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Millwood Firehouse Approved By Planning Board

CHAPPAQUA, N.Y. – The New Castle Town Board is the only hurdle remaining for the Millwood Fire District after being awarded site plan approval for its new firehouse Tuesday night by the town’s Planning Board.

The only outstanding issue from the firehouse’s findings statement is with tree mitigation. Town Planner Sabrina Charney Hull said there was confusion between the town and the fire district as to what type of screening must be provided. The district has agreed to set aside $10,000 for the mitigation, but is uncertain as to what it will be spent on.

“There seems to be confusion as to whether that was $10,000 into the town’s tree bank fund, or whether applicant was supposed to spend $10,000 with on-site screening and fencing,” Hull said. “We were kind of at an impasse.”

She said that rather than go back and forth about what the money should be used for, she thought it would be best for the Town Board to clarify what tree mitigation it wants to see at the firehouse.

“As a condition, the applicant will be directed to revisit the issue with the Town Board for clarification as to what tree mitigation they must undertake,” Hull said. “So it takes the burden off the Planning Board.”

Hull, however, does not expect the issue to derail the project. The fire district began drawing up construction plans for the $9.6 million, 18,000-square-foot firehouse in July after the Planning Board gave assurance that it would be approved.

The Millwood Fire District hopes to break ground on the new site in the fall and to have the station completed by 2014, which would be Millwood Fire Company No. 1's 90th anniversary.

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