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Indie Lab proposes daycare playground at Sawmill River Road; planning board to consider public hearing Dec. 4
Summary
Indie Lab, a preschool operator, presented plans to add a fenced outdoor playground and make interior changes at 1053 Sawmill River Road; the board discussed parking adjustments, safety gates, OCFS spacing requirements and staff review timelines and said staff will work to post materials and determine whether a Dec. 4 public hearing is feasible.
Freda, founder of Indie Lab, told the Town of Greenburgh Planning Board on Nov. 20 that her school seeks an amended site plan to create an outdoor playground at 1053 Sawmill River Road and to adapt interior space for a licensed child‑care center. The applicant said she received a Child Care Capital Program grant and intends to open a new center that would serve up to 62 children on a typical day.
Architect Alex and engineer Ralph Alfonzetti described the playground layout in the rear of the building, a 6‑foot privacy fence, two locked gates, and a choice of pervious surfaces (poured‑in‑place rubber or engineered wood fiber). The plan removes 19 parking spaces in the rear but adds 10 elsewhere, leaving 154 spaces proposed against a 145‑space requirement; applicants said the landlord will reserve morning drop‑off spaces for the school.
Board members and staff questioned safety and regulatory items: OCFS (Office of Children and Family Services) rules on outdoor space per child, ADA routes, handicap spaces and ingress/egress. The applicant said OCFS requires roughly 25 square feet of playground area per child and described staggered outdoor schedules for groups; she also said gates would be fitted with upper locking mechanisms to prevent children from reaching them.
Staff told the board that if the applicant can submit revised plans by the staff deadline (Monday/Tuesday following the meeting), building and engineering review could be completed in time for the board to open a public hearing on Dec. 4. The board agreed staff would coordinate with the building inspector and engineering bureau and that the hearing could be scheduled if staff reports back favorably.
