Planning Board Approves Mt. Kisco Diner Expansion

Mount Kisco's Planning Board gave the go ahead for Mt. Kisco Coach Diner's proposed expansion by approving its site plan in a Tuesday night vote, people who were present confirmed.

The unanimous approval removes the last major hurdle for the project, which will include new space of roughly 1,250 square feet, 13 new parking spots and the merger of the current site with a parcel to the south, for operating purposes, that was the former home of Paul's Power. The diner, which is located at 252 E. Main St., has had to deal with spill-over parking due to the nature of its current available spots and the added parcel would help with parking planning.

Reached for comment, Harry Georgiou, a co-owner of the family business, was elated about the news. He did not have a time frame for when construction could start.

The diner will also have a new look, including stone and stucco for its facade, columns and a porch. Speaking before the Planning Board last year, diner architect Russell Davidson described the make over as resulting in a place that is “a little bit more restaurant, a little less diner” while adding that it will retain “some look of a diner.”

The site plan approval has some conditions with it, Singleton said, including screening for residential neighbors, the construction phasing and officially merging the two lots into one.

The Planning Board's backing is the last in several village approvals that were needed and ends several years of the application going through reviews by various local boards. In 2010, the Village Board of Trustees approved a zoning change so that the former Paul's site had zoning that matched that of the existing diner's. Last fall, the Zoning Board of Appeals approved an area variance for the proposal, while the Architectural Review Board, which oversees aesthetics, gave its nod.

When asked about the duration of time for the application, Singleton noted that it was altered, with changes including a new architect.

The diner still needs a permit from the New York State Department of Transportation because it is creating a new curb cut, Singleton said.