers urged clearer definitions of "operating," size limits and curb‑cut/traffic standards and the hearing was adjourned to July 27 for further review and county input.
The Village of Larchmont Board of Trustees opened a public hearing on June 22 on a proposed local law to clarify how gasoline service stations and associated convenience stores are regulated.
The hearing began with the mayor noting the draft ordinance must be referred to the planning board and Westchester County and that no vote would be taken tonight. An applicant representative said the building department had flagged vagueness in the code when an application arrived, prompting the moratorium and the need for clearer local law language. Village Attorney Jim Stout said the draft was prepared by the village planning consultant to align allowed uses with current zoning and stressed that some older stations remain nonconforming; whether a particular site may proceed is typically a building-inspector determination.
Speakers at the hearing raised several practical concerns. An applicant representative asked for clarity on what the ordinance means by "operating," noting some sites have removed underground tanks and are not currently dispensing fuel but consider themselves existing service stations. He warned that a rule that treats temporarily inactive sites as discontinued could block legitimate business restoration. The same speaker also urged flexibility on curb cuts and called for traffic studies where access could affect surrounding neighborhoods.
Participants questioned a draft 1,000‑square‑foot cap for convenience-store space and whether mechanical rooms, storage and restrooms would be excluded from that calculation; the mayor said the village planner would be asked to propose clearer language. Dean Lawrence, speaking on behalf of planning-board interests, said the planning board has adjourned two applications for more information and that the board reviewed the ordinance from a broader development perspective rather than as project‑specific approvals.
After public comment the trustees voted to adjourn the hearing to the July 27 meeting to allow the planner and Westchester County to weigh in and to let the board refine definitions and conditional allowances.
The board did not take any formal action on the draft local law tonight; the hearing remains open.
