The fate of a proposed multi-family development at the Larchmont train station, rental apartments at 1-5 Vine Street, now rests partly with New York State, after the Department of Environmental Conservation accepted the applicant’s Brownfield Cleanup Program application (a review of historical property uses and testing soil, air, or water to find potentially hazardous materials) as complete on August 10th.
The proposed building, 1-5 Vine Street, would be adjacent to the Larchmont Train Station (in Town of Mamaroneck jurisdiction) and replace the existing J & F Autobody shop and a dry cleaning store, properties owned by Giuseppe (“Joe”) Sparano and his son, Vincent (“Vinny”) Sparano, who operate the auto body business. Joe Sparano has owned the property for about 45 years.
The applicant has said repeatedly that the project will not proceed without DEC approval into the program — regardless of what the Planning Board decides on site plan approval.
The DEC will publish a formal notice opening a public comment period, with submissions due September 18th. The agency has not specified where the notice will be published, and it retains the right to request additional information from the applicant before ruling.
At the Town Planning Board’s most recent meeting, members took a non-binding straw vote at the applicant’s request; a majority indicated support for the proposed building. But the board has not yet received a final site plan, and asked the applicant to submit one at least ten days ahead of its September 9th meeting — a delay the applicant objected to during the session.
Adding another layer of review, the Town’s Board of Architectural Review requested a fresh opportunity to weigh in on the project’s design, despite having already advised the Zoning Board of Appeals and prompted design changes from the applicant months earlier. The Planning Board granted the request, but only if the BAR delivers its recommendations before September 9th — likely requiring a special BAR meeting in the coming weeks.
Members of the newly formed Memorial Park Neighborhood Association attended the meeting; one said the group will continue monitoring the project, while another commended the Planning Board’s scrutiny of environmental and traffic concerns.
The public hearing will continue at the board’s September 9th meeting. Planning Board counsel Lisa Hoffman has been asked to draft a preliminary resolution, with conditions, for possible discussion at the September 9th or October 14th meetings
Information courtesy Ralph Engel, Town of Mamaroneck Planning Board Chair.
This story was drafted with the assistance of an AI writing tool, based on the Planning Board’s meeting report and DEC correspondence, and reviewed and edited by Publisher Polly Kreisman prior to publication.