WHAT’S NEXT ROCHELLE

In a press statement announcing Bramson’s new job, Sustainable Westchester praised him for “serving as a regional and statewide model for environmentally-friendly, transit-oriented development” and for coordinating the city’s GreeNR sustainability plan along with policies that included the expansion of open spaces and the establishment of a program for securing renewable ener g y from Westchester County’s Community Choice Aggregation program.

Bramson is not a stranger to Sustainable Westchester – he is one of the organization’s founding board members.

“Mayor Bramson’s demonstrated track record of building consensus, attracting investment, and prioritizing healthy environments perfectly positions him to lead Sustainable Westchester’s continued growth and expand the great results we deliver to our members,” said Sara Goddard, board chairwoman of Sustainable Westchester. “We are extremely excited to welcome him aboard.”

Bramsom spoke with the Business Journals after the news of his executive director appointment was released.

Congratulations on your upcoming new position. Why did you decide to take this opportunity after you leave of f ice?

I think Sustainable Westchester is among the most important and impactful organizations in the region. Thanks to its very capable and dedicated staff, it has already made important contributions to environmental policymaking and programming.

And with the state now establishing very ambitious climate goals, Sustainable Westchester’s role in the county will be even more signi f icant. For me, this is a very exciting opportunity on both a personal and professional level and a natural extension of many of the things that I have worked to pursue as mayor.

Sustainability is critical for the environment, of course, but what is the role of sustainability in today’s economic development endeavors within the county?

I think there is an important synerg y between our economic and our environmental goals. For example, land use patterns can have a signi f icant effect on the sustainability of our communities, to the extent that we can promote walkable, compact, transit served downtown’s. We reduce our dependency on automobiles, we reduce heating and cooling costs, and we strengthen our economies.

I will be looking for opportunities to partner with not just with member municipalities, but also with organizations across the region that work on the different aspects of progressive policymaking. That is one of the opportunities in this in this new role.

Rye neighbors claim nearby restaurant has no usage rights

BY BILL HELTZEL Bheltzel@westfairinc.com

The City of Rye and the new owner of the former La Panetière restaurant property have been sued for allegedly ignoring zoning laws.

Neighbors David A. Cutner and Thomas W. Tobin petitioned Westchester Supreme Court on May 22 to overturn a zoning decision and to rescind a certif icate of occupancy for the new Ocean Blue Prime steak and seafood restaurant on Milton Road.

Unlike most cases where the zoning board has discretion to balance the interests of property owners and the community, the petition states, this is a “rare one that involves strictly legal issues where the zoning board of appeals has no claim to special expertise.”

La Panetière closed in October 2021 after 36 years of bringing the delights of Provençal cuisine to Westchester.

The following December, 530 Milton

Road LLC, managed by Andrew Tonaj and Monica Iken, bought the property for $2.3 million.

Their Ocean Blue Prime is in a business district created by zoning regulations adopted in 1945, according to the petition. But the property at 530 Milton Road does not comply with the law because it is too close to homes and has no frontage on an arterial highway or county road.

Previous restaurants were grandfathered as a pre-existing, nonconforming uses. As long as they continued to operate, they were protected. But if a restaurant ceased to operate for at least six months, according to the petition, the property was no longer grandfathered.

The new owners applied for a building permit on June 6, 2022 — more than seven months after La Panetière closed — to replace a bar on the f irst floor and install a bar on the second floor.

On Nov. 4 — more than a year after La Panetière closed — the Rye building department issued a certif icate of occupancy that allowed continued use of the building as a restaurant.

Cutner, who lives on Oakland Beach Avenue, and Tobin, who lives on Milton Road, objected to the occupancy permit, arguing that the property’s pre-existing nonconforming status had lapsed.

When you come aboard as executive director at Sustainable Westchester in January, what are your immediate priorities going to be?

I think it’s premature for me to list speci f ic priorities. That is several months away, and I’m going to want to have in-depth conversations both with Sustainable board members and with members of the staff. But as a general matter, it will be my goal to ensure that the member municipalities have the support, the encouragement, the information and the tools that they need to advance their own environmental goals and to position Westchester County as a whole as a real model for sustainable policymaking and program.

You are staring your new job in January, but here we are in June. Why did you decide to have the announcement go public now while you are still in of f ice until the end of December?

I think both for Sustainable Westchester and for New Rochelle it was important to have some level of clarity on the path forward. And so even though I will not begin working with Sustainable for some time, I think it’s helpful for the organization to understand what the transition will look like.

And from a New Rochelle perspective, this provides the assurance that I’m able to remain in office until the end of the term and provide for an orderly transition to my successor.

The city ignored their objection, according to the petition, and the men appealed to the zoning board. On April 23, the zoning board ruled that the property is still permitted as an existing non-conforming use and that the occupancy permit was issued properly.

Tobin and Cutner, who had once served on the zoning board, claim that the board was “determined to reach a particular result” and had unilaterally rewritten the zoning code.

The board ignored the plain language of zoning regulations and decisions, they contend, and had improperly discussed the issue with city of f icials in violation of the state Open Meetings Law and the city’s public hearings regulations.

They are asking the court to annul the zoning board decision, declare that the decision was arbitrary and capricious, direct the city to rescind the occupancy permit, and restrain the zoning board from granting the owners a variance to operate the restaurant.

Attorneys for Ocean Blue Prime and City of Rye did not reply to emails asking for their side of the story.

BY MELINDA MYERS

With their bold color and tropical beauty, easy-care mandevillas make excellent additions to patios, decks and gardens. Train them onto a trellis, allow them to cascade from a hanging basket or combine them with other plants. Enjoy summer-long blossoms and the butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators that stop by for a visit.

Once divided into two different groups, dipladenias and mandevillas, they’re all now considered mandevillas by botanists. You will f ind both names still in use, with dipladenias referring to those with a more mounded, shrub-like habit and mandevillas being more of a trailing vine. Whatever you call them, you are sure to f ind one or more that complement your garden and container designs.

Mandevillas are grown as annuals in all but zones 10a to 11b where some varieties are hardy. They flower best in full sun but will tolerate some shade. These South American native plants thrive in the hot, humid weather of summer, which is just around the corner, so now is a good time for planting them.

Select a potting mix or location with organically rich, well-drained soil. Use a slow-release fertilizer at the start of the season and make a second application, if needed, mid-season. Read and follow the label directions when using fast-release liquid fertilizers.

Mandevillas are usually flowering when you purchase them at the garden center. They will continue to bloom on new growth throughout the summer and fall until frost kills the plant.

The well-behaved vining mandevilla will not strangle nearby plants. Just give it a trellis or obelisk for the vines to wrap around and climb. Their slightly woody stems provide greater stability than other