Beacon council also discusses 248 Tioronda, trails

More than anything else, there were questions on Monday (April 20) from residents whose properties are being considered for Beacon's protected historic district.

Some were pleased, others said "no thanks," but most were lukewarm about a proposal they said they didn't understand.

The district — which is an overlay, meaning it can be applied to buildings throughout the city — encompasses nearly 300 properties. Some are private residences; others, like the Madam Brett Homestead, are cultural institutions.

City code permits the ordinary maintenance and repair of a historic structure but a building permit and "certificate of appropriateness" from the Planning Board are required to alter an "identified historical feature" visible from a street, sidewalk or park.

On the flip side, if a certificate of appropriateness is secured, the assessed value will not increase because of those improvements. Property owners may also apply for special permits. For example, the former Reformed Church of Beacon, now known as Prophecy Hall, received a special-use permit in 2023 to construct a hotel that would not otherwise be allowed.

City Council members vote on whether to add each property to the historic district. A property owner may object, but five of the seven members can override an objection.

The council held a public hearing on Monday for 17 parcels under consideration. Several owners worried that inclusion would cost them money.

The district appears to create "a structure where the obligations placed on the homeowners are clear, enforceable and carry real costs," while the benefits "are conditional, uncertain and not guaranteed," said Kimberly Garcia, who owns 159 Fishkill Ave. She asked the council, which must vote on designating properties within 60 days of concluding the hearing, to delay its decision.

Lou Amoroso Jr., vice president of the St. Rocco Society at 26 South Chestnut St., said its board has no plans to alter the building but does not want to be part of the district. The members of the society, founded in 1905 by Italian immigrants, feel it's important "to keep it the way that it is," he said. However, "we don't want to feel that we're going to be put in a situation where the organization is going to have to struggle to do that."

Mayor Lee Kyriacou, who has lived in a historic home for 30 years, offered to meet with property owners to allay their concerns. He described "the infinite renovations that we have done in our home and the fact that it hasn't ever required going to the Planning Board for anything regarding the [district]."

Matthew Healey, the owner of 30 South Ave., questioned "what the compelling reason for creating this historic district is," noting that the Planning Board last month authorized construction of an addition to the historic Telephone Building at 291 Main St. "I don't want a planning board telling me you can use this color, that color paint," Healey said. "Obviously, I'm not going to paint [my house] Day-Glo orange."

(The Planning Board approved the Telephone Building project after a historical expert testified that the addition would not detract from the 1907 structure.)

Three property owners submitted written objections to their nominations. Council members adjourned the public hearing to May 18 and will discuss the nominations during a workshop on May 4.

248 Tioronda

The council held a second public hearing on Monday on a revised concept plan for a residential housing development at 248 Tioronda Ave.

Originally approved in 2014 as a 100-unit complex, the project has been through at least a half-dozen iterations. The current owner, Bernard Kohn, received permission from the City Council last year to construct two additional residential buildings (two structures with 64 apartments are already completed). The new buildings will include 136 apartments, 27 of which by law must be rented at below-market rates.

Several things must happen before the proje...