A 24-hour health club is officially coming to downtown.
On Monday, Feb. 24, the Common Council unanimously voted to authorize a special permit for a health club at the Crossroads Shopping Center where the former Rite Aid store was at 1101 Main St.
They also approved local law amendments to the zoning code to permit health clubs in the C2 zoning district where the club will be.
Council members voted on the zoning code amendments and special permit immediately following a public hearing that saw no comments from the public.
One new condition of the special permit, in response to security concerns, is that its term is for six months. After that period, the council will review the permit to determine if any modifications are required.
Members previously shared safety concerns about the club not being staffed during all hours and the amount of emergency services calls that could arise.
Director of Planning Carol Samol and City Attorney Eric Gordon reminded the council that the special permit may be revoked at any time if the facility is found to be out of compliance with any of the special permit’s conditions (as with any special permit the council issues). Samol also noted a condition specific to health club’s special permit.
“In the event there are two calls for emergency services to respond to issues during unstaffed hours at the property by the applicant within a 30 day time frame, the special permit will automatically be brought up for reconsideration by the Common Council at the next Common Council meeting,” Samol said.
The applicant is also required to be responsive to any emergency services issues within 30 minutes and responsible for emergency personnel costs at the city approved rates associated with response to calls for non-life and safety issues during non-staffed hours.
The proposed club, Anytime Fitness, is part of an international franchise, and per the conditions of the special permit, must have staff on site at a minimum of six days per week for at least 12 hours a day.
If the health club passes the six month trial period and emergency service calls during unstaffed hours are infrequent enough, then its special permit would be valid for five years, at which time the council would review the application.
Alzheimer’s organizations emphasize importance of support groups
Almost 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
Given the prevalence of the disease, the association’s Hudson Valley Chapter asked the Common Council for support in getting the word out about its Alzheimer’s caregivers support group held bi-monthly at the Neighborhood Center in Peekskill.
David Zucker, Community Engagement Manager at the Alzheimer’s Association Hudson Valley Chapter, gave a presentation on the organization and its mission which is to create a world without Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Zucker encouraged involvement in the newly created caregiver support group “Peekskill Fights For Cure,” facilitated by volunteers Sudha Ramaswami and Rev. George Conglio.
“We’ve been running this caregiver group for a couple of months now and we would ask for your help in getting more people in the community to attend this,” Ramaswami said. “We know there is a need… but we are not getting a lot of people to come to the support group.”
Rev. Conglio thanked Nutrition Site Manager Johnathan Zamora for his support for all the different senior programs offered in the Community Hub.
Conglio said that he doesn’t just approach the group as a co-facilitator but as someone who’s dealing with a parent suffering through dementia. He explained that about a year ago his then-93-year-old mother was doing great until they learned she had dementia.
“It presented itself when she asked me, ‘How is Dad doing?’ Dad died 34 years ago,” Conglio said. “And when I told her, ‘Mom, Dad’s been gone,’ she re-lived the loss like (I was) telling her for the first time.”
The support group meets every first and third Thursday of the month at the Neighborhood Center located at 4 Nelson Avenue. Meetings are held from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and are free to attend.
The Common Council did not indicate to presenters if they would take any steps to increase awareness of the caregiver group during the meeting.
The Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 Helpline is available free of charge at (800) 272-3900. Those interested in dementia and aging-related resources such as support groups that connect individuals facing dementia can go to altz.org.
City to purchase new firefighting apparatus
The Common Council unanimously passed several resolutions relating to fire, including one to authorize issuing bonds of up to $1,429,953 to purchase one new firefighting apparatus for the city.
A separate resolution was passed to enter into an agreement with Seagrave Fire Apparatus, LLC of Clintonville, for the purpose of purchasing one new 1500 gallon per minute Seagrave Marauder II Pumper Fire Apparatus.
Fire Chief James Seymour IV said on Feb. 18 that he has requested the same engine as ordered in 2022. The only changes to the order were required updates made by the National Fire Protection Association, he said. The engine will be ordered later this year, with delivery expected in late 2028 or early 2029.
Council members also passed a resolution to donate a 2017 Chevy Tahoe vehicle operated by the city’s fire department to the Cortlandt Peekskill Regional Paramedic Services Inc.
They also passed a resolution to authorize the certification of the 2024 points listing for the city’s volunteer firefighter length of service awards program.
A swearing in ceremony was also held for volunteer firefighter Michael Davis during the meeting. Probationary Firefighters Tobias Loyaza and David Brito were also recently sworn in at the Peekskill Central Firehouse on Friday, Feb. 21, City Manager Matthew Alexander said.
“What a pleasure it was to see two volunteers who graduated from Peekskill High School, one of whom actually used many thousands of dollars in scholarship funds set aside just for volunteer firefighters and made a decision to stay in the City of Peekskill because they really care about the city,” he said.
Quality of life, project updates, and plenty of resolutions passed
An illegal unlicensed dentist office working out of their home was recently shut down by the Building Department, City Manager Alexander shared.
Other updates included a reduced number of complaints about the former the White Plains Linen building on Highland Ave., the city continuing to review no rights on red areas, the city still meeting with parking meters and kiosks companies in regard to better communicating parking enforcement rules, and the street tree inventory beginning in April.
Alexander also said the Peekskill Stadium (on Louisa St.) is being prepared for this season’s games and the drainage is working. The riverfront and small gazebo have also received new picnic tables, he said.
He was hopeful that bidding for Monument Park’s $200,000 Downtown Revitalization Initiative project would be awarded in March or April, Alexander.
The Common Council passed a resolution authorizing the city to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the YWCA White Plains and Central Westchester to provide summer day camp program services.
Other resolutions passed included an extension of the temporary closure of Esther Street to vehicles through the end of the year, to appoint George Coniglio to the Human Relations Committee, and Elizabeth Castaldo to the Artist Certification Committee. The resolutions passed 7-0, with Councilman Dwight Douglas voting remotely.
The city will be holding four public hearings on March 24, including one on designating a school bus loading zone on the 1-100 block of James Street, amendments to the water code, amendments on moratorium on battery energy storage systems, and lastly one on graduated fines for quality of life offenses.
